Jordan and I got dressed and left the dorm building together the next morning. I hadn't brought up the Maroons or the Peer Program to him again yesterday, just went back to the room and did the rest of my homework.

                I saw no point in doing homework, but if it got me out of the Peer Program, I'd endure it for a few weeks. But, oh god, there was so much work at this Academy.

                "If you ever want to grab dinner after the Peer Program, just text me," Jordan said. He'd insisted on us exchanging numbers yesterday in case I ever needed his help with anything. I'd finally given in, sick of arguing over it.

                "I won't want to, but I'll keep that in mind," I said.

                We reached the academic building and went inside together. We walked down to the classroom and entered, kids talking excitedly.

                "Jordan!" One of Jordan's friends, a boy named Lenny, ran up to us. "Dude, guess what?"

                "What?" Jordan asked, looking around the room. "What happened?"

                "The Maroons somehow got into Mr. Sudlow's computer. I heard they went into his emails and messed around with them. They also uploaded inappropriate things to his laptop," Lenny said.

                Jordan's expression darkened. "Who was it this time?"

                "They're thinking the usual suspects. The details of what they did aren't clear for the students yet," Lenny said. "Mr. Sudlow is pissed, though. He just found out they messed with his laptop about an hour ago when he got to the Academy."

                Jordan glanced at me, and I didn't like the gleam in his eyes. "You said you're in the Peer Program with Jin Amano, right?"

                "Unless there are two white haired boys with the same strange first name, I'll just assume that's his last name," I said.

                Jordan clapped Lenny on the shoulder with a grin. "Don't worry about it. They'll get what's coming to them."

                Lenny returned the grin. "I'll text you after classes, Jordan."

                "Well, that was horribly creepy," I said as Lenny left to take his seat.

                "Mr. Constance is pretty good about keeping the Maroons in line, but sometime he needs a little help from us," Jordan said, which explained absolutely nothing but gave me a bad feeling in my gut.

                I shook of the bad feeling and shrugged, taking my seat. Jordan left to go take his seat, the conversation dropping.

                I didn't want to know what he and his friends were up to. Whatever it was, it probably wasn't anything good.

                Mr. Townsend entered the room a few minutes later. The class instantly quieted and looked to him eagerly.

                "Students, as you may have heard, there was an incident this morning," Mr. Townsend started. "Maroon students violated Mr. Sudlow's laptop. The incident is being looked into thoroughly, though I'm sure we all know who the main suspects are. Please, keep up your duty to this Academy while staying within its rules."

                Kids had sharp grins at that, and I felt like I was surrounded by sharks. They looked hungry for something, and I was just glad my blue vest kept their appetite away from me.

                Mr. Townsend started up his lesson, but the air in the room didn't ease. It was swelling with every passing minute, kids fidgeting and looking from the clock to the door.

                Just before class let out, Mr. Townsend ended the lesson early. He faced us again, seeming smugly pleased with the air of the room.

                "Remember, students, you are here to learn. Your duties in the classroom are more important than the scum of the Maroons. There are times to handle these situations. Please stay focused through the day. You'll have your chance after classes," he said, clasping his hands behind his back. "And remember: Following the rules is what separates you from them. Be smart."

                Kids nodded, hanging on his every word. He sat down as the class was dismissed and I got up, hurrying out of there and out into the hallway.

                But the Blue students leaving the other classes had the same tense air about them. I noticed that the few Maroon students in this section carefully steered clear of the Blues.

                Just what the hell was going on here?

                My next two classes were similar. The teachers gave speeches about our duty to keep the Maroons in line and our duty to our classes. The air kept swelling and swelling with that hunger of the students.

                By the time we were let out for lunch, I was ready to scream. This whole damn place was crazy.

                But, of course, the dining hall offered no relief. I took a seat by myself and put on my headphones, hoping to drown out the white noise of conversation.

                Blues sat together, heads bent low as they talked. Some eyed the Maroons with disgusted looks. I saw at least three Maroons get their trays knocked out of their hands by Blues, and a security guard had to step in at one point and take a Maroon out of the dining hall when an argument started to escalate too much.

                The Maroons had a different air about them. They sat at their own tables, shooting glares at the Blues and keeping their heads held defiantly high.

                After what Jordan said today, I found myself looking for Jin, but I didn't spot his white hair anywhere. I also noticed that the security guards in the dining hall hovered near where the Maroons were gathered.

                Cool. So my parents had dropped me in the middle of a damn warzone.

