Ethan was in detention, a familiar, if usually solitary, experience.
Today, however, he wasn’t alone.
Across the table from him, radiating an aura of frosty perfection, sat Regina.
Her platinum blonde hair seemed even brighter, softer than he remembered, cascading in perfect, effortless waves around a face that was somehow prettier, more intimidating, than the last time he’d seen her.
Her eyes, an impossibly clear blue, were framed by perfectly sculpted brows, and her lips, plump and glossy, were set in a delicate pout of annoyance.
She looked like she belonged on a magazine cover, not in a drab, graffiti-scarred detention room.
Ethan, however, wasn’t giving her the satisfaction of his attention.
He drummed his fingers on the worn tabletop, a restless, rhythmic beat that echoed through the quiet room.
Regina finally broke the silence, her voice a sharp, impatient hiss.
“Can you not do that for five minutes?”
Ethan didn’t even look up, continuing his drumming.
“Jeez, you sound like my mom.”
Regina rolled her eyes so far back, Ethan was afraid they were going to get stuck.
The teacher, Mr.
Harrison, a man whose soul seemed to have been slowly drained by years of adolescent ennui, clearly over it, stepped out of the room to “grab copies,” leaving them alone.
“You know, for someone who thinks he’s ‘too cool’, you talk a lot,” Regina declared, breaking the silence again.
Ethan shrugged, finally meeting her gaze, a smirk playing on his lips.
“Only when there’s someone around worth annoying.”
For a moment, she didn’t have a comeback.
The silence stretched, Regina’s blue eyes scrutinizing him, taking in his messy hair, his dark band t-shirt, and then, with a slight tilt of her head, his subtle eyeliner.
“Are you wearing eyeliner?” Regina asked, a hint of surprise in her voice.
“It’s for my band,” Ethan replied, pulling a drumstick from his pocket and twirling it.
“You’re in a band?” Regina asked, a flicker of something beyond disdain in her expression.
“You know, I’m in a band,” Ethan said, giving her a knowing look.
“You were at a show?”
“Oh, that was because of my boyfriend,” Regina quickly dismissed, waving a dismissive hand.
Ethan leaned back in his chair, a mischievous glint in his eye.
“I could give you a private show away from your boyfriend.”
Regina scoffed, a delicate laugh escaping her lips.
“I’m good, thanks.”
“Your loss,” Ethan said, a casual shrug accompanying his words.
He went back to drumming his fingers, enjoying the rhythmic annoyance.
Regina’s patience, however, had reached its limit.
“I thought I asked you to stop drumming!” she snapped, her voice rising.
“Damn, someone got their panties in a twist,” Ethan muttered, barely hiding a smile.
Regina’s nostrils flared, her face reddening.
This was definitely a way to make an impression.
“You should relax,” Ethan continued, feigning concern.
“It’s only detention.”
“Are you seriously proud of being in detention?” Regina whispered, her voice laced with incredulity.
“Nah.
Just proud of not pretending to be perfect all the time,” Ethan responded, his eyes sparkling with delight as he could see he was successfully getting underneath her skin.
“I’m not pretending to be perfect, I am perfect,” Regina stated, her voice icy.
“Whatever you say,” Ethan drawled, his casual dismissal hitting a nerve.
That was the one that did it.
She pushed her chair back with a scrape, got up, and moved closer to him, towering over his seated form.
Ethan had to hide a triumphant smile; this was exactly the reaction he wanted.
“Listen, here, you little goth punk!” Regina hissed, her face close to his, her breath smelling faintly of bubblegum.
“Those are two different things,” Ethan corrected, unable to resist.
Regina ignored him, her voice filled with contempt.
“Your clothes look like they came from a dumpster, your hair is a greasy mess, and you look like you haven’t slept in weeks, which is probably why your eyes are red and puffy.” She paused, then added, her voice dripping with venom, “Just because you slept with that tramp.”
Ethan’s eyes widened, a genuine flicker of surprise in them, quickly replaced by a smug smirk.
He knew exactly how to squash her anger.
“Damn, I didn’t know you were jealous of Cassie.”
Everything Regina said, every insult, every barb, was immediately squashed by Ethan’s audacious comment.
It was like boxing with weighted gloves – her punches were meaningless against his unexpected counter.
Regina’s jaw dropped, then snapped shut.
“Oh, please, like I would ever want to sleep with you!” she practically shrieked.
“Acting like you aren’t fawning over me right now,” Ethan challenged, his eyes sparkling with mischief.
“Ew!
You smell like energy drinks and sweat!” Regina exclaimed, wrinkling her nose in disgust.
“So why did you keep getting closer to me?” Ethan asked, his smirk growing wider.
Regina let out a frustrated, almost animalistic shout of pure rage before she spun around, marching back to her table with furious stomps.
“Why you so obsessed with me?” Ethan called after her, his voice a mocking sing-song.
Regina stopped, her back to him, her shoulders visibly trembling.
She slowly turned her head, her eyes burning with an intensity that suggested she was seriously contemplating murder.
Just then, the detention teacher, Mr.
Harrison, walked back in, a stack of crumpled papers in his hand.
He took one look at Regina’s fuming face and Ethan’s smug grin, sighed heavily, and muttered, “I definitely didn’t want to be here.” He looked at his watch.
“You guys can go home.”
Ethan didn’t need to be told twice.
He gathered his backpack, gave Regina one last victorious look, and got out of there.
Ethan, on his couch, a wide, triumphant grin on his face, looked at the camera.
“Rage baiting is my love language.” He chuckled.
“And let’s just say it’s working.” He leaned forward, eyes gleaming.
