Detention
Chapter One: Detention
There were exactly three things everyone at Westbrook High knew about Ava Bennett.
She had never gotten a grade lower than an A.
She’d never broken a single school rule.
And she’d never been seen without a planner tucked under her arm.
Most people thought she had the perfect life.
They weren’t completely wrong.
Her parents were respected lawyers in town. She lived in one of the nicest neighborhoods. She had good friends, good grades, and a future that was practically planned out before she was even born.
But perfection came with expectations.
Expectations that were exhausting.
“Ava!”
She looked up from the history notes she was reviewing as her best friend, Lily Carter, practically skipped over to her locker.
“I swear,” Lily laughed, “you’re the only person who studies before first period.”
Ava smiled, sliding her notebook into her backpack.
“And you’re the only person who waits until five minutes before a test to ask me for help.”
“It builds character.”
“It builds stress.”
Lily linked their arms together as they walked toward class.
“So... are you coming to Ethan’s party Friday?”
Ava hesitated.
“I don’t know.”
Lily groaned dramatically.
“That’s not an answer.”
“My parents probably won’t let me.”
“You haven’t even asked.”
“I already know what they’ll say.”
“‘Parties are distractions, Ava. Focus on your future.’”
Lily did an almost perfect impression of Ava’s mother.
Ava couldn’t help but laugh.
“That was scary accurate.”
“I know.”
For a moment, things felt normal.
Until someone slammed into Ava’s shoulder.
Books exploded across the hallway floor.
“Oh my—”
A chemistry textbook slid several feet away before a pair of worn black combat boots stopped it.
A hand reached down, picking it up.
“Here.”
Ava looked up.
Dark brown hair fell over sharp gray eyes.
A faded bruise rested beneath one eye, and silver rings covered nearly every finger on his hand.
His hoodie sleeves were pushed up just enough to reveal tattoos wrapping around one forearm.
Jaxon Reed.
The name alone was enough to make teachers sigh.
He had a reputation that stretched far beyond the school walls.
Detentions.
Fights.
Skipping class.
Motorcycle rides that were definitely too fast.
Parents warned their kids about him.
Teachers expected trouble whenever he walked into a room.
Yet somehow...
Standing this close...
He didn’t look dangerous.
He just looked tired.
“You gonna take it?” he asked, still holding out her book.
“Oh.”
Ava quickly grabbed it.
“Thanks.”
“No problem.”
She knelt to gather the rest of her books.
Jaxon crouched beside her, helping without another word.
“I can get them,” Ava said quietly.
“I know.”
“Then why are you helping?”
He shrugged.
“Seemed rude not to.”
That wasn’t the answer she’d expected.
By the time they stood back up, the hallway had almost emptied.
“You always carry this many books?” Jaxon asked.
“I have six classes.”
“So do I.”
“You don’t strike me as someone who carries textbooks.”
“I don’t.”
A small smile tugged at the corner of Ava’s mouth before she could stop it.
“There it is.”
She blinked.
“What?”
“A smile.”
“It wasn’t a smile.”
“It definitely was.”
She rolled her eyes.
“I should get to class.”
“Probably.”
She turned to leave.
“Hey, Bennett.”
She looked back.
“You dropped this.”
He held up a blue pen she’d forgotten on the floor.
She took it.
“Thank you.”
He gave a lazy salute before walking the opposite direction.
Ava watched him disappear into the crowd.
“Weird,” she whispered to herself.
Nothing about that interaction matched the stories she’d heard.
Not even a little.
By lunchtime, she’d nearly forgotten about him.
Nearly.
She sat with Lily and two other friends, picking at her salad while reviewing vocabulary flashcards.
“You seriously brought study cards to lunch?” Lily asked.
“The biology quiz is tomorrow.”
“We’ve been in school for four hours.”
“And?”
“You scare me.”
Ava laughed.
Before she could respond—
Someone shouted from across the cafeteria.
“Watch out!”
A carton of chocolate milk flew through the air.
It missed its target completely.
Instead...
It slammed into another student.
The cafeteria erupted.
French fries.
Chicken nuggets.
Mashed potatoes.
Someone somehow launched an entire bread roll across the room.
“What is happening?” Ava muttered.
Lily was already laughing.
“This is amazing.”
“It is not amazing.”
A spoonful of mashed potatoes landed squarely on Ava’s shoulder.
She stared at it.
“...Seriously?”
Another food tray crashed somewhere behind them.
Teachers rushed into the cafeteria.
“ENOUGH!”
The room fell silent almost instantly.
Coach Daniels looked absolutely furious.
“I want everyone involved to report to the principal’s office. Now.”