                I kept my head down and my music loud during lunch. When lunch let out, I miserably returned to that hungry air in class, the teachers feeding it with smug smiles.

                By the end of the day, I was ready to rip my own hair out. I shoved my notebook in my bag and stood up, nearly running into Jordan.

                "Out of my way," I commanded. "I don't want to spend another second with you people."

                "Can I see the paper for you Peer Program group?" he asked.

                I yanked the crumbled paper out of my bag and threw it at his head. "There, have fun, goodbye."

                I left the room, limping quickly away from the crowd of students. I didn't want to get myself stuck in an argument. The hallways were basically crackling with tension between the Blue and Maroon students.

                I reached the room we had Peer Program in and went inside, relieved at how quiet and calm it was. Once again, Lev was the only person in there, but my mood sank when I saw how tense he looked. His eyes were locked on the door, his phone held in his hands as he shook his leg.

                "What is wrong with all of you people?" I asked in frustration, throwing myself into a chair and dropping my bag to the floor.

                He gave me a nervous smile. "Guess no one explained anything to you?"

                "Obviously not," I grumbled.

                The door opened and Amelia came inside. Lev relaxed and released a relieved breath of air.

                "It's going to get ugly today," Amelia said cheerfully, taking the seat next to Lev. "They're on the prowl."

                "Jin always manages to slip by," Lev said. "I'm more worried about Karson. He can't resist making a scene."

                "Jin will keep him in line," Amelia said, then paused. "Well, Jin will probably keep him in line."

                The door opened and Jin and Karson slipped inside. Karson looked hyped up, but Jin was as impassive as always.

                "You guys are alive," Amelia said in surprise.

                "Jin does have a talent for staying undetected when he wants to," Karson said, slapping Jin's shoulder. "It helps that he was invisible before he came here."

                Jin dug an elbow roughly into Karson's ribs. "Shut up. You're too hyper today."

                "Can you blame me?" he asked, shoving Jin away from himself and rubbing his ribs. "Oh, I love a good fight."

                "Sit down," Jin said, grabbing a handful of Karson's vest and throwing him forward with surprising strength. I noticed that the backs of both of Jin's hands had fresh bruises on them, like someone had been smacking his hands all day.

                The door opened and Isaac came inside, a cheery smile on his face. He scampered up to Jin.

                "They were waiting outside of your classroom," he said with a laugh. "Bet they thought they could find you."

                "I'm not hiding," Jin said. "Go sit before Kean comes in here. I'm not in the mood to deal with any more than I have to from him."

                They all took their seats, Isaac sitting at the same desk as yesterday. Mr. Kean came into the room a minute later, looking pleased when he spotted where Isaac was. The pleased expression dropped when he looked at the Maroons.

                "You filthy creatures," he said, shaking his head at them. "The shames of your families, all of you."

                Karson perked up. "That's quite the accomplishment. I finally stole the title from my mom, then."

                "She left you for a reason," Mr. Kean said, the coldness of his tone surprising me.

                "Probably more than one," Karson said thoughtfully.

                Jin took out his list and set it on his desk for Mr. Kean. Mr. Kean went over and picked up the list. He also picked up Jin's notebook and slammed it down on Jin's injured hands.

                "They took it far too easy on you," he hissed, eyeing the list and shoving it in his pocket. "Do your work. If I see you slacking off, you'll have bruises on more than just your hands."

                Jin shrugged and flipped open his notebook. Karson snickered, wincing when Jin kicked him in the shin.

                I took out my own work and bent my head over it, trying to ignore the rest of the room. I could hear Mr. Kean explaining a math problem to Isaac, but the Maroons were silent as they worked.

                It was a while before I heard a hushed voice. I looked over and saw Lev explaining a diagram to Amelia, who looked more interested in the poorly drawn pictures on the diagram than the diagram itself.

                "If she needs help, I'll help her," Mr. Kean snapped, picking up a ruler and smacking Lev in the arm with it.

                Lev winced and looked up at him. "I'm sorry, Mr. Kean."

                "I don't want your help," Amelia said, glaring at Mr. Kean. "Lev explains things better than you. You just yell at me and threaten to hit me. Why are you even allowed to be a teacher? I bet you-"

                Lev hurried to slap a hand over her mouth, but Mr. Kean was already pissed off. He smacked her hand with the ruler and my eyes widened a little, shooting from the ruler to Jin's hands. Was that what had happened to him? Had they been smacking his hands with rulers that hard all day?

