I was racked with nerves as I showered in the morning and got dressed. Siggy and Cam were patrolling our hallway, banging on doors and shoving kids out of their way. Cam looked a strange combination of angry and pleased as he rampaged down the hallway. Siggy performed his duties with detached indifference.

With a towel wrapped around my waist, I hurried down to my room. Leo was still in the bathroom brushing his teeth, so I hastily dropped the towel and pulled my uniform on.

Leo came back into the room just as I was shrugging on my sweater vest. He shut the door and changed into his uniform, seeming at ease despite what we'd done last night.

"You're not worried?" I asked.

He glanced at me and shrugged. "Nah, not really. Kaz already knows we're going to get caught. You, however, need to keep your cool. Sternberg won't know you were involved unless you give it away. So whatever you do, don't look guilty or suspicious."

"He knows you're going to get caught?" I asked in disbelief. "Then why the hell did he do it? Does he have a death wish?"

"Kaz and I will definitely get caught. Pete is usually with Kaz, so he'll probably take the fall, too. Mika might get away with it, but I doubt it. Then go after all of our group just to make sure the point gets across. You're not part of our group, though. You don't run with Kaz." He tugged his vest on, shirt lazily untucked and wrinkled. "Kaz doesn't have a death wish. He just knows that every fire needs a spark. He doesn't care if he gets burned as long as he can start that fire."

I shook my head. "You people are all crazy."

Leo grinned. "Maybe. That's okay with me."

We grabbed our bags and left the door. Siggy was waiting at the end of the hallway, eyes slipping over kids as they walked by. I expected him to ignore us as we walked by, but he reached out and roughly grabbed Leo's shirt, yanking him up close.

"Tuck your damn shirt in, trash," he said. He lowered his voice, so low that I could barely hear it even standing right next to them. "If Rogan gets hit for this, tell Kaz I'll kill him with my bare hands."

He shoved Leo backwards and shooed us away. We went outside, meeting up with Kaz and Pete.

"Where are Mika and Cara?" Leo asked as we walked.

"Probably in a fist fight with a Blue," Kaz said, shrugging. "Mikayla told Pete not to wait up for them."

Leo glanced around and dropped his voice. "Siggy had a message for you."

"A death threat, probably. If Rogan gets hurt, it's because he brought it on himself," Kaz said dismissively. "Everyone knows he and I don't work together."

We reached the building and went inside. Kids were crowded around the door, a low hum of excitement rippling through everyone. I could make out Mr. Sternberg and two kids in blue vests on either side of him.

Mr. Sternberg kept his expression neutral and watched as the crowd of kids grew. Mikayla and Cara caught up to our group after a few minutes, trying to peer over the heads of the other kids to see into the room.

"Now that you're all here, proceed into Mr. Miller's classroom," Mr. Sternberg said.

Everyone filed off down the hallway and into the classroom. We all took our seats, my heart slamming against my chest.

How was I not supposed to look guilty? Sure, I hadn't actually done any of the vandalizing, but I had still broken in with them and watched them do it. I was an accomplice.

I looked at my hands, wondering what life would be like without them. Mr. Sternberg was going to beat the feeling right out of them with a ruler.

The door slammed, my head snapping up at the sound. Mr. Sternberg walked towards the front of the classroom slowly. The two Blues were guarding the door, glaring at all of us.

"Leopold," Mr. Sternberg said. "Isn't it a coincidence that that day you receive your punishment is the same day that someone broke into the building and vandalized the classroom?"

"What a coincidence," Leo agreed, and in my hysterical state I nearly laughed at the way he struggled to say "coincidence" with his lisp.

"Your parents sent you here to fix your behavioral issues, but I'm sure they wouldn't mind if we fixed that speech impediment of yours," Mr. Sternberg said, grabbing his ruler.

He walked over to Leo's desk. Leo braced himself for the blow, but he still winced as the ruler cracked across his mouth.

Mr. Sternberg spun around and gripped Kaz's hair, pushing his head down. "And you, Casimir," he snarled. "You like to rally these delinquents up. I'm positive it was your idea to trash my room. You should be grateful your father is dead. He never had to see the nightmare you turned into."

Kaz, to my surprise, laughed heartily. "Want to know a little secret, Sternberg? I used to steal from him, too."

Kaz pushed his head up with noticeable effort. He gripped Mr. Sternberg's wrists and yanked his hands away from his hair.

"Let me tell you another secret," Kaz said, releasing Mr. Sternberg's wrists so he could hold up a finger. "I don't bow to anyone. I don't get my feelings hurt. You can take all the cheap shots you'd like, but you're just going to give me a good laugh."

Mr. Sternberg snapped his ruler against Kaz's arm. "Who else was involved?"

