Chapter One: The Deal

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"You've got to be kidding me."

Dylan Carter leaned back in the stiff wooden chair, trying to mask his frustration. To his left, Aaron fidgeted nervously, while Kyle was slouched so low he could've been mistaken for part of the furniture. Marcus, on the other hand, sat bolt upright, his face flushed with a mix of anger and confusion. It wasn't the setting they'd expected to find themselves in—not after what was supposed to be the best party of the year.

Principal Thompson sat across from them, his steely gaze making it clear that whatever fun they'd had was about to come crashing down. "I assure you, Mr. Carter, no one here is kidding."

Dylan exchanged glances with the others. They hadn't meant for things to spiral out of control. A few pranks, some harmless fun—sure, things had gotten a little out of hand, but now this?

Principal Thompson's voice cut through the silence. "What you boys did at that party was reckless and embarrassing, both to yourselves and this school. The damage to property, the complaints we've received—frankly, you're lucky expulsion is still on the table and not something worse."

"Expulsion?" Marcus blurted, finally breaking his silence. "For what? A couple of drinks and a few harmless pranks?"

Thompson's brow furrowed. "Harmless? You call defacing school property and terrorizing half the student body with your antics harmless?"

Aaron bit his lip, clearly trying not to laugh at the memory of Kyle running through the yard with a stolen garden gnome, but a quick glare from Dylan kept him quiet.

"What you boys need," Thompson continued, his voice cold, "is discipline. A sense of responsibility. And while I could very easily expel you all, there's been an alternative suggested."

Dylan perked up slightly at this. An alternative? Maybe they could still get out of this with a slap on the wrist.

Principal Thompson paused, clearly enjoying their discomfort. "As of next week, you will all be attending Crestwood Academy for Young Ladies."

For a moment, the room was silent as the words hung in the air. Then, almost in unison, the boys erupted.

"A girls' school?" Kyle exclaimed, sitting up straight for the first time in the meeting. "That's the alternative?"

Dylan groaned inwardly. Crestwood. The prestigious all-girls private school on the other side of town. He had only heard of it in passing—mostly as the place where wealthy families sent their daughters to learn how to act like they were better than everyone else. He never imagined he'd set foot on the campus, let alone become a student there.

Principal Thompson ignored their outbursts. "Yes, Crestwood. The headmistress has agreed to enroll you for the next semester as part of a joint disciplinary initiative. You'll be attending classes, adhering to their strict code of conduct, and learning the value of respect."

Marcus shook his head in disbelief. "You can't be serious. How is going to some fancy girls' school supposed to teach us anything?"

Thompson gave him a hard look. "Crestwood prides itself on its rigorous education and on turning its students into upstanding, well-mannered individuals. Something I believe all of you are sorely lacking."

Aaron, who had been uncharacteristically quiet until now, leaned forward with a grin. "Wait a minute, so you're telling us we'll be surrounded by girls all day?"

Dylan rolled his eyes, but the glint in Aaron's eye wasn't hard to miss. Kyle, catching on, smirked. "Yeah, I'm starting to see the bright side here."

Thompson sighed heavily. "If you think this is some kind of vacation, you're gravely mistaken. Crestwood is not a place for you to fool around. You'll be under constant supervision, and if you step out of line, you'll be expelled from both Crestwood and this school. There won't be any second chances."

Aaron shot a quick look at Dylan, as if to say, What's the worst that could happen? But Dylan's gut twisted. Sure, the idea of being surrounded by girls sounded like an improvement over their normal school, but the way Thompson was talking made it clear this wouldn't be as easy as they were hoping.

"So, what? We're supposed to learn how to be... polite?" Marcus asked, sounding less angry and more confused.

"Precisely," Principal Thompson replied. "The headmistress at Crestwood believes in a hands-on approach. You'll be paired with a student mentor—someone to help you adapt to their environment and ensure you're learning the proper way to behave. This is not negotiable. Either you take this opportunity seriously, or you face expulsion."

The word hung over them like a guillotine. Expulsion. Dylan thought of his dad's reaction if that happened—the disappointment, the fury. He knew his friends were thinking the same thing. No one wanted to throw their future away over something as stupid as a party.

Marcus muttered a curse under his breath. Kyle still looked like he was trying to wrap his head around it all, but Aaron gave Dylan a quick shrug that said, At least it's not the end of the world.

Dylan took a deep breath. "Fine," he said, crossing his arms. "We'll do it."

Principal Thompson eyed each of them carefully, as if weighing their sincerity. "Good. You start Monday. Be prepared to follow their rules, and keep in mind: this is your last chance. Don't blow it."

As they left the office, the boys walked in silence down the hallway, the weight of the punishment starting to sink in.

Kyle was the first to break the silence, smirking. "I don't know, man. Could be fun. All those girls around? We're going to be living the dream."

Aaron chuckled, his usual grin back in place. "Yeah, what's the worst that could happen? We show up, act all polite for a few months, and hang out with a bunch of girls who are probably dying for some male company. Easy."

Marcus wasn't so convinced. "You really think it's gonna be that simple? What kind of 'mentors' do you think they'll pair us with? These girls are probably all rule-following, straight-laced types."

"Maybe," Kyle said, grinning wider. "But I bet they're still girls. We'll win them over. It'll be like that movie where the dudes crash the girls' school."

Dylan didn't share their enthusiasm, but he stayed quiet. Something about the way Principal Thompson had warned them gnawed at him. He couldn't shake the feeling that this wasn't going to be the cakewalk they thought it would be.

But for now, he let them have their fun. After all, how bad could it really be?

"Just think of it as a game," Aaron said, clapping Dylan on the back. "We show up, follow some rules, and in six months, we'll be back here telling everyone how we survived Crestwood. Easy."

Dylan forced a smile, but his mind was already spinning. Monday was only a few days away, and something told him none of them were ready for what was coming.

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