                Amelia winced but continued to glare at Mr. Kean, trying to talk despite Lev's hand over her mouth. Mr. Kean looked at her homework.

                "This is painfully simple. And you're supposed to be some genius girl?" he said in annoyance.

                "She's good in certain subjects," Lev said. "She's not stupid just because she doesn't understand something. School is for learning. She shouldn't have to feel embarrassed because she doesn't understand a question."

                "Enough out of you," Mr. Kean said, hitting Lev again.

                "Shut up, Lev. This is Conversion Academy. Of course they'll make you feel stupid for not understanding something. Look at your vest," Jin said without looking up from his work.

                "I'm surprised you can understand anything at all. Thought all the drinking would've killed your brain cells," Mr. Kean said.

                "Wish it had. Then I wouldn't be able to process how pitiful you are," Jin said. He didn't even flinch as Mr. Kean stormed over and smacked him in the face with the ruler.

                I shrank down in my seat, hoping I wouldn't blurt something out and be the next victim. Karson was trying not to laugh as he watch Mr. Kean's rampage, and I wasn't even surprised when he was the next to get smacked with the ruler.

                "All of you stay quiet!" Mr. Kean snapped. "You raise your hand if you have a question. Now, get back to work." He turned to me, the anger draining away. "How are you keeping up with your work, Kai? Need help with anything."

                "I'm good," I choked out, glancing at the ruler and tucking my hands under the desk. "I'm managing."

                Mr. Kean sat back down at his desk. The tense air started up in the room as the time passed, and finally, Mr. Kean stood up.

                "Dismissed for today. Meet again tomorrow," he said, eyeing Jin's group. "The four of you? I'm sure you'll be on much better behavior by tomorrow."

                Jin leaned back. "I doubt that."

                Mr. Kean curled his lip in annoyance. "Good luck making it back to your dorms."

                He left the room with his stuff. Jin and his friends packed up their things and Isaac went over to them.

                "Better take the long way back to your dorm," he said.

                "Don't tell me what to do. I know how to handle myself, you pest," Jin said.

                "Run off, you little bastard," Karson said.

                Jin kicked him in the shin again. "How many times do I have to tell you not to echo me?"

                I gathered my stuff and picked my cane up. I left the room and stopped, looking on in surprise.

                "Hey Kai," Jordan said. Three boys and a girl were standing with him, and I vaguely recognized them from class. Lenny stood next to Jordan, looking excited. That hungry air from earlier was rippling through them.

                "What are you doing here?" I asked, feeling uneasy at the sight.

                Lenny urged me out of the way. "You know why we're here. Watch out."

                I had no idea why they were here, but I stepped out of their way and watched. Jin and his friends left the room, Isaac chatting away to Jin about his math homework.

                "Isaac," Jordan said, looking at the younger boy with accusing eyes.

                Isaac stopped and his eyes widened a little as he took in the group in front of them. He gave a guilty smile, clasping his hands behind his back and toeing the floor with his shoe.

                "I did it again," he said.

                Jordan tugged him out of the way, pushing him over to one of the guys. The guy caught Isaac and pushed the boy behind him.

                The group blocked off the path out of the hallway, their eyes locked on Jin. Lev looked at them nervously, stepping in front of Amelia.

                "We don't want any trouble," he said, but he sounded like he knew it was useless.

                "Then you shouldn't have gone against the Academy again," Lenny said, shoving Lev back. Amelia steadied him and glared.

                "Shove him again and we'll experiment to see just how far up your ass my foot can go," she threatened.

                "Get out of our way," Jin said, unconcerned at the glares he was receiving.

                "A gang junkie," one of the boys said, stepping forward and slamming Jin up against the wall. "You're just wasting your time trying to go against the Constance family."

                "Pick a fight with someone who actually hits back," Karson said, yanking the kid off of Jin and punching him in the face. He stood in front of Jin, looking ready to throw more punches. "Jin, stay out of this. I want to have some fun."

                Jin shrugged and slouched back against the wall. "Whatever."

                I watched in horror as the Blues surged forward and attacked Jin's group. Two of them went after Karson, the girl and Lenny went after Lev and Amelia, and Jordan pushed around Karson to get to Jin.

                "Constance gives you a little praise and you become his loyal pawn," Jin said as Jordan slammed him against the wall again. "Pawns are disposable."

