"You okay, Kai?" Jordan asked as we walked towards class the next morning. "You're walking really slow."

                "I'm crippled," I said impatiently. "I always walk slow."

                "Slower than usual," he amended.

                "I fell yesterday," I said.

                His eyes widened. "What? When? Are you okay?"

                "I'm fine," I grumbled. "My leg is just sore. I need to stretch it out a lot."

                "Did you go to the health center?" he asked, eyeing my bad leg.

                I shook my head. "No. I didn't need to. I fell down, I got up, and I'm fine. Quit bothering me about it."

                We entered the academic building and I limped my way to Mr. Townsend's class. I took my usual seat, but Jordan hovered by my desk.

                "Mr. Townsend," he said, gesturing the teacher over.

                "Yes, Jordan?" Mr. Townsend asked, stepping up to us.

                "Kai fell yesterday. Is alright if he leaves to stretch his leg out?" Jordan said.

                "Will you shut up?" I said in annoyance. "I'm fine. Stay out of my business."

                Mr. Townsend frowned. "Are you alright, Kai?"

                "I'm fine!" I snapped.

                Mr. Townsend sighed. "You sound like my son when he injured his wrist over the summer."

                "Your son doesn't exactly have manners," Jordan said.

                Mr. Townsend shot him a dirty look. "Go take your seat, Jordan. I am your teacher. Watch what you say about my son."

                "Sorry, sir," Jordan said, but he didn't look sorry. He left to take a seat, and Mr. Townsend shook his head in disgust.

                "Yes, you can leave to stretch your leg. The offer stands all year for you, of course," he said.

                "Did Jordan just break his perfect-boy act to take a dig at your kid?" I said, a little impressed.

                Mr. Townsend stiffened a little. "My son was a Maroon student. He had anger issues. And he went through a rebellious phase. He's a good kid, but he's a bad communicator. He's come into the class before and had a...disagreement with Jordan."

                "I would pay actual money to see that," I said.

                "I prefer to keep Beckett away from the Academy," Mr. Townsend grumbled, walking back to the front of the room.

                I had no idea who Mr. Townsend's son was, but if this Beckett guy had gotten in a fight with Jordan, I liked him already.

                Class was boring, and I was grateful for the excuse to go out into the hallway. Mr. Townsend gave me a slight nod as I stood up, and I hurried out into the hallway.

                Classes were in session, so the hallways were empty. I peeked into the rooms as I walked, seeing either all Maroons or all Blues.

                I caught a glance of white hair and hid myself, peeking into the room. Jin sat at his desk, staring out of the window as a teacher screamed at some boy sitting in the front of the room.

                "-no wonder your parents don't want you!" the teacher was yelling, smacking the kid with a ruler. "You're a worthless druggie and you disgraced your family!"

                The kid kept wincing every time the ruler smacked down on his hands. The other students looked used to this kind of outburst, taking the time to whisper to their friends or stare out of the window like Jin.

                Karson was next to Jin, and he nudged Jin to get his attention, whispering something to him. Jin just gave him that impassive expression, told him to shut up, and turned back to stare out of the window. Karson leaned back and stretched, looking restless.

                As his attention began to wander around the room, I hurried away, not wanting him to see me. I limped back to my classroom and took my seat.

                I didn't need Jin to know that I'd been glancing into his classroom. Honestly, I was just curious about Maroon classes. I'd already known that it wasn't just Mr. Kean who hit the students, but it was still shocking to see. And the abuse was so common that the other students didn't even react to it anymore.

                Classes had me bored, so I zoned out and tried to think of ideas to start the riot. By the time lunch came, I'd hardly heard a word my teachers had said.

                I took the elevator up in the dining hall and grabbed food, going over to my lone table. I sat down, digging through my bag for my headphones. I'd put on the CD Jin made for me and brainstorm some more.

                But I heard the sound of a chair scraping across from me. I looked up in annoyance, expecting to see Jordan but being met with the sight of Jin and Karson instead.

                Jin sat down in one chair and Karson sat next to him. They didn't have lunches with them, but I shot them an annoyed look anyways.

                "What do you want?" I demanded.

                "Aw, crip, you could just say 'hello'," Karson said.

                "We're raising tensions," Jin said. "Also slipping plans to you in the process. After the Peer Program today, you're going to tell Jordan that we were huddling together before Mr. Kean came in the room and whispering together. We need them to think we're planning something so that they're on edge the next few days."

                "So why are you bothering me? This is my lunch," I said. "Go away."

                "What, you don't want to see your lover?" Karson said, grinning. "I can't believe you two are hooking up."

                "We're not hooking up," I said. "Your roommate just had his first kiss. Give him a few more weeks to work up to blowjobs, at least."

