The Perfect Candy

Chapter 5: First Time for Everything

"You wouldn't be avoiding me, would you, Candy?"

She shot him an irritated look even as her face reddened. Those eyes of her seemed to take in everything and she seemed torn between being flustered and annoyed. "Of course not, there's no reason to avoid you. We've had the same classes since school started a month ago."

"How'd a girl like you end up in detention?" He knew it had to have something to do with Sera, and normally he wouldn't care one way or the other, but there was something odd about her. He was curious.

Her gaze, which had been darting around their small space in a clear effort to find an escape route, shot back to him and she frowned. "There was a misunderstanding. Mr. Patrick believes I threw food at his daughter. It's against school policy for students to fight."

So matter of fact; so precise. "You should stick up for yourself more." It wasn't in Coop's nature to give advice. More often than not, he considered anything that didn't directly affect him barely worth thinking about. Still, here was a girl being targeted by a jealous peer, and aside from yesterday's amusing outburst, she seemed determined to duck her head and wait for it to blow over. He leaned in closer and had the satisfaction of seeing her eyes widen and nostrils flair. "Trying to think of a way to run off again?"

***

Candice's heart was in her throat, and was it just her, or was the janitor's closet running a tad thin on oxygen? "We aren't permitted to run in the halls. It's against—"

"School policy." He smiled at her, a predatory smile, as though he might devour her at any second. Before she could decide how to escape, he was straightening up and taking a step back. "I'll see you around, Candy. Enjoy your lunch." Still flustered more than she'd ever been in her life, Candice watched him open the door and slip out, her eyes wide and confused. What was happening to this school?

***

"It's not like you to actually go to detention," Spence said later, walking with Coop toward the detention room. "I mean you get it all the time, but I've never seen you show." Despite the other boy's pension for gossip, and Coop's tendency to simply ignore almost every attempt at a conversation that Spence made, the two had been friends ever since their first week freshman year after Spence had broken Coop's nose when the latter had been found with the former's girlfriend underneath the bleachers. The girl had been long forgotten, the unlikely friendship had not.

"Wanted a change of pace," Coop replied. He didn't consider it necessary to mention Candy, Spence would immediately make it more than it was.

The two showed up to detention on time, another unusual occurrence, and Coop was more than a little pleased to see the shadow of unease in Candy's eyes. He'd love to see her temper flare again. Seeing the smirk on his face, her face went carefully blank and she ducked her head, turning her attention to the history book laid out in front of her.

"Hey Coop, that's that chick Matt was hanging around with yesterday morning...Chloe or Carly or something," Spence remarked, elbowing his friend in the side.

"Candy," Coop replied, his attention still centered on the flushed brunette at the back of the room.

"Mr. Daniels," Mrs. Taft said, looking at him with surprise. "You're here."

"Thought I'd change it up," he replied with a shrug, making his way to the seat beside Candy with a smirk. He watched her face color even as she struggled to pretend she hadn't noticed him.

Spence, pain that he was, took the seat on the other side of her and leaned towards her. "I'm Spence."

Candy's head shot up and those eyes shifted from one boy to the next, a small frown on her face as the color on her cheeks deepened. She cast Coop an uneasy, suspicious look before she turned her full attention back on his friend. "I'm Candice," she whispered before turning back to her book.