"What has gotten into you two?" Ms. Gold questioned incredulously.

Mr. Harding had gotten Zach off of Jimmy, who was bruised and clutching his stomach loosely. The blonde glanced over at Zach, scowling, and opened his mouth to speak, but Zach beat him to it.

"I was just defending my boyfriend," Zach lied in a mock innocent tone. "Jimmy hit him, and-"

"I did not, you prick," Jimmy spat. "You were the one who-"

"Language, Mr. Solidarity," Mr. Harding warned.

Jimmy sighed. "Fine, sorry," he apologized. "But I wasn't the one who hit Scott. Zach was."

Zach scoffed, rolling his eyes. "Yeah, because I would hit my own boyfriend. Real smart comeback, Jim. And why do you suppose I would do that?"

"I don't know, you tell me!"

Mr. Harding huffed. "Alright, alright. That's enough bickering, you two. You're deep in trouble, don't make it worse for yourself."

Ms. Gold smiled softly at Mr. Harding. "Dear, you're being a bit harsh," she said. "It's not a big deal as long as they tell us the truth. Isn't that right, Zach?"

Zach nodded. "Yes, ma'am."

"So, first of all, I want to hear both sides of the story," Ms. Gold said as she waved Mr. Harding off. Zach opened his mouth to speak, but Ms. Gold cut him off. "Starting, with Jimmy."

Jimmy sighed. "I was coming back here for... uh, something" - he let out a nervous chuckle - "and I heard Zach and Scott fighting. Zach had taken Scott's phone and shoved him against the wall, and-"

"I did not, he's lying!" Zach interrupted.

Ms. Gold held up her hand. "It's not your turn to speak, Zach."

Jimmy had to force himself to not smile at the irritated look on Zach's face. "I came out from behind the curtain," he continued, "because Zach was forcing Scott against the wall and kissing him when he didn't want him to. I told Zach to leave Scott alone. Scott said something, Zach hit him, and then..." He sighed. "And then I hit Zach. At that point Zach was only retaliating to me."

Nodding, Ms. Gold turned to Zach. "I see. Is this true, Zachariah?"

Zach visibly cringed when she used his full name before shaking his head. "Part of it is, but I never hit Scott," he said. "He's my boyfriend, I would never-"

"You see," Ms. Gold interrupted, "it's hard to believe that you didn't hit him when everyone outside these curtains could hear Scott's distress."

Zach's eyes widened, and he mumbled something, but neither Jimmy nor Ms. Gold could pick up on it.

"Detention for the rest of the week," Ms. Gold said sternly. "You'll be suspended from the after school drama program until further notice." Zach gasped and opened his mouth to speak, but Ms. Gold beat him to it when she turned to Jimmy. "As for you, you'll be stuck in lunch detention for the next two weeks for instigating a physical fight on school grounds. You are both dismissed from drama club for the day."

Jimmy and Zach exchanged wide-eyed, confused looks as Ms. Gold turned and walked away.

"Wait," Jimmy called after the teacher, who stopped and looked back over her shoulder. "Am I suspended from drama club, too?"

Ms. Gold smiled. "No, of course not," she said. "Lunch detention is your punishment. Zach is suspended for lying to me." And then she was gone.

Jimmy sat outside the theater for the rest of drama club.

"Hey, Jim, whatcha doin' out here?" Joel asked as he helped Scott back toward the theater from the bathroom.

Jimmy sighed. "I've been exiled," he said dramatically. "I'm not allowed to go back in."

Joel snickered. "That's what you get for fighting."

*   *   *

The next day, as Jimmy was just about to walk out the door to Mr. Harding's office for detention, he heard Grian call him from their table.

"Timmy, where are you going?" he asked.

Jimmy sighed and turned to the younger. "I got detention," he admitted shyly, and Grian groaned.

"Are you kidding me?" the boy in glasses whined. "You, too? What's with you guys getting detentions today, jeez."

"What?"

Grian sighed, rolling his eyes. "Joel got a lunch detention, too," he explained, and Jimmy's eyes widened in shock.

"What for?"

"Fighting in the hallway, or something."

Jimmy had no words. Joel got into a fight? With who? Letting out an exhausted huff, Jimmy excused himself, for if he didn't leave now, Mr. Harding would certainly have his head.

Somehow, despite hearing of Joel's detention earlier, it still shocked Jimmy that he was there when he walked in, along with Zach. Joel and Zach were sitting on opposite ends of a small table, glaring at each other. Mr. Harding was no where to be found.

Feeling quite awkward, Jimmy took a seat next to Joel. "Hey," the blonde whispered. Joel hummed in acknowledgement but didn't take his cold gaze off of Zach. "Who'd you get into a fight with?"

Joel let out a huffed laugh. "Who do you think?" he asked rhetorically. "Zach."

"What?" Jimmy was near speechless. "Wha- why?"

Joel shrugged before leaning back in his seat, finally looking at Jimmy instead of giving Zach a death glare. It wasn't until now that Jimmy noticed bruises on the sides of his face, and a large Band-Aid on his cheek. "'Cause he's a dick, that's why."

*   *   *
Earlier...

"...And so, I said that Gem should wear the white ribbon because of how loud and bright the dress was, but Shelby told her to wear the red one - which didn't even match, by the way..." Lizzie had been rambling on and on since Joel had walked up to her in the hallway between classes, and at some point, he'd been subconsciously tuning her out. "Hello?" She waved her hands in front of Joel's face. "Earth to Joel! Are you even listening to me?"

Joel blinked, suddenly confused. "Sorry, what?" he asked, earning a groan and an eye roll from his girlfriend. "Something about Gem being loud?"