                "I'm right here," Jin reminded.

                "And cheating on me," Karson said with a dramatic sigh. "How will my asexual ass survive without you fucking the life out of it? You're killing my favorite rumors of us, Jin."

                "Shut up," Jin said.

                "Hey."

                Jordan and Lenny stepped up to our table, glaring at Jin and Karson. Karson grinned up at them, looking smug. Jin didn't even bother a glance at them.

                "Leave Kai alone," Jordan said.

                "What are you, his bodyguard?" Karson said. "Let the crip handle his own problems."

                "We know he's your little spy," Jin said, leaning back in the chair.

                Jordan kicked the chair out from under Jin so that Jin fell to the ground. Karson snickered as Jin rolled onto his side and pushed himself into a sitting position.

                "I was just trying to have a civil conversation," Jin said. "Thought you Blues were supposed to be all proper manners?"

                "Quit it, Jin. You clearly wouldn't know proper manners even if they kicked a chair out from under you," Karson said.

                Jin got to his feet, punched Karson, and walked away. Karson laughed and got up, following after his roommate.

                "What did they want with you, Kai?" Jordan asked.

                "To tell me they know I'm spying on them in the Peer Program, as if that was actually a shock to them," I said. "Can you people all just go away and let me eat?"

                "We'll keep an eye on them," Lenny said, and Jordan nodded. The two walked away, and I rolled my eyes. This school was such a damn pain.

                I put my headphones on and listened to music until lunch was over. The last three classes of the day were just as boring, and I was almost relieved when it was time for me to head to the Peer Program.

                I entered the classroom for it, and Lev looked up at me. He bit his lip nervously as I limped towards my seat.

                "Um, Kai, I know it's none of my business. But Karson keeps taunting Jin, and, well..." he started, fidgeting with his pencil.

                "Well what?" Jin asked, entering the room with Karson and Amelia trailing behind him. "Got a question, Lev?"

                "Oh, I have a question!" Amelia said, raising her hand.

                Isaac came into the room and looked at her curiously. "What's going on?"

                Amelia pointed from Jin to me. "Are you two dating?"

                "Dating?" Isaac furrowed his brow. "I thought Kai didn't like any of us."

                "Oh, I don't," I assured him.

                "Let me make this very clear to you idiots," Jin said, going over to me. He caught my vest and yanked me close, kissing me. He shoved me away from himself, careful not to send me stumbling on my bad leg. "I kiss him sometimes. We're not dating. If he goes down for kissing me, that's his problem and I don't care."

                "So you're not dating?" Isaac looked hopelessly confused. "But don't people kiss when they date?"

                "Sometimes I forget he's a sweet little nine year old," Amelia squealed, pulling Isaac into her arms. "You're so innocent I love you and want to protect you!"

                Isaac pouted. "I don't understand dating. It's not something I can study in a textbook."

                Lev sighed. "Amelia, let Isaac go. Isaac, people can kiss without dating."

                "It's called a hookup, or friends with benefits, or whatever. Ask your mom all about it, kid," Karson said, wincing as both Isaac and Amelia kicked him in the shins.

                "I'm going to protect this baby's innocence," Amelia hissed at Karson. "Shut your mouth, Wylie."

                I grabbed Jin's arm, getting his attention. "This means something," I said, keeping my voice low so the others didn't hear. "If you keep repressing everything you feel, what's the point? Shit happens, right? Learn to endure the bad shit so you can enjoy the good."

                "I don't need a lecture on emotions from someone who still reacts to everything with anger," he said, yanking his arm out of my grip.

                "I might feel pissed all the time, but at least I feel something," I said.

                He brushed his white hair out of his face. "Anger is the first step to burning away all your feelings. Trust me."

                He went and sat down, Karson dropping into the chair next to him. Mr. Kean entered the classroom and we all took our seats.

                "Hopefully Headmaster Constance got you lot to settle down," Mr. Kean grumbled.

                "Settle down? He got me fired up," Karson said. "I feel like I could punch every Blue in this school."

                He laughed as Mr. Kean hit him in the face with a textbook. He laughed even harder as Jin punched him in the arm.

                "Don't punch anyone," Jin said. "Somehow I always get dragged into trouble when you do."

                "That's because we're roommates," Karson said. "Some idiot at this Academy thought it was a good idea to let us keep living together."

                "Mr. Constance will be fixing that in the future," Mr. Kean said, looking smug. "Next year he plans to start a policy where he and a handpicked committee of staff will go through all roommate requests to make sure delinquents like the two of you aren't allowed to keep living together."

                "Wait, you two chose to keep living together?" I said in surprise. "What the fuck? I thought the school made you live together."

