The next morning, I walked into school with a spring in my step, ready for a glorious holiday week ahead. Freedom, relaxation—except... that dream shattered the second I saw Seira and Ethan standing near the entrance, glaring at a sign Madam Jenkins had oh-so-thoughtfully posted. My heart sank when I read it: "Detention extended two weeks. Attendance mandatory, including all holidays."
Detention. For the next two weeks. Including holiday time.
Seira's face was a perfect storm of outrage and disbelief, her eyes practically popping out of her head. She let out a furious sigh, crossing her arms as she muttered under her breath, probably plotting vengeance against Madam Jenkins. Ethan, on the other hand, was leaning against the wall, grumbling about how this was going to ruin his life and every ounce of happiness he had left. Both of them looked like their worst nightmares had come true.
But me? I couldn't help the grin that spread across my face. Sure, detention wasn't ideal, but this meant extra time with Seira. And if we're in school, we're together. If we're together, I can gain her trust. If I gain her trust, I can protect her. And if I protect her, then maybe, just maybe, I can save my parents from... well, okay, that's getting a bit ahead of myself.
My grin didn't go unnoticed. Ethan squinted at me, the frown on his face deepening as he leaned in closer. "What's with the creepy smile, Seth? Did Madam Jenkins hit you so hard with detention that your brain short-circuited, or are you just happy to be miserable?"
"Maybe both," I replied with a shrug, earning an exaggerated eye roll from him.
"Ugh, whatever. Freak," he muttered with a smirk, shaking his head at me.
Seira, meanwhile, decided to channel her anger into productivity. She dropped her bag on the desk, practically shoving her books around as she furiously started working on the day's detention assignment. I watched, amused, as she threw herself into it like she was at war with her notebook. Meanwhile, I breezed through my own work with ease, and Ethan wasn't far behind me. It wasn't long before I put down my pen and stretched, satisfied with the neat stack of completed pages in front of me.
Seira glanced over at me, then at Ethan, her eyes narrowing in frustration. "Why are you two so fast? It's not fair."
"Maybe you're just slow," I replied, leaning back with a smirk.
She threw me a death glare but didn't respond, her eyes darting back to her incomplete worksheet. I watched as she scribbled furiously, her pace frantic but... going nowhere. The truth was, I didn't want to leave the room until she was done. So I stayed, waiting for her to finish.
Ethan, catching on, raised an eyebrow and gave me a nudge. "What, waiting around for Madam Jenkins' monster to come out and attack Seira?" He leaned over to Seira, adding, "Good thing Seth's here to protect you from any rabid ghost teachers."
Seira and I turned to him in unison, giving him identical glares.
"Shut it, Ethan. If anyone's gonna get eaten first, it's you," I shot back.
Seira grinned, adding, "Yeah, Ethan, you can go die first."
He snorted, unbothered. "Fine, then! I'll just sit right here and haunt you both." He plopped down in a chair in front of Seira, crossing his arms dramatically. I followed suit, moving a chair over and sitting beside her.
I glanced at her worksheet and immediately felt my eye twitch. She hadn't even made it halfway through. Science was easy. How was she still stuck?
"What have you been doing this whole time?" I snapped, my irritation showing.
Seira looked up, completely unbothered by my tone, and sighed, "I'm lazy, okay? And science doesn't make any sense to me." She shot me a glare as if this was somehow my fault. Ethan snickered from his seat, clearly enjoying the show.
I rolled my eyes. "Maybe if you actually focused on the assignment instead of... I don't know, whatever it is you're doing?"
She shot back, "Oh please, you sound like Madam Jenkins. I think you've been possessed by her ghost or something."
That sent Ethan into hysterics, clutching his stomach as he laughed so hard he nearly fell out of his chair. "Seth, you're practically her twin now. Just don't start giving us detention for breathing, alright?"
I scowled, shooting Ethan a look that could kill, but Seira chimed in, a playful gleam in her eye. "He's right, Seth. You really should lighten up on me."
"Fine," I muttered, rolling my eyes. "But Ethan, you take a look at her work. It's... appalling."
Ethan's laughter died down as he glanced over at Seira's paper. His amusement quickly turned to frustration. "What have you been doing for the past hour? This is... this is barely anything! It's late, Seira. How did you even manage to do so little?"
Seira shot him a sheepish smile, her face lighting up with a hint of mischief. "Oh, that? I was working on something much more important."
I raised an eyebrow, crossing my arms. "Yeah? And what's that?"
She leaned back, a proud grin on her face. "My novel, of course."
Ethan let out a groan, while I shook my head, exasperated. "So, you've spent all this time scribbling away at some random story instead of actually working on science?"
Seira's grin widened. "Exactly."
And then I remembered—her decorated notebook, the one she treasured, wasn't that thing missing? I looked over at her. "Wait a minute. Did you ever find that notebook you lost?"
Her expression faltered for a split second before she shook her head, her voice softer. "No, I haven't found it yet."
Ethan raised an eyebrow, leaning closer. "Do you want us to help you look for it or something?" He shot me a sidelong glance as if expecting me to enthusiastically jump in.
I shook my head, my tone dry. "Don't drag me into this, Ethan. I was just asking, not volunteering."
But Seira's face lit up with such an unexpected flash of excitement that I couldn't bring myself to retract my words. "You'd really help me look?" she asked, a spark of hope in her eyes.
I sighed, a mixture of exasperation and amusement flooding me. "Let's just get through this work first, alright?"
She pouted but didn't argue. "Fine," she muttered, focusing back on her paper.
After a few minutes, she let out a frustrated groan, dropping her pen. "Seth... can you help me with this one? Please?"
I shook my head. "Not a chance. You got yourself into this mess; you can get yourself out."
She looked over at Ethan, who shrugged. "Fine, fine, I'll help. But I swear, this is the last time."
Together, Ethan and I guided her through the remaining questions, our voices occasionally dipping into mock-serious explanations. We had a reputation in our class, after all—the "professional duo" when it came to science. And as we went over the answers, Ethan and I slipped into our usual rhythm, practically racing to explain each concept faster than the other, with Seira watching us with a mixture of awe and confusion.
By the time we finished, Seira's eyes were wide with newfound appreciation—although I couldn't tell if it was for the subject or just the spectacle of us.
"Well," she said, finally setting down her pen, "I'd call you guys nerds, but honestly... thanks."
Ethan gave her a smug grin. "You're welcome, but remember—you owe us. Big time."
I simply rolled my eyes, standing up as the bell rang, signaling the end of detention. As we gathered our things, I couldn't help but feel a strange warmth settle in my chest.
Who knew that detention could actually be... fun?