[my ap environmental science class went on a field trip & I didn't sign up so I'm watching a video on pandas with like five other people it's so quiet & nice.]

Either Rhino or that stupid Cardine place had decided I was going to be picked up and driven nearly whole ten miles in both directions each day, because I wasn't to be trusted. I couldn't blame them though - last year I'd ditched for so many days, over half my teachers would mark me absent before the first bell even rang. In fact, they were usually surprised if I did show up for class.

Rhino had told me they'd prepared for me. I was picked up in a four year old Dodge Journey; a total mom car. The paint was nicked every few inches on the doors, one of the rear view mirrors flashed a spiderweb crack, and the whole vehicle screamed "I go to fancy private school". Either that, or "I will sue you any chance I get because my dad is a lawyer".

[this is the car. It's nice, don't get me wrong, but not from the characters perspective]

It took every ounce of self control to not swing my backpack at the principal himself, and make a break for it down the block, around the corner, down a couple more blocks all the way to the pizza place where they'd never find me. I'd live in a garbage can, bleach my hair, and change my name.

Their principal was friendly. I hated him already. He gave me a big, gross, excruciatingly long, hug before placing his hands on my shoulders and shaking me like a rag doll in what I hoped was excitement. Either that or he was trying to kill me before I got the chance to do anything damaging to the school's reputation.

I didn't like it.

I didn't like the whole ordeal with the rundown of the rules in the car, the rules designed specifically for me. Usually rules didn't bother me, because I'd break them anyways, but I didn't want to be picked up at seven in the morning every day, I didn't want daily security checks or locker searches, and I'd kill myself if I had to wear the uniform up to protocol. How was I supposed to pull a legendary prank at a stuck up private school if every move was being monitored? Never. I was never going to. Pete was expecting to hear a great story about smoke bombs in the bathrooms and angry skunks in the teacher's lounge, and I said I would one-up him.

"So, am I gonna have someone show me around? Like, today?" I'd heard I was going to meet someone the next day, but the sooner I met the poor sucker, the better. They probably didn't even know what was going to hit them in a matter of days. Hurricane Brendon, directly on course.

The principal shrugged. I hadn't bothered to listen to his personal introduction. I'd decided on calling him Bear, because they look soft and cuddly but when provoked my head could be bitten off and chewed up like a stick of bubblegum. "I guess that seems fitting. I'll call someone up when we get there."

Again, I found my opportunity to screw with someone earlier than I'd anticipated. "You mean you haven't prepared for my arrival? No chauffeurs? Nobody to carry my things?"

"We prepared the metal detectors and the occasional search dog visits for your arrival, if that's what you mean." I caught a smirk out of the corner of my vision. By the color of his teeth, I was surprised his hair wasn't falling out in clumpy uneven tufts. He was the definition of cavity central.

How was I supposed to sneak in anything? I probably wouldn't even be able to bring lunch. I'd have to start attending classes and staying in the school for lunch, I couldn't hire a mariachi band to barge in halfway through first period.

I had an idea, though. "Do you know who you're gonna have show me around? Are they gonna be my mentor? What if I don't like them?" I would most likely hate them, if I were being honest.

Bear let out an unflattering snort that vaguely resembled a laugh, nostrils flaring. "You have a lot of questions, don't you?"

Duh. I was about to walk into a private school with uniform dress code while wearing beat up sneakers, ripped jeans, and a normal shirt. There was no way I was going to fit in at all.

Which I could also use to my advantage. But nobody had to know that yet.

"Truthfully, I'm a little scared," I was not scared, I was going to rule Cardine with an iron fist, with only my reputation to raise me to the top of the food chain, "everyone at Lone Oak expected me to be the one that didn't give a shit and pulled pranks all the time, but I don't believe that's me anymore."

Oh, that was still me. I never planned on changing, matter of fact. The people at Lame Oak couldn't care less about my appearance - every single prank and trap was for me, myself, and the fact that they made people scared of me. Maybe Pete, if he was up for it. It wasn't my decision about whether or not they all grew to be afraid of me, which they did. All I had to do was glower at someone and they'd scurry off in the opposite direction.

Bear drew in an exasperated breath and took a sharp turn into the roundabout for the school drop off. If I were to be honest, the place actually looked nice, not as prison-y as Lame Oak. The walls were chewing gum free, the windows were actually clean, and the huge three story building poking out in the back looked nice and managed. The only problem was that Cardine was an inside campus instead of outside like Lame Oak. I liked outside. It usually meant less security camera coverage, and more opportunities for natural damage to any measures taken to ensure everyone stayed on campus.

