Aiden was in trouble. Again. To be fair, it wasn't entirely his fault. Okay, maybe it was a little bit his fault. But the chemistry teacher had overreacted. At least that was what Aiden told himself as he sat in detention after school. The room was silent except for the scratching of pens against paper. Aiden stared at the clock. Then the window. Then the clock again. He had been there for exactly seven minutes. It felt like seven years. The classroom door suddenly opened. Aiden looked up. And froze. Mia walked in.
"What are you doing here?" he whispered.
Mia sighed.
"I got detention."
"You?"
She nodded.
"I accidentally submitted my history assignment to the wrong class."
Aiden blinked.
"That's why you got detention?"
"Apparently."
"That's the most Mia reason to get detention ever."
Mia rolled her eyes and sat beside him. Aiden immediately smiled. Detention suddenly wasn't so bad. The teacher supervising the room looked up.
"No talking."
"Sorry," they said at the same time.
For the next few minutes, silence filled the room. Aiden lasted exactly four minutes. Then he slid a piece of paper toward Mia. She looked down.
The note read:
How many assignments have you accidentally submitted to the wrong class?
Mia looked at him. Then wrote back.
One.
Aiden nodded dramatically.
A criminal mastermind.
Mia bit back a smile. A few moments later, another note appeared on Aiden's desk.
How did you get detention?
Aiden immediately grabbed his pen.
Long story.
I have time.
Aiden sighed.
Then wrote:
The teacher said I was disrupting class.
Mia stared at him.
Were you disrupting class?
That's not important.
Aiden.
Maybe a little.
Mia shook her head. The teacher suddenly looked up. Both immediately straightened in their seats. When the teacher looked away again, they continued passing notes. For the next hour, they talked about everything. Favorite movies. Favorite foods. Worst teachers. Childhood stories. Even embarrassing moments. By the time detention ended, both of them were laughing. As students began leaving, Mia packed her bag.
"You know," she said, "you're actually fun to talk to."
Aiden placed a hand over his heart.
"Actually?"
"You know what I mean."
"No, explain."
Mia laughed.
"You're less annoying than I expected."
"I'll take it."
Together, they walked outside. The sky was painted orange and pink as the sun began setting. Most students had already left. The school grounds were unusually quiet. For a moment, neither spoke. The comfortable silence surprised both of them. Normally, Aiden always had something to say. Normally, Mia always had a response. But this felt different. Peaceful.
Finally, Mia spoke.
"Can I ask you something?"
Aiden nodded.
"Sure."
"Why are you trying so hard lately?"
His heart skipped.
"What do you mean?"
"You've been coming to class."
"Mostly."
"You've been helping with the project."
"Sometimes."
"Aiden."
"Okay, yes."
Mia smiled. Then her expression softened.
"But why?"
Aiden looked away. Because of you. The answer sat right there. Dangerously close to escaping. Instead, he shrugged.
"I don't know."
Mia studied him. For some reason, she knew he wasn't telling the whole truth. But she didn't push. A car pulled up beside the curb. Her ride.
"That's me."
Aiden nodded.
"Yeah."
She opened the door.
Then paused.
"Aiden?"
"Yeah?"
For a second, she seemed nervous. Which was unusual.
"Thanks for keeping me company today."
Aiden smiled.
"Anytime."
Mia smiled back. Then she got into the car. As it drove away, Aiden stood there watching. For the first time in years, he didn't want to be anywhere else. He didn't want to be at a party. He didn't want to be causing trouble with his friends. He didn't want to be with anyone else. He just wanted more moments like this. And that realization was becoming impossible to ignore. Because somewhere between chemistry classes, study sessions, and detention... Mia Anderson had become the most important part of his day.