After school, the three of us-me, Ethan, and Seira-were sitting in Principal Jenkins' office. Her glare was set on us like a hawk staring down its prey. The silence was tense, broken only by the tapping of her pen on the desk.
"So," Principal Jenkins began, looking directly at me first. "Mr. Carver, what do we have here? Still lazy as ever, I see. You know, you're a smart boy, Seth. Clever. But you're also rude and disrespectful. You think you can get through life with that attitude?"
I bit back a retort. In my past life, I might've been exactly what she described. A jerk. Quiet, mean, and someone who didn't care about much, least of all authority figures like her. But now? Things were different. Still, I could feel the familiar irritation bubbling up. I wasn't that kid anymore, but Jenkins didn't know that.
She didn't give me a chance to respond, though, already moving her gaze to Ethan. "And you, Mr. Daniels. You think just because you're popular and girls throw themselves at you, that you can get away with anything?" Her lip curled as she sized him up. "You're charming, blonde-hair perfect boy, sure, but that doesn't make up for the fact that you're a slacker. Always trying to be funny, aren't you?"
Ethan shifted uncomfortably in his seat, glancing at me. He wasn't used to being directly called out like this. "I-I wasn't trying to be funny, Principal Jenkins. We just forgot the homework, that's all. It won't happen again."
"Oh, I'm sure it won't," she said dryly. "But it doesn't change the fact that this isn't the first time you've failed to take your studies seriously."
I could feel the tension growing beside me. Seira hadn't said a word yet, but I knew it was coming. Jenkins hadn't even looked her way yet, but when she did, it was like watching a lioness cornering her prey.
"And Miss Fallon," Jenkins finally addressed her. "What a disappointment. You have so much potential, but you're wasting it. You could easily be at the top of this class, yet here you are, barely scraping by. You know, you weren't always like this. I used to think you had a bright future, but lately, you've become lazy, just like these two."
Seira clenched her fists at her sides, trying to maintain her composure, but I could see the tension in her body. "I'm not lazy," she said quietly, her voice calm but with a hint of defiance. "I've just had... other things going on."
"Other things going on?" Jenkins mocked, leaning forward with a sneer. "That's no excuse. Life doesn't stop for your personal issues, Miss Fallon. I expected better from you."
Seira's jaw tightened, but she didn't respond. I knew her well enough to see that this was hurting her, even if she tried not to show it. In the past, Seira would've stayed quiet, maybe even avoided the principal's eye contact, but I could see now that something in her had changed too. She was starting to stand her ground, albeit carefully.
Jenkins finally stood up from her desk, her voice filled with authority. "Since you all find it so hard to follow simple instructions, here's what's going to happen: detention. One weeks, after school. And not just any detention-you'll be in extra classes with me. We'll see if I can knock some discipline into you."
"One weeks?" Ethan blurted out, his eyes wide. "That's harsh, don't you think? We just forgot one assignment!"
Jenkins didn't flinch. "If you think that's harsh, Mr. Daniels, then I suggest you start taking your education seriously before it's too late. And if any of you speak out of line again, I'll be calling your parents."
I couldn't help it. The words slipped out before I could stop them. "There are worse things going on with students than missing one homework assignment. We're not the worst-case scenario here."
Big mistake.
Jenkins' face turned an alarming shade of red as she glared at me. "What did you just say, Mr. Carver?" She stepped closer to me, her voice low and dangerous. "So now you're telling me how to run my school, is that it?"
I opened my mouth to backtrack, but she cut me off. "You think you're so clever, don't you? Well, you can add another week to your detention, and if I hear one more word out of any of you, I'll make sure your parents know just how much of a 'problem' you're becoming."
Seira and Ethan turned to me, their faces filled with a mixture of disbelief and anger. Seira's eyes practically burned with frustration. "Thanks a lot, Seth," she muttered under her breath, clearly sarcastic.
Jenkins finally waved her hand dismissively. "You're dismissed. And be grateful I'm giving you this chance to turn things around. Now get out of my office."
