Prickleberry stayed back to oversee our detention, along with Miss Delane. Thus, as a result of that:

Using phones?

Banned!

Talking?

Banned!

Reading?

Banned!

Sleeping?

Banned!

Homework?

Banned!

On the plus side, the speaking ban ensured that Aimee and I could do nothing about the play. On the downside, that didn't stop Aimee from informing me we were meeting at the Eatery the next day to practice.

Finally, an hour passed. Prickleberry released everyone he held captive, except for Aimee and Serena.

. . .

The next afternoon, Aimee was already seated in one of the booths in the downstairs section of the Eatery. She was facing the door, most likely so she could notice anyone coming in.

Sighing, I walked over to the booth and sat down at the other end of it. The warm air caressed my skin as I took off the coat I wore and placed it beside me. "You do realize there was no use of you sitting here to watch for my arrival? If I bothered to come here, do you think I'll bother to leave without meeting you first?"

"What-" Aimee shook her head. "You know what, you're right."

I scoffed. "You say it like there was ever any doubt!"

"Shut up! What I meant to say is that you would be right, if I sat here just so I'd notice when you come in."

I frowned. "You didn't? So your sitting here was pure coincidence?"

"Well, I never said that. I sat down here for your benefit."

"My benefit-" My eyes widened. "You think I wouldn't have been able to find you in here otherwise?"

Aimee took a sip of the strawberry milkshake in front of her before replying, "Actually, no-"

"Good!"

"-I know so!"

I glared at her. We'll see if you're still smiling so smugly if I dump that milkshake over your head!

"Romeo!"

My eyes slid up from her milkshake, meeting her gaze. "I'm not deaf. You don't have to yell at-"

"Actually, I do because this is what I'm talking about! You are a master of zoning out at the most inappropriate times!"

The fuck?  "You're tripping."

Aimee narrowed her eyes at me. "So, I'm the first person that's ever had to call you repeatedly to catch your attention?"

"O-of course!" Well, you and Annie.

Frowning, Aimee took another sip off her milkshake before replying, "Oh? Am I also the first person that makes you stutter as you're telling the truth? I mean, I know I'm pretty-"

"-stupid, yes, that is common knowledge at this- ow!" I dragged my foot out from under the soles of Aimee's flats.

"You know what, let's call a truce. The sooner we start reading, the sooner we can both get out of here," she huffed.

After you stepped on me? Hell no!

I replied, "There can be no truce until I get my revenge."

She groaned. "Romeo, how old are you, ten?"

"Say what you will about my age, but I still want my revenge!"

A short while passed, during which she glared at me.

I waited it out with a blank expression on my face. Sooner or later, she's bound to give in.

About a minute later, I heard her mumble, "What, do you want to step on me as well?"

"Well, that's a start."

"I thought all you boys are all about 'don't hit ladies?' Chivalry really is dead!"

"I thought you girls were all about equality nowadays? So if you step on me, what stops me from returning the favor?"

On a rare occasion, I saw Aimee's face flush. "Can't you just be a gentleman?"

I chuckled. "Why would I aspire to be such?"

"Right," She rolled her eyes, "forgot being a 'bad boy' is the standard nowadays."

"Sure, that's what I wanna be. Maybe I'll join a gang and become a druggie until I somehow find myself dead or behind bars." I smirked. "Nah, not quite my style. I'll much rather prefer to keep my not-so-lawful activities under wraps in the future. Besides, you girls have no right to talk. Everyone knows you're attracted to heartbreak."

"What?"

"You heard me. After all, why else would you all be so drawn to the idea of bad boys? Makes me understand the saying that 'nice boys finish last.'"

"It's 'nice girls finish last!' Also, that is ridiculous! We can fall for... sweet guys as well!"

"Yes, until you get bored of him because he hasn't beaten up enough guys for you or given you a beating either. After that, you start looking at bad boy Damon in the biker gang with a lot of interest. Rather lustful interest."

Huffing, Aimee crossed her arms. "You're judging us, but I hope you do realize you boys aren't much better. You'll mess around with the party girl, but at the end of the day, you'll call her a slut and peg her as not being 'wifey material.' After that, you'll try and worm your way into the heart of the 'good girl' you never noticed years before."

Honestly, her accusations weren't too far off the mark. Times without number, I'd heard guys complimenting girls that they'd hooked up with at parties. Well... in their own ways.

'That bitch was licking my dick like it was an ice cream cone, and she was waiting for the cream to cum out! Get it?'

Still, I shrugged. "Not my business. I don't think like that."

"That's because your stuck-up nature forces you to play hard to get. You'd do the same thing if you had the chance."

I smirked. "I can see why you see me as stuck-up. But, that's not why I refuse to mess around with any girl from our school."

"Really?"

"Yup. I just don't want any drama if she gets attached or something. 'No strings' that's my motto. Now, I know that piece of news must be heartbreaking for you to hear, but do remember you have a boyfriend. It wouldn't be fair for you to try and jump me-"

Aimee carried her glass, swirling it. "You know, I'm not above dousing you with the rest of my milkshake."

"And I'm not above laughing as you pay for a drink that you didn't even drink up to halfway. Now-" I wrapped my fingers around the hand holding the glass, "-how about you put down the glass, and we move past this?"

I felt her hand tense as my hand rested on her soft skin. She had rather big hands for a girl, mine barely covered hers.

"Uh, Romeo?"

I looked up into Aimee's glaring eyes. "Can I help you?"

"Care to explain what your hand is doing on top of mine?"

Oops.

"Care to explain what your hand is doing under mine?"

Her eyes widened. "Wh-what? You put yours over mine!"

"Yes, but you left your hand under mine, though."

"Romeo, you are-"

"Shh, no need to be shy about it. If you want me to touch you so bad, just... say so." Slowly, I traced my thumb across the back of the hand.

CRASH!

Yelping, I leaped out of the booth to avoid the pink liquid that had spilled out of Aimee's fallen cup.

Aimee's eyes expanded as she jumped out of as well. She rescued her copy of Romeo and Juliet before it got soaked in the frothy strawberry milkshake.

Scratching my head, I looked up at her. "So... let's find another booth?"

It should have been quite plain to me that I'd thrown myself into a lion's den.