Copyright © 2026 by Julien Gregg
All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except as permitted by U.S. copyright law. For permission requests, contact the author by email.
The story, all names, characters, and incidents portrayed in this production are fictitious. No identification with actual persons (living or deceased), places, buildings, and products is intended or should be inferred.
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TWELVE
The date of our departure for Maxwell Academy arrived. We were up at four in the morning to meet up with Jason for the drive to Chicago. Grandma fussed over us. She said she'd miss us so much. I hugged her and Kevin hugged her. Then we picked up our bags and headed out the door with Jason. We didn't cry. We didn't look back. We just let Jason put our bags in the back of the SUV. He closed the hatch and we all got in the vehicle. He said we had a six hour trip ahead of us. We'd arrive at the school at precisely eleven in the morning. Our appointment with Professor Pritchard was set for eleven fifteen.
Jason had a cooler of drinks and some breakfast sandwiches he'd prepared for both of us. We ate them and accepted bottles of orange juice as he drove out of Janus and onto the highway. He didn't say anything while we ate. He allowed us to eat in peace. I don't know what Kevin was thinking, but I was thinking that it was finally happening. I was being driven to the place where my absolute best friends would be. I would see Dustin again. A curious sensation traveled through my twelve year old body. Seeing Dustin at thirteen was going to be a trip for me.
"What are you both thinking?" Jason asked when we'd finished the sandwiches and sat back in our seats.
"I'm thinking that our lives are about to begin," I said softly.
"I'm nervous," Kevin said. "I'm wondering what to do if we don't like this place."
"Killian, you're not nervous?" Jason asked.
"Sure," I said. "I'm nervous, but I'm not worried about not liking the school. I'm more worried that we won't make friends."
"I'm worried about that, too," Kevin said. "These kids are going to be smarter than us."
"Somehow, I doubt that," Jason said. "You're just as smart as they are, Kevin. That's part of the reason you're going to Maxwell Academy. The Junior High School in Janus would have nothing to teach the pair of you that you don't already know."
"Sure, we're smart," I said. "But this is a big move for us, Jason. We're effectively going to a place where we know no one."
"You'll know Jake Addon," he said.
"One person," Kevin said. "We'll know one person in a school with a thousand students in it."
"There aren't a thousand students at Maxwell Academy," Jason said softly. "There are one hundred sixty students at Maxwell Academy every year. So many kids apply and don't make the cut. It says something about the two of you that you made the cut."
"Social Services made sure we made the cut," I said dismissively. "They made sure that Jake Addon made the cut."
"Well, sure," he said. "You can choose to look at it that way, but it's an honor no matter how you got there to be accepted into Maxwell Academy."
"We'd have made the cut on our own," I said. "I believe that."
"There," Jason said. "Focus on that."
"I am," I said. "Social Services won't dictate my life forever."
"Do you resent Social Services?" Jason asked.
"Resent isn't the right word," I said. "It's more that I think of them as invisible parental types that decide things without consulting me."
"Well, I guess from your perspective that's about accurate," he said. "But they're allowing me and your grandmother to make decisions, and we always discuss them with you. They only step in when something happens that we can't handle like court proceedings, and the like."
"At Maxwell Academy we'll have a bunch of professors making decisions," I said. "It'll be like Social Services, but we'll actually see the ones making the decisions."
"It was actually described to me as all of you having the freedom to make your own decisions," Jason said. "Sure there are rigid rules that you have to follow, like when to go to class, but you'll have the decisions to make that shape your experience at Maxwell Academy for the most part."
"Well, we're about to find that out for ourselves," Kevin said. "We read all of the information that Social Services gave us on the school. We know about the houses, and the athletic rules. We know that we can't play any sport for the school until we're sophomores. There are intramural sports that we could be a part of according to the information that we read. We'll be all right with that."
"You'll be all right with a lot of what that school is about," Jason said. "It's a really great school, boys."