"You're just making assumptions. For all you know, I was tucked up in my bed fast asleep when someone trashed your room," Kaz said, shrugging.

"You'll get yours, and they'll fall with you," Mr. Sternberg promised before moving to the front of the room. He dropped his ruler and began to teach as though nothing had happened.

When his lesson was over, he left the room. The two Blues continued to guard the door, only letting out the small number of kids who didn't have Mr. Miller next.

"I think he made my lisp worse," Leo said, rubbing his mouth. "Son of a bitch, that was unpleasant."

"So, who trashed the room?" Rogan asked.

"That," Kaz said, looking at him with a lazy glance, "is a secret. And I've already told enough secrets for today."

Rogan glared. "Don't get smart with me, Kaz."

"I know, it hurts your poor little brain when I get smart," Kaz said.

Rogan began to argue with an amused Kaz, but my thoughts were distracted by what Mr. Sternberg had said. If Kaz's father really was dead, that was a super low blow.

"Will the other teachers hit you?" I asked Leo, trying to get my mind off of it. Kaz's home life was none of my business.

"Hm? Oh, nah. Miller won't. Sudlow probably will." Leo rolled his eyes, as if being beaten by teachers was a minor annoyance. "Can you believe someone actually married Sternberg and Sudlow? They have wives. Sudlow has freaking kids. There are mini Sudlows on this planet. I bet he's already training them how to use rulers as weapons."

"What's even scarier is that Sudlow has two siblings who teach," Mikayla said, leaning forward on her desk. "You could get out of here and then end up with another Sudlow."

"Now that's a nightmare," Leo said, shuddering. "I bet they're all just as bad."

I frowned, because my mom was a teacher and now all I could picture was her screaming bible verses while she hit kids with rulers. Oh, thank god she didn't work here. She'd totally beat the homosexuality right out of me.

The door opened and Mr. Miller came in. He stood in front of the class, eyes sweeping over us coldly.

"One of you had the nerve to destroy bibles last night," he said. "Let me tell you something, you disgusting little wastes of air. God is not dead. He is alive and full of regret for creating monsters like you. You are all here because the paths you took in life were shameful. God does not love screw ups like you lot."

"God can bite me," Mikayla said. "I don't need the love of a storybook character."

"Mika, no offense, but you're starting to sound like that asshole everyone can't stand who needs to constantly announce that they're an atheist," Leo said. "Find your chill."

"How sad," Mr. Miller said, voice as cold as his gaze. "Mikayla, you've lost the love of God and your parents."

Mikayla gave him a smile that was razor sharp. "Good riddance to it all."

Pete clapped his hands together. "Woo, okay, this is getting awkward and personal."

"Let it," Kaz said, tilting back in his chair and watching Mr. Miller with little interest. "You know they're desperate when they start taking cheap shots. Go ahead Miller. Spit out some more petty insults."

"You'll be handled later, Casimir," Mr. Miller said, crossing his arms. "All of you shut up and I'll teach."

"Now that's a good joke," Kaz said.

Mr. Miller ignored him and proceeded to go through his lesson. When the period ended, we were kept in the room again until Mr. Sudlow came in. Mr. Sudlow screamed out his lesson at us, glaring between Kaz and Leo the whole time.

We were finally allowed to leave for lunch. I watched as Leo joined up with Kaz's group as we reached the dining hall. The group took a table together, each chair filled.

I awkwardly sat down by myself, wondering why this was even a surprise. I didn't fit in with their group. Kaz was just dragging me into trouble with them because I was a new source of amusement for him. And Leo might be nice to me, but we weren't friends.

I grabbed food quickly and sat back down, keeping my eyes on my tray as I ate. Wow, I was so popular. What an exciting life I lived. Eating alone in the dining hall waiting to be found out and beaten with a ruler.

I jumped as a tray slammed down on the table. I looked up and felt my face pale as Cam and Siggy took the seats across from me.

"You're Leo's new roommate," Cam said. He had a piece of paper in his hands and looked down at it. "Killian O'Malley, 17 years old, no history of arrest or trouble." He looked back up from the paper. "You don't seem like the type to be sent here. The others, now, they have histories on them."

"Quit beating around the bush," Siggy said. "Killian, did you help them trash the room?"

I shook my head. "No," I said honestly, because I hadn't trashed the room. I swallowed down my nerves and shook my head again. "I finished my homework and went to bed. Leo was yelling at someone and it woke me up, but I went back to sleep after. If he left the room, I didn't hear it."

"Did they say anything about it? We know Kaz and Leo were involved, but there had to have been others with them," Cam said. "And you better answer honestly, because if we find out you're lying, you're in a lot of trouble."

The threat was clear and vicious. This was it; I was about to choose between Blue and Maroon. Between Cam and Kaz.

