I didn't mean to end up in detention.
I wasn't the one throwing verbal punches. I wasn't even there when the fight started. But apparently, if two emotionally unstable boys nearly throw hands over you in the hallway near the gym, you get dragged into the drama too.
Classic.
So there I sat.
In a dusty classroom with one flickering light, a wobbly desk, and the two walking stress factories who'd lit my life on fire:
Aeron. Silent. Arms crossed. Glaring at the floor like it had personally betrayed him.
Damian. Slouched in his chair, casually chewing gum like he hadn't just called Aeron a "grumpy thundercloud with unresolved issues."
And me? Stuck in between them, literally and emotionally.
This was fine.
Everything was on fire.
But it was fine.
15 minutes in: silence.
The tension?
THICKER than the cafeteria lasagna.
No one talked.
No one looked at each other.
Just the sound of the clock ticking like it was counting down to someone exploding.
And then—
Damian. Loud sigh. "So... this is fun."
No response.
He turned to me. "You okay, Art Girl?"
I nodded. "Totally. Just trapped in a silent war between two emotionally unavailable cryptids. Peak birthday week vibes."
Aeron's jaw tightened.
"Okay," Damian said, voice sharp now. "Let's talk about it then."
"About what?" I asked.
He looked directly at Aeron. "About how we both like the same girl and are slowly turning into medieval knights over it."
Aeron didn't move. "No one asked you to declare a duel."
"No one asked you to sit in corners and brood like a rejected vampire," Damian snapped.
OH.
WE WERE DOING THIS.
I instinctively pushed my chair back a few inches.
Aeron finally looked up. Straight at Damian. "You flirt like it's a game."
"And you hide like you've already lost," Damian fired back.
"STOP," I said, standing.
Both of them looked at me, startled.
"Just... stop! I didn't ask for this. I didn't ask for you two to turn me into a competition! I didn't even know how I felt yet!"
Silence.
Then Aeron said, voice low, "You know. You just don't want to choose."
That one hurt.
Like, ouch. Full gut punch. No anesthesia.
"I never meant to hurt either of you," I whispered.
Damian looked away. "Too late."
My heart was shattering into musical confetti at this point.
Then—
Mr. Garcia walked in. "Alright, time's up. You're free to go."
Damian stood first. "Don't worry. I won't fight again," he said.
He walked out without another word.
Aeron stayed seated.
I hovered awkwardly. "Are you... okay?"
He finally stood, quiet for a second.
Then he said something so soft I almost didn't hear it.
"I was gonna tell you I liked you."
I froze.
"But now I don't think it matters."
He walked out too.
And I just stood there.
Alone. Again.
Feeling like I'd broken something important… and not knowing if I could fix it.
End of Chapter 9