"Man, detention is so boring." Nico groaned, leaning back onto his chair.

"I'm about to stab myself in the eye with this pen." Luca agreed, twirling a ballpoint between his fingers.

Clark just scoffed loudly, "Nicholas you're dead after this."

Apparently while Nico had been wandering around the hotel halls after our night swimming, one of the coaches had spotted him. The next day after we had arrived back at school they had confronted Nico, and Nico being the good friend that he is ratted us out.

So now, instead of us getting kicked off the team or suspended, we were just given a day of detention. But it was still torturous.

"I'm sorry I got nervous!" Nico held his hands up in the air in surrender.

"Well you dipshit, if you didn't tattle we wouldn't be here!" Clark threw a crumpled up piece of paper at Nico.

The four of us were sitting in the empty classroom, us four spread out amongst the desks. The point in separating us was to prevent us from talking, but when the professor who was supposed to be watching us left to get himself coffee, we began to bicker.

The four of us were tired, agitated, and hungry. A terrible combination, and I myself was on the border of insanity.

"I got nervous!" Nico repeated himself, whilst picking up the paper that Clark had thrown at him.

"Nervous my ass." I laughed dryly, glaring at Nico from across the room. Nico was in the back right corner, Clark in the back left corner, Luca at the top right, and me at the top left.

Nico unfolded the paper to look at what was on it. With a loud bark of laughter, he narrowed his eyes at Clark. "Real mature." He showcased it to the rest of us.

It wasn't too bad, mainly just a terribly drawn picture of what was supposedly Nico, getting hit in the head with what looked like a soccer ball decorated with dicks.

"Where did you learn to draw dicks like that?" Luca smirked at Clark.

"Yeah it's some real art." I remarked.

"Well when you live with art-" he signaled towards himself, "You learn to replicate it onto a paper almost flawlessly."

I let out a loud scoff, rolling my eyes at Clark's cocky answer.

Nico sighed loudly, "How long do we have left?"

Luca checked his silver Bvlgari watch, "We've been in here for like an hour. So probably one more hour or so."

The other two boys emitted groans alike to a pair or walruses rather than teenagers.

Before any of us had the chance to make another snide comment, the door had once again swung open revealing the Intro to Law Professor who had been in charge of watching us. He wasn't doing that well of a job, because he had left us alone for twenty minutes just to get coffee from the cafeteria.

"Children, I hope you all are following the rules." He sighed, taking a seat in front of the SMART board. We all wordlessly nodded, and turned to face his direction.

I laid my head onto the cool surface of my desk, tapping my foot softly. I could hear Luca making some type of beat with his pens, Nico scribbling on some paper, and Clark repeatedly hitting his head on the desk.

"Mister Ellington, unless you would like to attain some brain damage, I would suggest you stop banging your head against the desk." The professor remarked, not looking up from the book he was reading.

I didn't dare turn around, not wanting to risk any extra time added to my detention. Instead, I just let my thoughts overcome me.

Apparently I had my first photo shoot scheduled for next month during the break. But before that my new manager was going to fly out here to meet me, so we could go over the contracts and fun things.

It was weird to think that I was going to be doing what my mother used to love. But it made me feel closer to her in a way.

Anyways, Halloween was coming up soon and then was our one week break. Then after that was Thanksgiving, then winter break. The intersessions really helped me keep my sanity.

Speaking of break, my photo shoot was supposed to be in Paris. But the best thing about the trip to Paris was that Nico and Kota were going with me. Kota had the same shoot as me, while Nico had a business meeting. Luca was supposed to go back to New York to spend time with his paternal grandfather and I assume that Clark would be visiting the motherland.

Also speaking of Clark and breaks, during the winter break I was still being forced to hold up my end of the bet. The bet that Clark had won in Italy.

Right before Christmas we were going to travel on over to England and attend Clark's cousins' wedding. Supposedly, me being his girlfriend made it all the more mandatory.