My choice really wasn't that surprising, given my history of horrible decisions.

"I didn't hear anything about it. I never would've even known those two were involved. Leo and I don't talk much," I said.

"If you're lying, we'll make sure you learn not to do it again," Cam assured, standing up. "But if you're telling the truth, you better stay away from their group."

He and Siggy picked up their trays and left my table. I slumped back in my seat, wondering why this had become my life. All I wanted to do was date boys and instead I end up getting threatened by psychopathic students. And not even super attractive ones.

The rest of the day passed without incident. I grabbed my bag and hurried out of the classroom when we were finally let out. Instead of heading back to the dorm, I made my way to edge of campus, walking slow and letting my thoughts pace their way around my brain.

I had picked the Maroons over the Blues, but why? I didn't belong in this vest. I was here because I was gay. Kaz was a thief, Pete had an addiction to prescription pulls, Leo liked to break and enter, Mikayla looked like she would literally bite your head off if you fucked with her, and Beckett was an angry 6th grader. This was not the kind of crowd I belonged in.

"Tell us!"

I looked up in surprise at the angry voice. I darted behind a tree, peeking out. The two blue vested kids who had been guarding the door today were standing over Leo. Kaz was sitting on the ground, laughing a little as his nose bled.

"I've got nothing to tell you," Leo said, struggling to his feet.

One of them grabbed Leo's shirt. "Tell us who else was involved."

"Eat me," Leo said, and winced when he was roughly thrown backwards.

The kid grabbed Kaz, yanking him to his feet. Kaz simply grinned at him, blood still trickling down to his chin.

"Who trashed the room?" the kid demanded.

"I don't talk to dogs. Stick that tail between your legs and crawl back to your master," Kaz said, grabbing the kid's arm and twisting it around. The kid yelped and released Kaz, stumbling away when Kaz released him.

"You'll regret that!" he snapped.

Kaz grabbed the kid's vest and yanked him close. "We'll see about that." He used the kid's vest to wipe the blood off of his face before stepping back. "Leo, let's go."

"Fuck you!" the kid yelled angrily. "We'll fuck you up, Kaz!"

Kaz was already walking away, but I could see his shoulders shaking with silent laughter. Leo hurried after him, catching up to Kaz and following him with an easy stride. The two blue vests stormed away from the area.

I slid down against the tree, hugging my knees to my chest. Fucking hell, I just wanted to go for a nice little walk to get my mind off of things and instead I had to stumble onto that scene.

Couldn't I ever just have a moment of peace? Christ, I didn't ask for this to happen to my life. I liked to mind my own business and occasionally piss people off with sarcastic comments that were better left unsaid.

Violence wasn't my thing. If they found out I was involved in what had happened last night, they'd come after me.

I had no pain tolerance. I could get a papercut and demand to be taken to the emergency room. I belonged in Weenie Hut Jr. and instead I was at Conversion Academy.

After sitting there for a while regretting my life choices, I got up and went back to the dorm. I climbed the stairs and let myself into my room.

"Where were you?" Leo asked, lying on his bed. Kaz, Pete, and Beckett were sitting on the floor together.

"Out," I said, sitting at my desk and setting my bag down.

"Probably pissing himself in fear," Beckett said.

"That's not nice language for a child," I said.

"Fuck you," Beckett said.

"I'd ask if you kiss your mother with that mouth, but you're not old enough to be kissing any other girl," I said.

"Save it," Kaz said before Beckett could get in a comeback. "O'Malley, come here."

He stood up and gestured at me to follow him. We left my room and went down to his room. He shut the door once I was inside and crossed his arms, looking smug.

"You didn't sell us out. I told them you wouldn't," he said.

"Congratulations, you've painted a target on my back," I said.

"I protect those who run with me," Kaz said. "They might get beaten, but I never let them get broken. You have some choices to make at this school. Don't make the wrong ones."

"I already have," I said bitterly.

Kaz reached out and grabbed my wrist. He forced my palm up and pressed something into it, curling my fingers around it and releasing my hand.

"It takes more than a lifejacket to keep you alive in the ocean, but it's a start. Sink or swim, O'Malley," he said.

I clenched my fist around whatever he had put in my hand. "I'm not like you."

"No, you're not. But that doesn't mean you're useless." He moved towards the door. "I'm a patient guy, but your sanity can only last so long. Better make up your mind quick."

He left the door, the door clicking shut behind him. I held up my hand, uncurling my fingers.

The figurine Kaz had stolen from the classroom last night was resting in my hands. It was a little glass fox, intricately designed.

I slipped the figurine into my pocket and looked at the closed door. I was already head down a path that led to Kaz, and he knew it. But he didn't know just how stubborn I could be, and I'd derail the course before I ended up right where he wanted me to be.