"Psst, Romeo! Romeo!"

Despite the fact she'd arrived late, Aimee had still managed to snag a seat two desks behind me. Just as I'd been doing for the last minute, I ignored her rather loud whispers as she tried to catch my attention.

Soon, she stopped. A short while after, I heard the sound of paper ripping.

I felt a tap on my shoulder. Not looking back, I growled, "What?"

The girl behind me whispered, "Aimee said I should give this to you."

I felt a slip of paper graze my shoulder.

For fuck's sake!

I took the slip of paper. "Be sure to thank her for me."

Not bothering to look at it, I squeezed and tossed it behind me, approximately at Aimee.

"Ow!" She cried. "Miss Delane, Angelo's throwing paper at me!"

You bitch!

Miss Lane paused her writing on the board to frown at me. "Angelo, stop littering my class."

I frowned back, seething at Aimee's move. Shortly after, Miss Lane went back to writing out some of the themes discussed in Romeo and Juliet.

A few moments later, the sound of paper ripping once again flowed across the class, but this time I was ready. My eyes flitted over to my shoulder, waiting for the slip of paper to once again appear.

A short while later, it did. I snatched it from the girl's hand, ignoring her shriek as I did.

Unlike last time, Aimee didn't bother to keep her message hidden between the folds:

'SERVES YOU RIGHT, DUMBASS!'

I gritted my teeth. Who the fuck is she calling a dumbass?

Taking a leaf out of Aimee's book, I flipped to the back of my notebook and ripped a page out. I scrunched it into a ball and dropped it beside my seat.

I turned my head backward in Aimee's direction and yelped, "Aimee! Did you have to be so immature and throw this paper ball at me?" I picked up the ball, holding it up for everyone to see.

"Really?" Miss Lane said. "Was that before or after you ripped it out of your book and dropped it beside your seat?"

I turned back around, meeting the glare Miss Lane was throwing at me. Shit, she- wait, how is it fair that she didn't notice when Aimee was holding her ripping fiesta, but she saw that? Stop being a bitch, universe!

Still, I kept my cool. "After, actually. Surprised you didn't notice."

Miss Lane groaned. "Angelo-"

Suddenly, Hans cried out, "Who threw that paper?"

I'm willing to bet my life that nothing hit him.

Miss Lane's eyes snapped towards him. "Hans-"

Hans whirled, glaring with a playful glint in his eyes. Finally, his eyes fixed on someone. Pointing at the guy he was looking at, he shouted, "I bet it was you, Chris! You think that's funny, huh?"

"Wait a minute, Hans-"

He ignored Miss Lane as he tore a page out of his notebook, bunched it into a ball, then hurled it at Chris.

It didn't take long for Chris to catch on to Han's ruse. Letting the ball hit him, he yelled, "You asshole! It wasn't me!"

"Chris, dear, there's no need to retaliate- Chris? Chris!"

Miss Delane's cries fell on deaf ears. Chris made his own ball then threw it, most likely ensuring it missed Hans and hit the person beside him.

After that, it was pandemonium.

A melody of rips played throughout the class as an impromptu dodgeball session began. Or dodgepaper, to be more accurate.

"Stop it, stop it!"

Despite her shrieks, there was nothing Miss Lane could do to stop the volley of papers. In fact, a few people hurled balls at her, sending her screaming and running out of class.

I relaxed back into my seat, overlooking the carnage I had helped bring forth. From across the class, Hans threw me a grin, which I returned with a nod and a slight smirk.

Occasionally, you do have your uses.

. . .

"In all my time as principal of this school, I've never heard of something this bad happening!"

Yeah, right. Weren't the seniors before us bringing drugs to school?

Prickleberry glared at us all, seated behind his desk. "When Miss Delane rushed into my office and reported you all to me, I could hardly believe my ears!"

Miss Lane at least had the decency to blush as the eyes of at least a dozen students shot her dirty looks.

Prickleberry glowered at us all. "Do you all think this is middle school? You're off to college in a year, and you're all still behaving like... like children! When I was your age..."

Well, here goes the speech.

Prickleberry began yammering on about how responsible he was at our age, blah blah blah. During that time, loud yawns and coughs echoed across the room, courtesy of me.

"Why, I remember during one summer-"

I sighed.

Prickleberry's voice trailed off. He shot me a dark look. "If I'm boring you now, Mr. Smith, how would you survive your hour-long detention after school?"

"What! Why am I the only one getting detention?"

"Because you started all this!"

"Did Miss Lane tell you that?" I shot her a glare, which she returned with a wobbly defiant look.

"No, my intuition did!"

I scoffed. "Mr. Prickleberry, don't be ridiculous. You can't punish me based on your intuition!"

"I can and I-"

"Actually, sir, you can't."

Prickleberry paused and glared at the speaker. I turned to the speaker as well, surprised anyone else had dared speak up to Prickleberry.

Imagine my surprise when I found out the voice belonged to none other than Serena Nigea.

Meanwhile, Prickleberry growled, "Really? Miss Nigea, please inform me of the date and time you became the principal of this school!"

Serena shot him an irritated look. "I never said I did, I'm just saying you can't punish him!"

Is the universe broken today?'

Prickleberry raged, "And why the hell not?"

"Because he didn't start all this. Aimee did."

Ah, that explains why she's defending me.

Aimee's eyes widened. "What? No, I didn't!"

"Oh, you didn't? Funny, I thought I saw you bugging Angelo and passing him the slip of paper he threw at you!"

Miss Lane gasped. "Aimee, is that true?"

Aimee's face darkened. "No- I mean, sort off, but you don't understand-"

"Enough!" Mr. Prickleberry roared. "Aimee Jacques, I'm very disappointed in you-"

"Keep your damn opinion to yourself because I don't give much of a shit about it!"

Whatever sign of surprise you can think of, my classmates and I probably had them at that moment.

Holy fuck, where the fuck is popcorn when you need it? This is gold!

Prickleberry exploded. "Aimee Jacques, you are going to sleep in detention today!"

Aimee yelled back, "Then you better prepare to spend the night with me! Bring a pillow along!"

"Aimee-"

Aimee stormed out of Prickleberry's office, slamming his door behind her.

I burst out laughing. Holy shit!

Breathing like he was trying to suck up all the oxygen in the room, Prickleberry turned his attention back at me. "You think this is funny? We'll see who's laughing during your detention this afternoon!"

I shrugged.

Serena said, "Good choice sir, I was just about to remind you that Angelo did litter the-"

'Save it! You'll have plenty of time to tell me during your detention!"

She frowned. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me! Hopefully, you'll learn a thing or two about respect there!"

"That's not fair, I have a hair appointment booked for today!"

Shaking my head, I tutted, "Poor dear! How will you survive?"

Eyes smoking, she hissed at me, "Can you for once do everyone a favor by shutting the fuck up?"

Prickleberry shouted, "You dare use foul language in my office? You'll be leaving fifteen minutes after everyone else!"