Ava sighed.
This was going to be a very long day.
Ava followed the small group of students into the principal’s office, trying not to think about the mashed potatoes still drying on the sleeve of her cardigan.
“This is ridiculous,” she muttered under her breath.
“I agree.”
She looked to her left.
Jaxon Reed leaned against the wall with his arms crossed, looking completely unbothered by the situation.
“You,” Ava sighed.
“Me.”
“You started this.”
“I actually didn’t.”
She raised an eyebrow.
“I was eating lunch.”
“So was I.”
“You were sitting with the people throwing food.”
“I was sitting near them. Big difference.”
Before Ava could respond, the principal stepped out of his office.
“Miss Bennett. Mr. Reed.”
Both of them looked up.
“My office. Now.”
The principal closed the door behind them and sat down at his desk.
“I’ve spoken to several teachers.”
Ava stood up straighter.
“Sir, I wasn’t involved. Someone threw food across the cafeteria and—”
“I know.”
She blinked.
“You... know?”
“The security cameras show you were hit by the food.”
Relief washed over her.
“Oh. Thank goodness.”
“But...”
Her shoulders immediately tensed again.
“You and Mr. Reed were arguing afterward instead of following instructions.”
“We weren’t arguing,” Ava protested.
“We were having a discussion,” Jaxon added.
The principal gave him a look.
“It didn’t sound like a discussion.”
“It was a very passionate discussion,” Jaxon replied.
Ava pinched the bridge of her nose.
“You are both serving one afternoon detention.”
“What?” she exclaimed.
“Sir, that’s not fair!”
“Life rarely is, Miss Bennett.”
Jaxon sighed dramatically.
“Guess we’re detention buddies.”
Ava shot him a glare.
“Don’t call us that.”
The detention room was painfully quiet.
Twenty students sat scattered around old wooden desks while Mr. Thompson graded papers at the front of the room.
No phones.
No talking.
No sleeping.
Ava opened her biology notebook and decided to use the time to study.
Across the room, Jaxon spun a pencil between his fingers, clearly bored out of his mind.
Five minutes passed.
Then a folded piece of notebook paper landed on Ava’s desk.
She stared at it.
Slowly, she unfolded it.
You actually study during detention?
She sighed, grabbed a pen, and wrote back.
Yes.
She folded the note and slid it across the aisle.
Less than thirty seconds later, another note returned.
That’s terrifying.
She couldn’t help smiling.
She scribbled another reply.
You’re supposed to be doing your homework.
His response came almost immediately.
Didn’t bring it.
Why not?
Didn’t do it.
Ava shook her head, trying to hide another smile.
A third note appeared.
There it is again.
She looked over.
“What?”
“The smile.”
“I wasn’t smiling.”
“You definitely were.”
“I definitely wasn’t.”
“You’ve smiled twice today.”
She rolled her eyes.
“You’ve been counting?”
“I notice things.”
For a second, they simply looked at each other.
There was something different about him now.
Without the crowded hallway or the rumors surrounding him, Jaxon didn’t seem intimidating.
He just seemed... normal.
Mr. Thompson suddenly looked up.
“Mr. Reed.”
Jaxon looked innocent.
“Yes, sir?”
“If another note leaves your desk, I’ll keep you here another hour.”
“Noted.”
Ava bit the inside of her cheek to stop herself from laughing.
When the final bell rang, everyone rushed out of detention.
Ava stuffed her notebook into her backpack and headed toward the parking lot.
She barely made it through the front doors before hearing footsteps behind her.
“Bennett.”
She turned.
Jaxon caught up with her, hands shoved into the pockets of his hoodie.
“You forgot this.”
He held out her favorite blue pen.
Again.
She laughed softly.
“I really need to stop losing that.”
“You probably should.”
She took it from him.
“Thanks.”
“No problem.”
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
The afternoon sky had turned gray, and thunder rumbled in the distance.
“You waiting for someone?” he asked.
“The bus.”
He nodded.
“My bike’s over there.”
Ava glanced toward the student parking lot, where a sleek black motorcycle sat near the curb.
“It suits you.”
“Is that a compliment?”
“Don’t get used to it.”
He laughed.
“I’ll see you around, Bennett.”
Before she could answer, he pulled on his helmet, climbed onto the motorcycle, and started the engine.
As he rode away, Ava realized something.
Everyone at school seemed convinced they knew exactly who Jaxon Reed was.
But after spending an afternoon with him...
She wasn’t so sure they were right.
Maybe there was more to him than detention slips and rumors.
And maybe...
She was about to find out.
End of Chapter One : Detention~~
