Chapter 4- There is a Thin Line Between Love and Hate

I stared at the sleeping form of the detention teacher, Mr.Cobb and rolled my eyes. It's nice to know some people are hard at work. Is this what our tax dollars are playing for? Or I guess you could say my parents tax dollars.

I had been in detention for a total if thirty minutes and I was already bored out of my mind. I continued to sit silently chewing on the end of yet another good pin. The blank paper in front of me stared back at me mockingly.

Stupid teacher and stupid paper…and stupid vice principal that put me in here with these imbeciles.

Someone sent a paper airplane in my direction, successfully landing on my desk on top of the paper I was suppose to be writing.

My eyes flashed in the direction it came from and I groaned. Thomas was sitting diagonally from me wearing his famous smirk.

"Is it not enough you got me in trouble once today, that you need to do it again?" I whispered harshly.

His face changed into one of amusement. "Am I detecting some hostility here?"

I glowered at him while taking the paper airplane in front of me and crunching it up in my hands. He still sat amused when I threw it back at him aiming for his head. Sadly he was able to dodge it though.

"How do you expect me to write my paper, now?" he asked.

"Like you were going to," I replied, my voice filled with sarcasm.

He shook his head and chuckled. "I might have, but now I guess we’ll never know."

"Please," I scoffed. "What would you even write about anyway? It would take the entire school year for you to talk about all the things that landed you in here." I laughed at the thought. "How many times does this make exactly?"

"I've lost count," he admitted proudly.

I rolled my eyes at him. "Whatever. Look, some if us want to actually get out of here today, so if you'll excuse me."

I turned my attention back to the blank paper in front of me again and sighed at the essay question I had to answer.

How can I prevent myself from landing in detention again? What have I learned from this experience?

I pulled the pin from my mouth and in big bold letters wrote: NEVER TALK TO THOMAS CAVANAUGH AGAIN!!! HE CANNOT BE TRUSTED.

It’s not exactly five hundred words but it will do. I think I made my point.

"You know we don't actually have to do the assignment, right?" he grinned.

"I'm sure we don’t,” I replied. What kind of idiot does he take me for anyway?

He raised his hands up defensively and smiled. "Hey, I've been in here enough to know."

"That I believe," I stated. "However I refuse to be caught with my pants down. I won't fall for your useless tricks to make me look stupid."

He busted out laughing loudly at that. "That would be a sight to see, I'm sure."

I flabbergasted. "Screw you, Thomas."

His laughter came to a stop as a familiar smirk worked its way back up on his face. "Believe me, if your pants were down we then you could.”

Ew! Hell no.

My mouth fell open and I blushed a deep shade of red."You are despicable."

"So they tell me."

After the disbelief of his words wore off I shot him a dirty look and tried to ignore him so that my face would return to its normal peachy color.

How did I ever get mixed up with this guy?

I took another quick glance around the room and found that the only other students in the room weren't even paying attention to us thankfully. One kid, a freshman I think, had ear buds in listening to music on his iPhone while the other, just a few seats down, was drooling on his shirt sleeve while in a deep state of sleep. It apparently was a lot deeper than Mr. Cobb's as he was now starring at us from across the room.

I grimaced. I silently prayed that he had not heard the previous conversation between Thomas and me.

"How is it coming along with your papers?" he asked aloud.

The question was directed at both Thomas and me.

He didn’t even flinch at the sound of Mr. Cobb's voice booming across the room.

"I'm still working in mine sir," I answered.

"Yeah, me too," he lied easily. "Almost finished in fact."

I frowned at him. I thought we didn't have to write the stupid paper to begin with. Well it's a good thing I didn't listen to him then, isn't it?

“I’d like to take a look at them,” Mr. Cobb stated removing his feet from his desk and standing up.

My heart rate picked up in pace at my panic. Oh no. I’ve not done anything yet! I’m gonna get in even more trouble, possibly suspended.

As he made his way over to our desks I tried to prevent him from seeing my paper, but he was on to me. He patiently held out his hand for it and waited. I sighed. Well Crap. I had no choice, but to comply.

He gave me a disappointing look when he read the only line on my paper. It was meant to be a joke. He did not appear to be amused. He then looked at Thomas with a much harder expression.

“I take it yours isn’t complete either?” he asked.

Thomas shrugged as if it were nothing and threw his hands behind his head.

“Alright, come on you two. Mrs. Perry’s office, now.”

Oh no. Not Hitler, I groaned a loud.

He raised his eyebrow to me as I stood up to follow him. “Do you have something to share Mrs. Harris?”

I looked over at the sleeping kid across the room and narrowed my eyes at him. You’re darn right I do. At that moment I didn’t care that I might say something that would land me in even more hot water with teacher, I just wanted to express my frustration.

“Yes. How come you’re ridding our asses over some lame paper when there is someone else over there asleep in the corner?” I asked.

“Well that kid isn’t disrupting the class,” he retorted. “Or using profanity for that matter.”

I crossed my arms a glowered at him. “He’s not doing anything in class,” I specified.

“Mrs. Harris, that will be enough of your back talking,” he warned. “Don’t make me give you another write up for detention.”

Thomas was still rooted in his seat trying to keep from laughing at the scene before him. I had never in my life back talked a teacher before. So why on earth was I doing it now? His new feeling of defiance felt foreign to me.

“Hmm…getting wrote up for detention in detention. It’s kind of Ironic isn’t it?” I mused then shrugged. “And by all means, go ahead and write me up again. Maybe I’ll get a chance to get caught up on my beauty sleep too.”