"We know that it's prestigious," I said. "We read all about it in the information that was provided. We know about Dr. Matthew Maxwell and how he founded the school. We actually read quite a bit about him in the information packets."
"I've not heard of Dr. Matthew Maxwell," Jason admitted.
"He was a physician in the nineteen fifties," Kevin said. "He started Maxwell Academy in nineteen sixty."
"He started it as a finishing school," I said. "More like a college than a prep school. But it was bought by many companies over the years."
"Saguaro Scholastic bought the school a few years ago, and it's now a prep school under their umbrella," Kevin said.
"All of that was in the packets?" Jason asked.
"Yes," I said. "There was a lot of information about the school, the clubs, and the mansion."
"Mansion?" Jason asked.
"Dr. Maxwell's mansion," Kevin said. "Students clean it and hand out packets of information and help tourists one Saturday of the month."
"Huh," he said. "I guess they wanted you to know all about the school before you got there. Were there pictures of the place?"
"Yes," I said. "Color portraits of the campus. There a bunch of blackstone buildings set up in a semi circle around four buildings in the center."
"Do you know what the buildings are?" he asked.
"The ones in the semi circle are the Houses," Kevin said. "They're Durant, Pascal, Drummand, Endors, and Athens House. That one is located behind the athletic field."
"Huh," he said. "That's a lot of information for two boys who hadn't been accepted yet."
"The information didn't come until we were accepted," Kevin said. "It came with the acceptance letters."
"Okay," Jason said. "That makes more sense."
We didn't say much else on the trip to Chicago. I watched the scenery go by. I think Kevin slept through most of the drive. I just couldn't wait to get there and see Dustin. He wouldn't be in my house, but I'd see him at lunch and dinner. Maybe I'd even see him at breakfast if he made it to breakfast on time. I smiled as I remembered that he was famous for oversleeping. God, I missed him. I hoped that he'd accept me and love me again. The timeline was different. Maybe he was different, too.
We arrived in Chicago on time. We pulled through the massive gates of Maxwell Academy at eleven that morning. It was just like the pictures. The buildings in a semi circle around the scholastic buildings. Athens house stood proudly at the end of the football field. Jason drove to the parking lot in front of the Administration Building. We got out and went up the steps and inside the building. It was the same as it had been the last time. Hardwood floors, horizontal wood paneled walls, and a wooden ceiling. It was like a wooden box. Mrs. Fielding was at the desk, going through paperwork when we came in. She looked the same. Her graying red hair was pulled up this time in a twist. She wore a charcoal business suit with a pink shirt. She smiled at us as we came in.
"We have an eleven fifteen appointment with Mr. Pritchard," Jason said.
"Have a seat," she said with another smile. "He's with a family right now. He should be back in a moment."
We sat in the green plush chairs along the wall. We didn't have to wait long. Professor Pritchard came in a moment later. He smiled at us. Then he ushered us into his office. He sat behind his desk. He said, "Mr. Osgood, it's pleasure to meet you. I'm Donald Pritchard. Folks around here call me Professor because I used to teach History before I became the Head Master."
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Donald," Jason said, shaking his hand.
"Well, let's start with some information about the school," Professor Pritchard said. "Maxwell Academy opened in nineteen sixty. It was a finishing school then. Over the years the school has been purchased by many different scholastic companies. We are now a school under the Saguaro umbrella. Saguaro has a number of prep schools and colleges in the country. But the school was founded by Dr. Matthew Maxwell. His mansion is in the city. Now the students of the school sacrifice one Saturday a month to clean the mansion and give tours, answer questions, and pass out packets of information about Dr. Maxwell.
"We are a full service scholastic institution with several levels of each class," he continued. "You'll have math, science, history, and language. There are computer courses, and of course the gymnasium is open to all students. Physical Education classes are held there, and during the day no student may use the facilities. They're in classes all day anyway. There is a pool, and you can reserve time in it. The swim team has it most afternoons. So evenings are the time to reserve time in the pool.