                "Nah, we chose to after our first year," Karson said, grinning. "I asked Jin, he said he didn't care, and here we are at 17, still roommates with a blossoming friendship and scandalous rumors of an affair."

                "He doesn't snore," Jin said, punching Karson again. "That's the only reason I signed the paperwork."

                "Both of you shut up," Mr. Kean said, whacking their hands with the textbook. "Jin, Isaac, lists."

                The Peer Program started up, all of us shutting up to do our work. Mr. Kean spent most of his time trying to smack Karson into silence and help Isaac with an essay. Jin kept kicking Karson under the desk, but Karson seemed too hyped up to care.

                By the time Mr. Kean dismissed us and left the room, Jin looked ready to kill us all. He rubbed his eyes and shoved his work back into his bag.

                "Karson, you need to chill or you're going to give away our plans," Lev said.

                "He always gets restless like this when he knows there's going to be trouble," Jin said.

                "I have to get excited for both of us since you lack the capability," Karson said.

                "You're going to tip them off that something is up," Jin said. "Calm down already."

                "I'd help you with him, but I have my hands full trying to keep Amelia from blurting it all out," Lev said with a sigh.

                "I wouldn't blurt it all out," Amelia said indignantly.

                "You almost did during second period!" Lev said. He shook his head at her, sighing. "You're such a pain."

                "But you still love me," she said cheerfully, knocking her shoulder against his.

                "Hey, Isaac, how did everything with your dad go?" Lev asked, putting his arm around Amelia's shoulders and his hand over her mouth before she could blurt out questions.

                Isaac shifted guiltily. "He told me not to make friends with any Maroons. He told me he'd ask the Constance family to have the Blues keep an eye on me if I keep hanging out with Maroons."

                "Wait." Jin held up his hand, his face focused. "What if that's what starts the riot? What if Isaac is what tips the scales into a fight?"

                "Me?" Isaac said, cocking his head to the side. "How?"

                "You've got friends in the Maroons besides us, right?" Jin said.

                Isaac nodded. "Uh-huh."

                "Write a list of all the Maroon friends you have, especially the older ones." Jin went over and kicked the door shut before joining us again. "Think of it. Kai pulls the fire alarm, all of us are led out to the courtyard and separated. But the Blues see one of the most important kids at this school hanging out with the Maroons. They come over to retrieve Isaac, Isaac pretends to get upset, and it starts a small fight. The teachers ignore it, letting the Blues shove us around. But we station ourselves throughout the crowd, get in the Maroons ears about how this is bullshit, get the more trigger-happy Maroons to join in the fight, and it starts to escalate and escalate until it's out of control. Isaac goes running to Leon Constance for protection to add more credit to him. Mr. Ruvolo will be thankful to Leon for keeping Isaac safe, plus I don't doubt Leon will be the one to get the most control over the situation. The guards will call Mr. Constance down, and he won't be able to handle the riot."

                "So we need to round up the feisty Maroons and make sure we're in their ears the whole time," Karson said, smirking. "I can do that. Leave that part to me."

                "How do you know the guards will call Mr. Constance down?" I asked.

                "Because since he's here, Headmaster Constance doesn't deal with things like that anymore. He leaves it up to Mr. Constance to test his capabilities as future headmaster," Jin explained. "So the guards will need someone in charge of the Academy to come down, and then he'll call Mr. Constance."

                "You want it traced back to us, right?" Karson said.

                Jin nodded. "Yes, and it will be. Amelia, that stuff we stole off of Mr. Constance's laptop last night? Send it to Headmaster Constance tomorrow. When he finds out the source of the riot was Isaac, he'll trace that back to us. I'll fess up to it being my plan."

                "What'll happen to us?" Lev asked, shooting a nervous glance at Amelia.

                "Nothing," Jin said. "He won't know you sparked the riot. It was my plan, remember? Amelia is here because of her hacking habits and her social struggles. It wouldn't be hard to convince them that I manipulated her into doing all of this."

                "You didn't manipulate me," Amelia said, narrowing her eyes at Jin. "I'd wreck your laptop and punch you in the mouth before I let you manipulate me."

                "He's saying he's going to lie to the Constance family," Lev explained to her, putting his hand over her mouth. "I wouldn't let anyone manipulate you." But now his nervous glance was on Jin. "You're going to take the fall."

                "I've got Kai covered so the blame doesn't fall to him for the fire alarm, my story is that I manipulated Amelia into helping me without Lev's dumbass finding out, and Karson loves a fight, so he just jumped in without planning," Jin said. "Whether I cover for Isaac or not, he won't get in any trouble."

                "What'll happen to you?" I asked.