                "Mr. Constance respects us. He knows we have potential and a future. You? You're trash," Jordan snarled and punched Jin in the face.

                Jin's head snapped to the side, but his face stayed emotionless. He rubbed a hand across his cheek and shoved Jordan with that surprising force of his.

                "This isn't a fight you'll win," Jin warned.

                "You beat yourself before you ever came here," Jordan said and began to throw punches.

                I backed against the wall as I watched the fight unfold. Isaac slid over to me, frowning as he watched it all happen.

                "Aren't you going to stop them?" I said, panicked.

                Isaac cocked his head to the side. "No." He tapped his chest, fingers brushing over his blue vest. "The Maroons acted out. The Blues are punishing them. That's how the Academy works." He furrowed his brow. "I don't know how they knew which classroom to corner. I didn't see anyone follow Jin there."

                My face paled. I knew how they'd found the classroom.

                Lev was trying to defend Amelia, though she was quick and held her own just fine. She was good at dodging their blows, and Lev fought with a nervous but determined drive.

                Karson was struggling. He'd started out laughing and doing just fine, but one of the boys had given a hard blow to Karson's stomach, which threw him off balance enough for them to gain an advantage over him. He fought with no concern of the damage he was doing, but he was outnumbered.

                Jin was somehow managing to hold up, his movements turning from sluggish to startlingly quick. He dodged Jordan's punches and threw out limited but effected blows. He caught Jordan under the chin, sending Jordan stumbling back. Jin pressed forward and dropped low, throwing his fist up hard to catch Jordan under the chin again. He drove his shoulder into Jordan's chest and hooked a leg around Jordan's, causing Jordan to slam against the ground.

                "I warned you," Jin said before slouching against the wall again. He watched his friends, starting to step towards Karson but backing off after a thoughtful moment.

                The two boys had gotten Karson on the ground, kicking roughly at him. I bit my lip hard as one of them kicked Karson in the knee when he tried to get up. Karson fell to the ground, clutching his knee and giving a ragged grin.

                My own leg throbbed in sympathy pain. I clutched my cane tighter, looking around for any signs of a teacher.

                Jordan got to his feet and backed off, angry but knowing he was no match for Jin's quickness. Karson struggled back to his feet and threw himself at one of his attackers, both of them hitting the ground hard. The Blue groaned as Karson slammed an elbow against his stomach before being dragged off by the other boy.

                The boy grabbed Karson's head tightly, looking ready to slam Karson's head against his knee. But Jordan grabbed his shoulder.

                "Stop," he said in alarm. "If you break his nose, Mr. Constance will be angry. You know the rules, Ryan!"

                Ryan reluctantly released Karson, punching Karson when he began to laugh. The two attacking Amelia and Lev backed off as well, Lev's lip bleeding and Amelia rubbing an injured shoulder.

                "Learn your place before we come after you again," Lenny snarled.

                "Thanks for the help, Kai," Jordan said, handing me back the paper with the room number on it. "Let's go."

                "You go," I said, my heart slamming. "I need a minute. I might throw up, I might scream, or I might run away and never look back. I need some time alone to decide on one."

                "They deserve this. You'll learn," Jordan promised before leaving the hall with his friends. Ryan was leading Isaac away with them.

                "Damn," Karson said, testing his injured knee. "The new Blue already helping them."

                "I didn't know," I said weakly, feeling the need to defend myself. They were all staring at me and I felt myself growing defensive, my gaze falling to Jin. "Don't look at me like that! You didn't even defend your friend when they had him down and were kicking him!"

                "He didn't want my help," Jin said, shrugging. "I'm not going to waste my energy on someone who doesn't want it."

                "It's no fun when we team up. I like a challenge," Karson said. He stepped towards me. "I doubt the crip is a challenge, but he told them where to corner us."

                Jin put a hand on his shoulder and yanked him backwards, ignoring the way Karson winced and rubbed his knee. Lev and Amelia watched anxiously, looking ready to follow Jin's lead.

                "He didn't know," Jin said. "There's a difference between a solider blindly following orders and a soldier being uninformed." He met my eyes, his piercing blue gaze freezing me where I stood. "Now you know. The choices you make after this are on you."

                He walked away, swaying a bit on his feet before steadying himself. Lev didn't meet my eyes as he pulled Amelia past me. Karson shot me a dirty look before following his friends.

                They disappeared, leaving me alone in the hallway. I slumped back against the wall, clutching my cane with a shaking hand. I was in way over my head here.