Lizzie sighed. "Gem wasn't loud, her dress was loud," she clarified. "You wouldn't understand. You're too much of a..." she looked him up and down, and Joel looked down at his clothes, "boy."

"What's that mean?"

"Nothing. Anyway..." Lizzie continued to speak, but Joel quickly became distracted by the sound of laughter down the hall, and his eyes followed the sound to see Zach, Joey and a few other guys from the basketball team crowding around a red-faced Scott, who was half hiding behind his books.

Joel couldn't hear most of what the boys were saying, but he could tell Scott wasn't enjoying it. For now, he chose to ignore it. There was no use in starting anything unless they come for Joel personally. Scott made his decision in hanging out with that kind of crowd.

At least, that's what he thought until he and Lizzie passed by them.

"I heard you've been sleeping with the whole team behind my back," Zach said with a devious grin as he leaned in closer to Scott, making Joel stop where he was walking and turn to look at them over his shoulder. "Is this true, cupcake?"

Joel could see Scott cover his face completely with his books as he mumbled, "I didn't, they're lying. I would never cheat-"

"Then where's that side bitch of yours, you little whore?" Zach growled, just loud enough for Joel to hear. "Huh? Where's the little swimmer guy that you're so in love with?"

Scott lowered his books. "He has a name."

Zach scoffed, backing away. "And now you're defending him."

"I wouldn't have to defend him if you weren't such an ass-"

"Watch it," Zach warned, and Scott closed his mouth. "Remember that little deal we made?" He grinned and leaned down to be at eye level with Scott. "So far, you've broken every part of that deal. You're lucky I've been feeling generous. I could easily report your little hideout to the dean and you'll be taken away to some foster home in the middle of nowhere-"

"No!" Scott interrupted. "Wait, please don't tell the dean. I'll stay quiet, I promise-"

"I have an idea," Joel cut in, not missing the way Lizzie sighed behind him. He turned his attention toward Zach. "How about you back the fuck off and leave him be? Maybe even consider being a decent human being."

Zach's eyes narrowed as he scowled at Joel. "Excuse me?"

Joel crossed his arms, mimicking Zach's glare as he said in a voice much higher in pitch than his normal voice, "Excuse me?"

Lizzie snickered from behind Joel. "Babe, don't taunt him-"

"You must have some balls to be talking like that to me," Zach said, stepping closer to Joel, who looked like a grade schooler compared to the basketball player.

Joel snorted. "And you must be compensating for a lack thereof."

Lizzie gasped, though she was clearly amused, going by the smile on her face. "Joel!"

Zach nodded, a fake smile on his face. He glanced behind him before turning back to Joel. "You think you're hot shit, don't you?"

Shrugging, Joel uncrossed his arms to shove his hands in his pockets. "I mean, I must be at least a little good lookin' if I've pulled such a beautiful girl," he said, referring to Lizzie. "Besides, I'm better looking than..." he looked Zach up and down, "...you."

The other boys around Zach muttered quiet 'Oooo's before Zach shot them furious glares. The blackette turned back to Joel, balling his fists at his sides.

Scott glanced down at Zach's fists. "Zach, don't-" He gasped when Zach threw the first punch. He dropped his books and went to step forward, but Joey and one of the other boys held him back against the lockers. "Zach, stop."

"No, no, hit me again," Joel said sternly. "Go ahead. Hit me."

Lizzie put her hand on Joel's shoulder. "Babe, we should go-"

Joel shook his head. "No, he hasn't hit me again yet. Go ahead, asshole. Hit me."

Zach barked out a laugh as he pulled his fist back. "I mean, if you really want me to-" He stopped when one of the boys grabbed his wrist. Whipping his head around, Zach sneered, "Jay, what the hell do you think you're doing?"

"You're already in enough trouble already," the dark-skinned boy, Jay, said. "Leave it alone."

"I agree," Lizzie said. "You don't need to get into trouble here when you have exams at the med school."

Joel and Zach both said nothing in response before they both turned away from each other. A beat of silence went by, then another.

Lizzie quirked a brow. "Jo-"

Joel and Zach turned back to each other, both swinging their fists at each other.

"Joel!" Lizzie shouted, in unison with Scott shouting Zach's name.

Eventually a teacher had stumbled upon them and issued both boys detentions.

*   *   *
Now...

"Ah, I see you're all here," Mr. Harding said as he came into his office. Closing the door behind him, he sighed. "Joel, did you fill out that slip?"

Joel looked and nodded. "Yeah," he said, handing the paper in front of him (that Jimmy never even noticed) to Mr. Harding.

Mr. Harding looked over it. "I expect to see you here bright and early tomorrow, young man."

Sighing, Joel nodded again. "Yes, sir."

Jimmy looked between Joel and Mr. Harding as the latter sat down at his desk. "Wait, don't you have exams at the college tomorrow?" he asked Joel, who looked slightly embarrassed.

"Uh, yeah, about that..."

Mr. Harding snickered from his desk. "He's taking his exams here since he's under house arrest," he explained for Joel, who turned away from Jimmy with a red tint on his face from embarrassment.

"Oh." Jimmy snickered. "Loser," he mumbled jokingly, and Joel turned and threw a playful punch at Jimmy's shoulder, which Jimmy barked out a laugh at.

"Jerk," Joel huffed, though there was an absence of heat behind the word.

Zach scoffed, rolling his eyes, and Joel gave him a judgemental glance. "What?" Zach asked.

Joel shook his head. "I dunno, you tell me," he said. "You were the one who butted in like a total assho-"

"Hey!" Mr. Harding interrupted. "Watch your language, young man, or I'll have you suspended from the college as well."

Joel didn't talk for the rest of lunch period after that.