Tainted Souls

Chapter Eight

"Just great. How did I end up in detention with Maverick Medici again?" I sighed. "Somehow, it feels like everything is starting to become my fault."

Keisha raised a brow at me. "Girl, it has to do with the fact that you're still in that same GE class with him and the same group. He clashes with everyone due to his anger management issues. Don't blame yourself."

"I would choose a delicious dinner gathering with Taj over having detention with Maverick." My shoulders slumped. "At least you get the prime dining experience."

"It's not prime dining if you are surrounded by people who are miserable and corrupt," Keisha reminded me. "Either way, you're going to detention. That is, unless you want Professor Hills to give you a twenty page essay. I heard he's notorious for giving out big weekly "assignments" when he's not being a basketball coach. More like hell."

I groaned in annoyance and reluctantly walked into the detention room, which already had the new professor within it. I didn't see Maverick yet, but I wasn't going to relax just because of that. He frequently went into detention late.

"You are the reason why Maverick has been spiraling downhill more than before. It was already bad enough when he quit the basketball team," Professor Hill commented.

What?! It was already bad enough to deal with getting hate from the students, but to have a professor hate on me now? This was more heart wrenching than ever.

How could I survive detention today, now? I observed the professor for a moment. Keisha told me that in order to get back at your enemies, you needed to find one of their weaknesses. I wasn't sure if Maverick quitting basketball was one of his major weaknesses, but it didn't hurt to try to find out more information about Maverick to get revenge on him. After all, Maverick's coach also seemed to dislike him.

"Why did Maverick spiral downhill, anyways? I'm sorry if I caused any problems for him. He just lashed out at me again in drama class since he didn't want to act out a romantic scene for a play," I sighed.

I wasn't aiming for manipulation because it was the truth, either way. Plus, he deserved what was coming for him after the frustration I felt in drama class for getting scolded by the professor and the TA for our—I mean, Maverick's—bad performance. Again.

"It started with him taking drugs. He claimed it was to help himself fall asleep due to him not getting enough sleep. The boy can just close his eyes and drift off. I taught him meditation exercises for sleeping, yet he claimed none of that worked. He acted like an idiot by taking drugs. It worsened his performance by a lot. I've never dealt with student athletes that take drugs when their performance is already stellar. He didn't give a shit when I said that I could help him get to the NBA," Professor Hill scowled.

It was odd how Maverick took drugs. He did not seem like he had insomnia or anything, considering the fact that he seemed to sleep normally. I had to know, considering the fact that I was obligated to visit his dorm room to clean it.

That was when I heard footsteps approaching the door. I motioned for the coach/professor to be quiet. He raised a brow at me and frowned, wondering why I was being secretive about the fact that he had shared this information to me.

"You and I have a lot to converse about after that abrupt departure of yours from my team." Professor Hill admonished Maverick in a condescending tone from the moment he walked into the room.

Undeterred by the coach's comments, Maverick settled into the seat next to me, a wry smile playing on his lips as he glanced towards the professor in an impassive manner.

"I don't know if that is any of your business, coach," Maverick said in a tone that was clandestine. It gave me the chills. "Isn't the whole point of detention to get along with the person someone had disputes with?"