Sara didn't sleep much that night. Not because of homework or the looming weekend, but because of the subtle echo of Leo Carmichael's smirk in her mind. She tried to tell herself it was just a schoolboy's arrogance, that his teasing didn't matter—but her chest kept tightening at the memory of his voice, his grin, and the casual way he leaned closer during detention.
She shook her head, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. Focus. Focus. Focus.
---
Friday came again faster than she wanted. She arrived at Room 207 early, heart hammering—not from nerves, but from anticipation she refused to name.
Of course, Leo was already there. Leaning lazily against the wall, arms crossed, smirk in place like he'd been waiting just for her.
"Well, look who's punctual… again," he said.
"I'm not punctual for you," Sara said immediately, setting her backpack carefully under the desk. "I'm punctual for myself. Not that it matters to you."
Leo's smirk widened. "Sure. Totally believable."
Sara huffed, plopping into her seat opposite him, and immediately began organizing her notebooks. Leo, predictably, leaned back in his chair, feet casually on the desk, exuding the effortless confidence that made her want to scream.
---
The first half-hour passed in tense silence, broken only by the sound of pencils scratching against paper. Then, the new detention assignment landed in their laps: a paired research project for the school newsletter.
Sara's eyebrows shot up. "Paired? With you?"
Leo shrugged, smirking. "Looks like fate is having fun with us again."
"I highly doubt this will be productive," she said, already preparing to argue over every detail.
"Or maybe… enlightening," he replied, leaning closer, letting his smirk soften just a fraction.
Sara nearly rolled her eyes. "Enlightening? You? The king of chaos?"
"You say chaos like it's a bad thing," he countered. "Sometimes chaos is exactly what you need."
Sara glared at him, but couldn't hide the tiny smirk threatening at the corner of her lips. She hated that she even considered it.
---
They started working, Sara meticulously planning every step while Leo tossed out random, occasionally brilliant, ideas.
"Okay," she said after reviewing his suggestions, "your recycling initiative? Actually… smart. Not that I'm impressed or anything."
Leo leaned back, arms behind his head. "See? I'm full of surprises."
Sara rolled her eyes. "Don't get used to this. You're still insufferable."
"I'll take that as a compliment," he said lightly.
---
Midway through, Leo nudged her gently. "Hey… look at this."
Sara turned, frowning. He had scribbled a small doodle in the corner of their project sheet—a stick figure of her holding a stack of textbooks, looking perfectly annoyed, while a slightly caricatured Leo was trying to "help" but looking utterly chaotic.
"Seriously?" she said, cheeks burning.
"You looked like that last week," he said, smirking. "I just… documented history."
Sara swatted the paper away, but the flush in her cheeks betrayed her amusement.
---
As they continued, small touches and glances started piling up—hands brushing as they reached for the same book, eyes locking just a little too long, accidental smiles during disagreements. Sara could feel her heartbeat picking up every time he leaned forward, his voice softening just slightly when he suggested ideas.
And Leo, of course, noticed. He kept leaning closer under the guise of pointing at charts, teasing her just enough to make her flustered but not embarrassed.
"You're… easier to work with than I expected," he said quietly.
Sara froze, pencil hovering over the page. "Easier?"
"Yes. Tolerable. Maybe even… fun," he added, voice low, smirk teasing.
Sara's chest flipped. "I… I am not fun. Don't even think that."
"Too late," he whispered, leaning back with that infuriating smirk again.
---
Near the end of detention, Sara accidentally knocked over her pencil cup. As she bent to pick it up, Leo's hand reached for the pens first. Their fingers brushed, lingering longer than necessary.
"Careful," he said softly, his voice dropping just a bit.
"I can handle it!" she said, cheeks burning, pulling her hand back.
Leo raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure?"
Sara opened her mouth to reply but stopped herself. Instead, she packed her things in silence, heart thudding louder than usual.
---
As they left Room 207, Leo walked beside her. Not too close, not too far—just perfectly balanced to make Sara hyper-aware of his presence.
"See you next Friday?" he asked casually.
Sara stiffened. "We… might have other classes."
"I meant… detention," he said with a smirk. "Or fate's mysterious ways again."
Sara rolled her eyes, but her lips twitched into a reluctant smile. "Yeah… sure. Fate."
Leo grinned, eyes twinkling. "Good. Can't wait."
And for the first time, Sara didn't hate the thought of another Friday.