The silence in the classroom stretched, thick and suffocating. Every pair of eyes was locked onto me and Lucian, waiting for what would happen next.
The principal—Mr. Callahan—stood in the doorway, his sharp gaze flicking between the two of us. His salt-and-pepper mustache twitched slightly, a sure sign he was already out of patience.
"What is going on here?" He repeated, his voice was calm, but the kind of calm that promised trouble.
Principal Callahan was known for his punishments. He was strict and any form of unruly behavior was met with sharp consequences from hell.
Not that I was a rule breaker, but I've seen people who leave his office with tears in their eyes.
My grip on Lucian's hoodie tightened before I forced myself to let go. He still hadn't handed me back my book but with Callahan here, I didn't want to risk any more punishment than would be necessary.
Lucian took his sweet time stepping back, adjusting his hoodie like I'd somehow wrinkled it. He still held my sketchbook, flipping it closed lazily. I could feel the smirk radiating off him without even looking.
Mr. Callahan exhaled through his nose, clearly irritated by us. "Both of you. My office. Now."
The tension in the room snapped like a rubber band. I could hear the murmurs already, Isla's barely concealed snicker, the way Ryder still refused to look in my direction.
Great. Just great. Things just went from bad from worse.
Lucian turned on his heel and strolled out like he had all the time in the world. I grabbed my bag, biting the inside of my cheek to keep from saying something that would make this even worse.
Mira shot me a look as I passed, one that clearly said just ignore him next time. Easier said than done.
But truth be told, I had always done a good job at that until now. But what was I to do when he made fun of me like that.
I stormed out after Lucian, my jaw tight, my hands itching to grab my sketchbook out of his hands. He hadn't given it back. He still had it.
The hallways were mostly empty, just a few students lingering by the lockers. Lucian walked a few steps ahead of me, whistling under his breath. I glared daggers into the back of his head, but he didn't turn around.
I was seconds away from demanding my sketchbook back when he suddenly stopped in front of Callahan's office door. He turned, and before I could react, he held it out to me.
His smirk was firmly in place.
"Here. Don't cry about it."
I snatched it from his hand, stuffing it into my bag without bothering to check if he'd damaged anything.
What's wrong with this dude?
"You're an ass," I muttered.
His grin widened. "You wound me, Dragon Girl."
I almost punched him right then and there, but the office door swung open, and Mr. Callahan gave us both a look that immediately killed the thought.
"Inside," he said, stepping aside.
Lucian sauntered in first. I followed, feeling my stomach twist.
The office was the same as always—dim lighting, shelves stacked with books, a few old plaques from whatever awards the school had won years ago.
A chair sat in front of his massive desk, and another one was shoved slightly to the side, like it had been moved in a hurry.
Lucian dropped into one like he had a personal invitation. I sat stiffly in the other, crossing my arms.
Mr. Callahan shut the door, walked around to his chair, and settled in with a sigh. He rubbed his temples before leveling us with a look.
"All right. Start talking."
I opened my mouth, but of course, Lucian beat me to it.
"Nova just has a little anger issue," he said smoothly. "She grabbed me, so technically, this is assault. Should I be calling my lawyer?"
I turned on him so fast my chair squeaked. "You—"
"Enough." Mr. Callahan raised a hand, his patience wearing thin. "Acrux, explain."
I inhaled sharply, forcing my voice to stay calm. "Lucian took my sketchbook and wouldn't give it back. He was mocking me in front of everyone. So yeah, I was pissed. But I wouldn't have had to grab him if he hadn't stolen my stuff in the first place."
"Borrowed," Lucian corrected.
I shot him a glare.
Mr. Callahan folded his hands on the desk. "Voss, is this true?"
Lucian shrugged. "Define mocking."
Mr. Callahan's expression darkened. "I suggest you take this seriously."
Lucian sighed dramatically, slumping back. "Fine. Yeah. I took it. I was just having a little fun."
I scoffed. "You call that fun?"
His smirk returned. "Relax, Dragon Girl."
Mr. Callahan pinched the bridge of his nose. "Enough with the nicknames."
I crossed my arms tighter, staring at the ceiling to keep from losing it completely.
"Tomorrow, both of you will serve detention," Mr. Callahan said firmly.
My head snapped down. "What?"
"You can't be serious," Lucian muttered at the same time.
"I am." Mr. Callahan sat back in his chair. "Both of you were involved, both of you disrupted the classroom. So both of you will serve the consequences."
"But I have soccer practice tomorrow!" I protested.
"Not my problem," he said simply.
I clenched my fists, my nails digging into my palms. "But—"
"If you don't show up, you'll serve two detentions instead of one. Your choice."
I ground my teeth.
Lucian didn't say anything, but I could see the muscle ticking in his jaw.
"Good," Mr. Callahan said when neither of us argued further. "Now get out of my office."
I was up before he finished the sentence. I pushed my chair back, grabbed my bag, and stormed out, not bothering to wait for Lucian.
By the time I hit the hallway, my head was pounding. Detention. Because of that…that. I groaned releasing a string of curses.
I heard his footsteps behind me, slow and deliberate. I didn't have to look to know.
"This is your fault," I snapped, whirling on him.
Lucian stopped, his expression unreadable. Then, just as slow as ever, that damn smirk returned.
"See you at detention, Dragon Girl."
And with that, he walked away.