The Bet

“Asher?” Mr Croucher called. No response. A sigh and a click of the keyboard later, he continued with the register. As experience had taught him, it was useless trying to work out the boy’s whereabouts during class time. Sliding his spectacles up his nose, he went on.

“Blaine?”

“Here” A dark-haired boy, wearing a leather jacket over his school uniform spoke up. His hair was untidily combed and his dark green eyes stared absentmindedly around the room

Suddenly, the door to the classroom burst open and in barged Kai Asher, boldly slinging a black, leather jacket over his shoulder. No schoolbag was in sight.

“You’re late” Mr Croucher snapped, even though he knew it was useless. Everyone knew that telling Kai Asher off was useless. He just strove to do it anyway.

Kai walked to the back of the class and slumped on a vacant seat in the corner, greeting his friend with a smile.

“I don’t know why I even bother to save you a seat in class. You only bother to turn up half the time anyway” Colten Blaine muttered half-heartedly, passing Kai a pen and paper, even though he knew the boy wasn’t going to take notes.

“Why make my own, when I can just borrow yours after class?” he’d once said.

“Because you know you love me” Kai chuckled before turning to blow a kiss to a girl in the row in front of him who’d been blatantly staring at him. The girl instantly coloured and smiled back before turning to face the front again as her name was called in the register.

“You think you’re heaven sent, don’t you?” The boy in the seat in front of them drawled, turning around in his seat, so his elbows were on his desk. His partner did the same. They were both also wearing leather jackets over their school uniform like it was a sort of logo that identified the four of them as friends.

“Of course” Kai nodded, without hesitation, checking his appearance in a small pocket mirror before putting it away and smirking at the boy “Not that you aren’t familiar with the feeling, Diandre”

Diandre rolled his eyes “I’m not the one who has a different girl on his arm every week”

Colten laughed, nodding.

“I wonder how they still put up with you” the sandy-haired boy, sitting next to Diandre spoke up, looking sympathetically at the girls around the room.

“Yeah, surely they know that you’re not a serious dater by now?” Colten agreed.

“Mr Evans, Mr West, turn around and face the front” Mr Croucher barked, pausing his lecture to glare at the two offenders.

Diandre and Cheyne obliged, albeit reluctantly, heaving themselves around to meet the gaze of their frustrated professor.

“This is the fifth time this week, boys. Detention after school.” Mr Croucher managed to stare them down before taking an exaggerated deep breath and carrying on with the lesson wearily.

Diandre didn’t seem perturbed, leaning back in his chair casually. Cheyne, on the other hand, glared at his companion.

“What?”

“This is my fourth detention this week because of you. I don’t know how any of our teachers are even going to consider giving me a good college recommendation at this rate” Cheyne grumbled.

“I’m sure your grades will compensate for any damage I might cause. You’ve got a reputation to uphold, anyway.” Diandre reassured, clapping his friend on the back with a friendly smile.

He then leant back in his chair even further, making sure to hit the table behind him, while Cheyne began to make notes on the lecture. He had to admit, though, Mr Croucher’s lessons were boring. He still needed the grades, though.

“So, now a mid-lesson recap, can anyone tell me what M.A.D. stands for?” Mr Croucher asked, his beady eyes sweeping over the class. A few raised their hand, but Croucher’s eyes were fixed onto a whispering boy at the back of the room.

“Mr Asher!” The boy jumped. “Could you tell me what M.A.D stands for?”

Silence.

“It stands for Mutually assured...” Colten mouthed the answer vaguely at him “...detention?“Colten slapped his forehead. “Destruction, you idiot. Mutually assured destruction”

“Precisely, Mr Blaine. Detention after school for both of you”

“Me?” Colten asked.“You tried to help him with the question. You know I do not tolerate such cheating in my class” he raised his eyebrows as if daring him to argue.He didn’t. Everyone knew Mr Croucher’s tough regulation on rules.

~*~

“Why did you let him give you detention?” Diandre demanded as the four of them left the classroom and made their way to their lockers. “I was counting on you covering up for me at the skating grounds, but now that you guys got detention too, there’s no way we’re going to get there in time”

“Croucher wouldn’t have budged. You know him? He would’ve simply added another hour to my detention” Colten argued.

“Anyway, what was so important that you couldn’t dare to pay attention for once?” Cheyne asked.

Colten laughed. “Kai, here, was thinking too highly of himself.”

They all looked towards him.

“I was only pointing out facts” Kai defended just as they reached the lockers after began to stuff their bags with a few needed books. Well, most of them did. Kai simply grabbed his bag and slung it over his shoulder.

“About the Cold War?” Cheyne asked, raising his eyebrows in disbelief.Colten laughed. “Of course not, but I’m sure it wouldn’t hurt him if he did try and show some interest”

“Hey, I took the subject for A-level. That’s enough interest!” Kai interjected defensively.

“We’ll see when our first end of term test arrives” Diandre muttered. Kai scowled but didn’t reply. Whatever they said, Kai still did get amazing scores for his tests. They had absolutely no idea how he did it, but each time they were given an end of term test sprang upon them, he was prepared. It wasn’t like they weren’t a smart bunch, despite their bad boy and rule-breaking reputation, but Kai never seemed to actually take an interest in his work.

“Kai was adamant that he could get any girl to date him” Colten explained.

“As I said, facts” Kai injected once more.

Cheyne scoffed.

“Well, care to put your money where your mouth is?” Diandre challenged.

“What has this year not been enough proof for you?”

“No, not those bimbos. A girl of our choosing” he lowered his voice and smirked. “What do you say to a little bet?”

Kai narrowed his eyes. “What’d the stakes be?”

“Money?” Cheyne offered, thoroughly intrigued.

“Nah, we haven’t got any of our own,” Colten shook his head. “Pride”

Colten spoke up, speaking carefully. “If you lose, you have to...” he deliberated for a moment before smirking “...wear a tutu and”

“You have to dress up as a cheerleader in front of the entire school” Diandre finished, smirking triumphantly at the colour draining out of Kai’s face.

Kai blanched, imagining those girly outfits the cheerleaders wore. Yeah, certainly not his style. It’d ruin his reputation. He wouldn’t lose, though would he? Imagine them in cheerleading costumes. That’d really be worth the laugh. “And vice versa” It wasn’t a question, but a statement. He looked to Colten and Cheyne. “You guys in on it too?”

“Of course”

“Okay then, you’ve got until tomorrow to tell me who my next quest is” Kai held out his hand for Diandre to shake.

Diandre took it, smiling devilishly.

“You’re going to regret this, Kai Asher”

“You bet”