“I’ve never seen her so angry.” He tapped his temple.
“Now she will remember me.”
than was in his bedroom, changing his shirt, when Cassandra, his best friend, walked in.
He immediately stopped her.
“Keep the door open,” Ethan instructed, continuing to pull a fresh t-shirt over his head.
Cassandra raised an eyebrow.
“Won’t people hear?”
Ethan just grinned, then grabbed his portable speaker and blasted “Teenage Dirtbag” by Wheatus, turning it up loud enough to drown out any potential eavesdroppers.
“I talked to Regina.”
Cassandra’s dark eyes widened.
“What happened?”
“I got her so mad, it was hilarious!” Ethan recounted, pulling on a clean pair of jeans.
“You should have seen her.
Her face was bright red.
I literally thought her head was going to explode.” He laughed, reveling in the memory.
“Shame it was my last detention.”
“How long until you’re no longer grounded?” Cassandra asked, leaning against the doorframe, a small smile playing on her lips.
“I don’t know,” Ethan groaned.
“She keeps adding time for dumb reasons.
Last time was because I sneezed too loudly.”
“We got a show next week,” Cassandra reminded him, her expression turning serious.
“I’ll ask,” Ethan said, pulling out his phone.
“Mom, what’s for dinner?!” he yelled, knowing she was downstairs.
“What?!” Claire’s voice, muffled, came from below.
“I know you’re there, Mom!” Ethan called back, impatiently.
A few moments later, Claire came upstairs, a weary look on her face.
“Cassandra,” she greeted, nodding.
“Mrs.
Dunphy,” Cassandra replied politely.
Ethan, seizing the opportunity, quickly launched into his request.
“We got a show next week.”
Claire’s eyes narrowed.
“You’re still grounded.”
“Oh, come on, it’s been weeks already!” Ethan protested.
“That’s not fair.”
“You’re lucky I’m even letting you two hang out unsupervised,” Claire retorted, giving them both a pointed look.
Cassandra and Ethan exchanged a quick glance, then both burst into laughter, the “Teenage Dirtbag” chorus blaring in the background.
Claire stared at them, confused.
“What’s so funny?”
Ethan, still laughing, managed to explain, “We haven’t slept together.”
Claire blinked.
“You haven’t?”
“Nope,” Cassandra confirmed, a smirk on her face.
Claire looked utterly bewildered.
“B-”
“I just said it to stop him from doing something dumb,” Cassandra interjected smoothly, giving Ethan a sidelong glance.
“And it worked,” Ethan added, still grinning.
Claire, finally understanding, let out a sigh of relief, a small, grateful smile forming.
“Well, you’re ungrounded.”
“Thanks!” Ethan exclaimed, genuinely surprised and pleased.
Claire, however, wasn’t quite done.
“You still have to go to Manny’s thing today.”
Ethan’s face fell.
“I don’t see why I have to go.”
“Because he’s family,” Claire stated, her voice firm.
“He doesn’t come to my things,” Ethan argued, trying to find a loophole.
“That’s because of what happened at roller skating,” Claire reminded him, a hint of exasperation in her voice.
Ethan’s eyes lit up, and he high-fived Cassandra.
“That was awesome!”
Flashback.
Ethan and Cassandra were at the bustling roller skating rink, the disco ball casting shimmering lights across the floor.
They spotted Manny, looking completely smitten, staring at a girl across the rink.
She was older, with a confident air, and respectfully, way out of Manny’s league.
“That’ll never happen,” Ethan muttered to Cassandra, shaking his head.
“Not a chance.
There’s no way that girl will ever talk to you.”
Manny, overhearing him, puffed out his chest.
“Yeah, well, I just talked to her and we’ll probably skate later.”
Ethan and Cassandra exchanged a skeptical look.
“Really?
Okay.
Well, you see that clock?” Ethan pointed to the large clock on the wall.
“They play a slow song at the top of every hour for couples skate.
If you’re so confident, ask her to skate.”
Manny hesitated for a moment, then straightened his shoulders.
“Maybe I will.”
Ethan, wanting to push him, grinned.
“What you waiting for, loverboy?
You the man!” Ethan and Cassandra skated away, leaving Manny to his fateful decision.
Over the intercom, a syrupy voice announced, “It’s time for couples skate.
Grab your partner and hit the floor!”
Manny, filled with newfound courage, began to skate towards the girl, a determined look on his face.
Just as he was about to make contact, to ask her to skate, a loud, distorted guitar riff suddenly blared over the intercom, cutting off the slow song mid-note.
“Stop!
Enough of that total lameness!” Cassandra’s voice, amplified and distorted, echoed through the rink.
Manny looked over, his mouth agape, as he saw Ethan, now holding a microphone and standing next to a very confused DJ, grinning mischievously.
Cassandra, a huge smile on her face, grabbed a second mic.
“Who’s ready to rock?
Yeah!”
Ethan just shrugged, an innocent look on his face, as the rink erupted into a sudden, chaotic medley of hard rock music, effectively ruining Manny’s moment.
Ethan, back on the couch, looked at the camera with a profound expression.
“The whole point of being an older brother is to stop them from making mistakes they’ll later regret.”
He nodded sagely.
“Now sometimes you can let it slide, just for the purpose of later mocking, but if it’s happened multiple times already, it’s not funny anymore, it’s just sad.”
He sighed dramatically.
“Now, Manny isn’t my younger brother, but let’s be honest, somebody needs to stop him from hitting on another girl who’s older than him.”
He adjusted his position, serious.
“Now, if that comes across as mean, then so be it, because as an older sibling, you’re the only one with that right to bully your younger siblings”