Chapter Thirteen: Extracurriculars

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Later that evening, the boys were sprawled across the couches in their hallway's common space, trying to unwind after a long, draining day. The atmosphere was relatively quiet, each of them lost in their own thoughts—until Emily arrived, breaking the silence with her usual upbeat energy.

She waltzed in, a paper in hand. "Hey, boys. I've got something for you." She waved the sheet, her grin widening as she dropped it onto the coffee table in front of them.

"What's that?" Dylan asked, glancing up from his slouched position.

"It's the list of extracurriculars Beaumont's letting you sign up for," Emily said, stepping back to watch their reactions. "There are actually some good ones left. You might find something you like."

At the mention of extracurriculars, even Aaron perked up from his spot on the couch, his interest piqued despite his annoyance with his earlier punishment. "Good ones?" he repeated, leaning forward to see the list. "Let's see what I missed out on."

The boys crowded around the paper, inspecting it closely. Dylan read the list aloud.

Extracurriculars:

Cheer Team
Concert Band
Equestrian Riding
Fashion Design
French Cooking
Gardening
Jewelry Making
Knitting
Ladies Advocating for a Sustainable Future
Math Club
Model Congress Club
Poetry
Quilting
Rugby
Sewing
Softball
Student Government
Synchronized Swimming
Theatre
Tutoring
Volleyball
Water Polo
Yearbook
Yoga

Kyle's eyes lit up immediately. "French cooking? That's it. I'm in. I can't believe no one snagged that yet."

Aaron scoffed. "Seriously? French cooking? Why?"

Kyle grinned, undeterred. "Why not? Think about it—delicious food, learning to make something fancy. Plus, I won't have to run around sweating."

Dylan raised an eyebrow. "I mean, it sounds fun, but I don't think I'm signing up for that."

"Same," Marcus chimed in, shaking his head. "Cooking's cool and all, but it's not really my thing."

Kyle shrugged, clearly fine with going solo. "Suit yourselves. I'm doing it anyway."

Dylan and Marcus continued scanning the list, exchanging uncertain glances. Dylan's finger paused as he read over volleyball and water polo. "You know... I used to play water polo back in school. Volleyball, too."

Marcus nodded in agreement. "Yeah, same. Both sound like fun."

They both hesitated, though. The idea of competing against a bunch of girls didn't sit right with them. It wasn't just about winning or losing—it felt... strange. Dylan grimaced at the thought of wearing a tight, uncomfortable uniform. "But, man, competing against girls? And the uniform?"

Marcus sighed, crossing his arms. "Yeah, I can't see myself doing that."

Dylan moved his finger down the list and paused at another option. "Equestrian riding, though? That could be fun. I've always wanted to be a cowboy, you know? Ride a horse, live out some childhood fantasy."

Marcus chuckled. "Cowboy, huh? Well, I'm not exactly big on horses."

Dylan smiled. "Yeah, but think about it—it's something different, something... cool."

Marcus considered the options again, feeling stuck between the more physically demanding choices and the safer, quieter ones. "I think I'm going to go with quilting," he finally said. "Seems chill enough. Maybe I'll just sit back and make a blanket or something."

Kyle snorted. "Quilting? Really, man?"

Marcus shrugged. "Hey, it sounds relaxing. No running around or having to compete with anyone."

Aaron shook his head, clearly still disgruntled about his forced ballet participation. "You're all crazy."

Ignoring Aaron's grumbling, Dylan and Marcus both gave a nod, having made up their minds. "Alright," Dylan said, standing up. "Let's go find that sign-up board."

The boys wandered through the halls until they finally found the sign-up sheet posted near the entrance to the dormitory wing. A large whiteboard with neat, printed lines of activities waited for their names.

They hesitated for a moment, looking at the empty spots under each activity. Dylan picked up the pen and, with a deep breath, wrote Diana Lawson next to Equestrian Riding. Marcus followed, jotting down Maya Hayes under Quilting. Kyle leaned forward with a grin, writing Katie Kelly beside French Cooking.

Just as they finished, Hannah and Sophie came walking over, having spotted them. "So, what'd you boys pick?" Hannah asked, peeking over their shoulders.

Sophie's eyes narrowed as she read the names on the board. "Quilting, Maya?" she laughed. "Really? I was hoping one of you would join me on the swim team."

The boys exchanged awkward glances before laughing. "Swim team? No thanks," Dylan said. "We've had enough of that water stuff after Etiquette class."

Sophie crossed her arms, a playful grin on her face. "You're just scared you'd lose a race against a girl."

Kyle chuckled. "Or maybe we just don't want to wear the uniform."

"Oh, come on," Sophie teased, nudging Dylan with her shoulder. "You'd look adorable."

Dylan shook his head with a laugh. "I'll stick with horses, thanks."

With more teasing from Sophie, the boys eventually parted ways and returned to the common space. Once back, they collapsed onto the couches, sharing stories from the day and occasionally making fun of each other's extracurricular choices. The weight of the last two days finally caught up with them as the night grew late.

Dylan let out a long yawn, rubbing his eyes. "Man, this day's never going to end, is it?"

Marcus stretched his arms above his head. "Feels like we've been here for months already."

Kyle stood, cracking his knuckles. "Well, I'm calling it. Time to shower."

The others nodded in agreement, pulling themselves off the couches as they trudged off to the showers, they knew tomorrow would bring even more challenges. But for now, at least, they'd survived another day.

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