Chapter 2: The Walk of Shame

Monday – After School

Detention. The word itself sounds like a prison sentence. And honestly, that's what it felt like when I dragged myself to Room 204 after school, where Mr. Harris kept all the so-called "troublemakers."

Azri? Nowhere to be seen. Of course. He was probably halfway home, eating nasi lemak and pretending like he had nothing to do with this.

I stepped inside and immediately regretted my life choices. The room smelled like a mix of marker ink, unwashed gym clothes, and disappointment. A few other students were already there—some guy who always sleeps in class, a girl who got caught skipping school, and a kid who once tried to sell pirated K-dramas behind the library.

Mr. Harris barely looked up from his desk. "Find a seat, Mana. No talking."

I slumped into a chair near the back and sighed. One hour of complete silence. No phone. No distractions. Just me, my regrets, and the sound of someone scratching their name into the desk.

I was halfway through counting the number of ceiling tiles when the door suddenly burst open.

"Sorry, sir! I—uh—got lost."

I turned to see none other than Rina, standing there, looking out of breath. She was in my class, but we had never really talked much. She was always late to school, always getting into weird situations, and somehow never got in real trouble for any of it.

Mr. Harris sighed. "Sit down, Rina. And don't be late again."

She flopped into the chair next to me, leaned over, and whispered, "What are you in for?"

I hesitated. "Uh… throwing a gummy bear."

Rina stared at me. "You got detention for that?"

"To be fair, it hit Mr. Stevens in the face."

She let out a quiet laugh. "Okay, that's actually impressive."

I smirked. Maybe detention wasn't going to be completely terrible.

—Mana, Jan 2017