"You'll be roommates in the Durant House dorms," he said. "That dorm is headed by Professor Grant. He's the History and Government Professor. Durant House has classes together. You will always be with your house. The houses are Durant, Pascal, Drummand, Endors, and Athens. Durant is for the history minded students, while Pascal is for the art minded students, Drummand is for the science minded students, Endors is for the language students, and Athens House is for the athletes. You would have fit into any of the scholastic houses, but you seem to excel at history and government hence Durant House. The Athletic Program here at Maxwell Academy doesn't accept freshman, so you have your entire first year to focus on being a student without sports. Of course there are intramural sports that you can play. Your head of house will have that information for you."
"You'll enter the Academy as Freshman," he said. "Your tests were off the charts. This school will do you some good. Now I know that you're only twelve, and the youngest freshman in the school, but a mentor will be assigned to you. As you're in Durant House, that would be Randy Pressman. He was our youngest student until you two came here. He's a sophomore, but he was a freshman here and has done really well. Now do you have any questions?"
"I'll be allowed to come once a month to take them to dinner?" he asked.
"You can come more than once a month if you choose," Pritchard said. "Just call them and make sure that they don't have Mansion Duty first."
"Okay," he said.
"We go to the city with our head of house once a month, right?" I asked.
"That's correct," he said. "You have an account at the Maxwell Bank in the city. Money is placed in that account by your parents or guardian. You can access that money when you go into the city with either the head of your house or your parent or guardian."
"Are there clubs?" Kevin asked. "Like Movie Club for example."
"There are," Pritchard said. "We have movies every Friday night. You use points to get tickets. At Maxwell you start out with five hundred points. Professors can take or give points depending on your behavior and a plethora of other factors. If you lose too many points you won't be allowed to participate in movie night, or the dances. Maxwell partners with Worthington Preparatory. It's another school in Chicago, but for girls. You can have dates for the dances with any of the girls from Worthington Prep, but without the proper points you won't be allowed to attend the dances."
"What other clubs are there?" I asked.
"Chess Club, Billiard Club, and The Phoenix," Pritchard said. "The Phoenix is a social club that pairs students with the students of Worthington in a controlled environment."
"Okay," Jason said. "It sounds like a great place to learn and socialize."
"Well, we want our students to form networks," Pritchard said. "These kids will grow up together and be in business together in the future. We're preparing them for college, and they'll be with their groups through the years at Maxwell to form connections and partners in the world."
"Sounds wonderful," Jason said.
"We should take the tour," Pritchard said, standing. "Then we'll have a bite to eat, and I'll set you free in your house."
He took us on a walk through campus. Classes weren't in session until Monday, and this was Friday. We saw the scholastic buildings, and even a few lecture halls. Then we went to the gym, the art room, and the club rooms. He took us to the cafeteria and we had a meal of pizza with fries and juice to drink. Then he showed us to our house, introduced us to Professor Grant, who was a six foot tall man with light brown hair and blue eyes. He looked physically fit, and filled out his clothes very well. He also introduced us to Randy Pressman. He was a head taller than us with dark hair and grey eyes. He was a sophomore and a year older than us. He told us we'd be fast friends. Then we were shown to our room. Our bags were already in them. We were given a key to the room. Both of us got keys. Jason said goodbye and told us to be good. Then we were alone.
"Well, we're here," Kevin said, looking around the room.
"We should put our stuff away," I said as I got up and started to open the bags. The garment bags held the uniforms. I hung those in the right side of the closet. I put my shorts and socks in the drawers at the bottom of the closet. Then I put the empty bags under my bed. Kevin did the same thing. Then we sat on the beds and looked at each other again. He looked nervous. I wanted to assuage his nerves, but I couldn't. I had to keep my secret.
"When do classes start?" he asked.
"Monday," I said. "We have our class schedules."