Now back to the present, the room is still dead silent save for the low hum of the air conditioning.

I'm so bored, I have to get out of this fucking place. I could be doing something way better than this like homework or binge watching or even color coding my closet.

I just want a nap.

And with that last thought, I stuck my hand in the air. "Professor Morrison?"

The professor turned to me, sighing. "Yes Miss Graham?"

"I was just wondering if I could go to the bathroom? I really need it and, well you know how it is right? It's just that today my back also real-" I was cut off.

"Yes, you may go! Why don't you just end early today, hmm? You've hopefully learnt your lesson so I don't see why not." Professor Morrison frantically pardoned me.

I know what you may be thinking, me pulling the period card, but I didn't actually say I was on my period. Morrison just assumed. But it's his fault for being so scared of the female anatomy and cycles.

I gathered my stuff, sparing the other boys a glance. Luca's mouth was agape, Clark was frowning, and Nico looked like he wanted to cry.

"Professor Morrison can we leave also?" Nico raised his hand.

"No Mister Caldwell, stay seated please. You have some fifty minutes left here." The Professor went back to reading his newspaper, while Nico huffed in dismay.

I began to walk towards the exit, turning around once to wave happily at the guys.

I slipped out of the suffocating classroom to skip happily towards my dorm. My bed was waiting for me.

The past week was all the same. Nothing exciting had happened, other than Dakota losing the keys to his Maserati. He found them, but it did take a group of us to locate the keys.

Now it was Tuesday and I was at lunch currently seated with the girls at our table.

"Y'know when you think about it, lettuce doesn't really taste like anything." Sarah offhandedly commented, observing her lettuce speared fork.

"Tastes like dirt to me..." MJ muttered to herself, shoveling some fries into her mouth.

"I mean it depends on how you eat it I guess, like vinaigrettes or dressings. Then it'll taste like something." I added, eating my own salad happily.

"I think it's funny that almost the entire population of this place has theories on how we know the hot gossip and that's all we talk about, when in actuality all we're talking about is lettuce." Daisy chuckled, adjusting her chair.

Lillian shrugged, "I mean lettuce is pretty interesting. There are so many types like iceberg, romaine, butterhea-"

"Lill, I love you but no." Sarah interrupted Lillian's ranting about lettuce.

"You know what conversations I would pay to hear?" MJ leaned forward.

I look at the table closest to us, chock full of some quite well known students. "Them?"

"Of course not Blake! All they talk about is boring shit like the next party and how much money their mommies make."

"Do you mean the bo-"

"I'm talking about your group of buddies of course! They're so mysterious." MJ sighed, looking straight at Luca. Oh lord.

"Mysterious?" Sarah repeated, looking from the four boys back to MJ. "I don't even know them that well, but they aren't mysterious."

"They're not?" Daisy tilted her head in disbelief. "But they never talk to other people. And you never know what one of them is going to do next...."

I sighed deeply, making eye contact with Kota who shot me a thumbs up. The girls noticed the gesture and let out dreamy sighs.

"Oh no they're very predictable. Here watch this," I pointed to Nico who was cracking open three cans of soda. Luca who was sitting next to Nico was doing the same. "If I'm correct, Nico and Luca are going to have a drinking contest. And Kota is probably going to mess the both of them up." I explain.

"What about Clark?" MJ asks, pointing towards my boyfriend.

Clark was twiddling on his phone, a slight frown etched onto his face.

"Not sure, he's been on his phone a lot today. When he's in the focused mode, it takes a lot to get him out. So he's not going to notice what's happening around him." I shrug. "Okay now look at Nico and Luca."

The two immediately begin to frantically drink from the strawberry sodas, not stopping once to breath. They then get onto the second can. Luca who finished the drink in almost a millisecond, started on his third drink. That's when Dakota decided to have some fun.

Dakota reached over and hit the soda can that Luca was holding upwards, causing the can to move from his lips and the soda to spill.