Shut up, Olivia! What are you doing?

If he looked unhappy before I didn’t even know what he was right now. I was expecting steam to escape from his ears at any moment. It didn’t help that Thomas was applauding my performance.

Great, even the bad boy approves of my misbehavior. That makes me feel so much better.

“Vice Principal Perry’s office now!” he roared. “That means you too,” he said making eye contact with Thomas.

His angered voice brought me from whatever phase I was in and I dropped my head in shame. What had come over me? Sure I was past my BS limit for the day but that still no excuse. I’m going to be grounded for a month over this!

Thomas didn’t rebel against Mr. Cobb’s order to my surprise. He merely stood up and followed after him still chuckling for most of the way. I desperately wanted to slap him, but I didn’t feel like adding on to my disciplinary record so I refrained. I think I’ve gotten in enough trouble for one day. Maybe I’ll reconsider.

I froze when the teacher knocked on Mrs. Perry’s door. She was indeed more intimidating than the principle himself. I’d rather deal with him any day over her. Too bad we didn’t have that option right now.

After she allowed us to enter, Mr. Cobb began going over the reasons we had landed ourselves in her office today. She did not look pleased.

“I believe I’m starting to see a pattern here,” she said. “Why is it that you two are always in trouble together?”

I opened my mouth to answer her, but she quickly shut me up with her own reply. “That was a rhetorical question.”

She pulled out some forms from her desk drawer and began filling them out and excusing Mr. Cobb. Even I could see that he was grateful to be excused. He didn’t like her anymore than we did.

I didn’t like the looks of the blue forms she was filling out. I didn’t even know what they were and I already disliked them. No doubt another write up form. She held the up in front of our faces so that we could read what they were and I gasped.

No. She wouldn’t.

“Suspension?” I shrieked. Thomas didn’t even look phased. That didn’t surprise me.

“That’s right,” she confirmed. “This is what happens to disobedient students. No doubt Mr. Cavanaugh is rubbing off on you.”

I scoffed internally. Yeah, right. He could never rub off on me. We were nothing alike.

“My parents are going to kill me!”

I felt my panic starting to rise.

Mrs. Perry quickly dropped the forms on her desk and stared at us. “Lucky for you, Mrs. Harris, I’m offering you and Mr. Cavanaugh as way out of this.”

“Anything,” I almost shouted. “We’ll do it.”

Even though I hadn’t heard the terms yet, anything is better than being grounded by my parents. I would take whatever deal she offered.

“Hold on,” Thomas finally spoke up. “I haven’t agreed to anything yet.”

I shot daggers at him. “You are the one who got me into this mess and you are the one who is going to get me out of it.”

“I like your eagerness Olivia, but I’m sorry it’s a two way deal. I need two people or the deal is null and void.”

We both looked at Thomas for the answer. If he in anyway objects I’ll personally kill him myself. He turned and smirked at me in a way that scared me.

“Well it looks like you finally need me for something after all.”

I already knew when this was going and rolled my eyes. “What do you want?”

“I don’t know,” he said. “But believe me; I’ll let you know when I do.”

I could see the evil escaping his eyes. This was not going to be easy.

“Fine,” I snapped. I had no choice, but to accept this deal. I refused to have a suspension on my record-consequences or not. Even if that meant making a deal with the devil himself, Thomas Cavanaugh, I would do it.

“Ok, I’m in,” He answered her. “What do we have to do?”

On the way home I had to literally sit on my hands to keep from choking Thomas. For as long as I lived, I would never forget this. Not only did I now owe him a favor, but I had to go to the dance with him after all. That was our requirement. We both had to attend the Homecoming dance together as the clean-up committee. During and after the dance.

As soon as the dance ends we have to clean the bathrooms, take down all the decorations and sweep the floors among a few other things. It would be a night from hell.

In exactly one week from Friday I would be spending the entire evening with the most annoying person on earth. I might as well just kill myself now. It would be less painful.

His eyes gleamed smugly at me, his mouth still in the form of a smirk. "You know, I find it hot how much you hate me right now.”

I could hear in his voice that he wasn’t kidding.

He winked. "And you know what they say, there's a thin line between love and hate."

“That’s what desperate people say when they can’t accept the fact they aren’t liked,” I retorted.

He was one of those people.

“Sweetheart, I think you like me much more than you let on. I’m just not buying what you’re trying to sell.”

I squeezed my hands into fists under my legs. My nails dug into my palms causing me to wince from the pain.

“A second ago you said that I hated you, so which on is it?” I asked. “You can’t have it both ways.”

He chuckled. “Like I said; thin line.”

Of course he would say that. Well I suppose I walked right into that one, didn’t I?

You’re not very bright Olivia.

“Please keep your diluted thoughts to yourself,” I grumbled. “You can think what you want about me, but I know the truth. I like you about as much as the flu. No matter how much you try to get rid of it, it still insists on sticking around.”

He seemed amused by my statement, laughing at it as he pulled into my drive. I quickly unfastened my seatbelt, eager to get away from this lunatic and stepped from the car the second it stopped. Just as I turned to close the door I heard him mumble, “We’ll see” under his breath. However, I chose to ignore it. I’m sure that would bother him much more. I would not give him the satisfaction of asking about.

“Try not to think about me too much, sweetheart. You’ll see me tomorrow.”

Before I had time for a nasty retort he was already backing out of my driveway. It wasn’t until he drove away that I stiffened at a sudden realization I hadn’t thought of until now. I felt the color drain form my face.

The bad boy knows where I live now. Just great.

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