We didn't need to be told twice. The second we were outside, Seira whirled on me. "What the hell was that, Seth? Why'd you have to make things worse?"
"I didn't mean to," I said, rubbing the back of my neck. "She was being unreasonable."
"That's not the point!" she shot back. "We were already in enough trouble, and now we have extra detention!"
Ethan stepped in before things could escalate further. "Alright, alright, calm down, both of you. What's done is done. Let's just get through it, okay?"
Seira glared at me for a second longer before sighing. "Fine. But seriously, Seth, next time, just keep your mouth shut."
I bit back my retort. Sure, I was technically still a teenager on the outside, but mentally, I was 28. I didn't have time for these petty arguments, but Seira... she was as fiery as ever.
By the time we'd grabbed our bags and were leaving the school, the sun had already started to set. I glanced at Ethan and then at Seira. I needed to make sure she was safe. The memories of what happened to her before-the murder, the killer-I couldn't let that happen again.
"Hey, Ethan," I said, trying to sound casual. "We should walk Seira home."
Ethan raised an eyebrow, surprised. "You want to walk Seira home? Since when are you so concerned?"
"Just... shut up and let's go," I muttered.
He smirked, clearly enjoying this. "Alright, whatever you say, Seth."
Seira crossed her arms, already looking annoyed. "I don't need bodyguards, you know. I can walk home by myself just fine."
I didn't care what she thought. I wasn't letting her walk home alone, not with everything that was at stake. We continued walking in silence until a car pulled up beside us. It was Seira's father, if i remember correctly, he is Sam Fallon. He rolled down the window, calling out her name.
"Seira!" Her dad grinned as he stepped out of the car. He was a average height man with a friendly demeanor-Mr. Sam Fallon, if I remember correctly. He had a certain charm that put people at ease, but he also had this way of teasing Seira endlessly. "Who are these boys?" he asked, eyeing me and Ethan with a playful smile. "Which one of you is her boyfriend?"
Seira's face turned bright red. "Dad! They're not my boyfriends!"
Her father chuckled, clearly enjoying how flustered she was. "I'm just asking, sweetheart. You know I have to make sure you're keeping the boys in check."
"Ugh, you're so annoying," she muttered, crossing her arms.
Mr. Fallon then turned his attention back to me and Ethan. "You boys want a ride? I can drop you off at home."
I was about to politely decline, but of course, Ethan jumped at the offer. "Sure, Mr. Fallon!" he said, practically sprinting to the car door.
I shot him a glare. "Ethan, really?"
Ethan just shrugged. "What? It's a free ride."
With no other choice, I climbed into the car after them. Mr. Fallon started chatting with us as we drove, telling stories about his car's constant breakdowns and how Seira would end up walking to school and back home on those days.
"You know, I'd appreciate it if you boys could walk her to and from school while my car's in the shop," he said casually, glancing at us through the rearview mirror. "Gotta make sure she stays safe."
Seira groaned. "Dad, I'm not a kid! I don't need bodyguards."
Her dad smirked. "Could've fooled me. You complain about being tired just from walking to school."
She threw her hands up in frustration. "It's exhausting, okay?"
Ethan couldn't resist chiming in. "Yeah, Seira, you're always grumpy in the morning. Maybe a little fresh air on the walk will do you good."
Seira shot him a look that could kill. "You're not helping, Ethan."
Her dad just laughed, clearly enjoying the banter. "See, this is why you need someone to walk with you. Keep you in good spirits."
We reached Ethan's house first, and he waved goodbye before hopping out of the car. Seira and I sat in awkward silence as Mr. Fallon continued to drive.
When we finally arrived at my place, Seira gave me a quick, awkward wave. "Bye, Seth."
"Bye," I muttered, still feeling a little off-balance from the strange day.
Mr. Fallon smiled and waved as they drove off. He was a good guy-funny, caring. Maybe Seira didn't appreciate his teasing, but it was clear he loved her.o