Chapter Fourteen: Rising Tensions

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The atmosphere in the common area was tense. It was their second full day of classes, and already, the weight of their new reality was starting to press down on them. Dylan sat slouched on the couch, still trying to shake off the stress from a long day. Marcus leaned against the armrest, flipping through his notes from European History, while Kyle absentmindedly spun a pen between his fingers. Aaron, however, was pacing back and forth in front of them, fuming as he glanced at his pink nails every few seconds.

"Honestly," Aaron muttered, "I can't believe Beaumont did this to me. These nails? And ballet? This is a joke."

Dylan, trying to remain calm, looked up. "It's not just you, man. We're all in the same boat here."

"Yeah, but at least you didn't get singled out for punishment!" Aaron snapped, gesturing to his nails. "Do you know how hard it is to button up my shirt? I'm practically useless!"

Kyle glanced over, trying to lighten the mood. "I mean, you kinda brought that on yourself, Aaron. Beaumont warned you, and you still—"

"Oh, come on," Aaron cut him off, eyes flashing. "She's out to get me. You all see that, right?"

Marcus rolled his eyes. "She's not out to get you. She's just making sure we all follow the rules. Trust me, I'd rather have those nails than deal with everything else we're doing."

Aaron stopped pacing and glared at him. "Oh yeah? And what exactly do you have to deal with, Marcus? You're quilting for your extracurricular, aren't you?"

Marcus sat up straight, irritation flashing across his face. "Yeah, I am. It's not exactly what I pictured either, but I'm not whining about it every five minutes."

Dylan could feel the tension building, and he sighed, rubbing his temples. "Look, we're all frustrated, okay? But there's no point in turning on each other. We just have to get through this."

Aaron threw his hands up. "Easy for you to say, Dylan. You're doing equestrian riding or whatever. You'll just get to sit on a horse and trot around. Meanwhile, I'll be prancing around in tights."

Kyle let out a soft laugh. "Maybe you'll end up liking it. You know, find your inner ballerina."

Aaron shot him a look that could kill, but before he could retort, the door creaked open. Hannah and Olivia walked in, their smiles fading slightly as they picked up on the tense energy in the room.

"You boys doing okay?" Hannah asked, eyeing Aaron's furious pacing.

"Just peachy," Aaron muttered under his breath, crossing his arms.

Olivia exchanged a look with Hannah before stepping forward. "Well, extracurriculars are starting soon, so we just wanted to remind you all. You should probably get changed."

Emily stepped forward, grinning mischievously as she looked at Aaron. "Oh, by the way, Aaron, your ballet uniform is waiting for you in your closet. Beaumont made sure it's all set for you."

Aaron froze, his eyes narrowing. "You've got to be kidding me."

Sophie, catching onto the tension, added with a teasing smile, "And Dylan, your riding uniform is in your closet, too."

Dylan blinked, his stomach dropping as the reality of having to wear yet another uniform hit him. "Wait—there's a uniform for riding?"

Sophie chuckled, clearly enjoying the moment. "Of course there is. You'll have to go see for yourself. But don't worry, I'm sure you'll look adorable."

Aaron let out a snarky laugh, crossing his arms. "Don't sweat it, Dylan. Just get through this like the rest of us."

Dylan gave a half-hearted smile, though the thought of what could be waiting for him only added to the anxiety building inside him. The idea of a riding uniform—likely something way too feminine—wasn't exactly reassuring.

Hannah glanced at the clock. "Alright, everyone. You should get going before you're late."

"Yeah, wouldn't want you to be late again, Aaron," Marcus muttered, still annoyed.

Aaron turned sharply, eyes narrowing at Marcus. "Say that again, Marcus."

"Alright, that's enough," Dylan said, stepping between them. "We don't have time for this."

The boys reluctantly gathered their things, each heading out to face whatever their extracurricular had in store for them. As they exited the common room, the air between them was still charged, but they knew they had no choice but to get through it—together or not.

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