I'd been to detention on a few previous occasions so I at least knew where to go, after I stopped by the newspaper office to tell that bitch Lois Angleton I had detention. She looked all shocked and disgusted. I knew it must drive her crazy to see me still on the staff of what she thought of as HER paper. She tried to get me kicked off every other week, but Mrs. Burton, our advisor, thought I had spunk, therefore I was a mainstay.

I hoped Paul wasn't too pissed off. But I really didn't think he'd mind much. He practically lived in room 809.

The supervising teacher, notoriously dull, Mr. Lester, looked up from his Stephen King novel when I entered. As was the usual with the male species his eyes traveled from my head to the curling blonde tips of my hair. A second was spent on each breast and another down my short legs.

"Cantore." I said loudly and went to an empty desk. "Oogle much?" I muttered.

The sophomore with the bleached blonde dreadlocks looked at me and half smiled. Well he was no delinquent, with a haircut he was Abercrombie, although the dreads worked for him. I smiled back, at least that wasn't against the rules in detention.

Paul had yet to arrive. There were 4 kids (including myself) already waiting. Dreadlocks had his thin frame hunched over a notebook. Probably writing the great American novel or something, at least it was worthwhile. A greasy haired pale kid sat by himself picking at his scabby nailbeds.

2 rows over was Daniel Feeny, the famous teacher impersonator. He was like a party favor, doing dead on impersonations of every teacher and staff member. Of course, talent like that can't go completely unpunished and Daniel used it to get himself into trouble a number of times.

My first by-line was a short piece about the time he impersonated Mr. Herman, the gym teacher and ordered 53 (yup, 53, the number has a "spiritual significance" to Feeny) extra large pizzas to the middle of the football field in the rain. Creative one that kid. It was like Yoko Ono's performance art.

I believe he was still serving out his sentence for that one. Stupid move by La Plata, I think. He was only a sophomore and had plenty of time to come up with another brilliant stunt. And he time to plan it on school time. A couple hour and a half detentions is all a mastermind needs.

Paul arrived then, Benji Combs on his heels. Just great. Benji Combs was the equivalent of Pepe LePeu: someone who was really horny and smelled bad. His female meter must be on because he headed straight for the desk in front of me. Paul sat in front of him.

Benji grinned at me. I remained motionless.

"Turning tricks in the quad again, Lilly?"
"Mad you can’t afford me Benj?" I snarled.
"Ooh, me-ow." Benji put his hands up like a claw.
"Where's your clone?" I rolled my eyes.
"Joel's the angel, he went to work."
"Oh it's too bad he gets to miss this." I smirked.
"OOO, are you gonna put on a little show for us sexually frustrated males…"
"Virgins you mean." I cut him off unblinking.

Benji stuck out his tongue.

"I bet Paul would really enjoy it." He slapped Paul's arm knowingly.
"Dude!" Paul gasped.

I was sure I was blushing. I risked acting like a social. I risked revealing my true identity as a girl.

"Did you or did you not just spend half of math telling me…" Benji began.
"I was talking about Jon, dumbass." Paul explained.

Benji's face twisted into question. "You think Jon's cute?"

I was beet red, purple almost. Paul thinks I'm cute, Paul thinks I'm cute. I wanted to jump up and down and do the Carlton dance from Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.

"No Jon does." Paul sneered.

Paul thinks I'm a boy, I knew it.

"I mean no offense Lil." Paul added.

I nodded trying my best not to burst into tears. I was turning into such a girl since I realized I had a crush on Paul.

"Just stop it before you two give her a complex." The dread locked kid jumped in, looking up from what was either a masterpiece or algebra.
"Hey Bill." Benji held out his hand for him to slap.

He took it as they went on with numerous finger wiggles and fist pounds. This Bill kid was looking less attractive the more I saw his friendship with Benji.

"You know him?" I slipped out.
"Billy's our new guitarist."
"Couldn't hack it Benj?" I taunted. "I hear you and the other one invented a chord."

I couldn't help bursting out laughing.

"Cantore was it?" Mr. Lester called out. "Front of the room pronto."

He hears none of the rest of conversation, except my laugh…classic.

"Ooh, the bitch's in trouble." Benji taunted.

What could I do? I socked him. Asshole.

