Don't Tell

01 │ how they met

Short chapter.

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07:42

“This can’t be happening,” I muttered, looking for my homework. Papers and folders were scattered on the desk in front of me.

I swear I put it in my bag . . . unless Brody, my little brother, touched my stuff again.

Dammit.

The sound of my biology teacher’s tapping foot wasn’t helping my situation. Tap, tap, tap, tap, tap–

I stopped moving. Looking up at my teacher, I said, “Can you please stop that?”

The old man stopped his foot from making any noises and gave me a death glare. “Since when were you told to disrespect you elders like that, Ms. Gallagher?”

My biology teacher, Mr. Kaiser, was the cruelest teacher I’ve ever met– and the nosiest too. I never understood why he hated all of his students or why he stuck his nose into people’s business. According to rumors, Mr. Kaiser had an affair with a former teacher many years back and something terrible happened, which turned the old man sour, but that’s none of my business.

“Sorry,” I mumbled, rolling my eyes.

Mr. Kaiser walked around his desk and headed my way.

Oh shit, I scolded myself.

His brown hair laid flat against the top of his head along with his bangs – which looked like barcodes.

I bet you if you scanned his forehead you’d get 20% off anything at any store.

The old man stopped just in front of my desk and narrowed his eyes at me, planting his hand on the desk. “Detention for you young lady,” his voice rasped.

My eyes widened, “No Mr. Kaiser, please don’t give me a detention.” I did not want to start my year with a detention.

His bushy brows went up as he stared at me in amusement. “And why wouldn’t you want that, Ms. Gallagher?” he asked, scratching his chin. “You knew that the homework I assigned the class was very important for this semester. What happened to the responsible student I knew?”

I tilted my head to the side to make my neck pop as I bit the inside of my cheeks. “I don’t see how that’s any of your business, sir,” I said, packing up my stuff.

Before I walked out of the classroom, he called me back.

“Yeah?” I glanced back at the man.

He glanced at his watch and looked back at me. “You’re still getting after school detention. You know how I feel about late homework.”

“Whatever,” I said, muttering the word “asshole” after.

“I heard that Ms. Gallagher — make that two hours of detention . . . for a week starting tomorrow.”

* * *

12:56

“The old hag gave me a detention,” I grumbled, chewing on my pizza.

My friends, Cassandra and Melanie looked at each other with wide eyes and the table got silent as I ate my pizza.

Mmmm. Yum.

Melanie was the one who broke the silence. “What in the world did you do to get a detention this early in the year?” she looked at me with her crazy eyes. Her – dyed – black hair brought out the color of her green eyes and made them look lighter.