Sara groaned as she shoved her backpack under her desk, her fingers tapping nervously against the polished wood. She wasn't nervous because of the homework waiting for her, or the long Friday afternoon that stretched endlessly before her. No, she was nervous because she knew Leo Carmichael would be there.
And sure enough, he was. Leaning against the wall with that infuriatingly perfect posture, hair falling casually over his forehead, smirking as if he owned every inch of the classroom.
"Look who's back," he drawled as she sat down. "I was beginning to think you'd mysteriously disappear today."
"I'm not here for you," Sara said flatly, setting her books neatly in a stack. "I'm here because Mr. Callahan apparently thinks spending an hour with you is punishment enough for me."
Leo chuckled, sliding his chair closer across the aisle. "Oh, trust me, I wouldn't want to punish you. You might secretly enjoy it."
Sara froze for a split second before replying, "I do not secretly enjoy anything about you."
"Sure, sure," he said, smirking. "We'll see about that."
---
The first thirty minutes of detention passed in near silence, punctuated only by the scratching of pens and the occasional sigh from Sara as she tried to do her algebra homework.
Leo, however, had other plans. He leaned forward suddenly, resting his chin in his hands. "So… you always take detention so seriously?"
Sara shot him a look sharp enough to cut glass. "I take school seriously. Detention is… a minor inconvenience."
"Ah," he said, nodding slowly. "So it's a punishment, but you're still perfect at it."
"I'm not perfect," she muttered, though she felt an almost imperceptible warmth at the compliment.
"Right," Leo said, smirking again. "Humility. Another quality I should note."
Sara groaned and returned to her work. But a part of her couldn't help noticing how different Leo seemed in the quiet of detention. No locker collisions, no teasing classmates—just him, leaning on the desk, watching her with an almost curious intensity.
---
About halfway through, disaster struck. A gust of wind from the open window sent a stack of papers tumbling onto the floor. Sara bent quickly to pick them up, muttering under her breath.
"Need a hand?" Leo asked.
"No," she said, yanking the papers toward her, though her hands brushed against his.
"Careful," he said, holding her gaze for longer than necessary. "You might—"
"I can handle it!" she snapped, cheeks burning.
"Sure you can," he said, letting her win the battle, but not the war.
---
A few minutes later, a real challenge appeared: the detention assignment. Mr. Callahan had left them a project on "solving a social issue at school," and they were required to work together.
Sara blinked at him. "We have to… what?"
Leo shrugged, leaning back in his chair like it was the easiest thing in the world. "Looks like fate is giving us a chance to be… productive together."
"I highly doubt this will be productive," Sara said firmly, already planning her escape from cooperating.
"Maybe," he said with a grin, "or maybe it'll be… enlightening."
Sara gaped at him. "Enlightening? You? The king of chaos?"
"Exactly," he said, leaning closer. "Think of it as… teamwork practice."
---
They sat across from each other, brainstorming ideas. Sara was all organization, charts, and lists. Leo… was more chaotic, tossing out random suggestions, doodling in the margins, and occasionally making her laugh when she tried to scold him.
For the first time, Sara noticed that Leo wasn't just teasing her. Some of his ideas were… actually smart. Practical. Creative.
"Okay," she said reluctantly, pointing at his suggestion for a school recycling initiative. "That one… might actually work."
Leo raised an eyebrow. "See? I told you I was helpful."
Sara rolled her eyes but couldn't hide her smile. "Don't get used to this, Carmichael. You're still insufferable."
He smirked. "I'll take that as a compliment."
---
As they worked, small moments kept creeping in—the accidental brush of hands reaching for the same notebook, shared laughter over a ridiculous suggestion, fleeting glances that lingered just a second too long.
Sara noticed, with an internal groan, that her chest felt lighter. Why was she laughing with him?
Leo, predictably, noticed too. "You're… easier to work with than I expected," he said quietly, leaning back.
Sara blinked. "Easier? That's… not necessarily a compliment."
He shrugged. "Take it how you want. I'm just saying you're… tolerable. Maybe even fun."
Sara bit her lip, cheeks burning. "I'm not… fun. Don't say that."
"Too late," he said, smirking.
---
By the end of detention, their project was halfway done. They had disagreed, teased, bickered, and—against all logic—actually worked as a team.
Sara packed her things, ready to leave, and Leo followed, carrying his notebook. As they reached the door, he paused.
"Hey," he said casually. "Tomorrow… same time?"
Sara stiffened. "I… we have other classes."
"I mean… for detention again," he said smoothly, smirk teasing her.
Sara groaned. "Why would we have detention again?"
"Who knows?" he said, shrugging. "Maybe fate wants to keep us together."
Sara rolled her eyes but felt her stomach flip anyway. "Sure… maybe fate. Or maybe Mr. Callahan just hates us."
Leo grinned. "Either way… see you tomorrow, Sara."
And for the first time, Sara walked out of detention feeling… a little excited for Friday.