"Lilly, you're an excellent student." She began, I knew what came next…

I don't understand why you do these things…
"I don't understand why you do these things"
You come from a good home…
"You come from a good home…"
Good neighborhood…
"Good neighborhood."
You just seem to have a problem controlling your aggression…
"You just seem to have a problem controlling your aggression. I thought we handled this when we had you writing for the paper."

I thought she might hug me. I looked at her colorful beta fish in the large fish tank instead. Ms. Birk, La Plata's own Oprah, rambled on about how she had to fight for her rights in high school. How she was the FIRST girl to be president of the student council at her school. It was the same bunk she'd been selling me since 9th grade.

She'd taken a liking to me when I went to her office because I called my science teacher Mr. O'Brien a "flaming heterosexual" and he cried. It was such a scandal that he turned out to actually be gay. I didn't know, I was a freshmen trying to make some kids laugh. And I had a crush on him at the time. So, did Matt and now were best friends.

I made fishy faces at the fish. Ms. Birk sighed loudly.

"Lilly!" She forced me to look at her. "Are you paying attention?"
"Tons." I smiled confidently. "Look I know I shouldn've socked Benjahole, but…"
"Who?"
"Benji Combs." I reiterated.
"Lilly what's really going on?" She passed me her candy dish featuring Reese's peanut butter cups, yum.
"I'm not having any huge meltdown Ms. B." I talked with my mouth full. "He pissed me off I punched him. You're not gonna find some deep psychological secret. I wasn't molested by my Uncle Sal, so stop writing your study case, I won't earn you your masters."
"Lilly…" She gasped.
"I'm done here. Can I go home?" I asked.
"I guess so. Lilly?"

I stared at her, ten seconds from an indignant teenager arm cross/eyeroll combo.

"If you ever need to talk…"
"Yeah, your door's open, got it. See ya, Birk." I put my backpack over my right arm and left.

At least I got to miss the rest of detention. I could begin the nice long trek home. I wonder if my batteries were dead in my CD player. I had a hankering for some 'Nevermind.' I trudged out of the office and opened my bag to get to my prized Sony Discman. I shuffled through my messy bag hunting for the CD and I bumped into something solid and smushy.

"Lilly!" the smushy deep voiced thing shook me. I peered upwards at Paul Thomas looking utterly…mmmmmmmmmmmm.
"Hi….hi." I mumbled. He couldn't catch me off guard like that.
"I wanted to apologize for Benji. He's an asshole."
"My thoughts exactly."

Paul laughed a huge grin appeared across his face.

"I forgot how funny you were." He snickered.
"I forgot how tall you were." I said measuring myself against him. He was like…man sized and I was like, like, a midget.
"Luke's taller than me." Paul pointed out.
"But Luke's the jolly green giant." I shook my head. My oldest brother was like 6'3" and I didn't know why. Our mom was 5'1" and daddy was only 5'10". "Remember when we learned about Abe Lincoln and told Luke he had gigantism."
"Wow, how OLD were we?" Paul held open the door for me on our way out of school. He was just doing as his mom raised him, but I took special girl stalker note of it.

We walked a bit through the parking lot. Not really saying much. Walking, occasionally adjusting the straps of our backpacks. We reached Paul's car, a 1987 Volvo he'd inherited from his grandma.

"Do you wanna ride Lil?" He asked motioned to the car.
"I…can't…"
"Does your dad still have that rule about cars and boys?" He half laughed.

I nodded and blushed.

"C'mon, Lilly, you knucklehead, get in the car." He unlocked the doors and tossed his bag in the backseat.
"Pau-"
"Get in the car dorkus!" He looked me straight in the eye. "I'm not letting my friend walk all the way back to Cherry Poppin' Drive by herself."

I laughed, we lived 3 houses apart on Cherry Blossom Drive, but Cherry Poppin' was the commonly known slang. Because it was notorious filled with families with boys. In fact, myself and Paul's younger sister, Jen, were nearly the only girls, somehow she had still grown up a girl.

"C'mon. It'll be fine. It's not like your dad has to worry…I'm Paul!" He pointed to himself.

Yeah, but I'm Lilly. I thought as I got in shotgun, smiling nervously at Paul as the Volvo started with a sputter and roar.