Chapter 23 Oops Detention

Chapter 23 Oops Detention
ELOWEN BENNETT

The next day at school started strangely.

The moment I walked through the front doors, the first person I saw was Andrew. He was leaning against the wall near the entrance, scrolling through his phone. When he spotted me, his face lit up with that easy, friendly smile I was starting to recognize.

“Morning, Elowen,” he said, falling into step beside me as I headed toward my locker. “You survived yesterday. That’s impressive.”

I let out a small laugh, adjusting the strap of my bag. “Barely. I thought Tasha was actually going to slap me.”

“Yeah, she looked ready to,” he replied, shaking his head. “Some people really need to chill. You okay though? No bruises?”

“I’m fine,” I said, glancing up at him. “Thanks again for stepping in. You didn’t have to do that.”

Jace shrugged like it was no big deal. “I wasn’t about to stand there and watch her hit you. That’s not my style.”

We reached my locker and I started switching out my books. He leaned against the neighboring locker, watching me with light amusement in his eyes.

“So,” he continued, “what’s the deal with you and Alaric Hayes? He seemed pretty pissed yesterday when he showed up.”

I froze for a second, then closed my locker a little harder than necessary. “It’s… complicated. We’re working on a biology project together. That’s all.”

Andrew raised an eyebrow, clearly not buying it. “Looked like more than a project to me. The way he was glaring at me? That wasn’t just about the project.”

I sighed, leaning my back against the locker. “He’s… intense. And controlling. He doesn’t like when people get too close to me, I guess. Probably because he thinks I belong to him for the next three months or something.” I felt like I was sharing too much but I was comfortable around him, I couldn't help it.

“Three months?” Andrew whistled low. “Sounds like a hostage situation.”

I couldn’t help but smile. “It kind of feels like one sometimes.”

We started walking toward English class together. The hallway was filling up with students, but talking to Andrew felt surprisingly easy. He had this calm energy that made the chaos of school feel a little less overwhelming.

“So, what do you do when you’re not being Alaric Hayes’ personal assistant?” he asked, nudging my shoulder lightly with his.

“I read,” I answered honestly. “A lot. Mostly fantasy I already told you that. Sometimes I write little stories too, but they’re not very good.”

“I doubt that,” he said. “You seem like the type who’s secretly really good at stuff but never shows it off. What kind of stories do you write?”

“Mostly about girls who discover they have magic or find hidden worlds,” I admitted, feeling my cheeks warm. “Nothing original, I know.”

Andrew grinned. “Hey, that sounds awesome. I’d read that. Maybe one day you’ll let me see something you wrote.”

We entered English class still talking. I usually sat near the back, but today Andrew followed me and took the seat right beside me. The desk that was normally empty the one Alaric usually occupied, it stayed vacant.

Alaric wasn’t here.

I glanced at the empty seat, a small flicker of worry passing through me. We had English together every day. He was never absent. I wondered if something had happened after last night. After I showed up at his house and his father asked all those weird questions.

But I pushed the thought away. He was probably just skipping or had hockey practice. I shouldn’t overthink it.

Andree leaned closer, lowering his voice. “Okay, but seriously — if you could have any magical power, what would it be? Flying? Invisibility? Or something cooler like controlling time?”

I thought for a second, then smiled. “Probably the ability to talk to animals. Imagine getting life advice from a cat. Or complaining to a squirrel about your problems.”

He laughed, a warm, genuine sound. “That’s actually brilliant. I’d go with super speed. I could finish all my assignments in five minutes and still have time to read.”

We kept talking quietly, trading silly ideas back and forth. At one point, Andrew made a dramatic impression of a dramatic wizard giving bad advice, and I had to cover my mouth to stop myself from laughing too loudly.

“Miss Bennett and Mr. Andrew,” Mrs. Langdon’s sharp voice suddenly cut through the room. “Since you two seem to find my lesson so entertaining, perhaps you’d like to continue your conversation somewhere else.”

The entire class turned to look at us.

My face burned with embarrassment. “Sorry, Mrs. Langdon.”

But she wasn’t having it. She pointed toward the door. “Both of you. Out. Detention room. Now.”

Andrew stood up first, still looking amused rather than bothered. “Yes, ma’am.”

I grabbed my bag and followed him out of the classroom, cheeks still flaming. The moment the door closed behind us, Jace let out a soft chuckle.

“Well, that escalated quickly,” he said, walking beside me toward the detention room. “Sorry about that. I didn’t mean to get you in trouble.”

“It’s okay,” I replied, shaking my head with a small smile. “I was laughing too. I haven’t been sent to detention in… ever, actually.”

“First time for everything,” he teased lightly. “At least we’ll have company. Could be worse.”

We walked into the nearly empty detention room and took seats near the back. The supervisor barely looked up from his newspaper.

Andrew turned to me again, voice lower this time. “So, back to the important question — cats or squirrels for life advice?”

I laughed softly, the tension from earlier melting away. “Definitely cats. They’re judgmental but honest.”

As we continued talking in hushed voices, I couldn’t help but feel a strange mix of emotions. Part of me was still worried about Alaric’s absence. Another part was relieved to have someone who made school feel a little less lonely.

But deep down, I had a feeling that whatever was happening between Alaric, his family, and now Andrew, it was far from over.

And I was right in the middle of it all.