Maybe This Is Love, |✔️

Chapter 3

"Later, Zachy!" I call out to him while also giving him the finger. "And my voice is not obnoxiously loud." It's normal, I think.

But by the time I get to the office, Mrs Innis is no longer there. Rather, Ms Pavloski sits in her place behind the desk next to Headmaster Holloway's office. Ms Pavloski is another assistant to the headmaster who ironically hates my guts.

I groan inwardly.

"You're late." She gives me an acid-laced look then continues typing on her ancient computer with her bright pink false nails.

She was pretty old-looking even though she must only be in her early 40's. She has wrinkled skin which she tries to cover up with make-up but subsequently failed.                 
She always wears this awful bubblegum pink lipstick to go with the colour of her nails and it was like she had a permanent scowl stuck on her face.
Whereas, Mrs Innis was a kind 60 with dark dyed purple hair which she claims makes her feel young again. She's a sweet old lady who always keeps little boiled sweets on her desk and smiles at every student that passed by. But, alas, I'm stuck with this one.

"I'm aware of that, Ms Pavloski." I grimace, folding my arms across my chest.

She doesn't look up from the computer as she directs her question towards me. "Reason?"

"I was looking after my sister," She finally glances up looking almost sympathetic. Almost. I'm pretty sure that robots are incapable of having feelings.

"Well, at the moment you have too many late marks so I'm going to have to put you in a for a few detentions." She sighs, removing her glasses and rubbing her eyes.

"Is that why I was called down to reception?" I mutter. Why couldn't they have told me this in an email like they usually do? I'm missing my history lesson for this and it's Tudor week; my favourite.

"Oh! That reminds me," She rummages around her desk, looking for something when she finally finds it she holds it up for me to see.
It was a letter with my name on it.

"However, if you go to this one detention, you will not have to do the rest." She peers at me through her spectacles. "It starts this lunch period with Mrs Innis."

"Where?" I ask, putting the letter in my bag knowing I was going to throw it away later.

"In the Sports Hall." She says, her gaze returning to her computer screen.
She hands me a self-help leaflet as some kind of parting gift and shoos me away. "You can leave now."

I turn on my heel and do so just as Bria Velasquez walks directly into my path, making her drop all her books. I remember when she was a little year 7 who always had her hair in pigtails and was a bit chubby but now she's blossomed into a typical Beaumont girl with bone straight hair and eyes for all the boys around.

I help her pick each book up while she's stuttering and rapidly apologising. I honestly have no clue how she and Brett are related. She seems so much more normal compared to that rabid animal of a brother.

"It's okay, it was probably really my fault anyway," I say, even though it was definitely her who walked into me. "I'm clumsy." I hand her the books and she sheepishly smiles at me as she pushes a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Thanks, Parker!" She looks back at me, her cheeks flushed making her appear more baby-like. It's hard to believe that her older brother is the devil's spawn.

Assuming the interaction was over, I begin to set off down the hall. She pulls me back. Hard. For a girl that is approximately 4'11, she sure has quite a lot of upper body strength, probably more than I do and that's worrying for me.
Maybe I do need to start hitting the gym.