Camden Hill,
San Francisco, CA
January, 2020
The fluorescent lights of Camden High's detention room flickered with a monotonous rhythm, casting harsh shadows across rows of uncomfortable wooden chairs. It was a space that breathed monotony, where rebellion went to die a slow, bureaucratic death. And today, it held two unlikely occupants who would change each other's worlds forever.
'Hi, I'm Damon list and I have never been in detention. Not once. Not in my entire academic career. My pristine record was a point of pride. Sitting in a room meant for troublemakers made this moment feel surreal and deeply Euphoric.'
'I can't have a nap.'
I arrived precisely three minutes after the bell, my crisp polo shirt and pressed khakis a stark contrast to the room's worn aesthetic.
'Do you know how to clean?'
The detention slip clutched in my hand felt like a foreign object, something that didn't belong to him—one mistake.
'I regret nothing'
Across the room, Jesse Kyle looked like he'd been born in detention. Sprawled in his chair with an artful combination of defiance and boredom, he seemed completely at home. Sun-kissed blonde hair fell across his forehead, partially obscuring ocean-blue eyes that missed nothing. He wore a slightly wrinkled black t-shirt and strategically distressed jeans, creating a calculated look of casual rebellion. 'Why is he so pretty? *pause* Wait, What?! Brain ,No..Focus.'
Mr. Thompson, the school's gym teacher who looked like he'd rather be anywhere else. "No talking," he muttered, not even looking up from his grading. "Two hours. Silence."
Jesse's eyes drifted toward me, catching me off guard and I tensed up. A smirk played at the corner of Jesse's mouth.
'I regret everything.
Okay,Okay, let's start from the beginning; how did I get here in detention? It's not really all that dramatic actually,it's kinda boring.'
30 minutes earlier,
It happened during chemistry. Mr. Lane's lecture on molecular bonds had been droning on,putting everyone asleep and for the first time my self control broke and I had snapped. Not violently, not dramatically. But with a quiet, unexpected rebellion that shocked everyone.
When Lane had publicly humiliated a struggling student, calling his understanding of basic chemistry "embarrassingly Stupid," something inside Damon broke.
I knew this student had Learning Disability and as a teacher you would think Mr.Lane would know that too.
I stood up before I could stop myself, voice calm but razor-sharp. "That's not how you teach. That's how you destroy a student's confidence. If you don't like your job, Get a new fucking Job."
The room had gone silent.
Lane, used to being challenged by no one, least of all his star student, had demanded that I see him after class. 'Yay!, Note the sarcasm'
The resulting confrontation had ended with me in detention and Lane looking stunned; 'I flipped him off. I regret nothing.'
3rd Person POV
Jesse watched Damon now, fascinated. Here was the school's golden boy, looking like a fish out of water. Every precise movement, every uncomfortable shift in his seat screamed of someone who didn't belong in this world of disciplinary purgator with perfectly styled Dark brown hair that had a few strands falling on his forehead into his dark green eyes.
An hour passed. The silence grew thick, almost tangible.
Then Jesse did something unexpected. He pulled out a small notebook, sketched something quickly, and—when Mr. Thompson wasn't looking—slid it across the aisle toward Damon.
The sketch was remarkably good: a caricature of Lane, rendered with brutal, comedic precision. The caricature showed the chemistry teacher with an absurdly large head and tiny arms, lecturing to a room of bewildered stick figures.
Damon's initial shock melted into something else. A laugh bubbled up—quiet at first, then growing. He quickly stifled it, but not before Jesse caught the sound.
Their eyes met.
At that moment, something shifted. A recognition. A spark of unexpected connection.
1st Person POV,
Damon POV,
'Oh shit'
I quickly looked away and looked out the window,I could feel my face flush.
I covered my mouth as I refused to look in Jesse's direction.
'Shitshsitshit. Help!'
'Yep, I like men.'