Chapter 1
THE WRONG DETENTION SLIP:
The gates of Whitestone Prep Academy gleamed in the Connecticut morning sun.
I clutched my second-hand textbooks to my chest and walked fast. Head down. Eyes down.
Rule #1: Don’t get noticed.
I was a scholarship student. One of 30 kids on financial aid in a school of 600 millionaire students.
My uniform was ironed, but everyone could tell it was from Target, not Prada.
“Move, charity case,” someone muttered as they brushed past me in the hallway.
I didn’t answer. I just kept walking to Room 12B.
That’s when I saw the notice board.
*DETENTION - TODAY 4PM*
*Avery Collins & Carter Hayes*
*Reason: Disruption in Hallway C*
My stomach dropped.
“I didn’t do anything,” I whispered.
And then I heard his voice behind me. Cold. Amused.
“Looks like we’re partners now, scholarship girl.”
I turned.
Carter Hayes. 17. Heir to Hayes Tech. 6'2. Tailored blazer. Rolex that cost more than my car.
And the biggest bully in Whitestone.
He was leaning against the lockers, arms folded. That smirk I hated.
“I didn’t disrupt anything,” I said.
“Didn’t say you did,” he shrugged. “But Principal Davis said we did. So now we’re *partners in punishment*.”
My mouth went dry. The whole school would talk. Scholarship girl + Billionaire bully.
Before I could answer, my phone buzzed. Unknown number.
`We have your mom’s medical bills. Pay $10,000 or we post them online.`
I froze.
When I looked up, Carter was watching me. His smirk was gone.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
“Nothing,” I lied and shoved my phone in my backpack.
He studied me for a long second.
“See you at 4pm, Collins. Don’t be late to our first detention.”
Then he walked away, leaving me with a detention slip... and a blackmail text.
I didn’t know it yet, but being *partners in punishment* was about to ruin my life.
Or save it.
*[End of Chapter 1]*
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*CHAPTER 2: "4PM"* - _American Version_
I got to the detention room at 3:58pm.
Empty. Except for Carter. Of course.
He was sitting at the last desk, AirPods in, scrolling TikTok like he owned the room.
“Hi,” I said quietly and sat 3 desks away.
He didn’t look up. “You’re early, partner.”
“You’re early too, partner.”
Silence. For 10 whole minutes. The only sound was the clock ticking.
Then the door opened. Principal Davis.
“Good. You’re both here.” She dropped two folders on our desks.
“Since you ‘disrupted’ class, you’ll fix it by working together. These are scholarship applications. 200 of them. Due Friday.”
200 applications?! That was impossible.
“Ma’am, that’s—” I started.
“Problem?” Principal Davis raised a brow.
Carter finally looked up and smirked. “No problem. *Partners in punishment* will handle it.”
Partner. The word felt weird in his mouth.
After she left, I opened the folder. The first application had a name I knew.
Maya. From my old public school. She needed this scholarship.
My hands shook.
“Something wrong?” Carter asked.
I shook my head.
He leaned over and saw the file. “Maya Rodriguez. GPA: 4.0. Household Income: $28,000.”
He was quiet. Then he pushed half the stack to my side.
“We’ll split it. 100 each. Meet me here tomorrow 4pm.”
I stared. “Why are you helping?”
He stood to leave. “I’m not. I just hate losing.”
At the door he stopped. “By the way. Whoever sent you that text yesterday... be careful.”
I gasped. “How did you—”
He was already gone.
Someone told him about the blackmail.
But who?
And why did I feel safer with my partner in punishment than with anyone else in this school?