He didn't say anything until we were walking up the steps to the entrance. "I would've scolded you for use of inappropriate language, but I'm glad you took the time to reflect on your actions. I believe you'll find it to be something in common with our motto." The doors swung open and he gestured to a huge banner waving over the front desk. S.P.R.I.T. I had no idea what the letters stood for and I really didn't care to find out either.

Nevertheless I smiled and tried my best to look as tiny and uneasy as possible. Maybe they'd let up on the security checks and locker searches if I looked smaller and more vulnerable than I really was.

🖍🖍🖍

I was more... incongruous than I'd expected. I knew the uniform dress code involved ugly beige pants, so I had a pair of those even though they were torn at the knees. But I'd asked Pete what the school colors were, and he'd claimed they were a deep blue and the ugly beige, so I chose a blue shirt and the pants.

No. Everyone's shirt was dark red. Wine. Blood. Whatever name the shade had been given.

I'd made the reminder to toss Pete in a car and drive him over a cliff after school let out, whenever that was. I wasn't listening to the schedule, more or less inspecting the site of the next biggest prank. The front office seemed like the perfect spot to glue confetti everywhere.

I hadn't even left my seat yet up in the front building. I'd been sitting in a circle of adults with suits and red ties, while I was waiting for the kid that was supposed to be my guide/friend for the school year. They'd assumed nobody would want to befriend me, and after denying it for half an hour, I didn't have the heart to tell them they were right.

The red was an ugly color. It was the shade between nice deep red and a comfortable hue; an uncomfortable red, that fit nobody. It was disgusting. Maybe it seemed that way because it was definitely not his color. He was tall, really tall, fluffy dark hair and blue eyes. He had an over the shoulder bag, which was a direct casualty to the whole 'cute' look.

The staff smiled when he walked in. A teacher's pet.

"I'm Dallon," he held out his hand and I reluctantly took it, "it's nice to meet you!"

"Brendon."

"I like that name," Dallon declared with far too much enthusiasm, and pulled me to my feet with one yank that nearly dislocated my shoulder, "and I like your shirt too! Blue's my favorite color."

I grunted a response. I didn't like him. He was too happy, too peppy and communicative, too early in the morning. He was a teacher's pet with a sling bag and a crease-less school uniform, selected to show me around campus for however long the stupid program lasted. Sure enough, I'd probably be doing my homework and projects with him, probably even staying over at his house if it was more convenient, and if my parents agreed it would be simpler. I'd bet my mom and dad would think it'd whip me into shape. As if that would happen. It would take a miracle, a visit from sixteen higher powers, lucky lottery ticket, and a strike of lighting almost killing me; after that, I'd consider changing.

Dallon finished discussing pointless topics with the attendance lady and principal — something about somebody's art club or something like that — before grabbing on to the straps of my backpack and pulling again, out the doors and to the vacant halls.

"First period started thirty minutes ago," so we still had thirty minutes to do whatever shit they'd told him to do with me, "so we have the other half of the period to explore the campus as much as we can. We have the same classes too, so that'll be way easier. Having a lot of similar courses with some people is always a good way to make new friends."

"What makes you think I wanna be your friend?" It was a little harsh to begin with, but I had a plan with the outcome being his new best friend. I'd also prepared for the contingency where I found someone else that also wanted to put firecrackers in the vents and switch out the locks on lockers and demand money for the correct one.

He shrugged, and kept walking. His grip switched from my backpack to my bicep. "You seem like a delinquent. Everyone needs a friend, even people like you."

I was totally a jerk. I pulled pranks that went way too far, and occasionally I'd get charged with a minor case of vandalism. Maybe. But I was not a delinquent; those were the kids with dead futures and substance abuse problems paired with daddy issues. I was only a third of that, and being a delinquent was a package deal. "What're you gonna do about it?"

He froze in the middle of the hallway, corners of his lips flickering up in a quick smile. Which was absolutely terrifying. "I'm not sure yet, but by the time you return to Lone Oak, you are going to be the pinnacle of success, modesty, and self control. That's what I'm here for." He grinned, which only made me want to punch his lights out twice as hard as I did before.

And then it all clicked. He probably had access to most everything on the campus because all the staff members adored him. All it could take for me to acquire that was a twist in the game. Maybe making a friend wouldn't be too bad.