But he wasn't done there. He moved and did the same to Nico, causing Nico to let out a yell of protest.

"Kota, you stained my shirt you dumbass!" We could hear Luca pretty clearly.

"Whoops," Kota shrugged, "Pink looks good on you, don't worry Luca."

"I hope you fancy having pink hair!" Nico poured some of the soda onto Dakota's blonde hair, causing Dakota to scream.

"See?" I turn to the girls. "They're idiots like the rest of the male population here."

Looking back to the boys, Luca is now holding the wet material of his shirt away from his body and trying to blot it dry. Nico and Kota are trying to clean up and Clark... he looks less happy than before.

I start to stand, turning to the girls. "One second guys, I think-"

A screech of a chair interrupts me. I turn and see that once again, the noise has come from the boys table. But unlike the sounds of laughter and playful yelling, it's different. And it's Clark.

He grabs his bag and storms away, much like the day he had found out about his father's press statement.

"I think I need to..." I signal towards the exit.

"Yeah, of course!" The girls shoo me off.

I briskly walk towards the exit, dodging the students who are aimlessly walking around. I follow after the footsteps of what I'm pretty sure is Clark, until I see his tall shadow sitting against a wall in the hallway.

"Ellington?"

He doesn't respond. I move closer to him, until I'm sitting against the wall to him by his side.

Turning my head I see that he's looking up at the ceiling.

"Hey what happened?" I try again, but he doesn't answer.

"We don't have to talk about it if you don't want. But I'm here, y'know." I smile softly at him, and he finally responds. He lies his head onto my shoulder, exhaling out shakily.

I let my arms wrap around him, holding him as he tries to regulate his breathing.

His soft hair tickles my face, as he holds onto me tighter. Then he begins to loosen and lets go.

"You don't have to tell me, but I do want to know if you're feeling better." I brush his hair back, fixing the mess.

"Slightly." He murmurs, a weak smile appearing on his face. "You're really good at giving hugs."

I beam back at him and stand up. "Wanna know what else I'm good at?"

Clark raises his eyebrows at me, causing me to scoff. I shake my head, "Cheering people up was what I was going to say."

"That was my second guess."

"Right... now follow me." I stick my hands out to him, helping him up. I guide him through the halls towards the main office. "You got your ID on you?"

"Yeah...why?"

"I have an idea."

I swung the doors to the office open, pulling my ID out.

"What is it?" He asked, his voice still sounding dull.

"You'll see Ellington. Hello Miss Reeves, can we check out for the next period?"

I quickly conversed with the secretary, showing her our ID's and promising that we would be back soon. And then we were off.

It didn't take long for us to get to the town, mainly because I tend to speed a bit. A lot, actually. It's a bad habit.

Clark still looked dreary, staring out the window as I drove.

I parked besides a restaurant that apparently served old fashioned American food. American food as in the most stereotypical greasy food you could make. But hey, I wasn't complaining.

I led Clark into the joint, pulling him towards a bright cherry red booth. He slid in on one side and I plopped down on the other.

"So you weren't eating at lunch so I decided to make sure you would eat!" I explained, trying to sound even more upbeat. But I was worried.

"You noticed I didn't eat?" Clark's eyes widened by a fraction, surprised at my observation.

"I notice everything dearest Clark. Now you have to eat because I know you have a special place in your heart for cheeseburgers and milkshakes."

Clark finally smiles, a real one. "You're amazing you know that?"

"Am I?" I tilt my head, playing with the plastic of the menu and trying to hide the blush that I feel appearing on my cheeks.

Clark leans over the table, letting his forehead touch mine. His green eyes are no longer looking as sad and there's a certain brightness that appeared.

"You're my favorite, Graham."

I scrunched up my nose at him, "Favorite what?"

"Everything." He simply replies.

A familiar warm feeling washes over me as I grin at the boy who might've just stolen my heart.