The day ends quickly, and I find myself reluctantly making my way to detention.

It’s in a dingy room in the basement, a fluorescent light flickering on and off. Mr. Admas sits behind the desk, grading papers when I walk in. He lifts his eyes only, peering at me over his reading glasses.

“Now you’re early, Ms. Hanson.”

I shrug, taking a seat in the middle, away from his desk.

He sets his pen down and narrows his eyes at me. “You have a clean slate here.”

Shivers ran through me, my skin breaking out in goosebumps. A clean slate. Somewhere where I won’t be blamed for surviving a crash that killed everyone else. Where I won’t be looked at with pity, and then with blame.

I close my eyes, center myself and then open them on an inhale.

“Pick your friends wisely,” is all he says before returning to the paperwork in front of him.

I ignore him, clenching my teeth together as I open my bag and dig through to find my homework. I take out a notebook, but only manage to doodle on it absentmindedly, my thoughts going to Aiden one too many times.

Fuck. I havn’t even been here a whole day and I’m already developing a crush like some little schoolgirl.

Shouts come from the hallway and the door slams open. My head shoots up and my stomach twists when three students saunter in. I can tell right off the bat that they think they rule the school.

Arrogance wafts off of them, especially the tallest one that walks in first. Dark-haired with piercing dark eyes. He glances around the room before locking his gaze on me. A teasing smile curls in lips. Mischievous. Untrustworthy.

He immediately has the warning bells going off in my head.

“Zaid,” Mr. Admas practically growls from his desk.

Zaid keeps his eyes on me, that smile never leaving his lips. “Yes, Mr. Admas?”

“You’re late. Take a seat and leave Ms. Hanson alone.”

Zaid clicks his tongue. “Why would I do that? It would take all the fun out of it.”

He walks toward me, taking the seat beside me. He leans back in his chair, placing his arms behind his head and crossing his feet at the ankles, still watching me.

“Detention is not meant to be fun, Zaid.”

The other two students sit behind Zaid, snorting as they bump elbows and wink at me.

Zaid cocks his head, flashing me a grin. “What’s your name, love?”

My cheeks burn. I can feel the heat all the way to my ears. I rub the scar on my wrist and calm my breathing. I just want him to leave me alone. I want him to stay away from me.

He catches the movement of my fingers, frowning as he takes in the scar on my wrist. “Damaged, are we?”

His voice drips with amusement, but the humor in his voice cuts right through me. That he can point something out like that with a smile on his face without a care in the world as to what actually happened to me makes me boil inside.

I purse my lips together and turn away from him, continuing to doodle in my notebook.

His friends laugh. “Zaid, when was the last time a girl didn’t drop to her knees and beg you to let her suck your cock?”

I drop my head, hiding behind my hair.

“Jace!” Mr. Admas yells, “Do you want me to write you down for detention next week, too?”

Jace rolls his eyes. “Mrs. Reece already wrote me down for next week.”

“The week after that?”

Jace throws his head back, letting his hair fall over the back of his chair. “I guess I’m free.”

I can feel Zaid beside me, can feel that he hasn’t taken his eyes off of me and I look to the clock, internally groaning when I see that I still have forty-five minutes of this shit.

They talk between each other but I drown them out, focusing on my doodling instead, when Zaid reaches for my desk. He grabs one of the legs and pulls my desk until it smacks against his.