15. Detention
When Reyna walked into detention that Thursday afternoon, she did so worrying herself senseless.
Never before had she gone to detention and she knew her sister Hylla and her father wouldn't be happy with her when she got home.
But she made an effort to raise her head and look around calmly. She would not show weakness around these people. The ones who always got in trouble, the ones who were constantly sent to the principal's office.
People, Reyna thought as her eyes landed on him, like Leo Valdez.
She had been there when he was sent to the principals office today. When he had rewired Coach Hedge's microphone to say things like, "The cow goes moo!" They only shared a couple of classes, English and gym, but that was two too many in Reyna's opinion.
If she never had to be in the presence of Leo again it would be too soon. She had avoided him at all costs this year. She saw him coming down the hallway, she turned to walk the opposite way. He was last in the cafeteria line? She would let five people at least join the line ahead of her to separate them.
Because after what happened last year... with her and him...
It couldn't happen again.
And she knew if she finally allowed herself to meet his heavy gaze and let him say the words he had been trying to say to her for months now, she would fall all over again.
And she couldn't go throught that. Not again. Not like last time.
She couldn't put him through that with her family again either, no matter how many times he tried to tell her he wanted to.
She sat down as far away from him as she could- in the first row, since he always sat in the back.
"Listen up cupcakes!" Coach began walking up and down between the rows of desks after everyone had arrived. Reyna recognized a couple of fellow students, like Percy, Dakota, Will, Clarisse and Leo, of course. Always Leo.
"Today you get to partner up for a special assignment." Coach grinned easily. "You have to write a 1 000 word essay talking about what detention teaches students. Once you finish your essay, if I deem it good enough, you get to leave early.
Oh man. Reyna needed to leave early. Her dad would find out she was here if she didn't get home soon. If he did...
Coach turned in a small circle, scanning faces before stopping on one. "Valdez." He grinned evilly. "I'll let you choose your partner first."
Reyna felt the blood drain from her face. No, gods, please no...
"Reyna." Leo said.
Coach looked at her. "Alright, cupcake, get up and sit down beside your new buddy and start writing. Who's next?"
Reyna did as she was told and sat down on the desk beside Leo's, purposely not meeting his eyes. She pulled her spiral notebook from her bag and opened it. "Do you want me to write it?" She asked the lined page.
"Reyna-"
"Please." She said, looking up to beg with her eyes. "If I don't get home soon... my dad..."
It was enough. Leo, who had been leaning towards her, sat back. He knew about her dad; he had been the reason they had had to stop their secret relationship last year after all.
"Okay." He said.
She wrote the essay, not completely able to ignore his heavy gaze.
They both left detention without speaking another word.