                Jin shrugged. "They don't expel students from the Academy. I'll probably be isolated the rest of the year and tossed into detentions. They'll tell my folks what I did, I guess."

                "Jin, no," Lev said sternly. "We're not letting you go down for this."

                Jin just shrugged again. "They can isolate me. I don't care. You guys were a means to an end for me. And I stopped having a relationship with my parents the first time I picked up vodka."

                I moved forward to yell at him, but Karson was faster.

                Jin winced as Karson punched him in the face. Jin stumbled and caught himself on the desk, placing his hand over his injured cheek.

                "You know," Karson said, fixing his glasses, "I really hate it when you say you don't care. It's getting real old, Jin."

                "You wanted a fight and I'm giving you one," Jin said, dropping his hand from his face. "But I'm not the target. Hold your punches for a few more days."

                "Do you even know what it's like to be alone?" I said, and Jin looked at me with emotionless eyes. "It's one thing to be alone because no one will be your friend. But look around you, asshole. These people are your friends. And if you push them away now, after all of this, you'll regret it every single miserable day. Trust me." My voice was bitter, my gaze dropping to my leg. "But that'll be something you bring on yourself, and I'm sure as hell not going to pity you for it."

                "You have a job to do, Kai. Go tell your little Blue friends that Headmaster Constance failed to break us," Jin said. "I want them frustrated for this riot."

                "Then get them frustrated yourself," I snapped.

                He didn't seem bothered by my anger. "I don't need a life lesson. I need you to play your part in all of this. What did you think? We take the Academy, get away with no consequences, and get married? It was never going to work. So kiss me all you want and get it out of your system. By the end of the week, I'm out of your lives."

                "We're not letting you go down alone," Lev said, Amelia nodding furiously next to him. "You're our friend, Jin. Even if they try to isolate you, we'll just keep breaking the rules to get to you."

                "I've never had friends besides Lev," Amelia said. "You're moody, Jin, but you're still a good person. I also need you to teach me how to get a date. I mean, damn, you start kissing Kai out of nowhere and I can't even get the nerve to talk to Bridget. Seriously, how do you-" She was cut off as Lev slapped a hand over her mouth.

                "I have a lot of connections." Isaac didn't have his cheerful smile anymore; his expression was cold and calculating. "If either of the Constance men try to isolate you, I'll fix it. I can't fix the detention thing, but I'm sure I could fix the isolation problem."

                Jin looked around at them, but I saw the slight crack in his impassive façade. I saw the moment he started to repress whatever he was feeling, and I stepped forward and took his hand.

                "You have feelings," I said. "You have feelings and friends. Deal with it."

                He looked at our linked hands. "I don't care."

                "That's his way of showing affection," Karson said, crossing his arms.

                "Yea, I'm figuring that out pretty quick," I grumbled.

                "Fine, then take the fall with me and take the punishment," Jin said. "It's not my problem what you face."

                "Let's give this Academy hell," Karson said, grinning.

                I squeezed Jin's hand before releasing it and going over to my stuff. I grabbed my bag and left the room, leaving them to figure out the details of the riot.

                It felt good to have a goal and people around me again. It felt really great to be useful again. Even with my bad leg, I could still help with this plan. I'd put the riot idea out there, I'd help raise the tensions, and I'd pull the fire alarm. Jin had found a use for my crippled leg, using it as the excuse for me to leave the room to pull the fire alarm.

                He was covering for me so I didn't get in trouble. His friends wouldn't sell me out to either Constance at the Academy.

                For the first time since the accident, I didn't feel alone. I didn't feel useless.

                As I walked back to the dorm building, I felt some of my old spark of life flicker in my chest. I'd become an important part of bringing down Mr. Constance and changing Constance Academy.

                I entered the dorm building and went to my room, dropping my bag. Jordan was working on homework at his desk, glancing over at me.

                "So?" he asked. "How was Jin's group?"

                "They're up to something," I said. "When Mr. Kean left, they huddled together and started whispering. They know I'm spying, so they're not going to let anything slip."

                "I knew Headmaster Constance couldn't handle them," Jordan said in annoyance. "He couldn't even break a few pathetic Maroons. We'll have to keep an eye on them. I bet they're planning something big to get back at Headmaster Constance for trying to break their group apart." He chewed on the end of his pencil. "Shit, I don't know what they could be up to. I'll tell the others and we'll be on guard."

                "Good for you," I said, sitting at my desk and putting on my headphones.

                I folded my arms over my desk and rested my head against them to hide my little grin. We were going to pull this off, consequences be damned. None of us would let Jin take the fall for this. We'd tear this Academy to pieces and find a way to beat their punishments. Even with my crippled leg, I was going to leave an impact on this place.