"What do you get when you mix fun and blood?"

"I don't know."

"A flood of great activities."

"More like a terrible smell and a bunch of work. You guys are going to clean it up, right?" Maddie, one of the most popular girls in the school, asks. She flicks her hair behind her shoulder in an attempted hair-flip.

"I'll take a stab at it," I reply with a soft smile.

"Ugh, you'd better! The whole place reeks now. I'm running out of smelly hand sanitizer." She throws down an empty bottle of 'I donut care' hand sanitizer.

"I donut care! that's great! because it smells like donuts!" I fall over laughing. "It's even funnier because I donut care about your midlife 'crisis'!"

She gives me an appalled look before storming off.

"That was kinda rude," This guy named Asher says.

"Eh, she was kinda begging for it," I reply. "but, I will apologize when she gets back." I hate to admit that I feel kinda bad.

"I see your point." Asher just shrugs.

"You're all missing my point! We have to stop James! This is more than some stupid football prank!" Millie says, storming into the room. I can feel the entire group rolling their eyes. "I'm serious! It has to be James! He's the only one it could be!"

"Explain your reasoning, fair maiden!" Shakespeare geek, Mercutio, says.

"Okay, I will! Did you see how mad he got when I accused him earlier?" She says angrily.

"I'd get pretty mad if someone accused me," I say.

"Yeah, but I'm not accusing you, Daniel! You're too nice!"

"Awwww! Thanks! I try," I smile at her, but she doesn't smile back.

"Look, James doesn't stay with the group. He gets worked up easily. Did any of you notice his lack of terror when he saw the dead body? Any of you!" She points dramatically at each of us. "No? really?!"

We all stay silent. I barely even know James. I wasn't paying attention to him earlier.

"Sorry, Millie... That's not substantial evidence..." This girl, Saskia, says.

"It's substantial to me! You don't realize how horrible he is! James is a terrible, lying, awful human-being!" She looks around at us all. her eyes meet mine. "Come on Daniel! You of all people should believe me!"

"Millie, I'm sorry, but James isn't responsible for the budget cuts. You shouldn't take your anger out on him for what he can't control," I get up and smile a little more. "You know it's probably not his fault. What would he have to gain from killing us, random lowlifes?"

"I... He has to be behind it! Who else...?"

"I don't know, but we can't dwell on that. We're stronger together than apart."

She softens her expression for a moment. "Okay. Fine. I agree with your commands. I guess we stick together now."

"Yup!" She smiles a little, so I smile more.

"Thanks. I'm going to go do English homework." She pulls out a sparkly folder with 'English' written on the front in nice cursive. She goes into the corner and starts writing something.

"Hey." James and Cecelia enter the room. James looks at Millie with a slight disgust.

"I'm out!" Millie shouts.

"No Millie! James! Please, guys, let's get along." I say. "Remember, we have a flood of new activities to do!"

"Shut up, Daniel!" Millie says, placing her closer neatly on the floor and standing to face James.

"We didn't come to cause trouble..." Cecelia gives James a look.

"Sure you didn't," Millie growls.

"I really think—"

"SHUT UP DANIEL!"

I flinch. "Yeah... sorry..." I take a step back and end up tripping, falling beside this one girl I'd never officially met before.

She looks over at me. "Are you okay?" She asks quietly.

"Yeah, I'm good!" I smile at her. "Just uh watching the cat-fight."

She nods. Her eyes travel back to where James and Millie are staring each other down as Cecelia tries to break them up.

"I didn't mean that cat-fight; I meant this one!" I show her a video on my phone of two cats play fighting. She smiles a little.

"A literal cat-fight?"

"Of course." I laugh a little, putting away my phone. "I'm Daniel." I hold out my hand for her to shake.

"I'm Jasmine." She shakes it.

"Cool! Like the Disney—"

"Come on Cecelia!!" I turn as James breaks his and Millie's silence, and drags his girlfriend out of the room.

"Good riddance!" Millie shouts after him. She returns to the corner and I turn back to Jasmine.

"—princess..." I finish.

"Mhm." She seems distracted.

"Hey, are you Aladd-in to this conversation or Ja-far away? cuz I won't judge you either way."

She laughs a little.

"Okay, that rhymed and had two puns. I think I'm a Genie-ous"

"Okay, stop." She can't help but laugh. I've done my job.

"All right, I'll stop. I should go cheer Millie up anyway. And I have to apologize to Maddie. And I want to talk to James." I say. "But hey, I can show you the world later. And I meant that like the world of puns. I still don't really understand life." 

"Okay," She smiles a little. 

"See ya!" I wave. She waves back, and I jump to my feet. 

She waves back, "bye." 

I walk over to Millie, smiling softly. "Hey Millie, I'm looking for the highlights of your story. I've pen feeling nosy and pen-still don't understand the ball-point of your argument." 

"Good to see you, too," Millie looks up from her folder. She sighs, "Football took everything from me, I can't help but think James is just out to take everything from me. That's all anyone on the football team ever seems to do for me." 

I sit beside her, "Yeah, I don't really get football, but I mean James isn't football. He plays football, but that doesn't mean he's a bad person."

"But it does... I mean, it doesn't. It shouldn't, but it does. I guess deep down I know that James isn't a bad person, but I can't help but feel like he is. You don't realize what they've taken from me. Come on, Danny, can't you at least try to understand."

"I do, they shut down my pun club." 

"you were the only member!" She looks at me with anger, regret, sadness, I have to help her.

"I know... and I know the debate team meant a lot to you. It meant a lot to Sam, too. Yelling at James and blaming him for murder without substantial evidence, that's not going to get your club back." 

"You don't think I know that...?" She hugs me, beginning to cry on my shoulder. "I want my club back. I know James can't bring it back, but I want to show him what it's like to miss things. I hate that he's the popular kid. Why can't I be the popular kid? Why does he get so much credit when he's not that great?" 

"That's just the way it is. It's not James' fault. And hey, I'll tell you what, why don't we start an unofficial debate club? My mom can pay for it and I'll just have Will find a new place for his fourth and fifth treadmills. You and Sam can do it together. And you know, I'll join if you need me." 

She sits back, wiping her eyes. "You're amazing, Daniel." 

"I know I am!" I smile a little more than usual. "But really, we can dedicate a room to the debate team. think about it like this, James Isn't going to get a room in this awesome guy's house, you and your club will." 

"I love you so much, Daniel." 

"Yeah, I love you too. You'd make a way better sister than Sam ever has." 

"You'd blow Henry out of the water as a brother." 

"Well then, as your brother, I say: you should forgive James." 

"Yeah... I guess I'll apologize." She gets up. "See you soon." 

"That escalated quickly. Oh well, I shouldn't be complaining. see you soon, honorary sister of mine." 

"Right back at you, honorary brother of mine." She waves, walking out of the room. 

I sit back against the wall. I'm waiting maybe five minutes when James and Cecelia enter the room. 

"Guys... there's been another murder..." James says, "it's Millie... she's dead." 

A/n:

 *Unedited*

You're welcome again, SOMEONE