I'm Not Supposed To Like You

Chapter 1

                                                                 BRIELLA

The clock above the classroom ticked slowly, mocking anyone who thought this was going to be a normal afternoon. 

Arlo leaned back in his scratched up chair, arms crossed against his chest and eyes half-lidded. "I can't believe this is happening," he muttered.

"You can't believe it?" Cleo shot back, tossing her golden hair over her shoulder. "You started it, genius!"

Arlo smirked despite himself. "Excuse me for existing in your chaotic little world."

Our teacher, Mrs Langford, didn't even look up from her paperwork. "All of you, detention!" she said, her voice sharp.

I froze. Detention?  This was going to ruin everything, my spotless reputation, perfect record, all out the window. Gone. 

Callum sighed, running a hand through his dark hair. "Of course," he muttered under his breath, green eyes scanning the room. 

Acacia, as usual, stayed quiet. She sat at the far end of the classroom, her notebook still opened as she silently observed. She didn't need to speak, she already knew everything about Arlo from a single glance, she wasn't going to let him get away with his usual charm.

Arlo noticed her watching. "Don't start with me, Acacia." he said under his breath, eyes narrowing. Acacia just tilted her head, completely unbothered, "You already started."

I shifted in my seat, I didn't really know any of them well, just the versions they pretended were perfect or untouchable. Mrs Langdon finally turned around and scanned her gaze around the room. She pointed a cold finger at Arlo first, "You, you, you, you and you." Her finger swiped across the classroom, landing on Arlo, Cleo, Callum, Acacia and finally me. What did I do? I gulped as she fixed her finger on me, and she let out a snort of disapproval. "You five, detention!"

She turned around to take paperwork off her desk and left the classroom, "I will be back in a few minutes. Don't talk, sit still and don't make any more mischief." I gulped again as she left.

We all looked around at each other, "I didn't even do anything." Callum said, breaking the silence. 

Cleo rolled her eyes, "Nope. But that genius," she pointed a finger at Arlo, "decided to bring us into it."

"Nuh-uh, I didn't bring anyone into this. You got yourselves here, not me." 

"Mrs Langdon doesn't care who did anything, more like who was there when stuff happened." Acacia rolled her eyes, still seated at the back. 

"Now, we survive until this clock says freedom. Thanks Arlo." she rolled her eyes and Arlo scowled at her. 

"Sounds fun." I muttered under my breath. 

"Yeah, fun, little miss perfect." Arlo leaned forward suddenly, voice low. 

I stiffened, "Excuse me?"

"You," he said, voice sharper now, "sitting there like nothing ever happens. You don't belong here."

"No, but you brought me into this." I felt my cheeks heat, and for the first time, I wanted nothing more than to make him regret me. "You don't belong anywhere apparently."

Acacia just scribbled quietly in her notebook, smirk tugging at the corner of her lips.

Callum pinched the bridge of his nose. "You don't need to bring more people into this, Arlo."

"Relax," Arlo said, leaning back again. "She's already here isn't she?"

I glared at him and narrowed my eyes, something he only seemed to be amused by. "I know you're not perfect, little miss per—"

"Arlo, I thought I said no talking." Mrs Langdon stepped through the door of the classroom. "You can stay ten more minutes extra then."

I froze again, caught between glaring at him and wishing the floor could just swallow me whole. Ten more minutes? Ten more minutes with this jerk?

I sank into my chair, staring at the clock. My pen hovered over my notebook, but I couldn't bring myself to write anything coherent.

Arlo leaned back, arms crossed, smirk barely hidden, eyes scanning the room like he owned it. I didn't react, keeping my gaze firmly on the paper, pretending he didn't exist.

Cleo tapped her pencil lightly on her desk, smothering a snort behind her hand. She shot me a glance, eyes sparkling with mischief, and I had to fight the urge to roll my eyes. Why do they all make this so impossible?

Callum pinched the bridge of his nose and muttered under his breath, careful enough not to get caught, "Can we survive this without losing our minds?" He shot Arlo a look that said I swear I'll throttle you if you do anything.

Arlo's smirk widened imperceptibly, just enough that it felt like a challenge. He tilted his head, green eyes meeting mine for a split second. I stiffened, gripping my pen tighter, cheeks heating.

At the far end, Acacia didn't need to speak. Her notebook was open, pen moving quickly, but her eyes flicked to everyone in the room with quiet precision. Arlo caught her gaze and raised a brow; she didn't flinch. Not even a twitch. He scowled slightly, but didn't look away.

Cleo leaned forward slightly, whispering silently across the aisle to me with a tiny gesture, finger to her lips: "watch this." I narrowed my eyes, trying to ignore her, but curiosity made it impossible.

The clock ticked on, each second stretching into eternity. Arlo's leg bounced under the desk, a silent drum of impatience. I could feel it. And with every movement, my stomach twisted in anticipation... and irritation.

Callum sighed, exhaling slowly. He was trying to sit still, trying to focus on his own work, but I could see the tension in his shoulders. He shot me a glance that said: I don't even know why we're here.

I wrote nonsense in my notebook just to have something to do, doodles and equations that didn't add up. Arlo's eyes flicked down at my page once, then back up. He smirked again. Ugh.

Mrs Langdon's heels clicked against the floor as she moved across the classroom. Eyes sharp over her glasses. 

I tried to focus on anything else: the ticking clock, the scribbles in my notebook, the way Cleo's foot tapped a silent rhythm. But my eyes kept drifting to Arlo, to the sharp line of his jaw, the way his smirk refused to leave.

Acacia's eyes were still on him too, calm, observing, like she already knew what he was thinking. I had a feeling that she didn't even need to speak to control the room.

Callum shifted in his chair, stretching his back just slightly, and I caught a faint sigh. Everyone was counting the seconds differently, but we were all waiting for the same thing: freedom.