With her long, blonde hair, she was undeniably beautiful as she assisted me with my homework. Beauty and intelligence combined. "Ava, focus. You're drifting off again!" Lucy chided.
"I'm not. I was just noticing how long your eyelashes are. They're beautiful."
"Haha... Of course they are! I'm not like you, okay?"
And once more, her words stung.
I woke up in the school restroom, a place often overlooked but oddly comforting with its tiled floors and white walls. As I sat up, I noticed Alex approaching, holding a juice can.
"Here... Are you okay? You fainted suddenly," he said, handing me the can.
I took it gratefully and nodded my thanks. "It's okay, it's happened before," I admitted, struggling to open the can due to my weakness. Alex took it from me, deftly opening it.
"Why does it happen?" he asked softly, handing it back to me.
"I pulled an all-nighter last night..." I murmured while sipping the juice. Alex continued to gaze at me, a nervous concern in his eyes. We had never met before. Why was he acting this way?
"Have we met before?" I ventured to ask.
Alex scratched the back of his head nervously and chuckled. "Huh? Have we?"
"Why are you in detention?" I asked gently, hoping to gauge his reaction, though I doubted he'd be offended.
He smiled carelessly. "I love it here."
I blinked in confusion. "You love being at school during summer vacation?"
He nodded, almost like a playful puppy, though he was much too tall for anyone to find him cute.
"It's boring at home, so I hang out with my friends here. They just make us write or clean the school."
"What about you?" he asked, and I felt a pang of guilt, though I hadn't done anything wrong. Lucy deserved it. But explaining this to someone who hadn't broken any rules felt odd.
"I... I slapped someone," I murmured slowly.
"Slapped? That's all? They wouldn't put you here just for that," Alex replied.
"Well... The slap made her hit her head on the edge of the desk, and she started bleeding, so yes..." I explained, looking out the window at the afternoon scenery, feeling a bit drowsy.
I felt Alex's hand on my forehead. "You're burning," he said softly. Heat rushed to my cheeks as I pulled away abruptly. "I know. Why are you even here?" My words came out harsher than intended. Why did he have to touch me? No guy had ever done that before.
"Sorry..." Alex muttered, looking down like a sad puppy.
"No, I was just startled... Um, anyway, what class are you in?" I quickly changed the subject.
"Class B, Grade 10," he replied eagerly. I nodded in acknowledgment. "B? I'm in A. I haven't crossed paths with you before..."
"But I've seen you numerous times," he remarked warmly, his smile nearly contagious. "You often linger after classes to study."
I chuckled nervously, fiddling with my fingers. "It's too noisy at home to focus, so I end up staying late."
Ms. Daisy, our homeroom teacher, rushed into the restroom. "Ava, how are you now? I was so worried," she exclaimed, her eyes scanning me with concern.
I looked up at her and managed a weary smile, trying to reassure her. "Ms. Daisy... oh... well, I'm good now. Thank you for taking care of me," I said, bowing slightly.
Ms. Daisy smiled warmly, relieved to see me recovering. "Your detention... it's cancelled, Ava, so don't worry."
I blinked in surprise, once... then twice. "Cancelled? Why? Because of... my nosebleed?" I asked, confusion evident in my voice.
Ms. Daisy nodded reassuringly, her hand gently patting my shoulder. "Yes, Lucy pleaded with the principal to have your detention lifted."
Just then, Lucy walked in from behind Ms. Daisy, her face filled with concern and kindness. "Ava..."