Chapter 1
'Fuck my life.' Veronica thought bitterly as she realised she'd forgotten her goddamn art homework.
That'd land her in detention for sure.
If it was any other lesson, literally ANY other lesson, she could get away with it.
But nooo, she just HAD to pick GSCE art. The notorious killer of motivation and social life.
Welp. At least it'd be an art subject detention, and she could use it to actually finish the stupid thing.
Even that thought didn't really make her feel any better as she approached the art corridor and lined up outside the door.
She was pulled from her thoughts by a familiar- and annoying- sound.
The sound of a lanyard swishing obnoxiously in circles by someone too high and mighty to wear it.
Heather Duke.
One of 'those people', as Veronica so loved to refer to her group as.
She was popular, or at least part of the wider group of chavs who were popular.
And she was the only one of those chavs to willingly take the torture that was the art course.
So Veronica supposed she respected that.
Specially because the stuff Duke produced was honestly really good. More than once, actually, Veronica had to actually physically stop herself from actually staring at Duke's art book, instead settling for frequent compliments whenever she walked past Duke's table and her book was open.
And if she did that more than strictly necessary, well that was her business and her choice, wasn't it?
"Hey 'ron." Janis greeted as she joined Veronica in the line.
Janis was her cousin, and also an avid art geek. She was the only person Veronica knew who wasn't totally destroyed by the art course and complaining about it nonstop.
..
..
Well, her and Heather Duke, but that was irrelevant.
"Hey Jan" Veronica deadpanned, "I forgot the fucking research page."
"No. Seriously?" Janis pinched the bridge of her nose, "She'll give you detention, you know?"
"Wow, thanks for pointing that out, captain obvious!" Veronica snarked back, before rifling through her hair and leaning back against the wall.
"It's not even my fault dude, like I had it on the kitchen table and everything, I just forgot it as I rushed out the door." She muttered at the air.
"Yeah, ok." Janis rolled her eyes disbelievingly.
The second bell rung, and Veronica walked into the classroom already preparing for the detention she would be given.
"Everyone please keep standing up!" Ms Bailey trilled in her- honestly kinda annoying- voice. "We have a new seating plan!"
'damn it all to hell.'
A new seating plan? Really?
Did she fuck God's wife and forget about it or something? Is that why He was so intent on making her day miserable?
She looked to the screen and quickly found her name.
Next to Heather Duke.
She glanced at the girl, who looked back at her impassively before making her way to their desk to unpack her stuff.
Veronica looked to Janis with wide eyes.
As she sat down besides Duke, she offered a small smile, and a hesitant "Hi."
"..." Duke paused, before responding with an equally hesitant "hi." of her own.
Ms Bailey did the register as Veronica and the others in her class pulled out their sketchbooks and pencil cases, and their homework.
In an effort to not let this lesson be so freaking awkward, she decided to attempt small talk.
"Ugh.. I forgot the damn art homework." She groaned, leaning forward on her arms and turning to Duke in hopes to prompt a response.
"You mean the research page?" Duke cocked an eyebrow. "It's not due this lesson though?"
Veronica sat up straight, "Uh. Yeah, it is." Duke's eyes widened. She looked shocked and a bit unprepared.
'Oh shit. She's forgotten it too.' Veronica internally cheered that she wasn't the only one, before realising that's kinda bitchy and stopping.
Come to think of it, had she ever forgotten homework before?
For all Veronica knew, Heather Duke was a perfect student academically, so that would actually make sense.
Suddenly, Duke's nervousness dissipated almost as quick as it appeared, leaving her calm as usual.
"You're wrong." She stated evenly, "It's next week. It says on teams."
"Oh."
Veronica could feel herself building a blush, even as she desperately tried to stop it.
'Damn her and her stupid pretty face.'
'Damn me for making a fool of myself in front of her.'
"Hey, I'd say that's a good thing, wouldn't you?" Duke smirked slightly. "It saves you a detention, at least."
"Yeah, I guess. But now I'm pissed I spent all that time on it last night." Veronica responded, trying to distract herself from the fact that
'Holy shit, Heather duke is talking to me, and holy shit-she's teasing me.'
The current work they were doing was on some random artist that she'd already forgotten the name of, even after making the research page, but it was oil painting.
"Uh. I'll get the white spirit and newspaper if you get the brushes and paint?" She offered, and Duke nodded, before getting up.
Unfortunately they were much too late.
All the good paint tubs were GONE.
"Next lesson I'll get here earlier to grab the paint." Duke said resolutely, as she squeezed out new oil paint into the almost empty tub.
"Sounds like a plan." She agreed, and the rest of the lesson was spent in idle chatter and work.
Heather Duke was...surprising.
She'd never really had a proper conversation with her before, but now that she had...
Duke was cool. Like actually cool. She had read lots of the same stuff as Veronica, and was good with banter.
She was cynical and sarcastic, but she could also be genuine.
By the time they were packing up, it felt like no time at all had passed between them.
"Shit!" Duke muttered, looking through her pencil case.
"What's up?"
"I don't have a pen." She stated, clearly annoyed with the situation.
"How the fuck did you bring your pencil case and not a pen?" Veronica asked incredulously, turning to the girl.
"I don't know Veronica." Duke gritted out, "If I did, don't you think I would have gotten another one?"
"Uh. You can borrow my spare if you want."
She didn't know why she made the offer. Like genuinely, she didn't have a spare. She wasn't seriously about to give her pen to Heather Duke for the rest of the day just cause they'd talked? For one period?
"Really?"
"Sure, take it." Well. It seems she was.
"I'll give it back during form, promise." Duke reassured her, before the bell rang and everyone rushed out of class.
Well.
That was something.