Spin The Bottle

17 | Detention

"Thank goodness. So how have you been?" He tries to make conversation.

"I'm good." She replies and they keep talking on the phone for a few minutes.

"Thanks for calling. It was nice talking to you," Chris smiles after their conversation.

"Sure. Till next time," Piper smirks, and Chris slightly panics. He hopes she won't worry him with endless calls because if she does, he'd have no choice but to block her.

"Bye," he says and she hangs up.

**

Five minutes into Stephanie's first-period class - History, Chris walks in.

"Care to explain why you're-" Mrs. Greene checks her wristwatch, "- five minutes late, Hayes?" She fires at him as soon as he steps in.

"Uhm...family stuff...." Chris trails off, not wanting to explain himself.

Mrs. Greene looks at him suspiciously as if looking for a sign to know if he is lying.

"Very well then. Don't let this repeat itself," she tells him.

"I won't. Thanks, Mrs. Greene," he smiles gratefully.

"Go have your seat," she dismisses him. He proceeds to find a seat and sees an empty one close to the back, beside a window. After settling, he looks to his left and finds Hazel on the seat beside him.

"Hey," he says to her quietly.

She doesn't look his way. He wonders if she didn't hear him.

"Hey Ha...Stephanie," he says a little louder.

She turns in his direction. Of course, she noticed him walk in. Who wouldn't?

"Oh, you're talking to me?" She asks.

He nods.

"Sorry. Good morning," she tells him, quiet enough for only him to hear. Different questions pop into her head as she faces the teacher back.

Why is he sitting beside her? Why did he come late to class? Steph doesn't think he has ever come late to class- at least not all the classes they have together. And most importantly, she wonders why he's still trying to talk to her. What's his reason?

Ten minutes later, Stephanie is so bored. She begins to doodle until she hears a whisper.

"Psst."

She ignores it and keeps doodling.

"Psst," she hears it again and turns in the direction it came from.

It's Christopher.

What does he want?

"This class is so boring," he groans quietly but loud enough for her to hear. She shrugs and goes back to her doodling.

"You don't agree?" He asks.

She turns and shrugs again.

He smiles with his dimples showing, an amused look on his face.

"You're doodling, so it's obviously boring to you too," he smirks.

She sighs and rolls her eyes.

"Okay, I agree. It's boring," she tells him.

"Mr. Hayes and Ms. Valentine, would you like to tell the whole class what you're whispering about?" Mrs. Greene asks sternly from the front. But that isn't a question- it's a command.

They both freeze and Steph eyes widen. She shakes her head slightly and lowers it, letting her short hair cover the sides of her face.

Her cheeks flush in embarrassment when everyone looks their way.