Chapter Six: Dining Hall

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The boys shuffled down the hallway, their heels clicking against the polished floors of Crestwood Academy. The sound, once foreign and embarrassing, was already starting to fade into the background, though the strangeness of their new situation hadn't lessened. They were heading to the dining hall, dressed head to toe in the school's uniforms—blazers, skirts, socks, and the requisite heels. Every step felt like a reminder of just how far they were from their old lives.

Dylan adjusted the collar of his blazer, feeling a mix of irritation and awkwardness. The over-the-calf socks he'd chosen tugged uncomfortably against his legs, but at least they were better than pantyhose, he figured. As they neared the dining hall, he glanced at Marcus, who had indeed worn the pantyhose, though he was doing his best to act like it didn't bother him. Aaron, on the other hand, seemed to be making it his personal mission to tease Marcus every chance he got.

"I mean, you're really committing, huh?" Aaron said with a smirk. "What's next, lipstick?"

Marcus shot him a look, but didn't take the bait. "Keep laughing, Aaron. I'm the warmest one here."

Dylan chuckled. As much as the situation sucked, he had to admit, Aaron's relentless teasing was a bit of a distraction. But as they stepped closer to the dining hall doors, the reality of their situation hit them again. The hallways had been relatively empty, but the dining hall? That was going to be full of students—girls, to be exact. The very girls who were used to seeing people like Sophie, Olivia, and Hannah walk through those doors, not a group of boys wearing the same skirts and shoes.

"You ready for this?" Kyle asked, his voice low as they approached the massive oak doors leading to the dining hall.

"Nope," Dylan muttered. "But we don't have much of a choice, do we?"

Aaron squared his shoulders, trying to put on a brave face. "Let's just get through lunch. Maybe it won't be as bad as we think."

Dylan wasn't sure if he believed Aaron, but there was no turning back now. With a final glance among themselves, they pushed open the heavy doors and stepped into the dining hall.

The moment they entered, the room seemed to quiet, all eyes turning toward them. Hundreds of Crestwood girls sat at long, beautifully arranged tables, their conversations halting as they took in the sight of the boys in full uniform. For a split second, Dylan could have sworn he heard someone drop a fork.

"Here we go," Kyle muttered under his breath, his eyes darting around the room nervously.

Sophie, Olivia, and Hannah had already claimed a table near the back and waved them over, acting as if this was the most normal thing in the world. As if leading a group of boys, who had been thrown into skirts, heels, and tights, into an all-girls' dining hall was just another day at Crestwood.

They made their way through the rows of tables, the soft murmur of voices starting to rise again as the girls whispered to each other. Dylan did his best to keep his eyes forward, resisting the urge to look around at the sea of judgmental faces. It felt like walking through a gauntlet.

Once they reached the table, Sophie greeted them with a bright smile. "Glad you made it. I know it can feel a bit overwhelming on the first day."

"A bit?" Marcus muttered as he slid into his seat.

Olivia ignored the comment, giving them a once-over. "You all look like you've adjusted to the uniforms pretty well."

Aaron grimaced. "You call this adjusted?"

Sophie raised an eyebrow. "It'll get easier. Trust me."

Dylan glanced at the other tables, noticing how quickly the girls had returned to their conversations, though every now and then, one or two would sneak a glance their way. It was hard to tell if they were amused or just curious. Either way, the boys had become the talk of the school, and it was only day one.

Hannah nudged her tray toward them, her plate full of neatly arranged sandwiches and salad. "Help yourselves. Lunch is pretty laid-back around here. You just grab what you want."

"Is everything here always so...fancy?" Kyle asked, looking around at the elegant setting.

Sophie chuckled. "Well, Crestwood prides itself on tradition. We have formal dinners on the weekends, but lunch is more casual. You'll get used to it."

Aaron gave Dylan a look as if to say yeah, right before grabbing a sandwich from the platter in the middle of the table. "I don't know if I'll ever get used to this."

As they started to eat, Olivia leaned in slightly, her voice more serious. "We know this is going to be an adjustment for you, but there are rules here for a reason. The dress code, the etiquette, the way things work at Crestwood—it's all part of the experience."

Dylan swallowed his bite of sandwich, feeling a knot in his stomach. "What exactly are we supposed to learn from this?"

Sophie smiled, though there was something deeper in her eyes. "How to conduct yourselves with poise, respect, and self-awareness. The same things we've all learned since we started here."

Hannah nodded. "It's not just about how you look. It's about how you present yourself, how you carry yourself. You're going to find that Crestwood has high expectations."

Aaron leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms. "And what if we don't care about that?"

Sophie's smile never wavered, but her voice took on a firmer tone. "Then you're going to have a very long semester."

Dylan felt the weight of her words settle in. This wasn't just about wearing skirts or following some arbitrary dress code. There was more to this experience than they'd realized. And whether they liked it or not, they were stuck in it for the long haul.

As lunch went on, the conversation lightened again, though the boys were acutely aware that they were under constant observation. The girls at the other tables continued to glance over from time to time, some giggling, others simply staring. Dylan tried his best to ignore it, but the feeling of being out of place—of being different—was hard to shake.

When lunch finally ended, Sophie and the others stood, gathering their trays. "You've got the rest of the day to settle in," Sophie said, her tone more relaxed now. "Tomorrow, your routine starts. You'll be expected to attend your classes, and there will be plenty of time to go over the rules in more detail."

Aaron groaned. "Great, more rules."

Olivia smirked. "You'll manage. Besides, it's not all bad. Once you get into the rhythm, Crestwood has its perks."

"Like what?" Dylan asked, skeptical.

Sophie winked. "You'll see."

The boys exchanged glances as the girls led the way out of the dining hall, leaving them to follow behind. Dylan wasn't sure what Sophie meant by that, but one thing was certain—nothing about this experience was going to be easy.

As they made their way back to the dorms, the realization that they were going to be spending an entire semester living like this sank in deeper. Dylan had no idea what was in store for them tomorrow, but for now, he was just relieved to have some time to himself to process everything.

Or at least, as much as he could, given the circumstances.

Once back in the dorm hallway, Dylan turned to Aaron, who was still fiddling with his blazer. "Think we'll survive this?"

Aaron shrugged. "One day at a time, man. One day at a time."

Dylan nodded, trying to hold on to that thought. One day at a time.

But as he opened the door to his room and glanced at the uniform hanging in his closet, he couldn't shake the feeling that the days ahead were going to be longer than he'd ever imagined.

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