Friday – 5:47 p.m.
The halls of Westbridge High had already emptied out. Lockers clicked shut, sneakers squeaked against waxed floors, and teachers packed up for the weekend. But one person remained in Room 217, placing five files on the desk—each labeled with a name.
Aiden Carter
Noah Reyes
Ethan Carter
Lana Torres
Aria Carter
Five students. Five files. Five lives about to be rewritten.
Ms. Calder flipped open the first folder.
Aiden Carter – "Caught playing basketball during a power outage." Strange. There had been no official report. No cameras working. Just a vague note from a substitute gym teacher who hadn't even spelled his name right.
She smirked.
Next file.
Noah Reyes – "Unauthorized access to lab equipment after hours." But Noah had a signed pass. And the teacher who filed it had been out sick that day.
The corners of her mouth lifted slightly.
Ethan Carter – "Playing music too loud in the hallway." It sounded like something he might actually do—but the date? It was a holiday. No students were even on campus.
She moved on.
Lana Torres – "Insubordination in class." The report was blank on details. Just said she was "too quiet." Seriously?
And finally…
Aria Carter – "Drawing on a desk." The drawing had been a removable sticker she designed for art club. The same one that got posted on the school website a week later.
None of these things should've earned a detention.
But they did.
Because Ms. Calder had signed them herself.
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Saturday – 8:00 a.m.
Five students walked into detention with different stories, different reasons, and different lives.
They didn't know it yet, but none of them were in that room by accident.
They were chosen.
Because sometimes, silence needs a spark.
And sometimes, hearts need a room to speak.
Even if it starts with detention.