Before You Leave

13. Detention

I completely ignored Gideon. Through classes he tried to talk to me, but I avoided him at all times.

I also avoided Samuel. He tried to apologize again but I didn't listen to him.

But, I couldn't ignore Gideon tonight because we had detention. I didn't want to see him. If I did, I'd probably yell at him a lot.

I don't know why I was even mad at him. I was mad because he was a good person and I don't trust people. Or maybe I was mad because he acted like a bipolar ass.

And as soon as I went into detention, there he was, paper in front of him and pencil in hand. But he wasn't the only one. Samuel was there, too, sifting as far away from Gideon as he could.

So I took up a seat in between the two, in the middle of the classroom.

Mr. Evans, my calculus teacher, was in front of the board, lifting his eyes to me from his desk. "Ah, Ms. Ashton. You're finally here." I tried not to roll my eyes. "Grab a paper and a pencil and write down why you are here, an apology note, and just catch up on homework."

So study hall?

I grabbed the paper and pencil from the desk beside me, and scrambled some useless words on the front.

Ten minutes later of doodling, Mr. Evans stood and excused himself, saying he got a text from Ms. Werrington and she needed him immediately. He also said he trusted Gideon to keep both of us in check.

But as soon as he closed the door, Samuel grinned at me. "Finally got us all alone, didn't you, JJ?" He says.

I snort, raising my hand to flip him off. "I had plenty of chances yesterday."

He wasn't getting the hint.

And I guess he was done with apologizing, and back to flirting. Maybe he thought I was just playing hard to get.

"Yesterday?" Gideon mumbles, turning his head to us. His cheeks started to tinge red as turned his head back as he scowled down at his paper.

I grinned. "Don't you ever take a hint, Sam?"

"Don't you ever give up fighting our connection, JJ?" He retorted, raiding an eyebrow.

I think I heard Gideon groan and then hit his head on the desk.

"I think if I give in to this so called 'connection', it will trigger my gag reflex."

"I'd be surprised if you still had one," Gideon snapped.

I turned my head to him slowly, glaring daggers into his icy blue eyes. His gaze hardened.

"What is that supposed to mean, Giovani?"

"That name isn't remotely close," he complained, shaking his head at me.

"I'll ask again. What was that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing. Just... I've read part of your folder."

I think I choked on my own saliva. "You did what now?"

He blushed. "Before... with our headmaster... she wanted me to know everything about you. I got a few sentences in before I decided it was an invasion of your privacy..."

"WHAT?" I yelled.

"Oh shit," Samuel muttered behind us.

"What exactly did you read, Gage?"

"Again, not even close," he whispered. "Just that you got caught with a few boys in the past, that's all."

I scoffed. "So?"

"So, it's not like Samuel's special. I just didn't want you to use him like you have."

I stood, my chair scraping the floor as I braced my hands on my hips. "You know nothing about me, Gideon."

"I know enough." His eyes darted to the dog tag around my neck.

"No," I whispered. "No you don't. And you don't know my life or my mistakes or my triumphs, so don't act so high and mighty."

I think Samuel enjoyed watching because his eyes were farting back and forth between us. He looked like he wanted to get his own bag of popcorn and watch us like a movie.

"You're the one that acts that way, JJ." He shakes his head. "You judge people so easily, but that's just because you won't let you judge yourself, correct?"

"Go fuck yourself," I spit. "Oh, while you're at it, I hope you enjoy the apartment all to yourself tonight, kiss ass."

I walked a few steps until I stood in front on Samuel. I put a hand on the desk as I looked down at him, a little more suggestive than I meant to as I said, "Let's get outta here."

He smirked slightly as he stood.

When we left, we both didn't look back at Gideon.

But God knows I wanted to.