There's a strange exhilaration / In such total detestation (scrooge x magica)

[blackmagicduck]

 Magica's fingers strummed on the desk. Without her phone, she was bored as sin. Her long nails made clacking sounds on the desk, echoing in the empty classroom. Once she got her phone back, the school would pay dearly for this. You didn't give detention to Magica De Spell! So what if she was texting in class? It wasn't like she was learning anything important. They should feel privileged she was there.

But nooo, miss whats-her-face actually reported her to the principal, and here she was. She grumbled, glaring at the clock - time moved way too slowly when you were being punished. How could this get any worse?

The door opened, and she straightened up - maybe someone had used their few brain cells and knew to get her out of there. Nope - instead, things did indeed get worse as she saw one of the teachers shoving Scrooge McDuck into the room.

Great. Fantastic. Add to her punishment, why don't you. She rolled her eyes, leaned back into her seat and propped her legs on the desk.

"What did they send you in here for?" She sneered. "Is being a buzzkill a crime now?"

Comments

[blackmagicduck]

What was wrong with him?! If he valued his pride this much, he'd never get anywhere in life, especially not richer than her!

"I can raise your social reputation overnight. A few good words and I can have the entire school body thinking you're cooler than a movie star."

[richestduck]

"When they do, it'll be because I did it on my own without cheating or helping you cheat," Scrooge countered. "Sit down and do your work yourself."

[blackmagicduck]

"What do you care?" She snapped, fingers gripping the edge of the desk. "You get paid, what does it matter? If your goody-two-shoes outlook is so important, I won't tell anyone!"

If he kept this up, she was tempted to just steal the work herself. It's not like he'd lay a hand on a girl.

[richestduck]

"I'd know, and that's what matters!" Scrooge snapped, still leaning on the textbook so it was pinned beneath him. "And I care because if I start cheating my way to the top now, what's to stop me from doing it later?!"

[blackmagicduck]

They were going to get the teachers to yell at them again, at this rate.

"Then do it later! Do what you have to do! GIVE IT!" In a truly mature fashion, she launched herself at him, trying to wrestle the homework from underneath him.

[richestduck]

Like Peppermint Patty moving the football at the last second away from Charlie Brown's kick, Scrooge yanked the textbook and homework out of her way. If he was very lucky, he'd get a very satisfying view of her crashing and burning. If he was very unlucky, she was going to smack right into him.

"Do it yourself, De Spell!"

[blackmagicduck]

Crash, burn, wall, thud.

She dizzily sat up, putting one hand to her head... then lowering it in horror.

"... You. Broke. My. NAIL!"

Technically she broke it-

"YOU'RE SO DEAD, MCDUCK!" To hell with his homework, she was going to kick his ass! She made a grab for him, intending to claw his stupid whiskers off!

[richestduck]

If it wasn't for his policy to not hit girls (and the fact that he'd be in twice as much trouble if he did hit her), he automatically scrambled out of his seat, stumbling with textbook in hand. His feet scrabbled for purchase as he tried to put a line of desks between him and her.

"They grow back, you psychopath!" he snapped. "Or you can just buy the fake nails!"

[blackmagicduck]

"NOBODY GETS AWAY WITH BREAKING MY NAILS!" Magica grabbed one of the chairs, ready to hurl it -

"Miss De Spell."

Uh-oh.

She froze, staring at the doorway as the teacher glared harshly at her. Magica slowly put the chair back down. "... He started it."

"Detention for the rest of the week." The door slammed, and Magica's jaw hung in shock. The entire week?! THE ENTIRE WEEK?!

[richestduck]

"Ooh, tough luck, De Spell," Scrooge said with a grin, tucking his textbook under one arm.

It always gave him such pleasure to see someone get their comeuppance.

[blackmagicduck]

Magica growled darkly, taking the nearest seat and plopping down.

"You'll pay for this, McDuck. I promise you."

[richestduck]

Scrooge went back to his original seat, checking to make sure his backpack had survived the onslaught.

Then he brightened, raising a finger in the air. "Oh, I almost forgot the other reason why I want to make it square." He looked over his shoulder at her and offered her the toothiest grin he had. "When you get caught trying to cheat, it costs you more than what you started with."

[blackmagicduck]

Magica had nothing to say to him.

She did have a finger for him.

Undignified, yes, but without her phone she couldn't destroy what little reputation she had. But he would pay, he would. Her clique could spread rumors in seconds. The right bribes would assure no other student would want to work with him or help him. Let him see how fast his morals would die when he was all alone and couldn't rely on anyone. She'd make him the most hated boy in school.

... But she'd leave his sisters alone. That was a separate matter.

[richestduck]

"Well, that's not very nice," Scrooge teased.

He was going to pay for it. He knew that beyond a reasonable doubt.

However, the entire school could burn to the ground for all he cared as long as his sisters weren't in it when that happened. (In that scenario, he'd be running into the fire to get them out.) People didn't care too much for him, and that was fine. He was perfectly fine being alone.

...He also liked to lie to himself a lot, but who didn't?

[blackmagicduck]

The time passed by agonizingly slow with neither of them saying another word to each other.

Finally, mercifully, detention ended. The door swung open. Magica "hmph"ed, standing up and smoothing down her skirt.

"I better not see you here again." Stay out of fights so you could stay out of her sight.

[richestduck]

"Yes, I'd hate to invade on your domain," Scrooge said with a smirk. "And if you really want me gone, tell your friends to leave my sisters alone or they'll get to sample my fist, too."

[blackmagicduck]

Magica turned around, glare glare glare.

"Let's get something straight. Any meathead who picks on a girl is not my friend."

[richestduck]

Scrooge blinked, his face looking genuinely shocked.

"Well, that's a first: Something we can agree on."

[blackmagicduck]

She rolled her eyes. "Guys who insult women don't have standards. If I don't squash that, I could be the next target." She sauntered toward the door.

[richestduck]

"...Educated self-interest." Scrooge shrugged. "Can't say I can argue with that."

That was part of why he planned to stay on the straight-and-narrow after all.

[blackmagicduck]

"Don't think you can always protect your widdle sisters from that." She warned. "You act nice to a guy, you're a slut. You turn them down, you're a bitch."

[richestduck]

He snorted. "Thanks for the advice."

Honestly, as if he hadn't figured it out. Matilda was sweet as honey but it also meant she could be downright poison when she set her mind to it. McDuck rage was in her veins, but she was the scariest of the three siblings when she decided to bring the claws out.

[blackmagicduck]

"If you really wanted to thank me, you'd give me your homework." She wasn't going to let that go for a long time. The teacher stood in the hallway, and Magica snatched her phone back. The teacher warned her about "next time", not to use her phone in class, and Magica clearly ignored them to go walk and scroll, walk and scroll.

[richestduck]

"Not a chance," Scrooge groused as he started walking.

Unlike Magica, he didn't have a cellphone. Too expensive though when he moved out, he figured it would be a good regular expense to build his credit up and also to keep in touch with his family.

Speaking of, unlike Magica, there were people waiting for him.

Matilda and Hortense stood at the end of the hallway. Matilda smiled a bit apologetically at her brother while Hortense was already rushing over to ask him for details on how he laid the quarterback out flat.

He couldn't help the fond smile crossing his face, softening his entire demeanor.

[blackmagicduck]

Almost nearing a corner, Magica glanced over at that sickeningly sappy family. If Scrooge allowed it, his sisters would weigh him down like anchors, drowning his dreams before they even began.

... Click.

It was important to keep note of your enemy's movements. So, it was logical to take a picture of Scrooge's (cute) face and then slink away before he noticed. Totally logical.