I was dismayed to see that I had French with Thiphet first hour every day. It was just like last time. I wondered how things would go this time. I wasn't even thinking of closing my eyes while I spoke to him. I'd let him look into my blue eyes and see that I knew how to speak French fluently. Kevin noticed my dark look and gave me a questioning one. I sighed. I just told him that I didn't want to take French. I had wanted to take Spanish.
"You could probably change it," he said. "There might be time."
"I don't think so," I said. "It's Friday, and classes start Monday. I'll go with it for a while and decide later what to do."
"Well, you can change it at the beginning of the next year," he said.
"I can change it at semester break," I said. "For Maxwell, that's Winter Break."
"Yeah," he said. "This whole system is different than what we're used to."
"We'll get used to it," I said. "It won't take long. You'll see."
"Are you even worried about this?" he asked. "I mean, you seem gung ho about it. It's like you were eager to get here."
"Kevin, I'm worried about a lot of things," I said. "This school is one of them. Yes, I was eager to get here, but not for the reason that you think. I was eager to get here to see if I would be challenged scholastically. I want classes that make me think. I want to do work that's fun and not mundane. I can't wait for classes to start so I can see what I'm really dealing with. Yet, at the same time, I'm scared of this. This is a whole new world for us. We know one person. This is vastly different from our day to day lives."
"Well, at least it isn't just me," he said with a sigh. "Sometimes, I don't get you, Killian. You seem like you've got it all figured out, like you're just waiting for specific milestones and you're expecting it to work out."
"Kevin, it has to work out now," I said. "We survived an abuser. That stunted us in ways that we don't even know. I know, for one thing, I don't trust adults. I'm suspicious of their motives, and I'm constantly waiting for them to show me who they really are. There are so many things about this new life of ours that terrify me. I don't know who to trust, and I don't know what to do. It may seem like I have it all figured out. That's just because I've decided to just get through it and see what happens."
"Well, thank you for talking to me about this," he said. "I thought I was the only one stressing about this place and all of the decisions that were made about us and for us without us knowing about it."
"No, that irritates me to no end," I said. "But there's nothing I can do about it at this point."
"You won all of that money," he said.
"Are you jealous of that?" I asked.
"No," he said. "You share. Why would I be jealous. I know that the money in my account at the school's bank is from you."
"I was going to say that you and I are a team, and I'll always take care of us," I said.
"What about Richard and April?" he asked.
"If they truly need something, I will provide it," I said. "But I'm not going to throw money at them. I wouldn't want to put them at that disadvantage. They need to grow and discover their lives on their own. They need to figure out who they want to be in the scheme of things. If I constantly throw money at them, they'll grow to expect it. I don't want to do that to them."
"Well, at least you have a valid reason for it," he said. "Be prepared for them to ask."
"I'm prepared for it," I said with a sigh. "I might even give them money when they ask. It just depends on why they're asking."
Then there was a knock at our door. I got up to answer it and found Randy on the other side. He smiled at me. "Boy," he said. "It brings back memories coming down to the Freshman floor."
"Come on in," I said.
"Actually, I came to get you boys for lunch," he said. "Come to the cafeteria."
"Okay," I said, grabbing my key. Kevin stood up. "Lead the way."
We'd literally just eaten like an hour or so ago. I wasn't all that hungry. I was sure that Kevin wasn't either. We followed Randy to the cafeteria and got in line. We both got a hamburger. We got one, when they told us we could have two. I told the lady behind the counter that we had just eaten at the end of our tour. She nodded. I got my hamburger and fries. I got a juice and followed Randy to a table. I looked around the dining room. I didn't see Dustin yet, but I saw Robby and Pug. I wanted to wave at them, but that would have just confused them. Instead, I looked around some more. There was Alex Porter, a Freshman like us. He was sitting with the boy who had been his roommate in the last timeline. He was a nasty fuck, and I was sure he was in this timeline.
"Who are you looking for?" Kevin asked.
"Jake," I said.
"Oh, he's at the end of the table with his roommate," he said.
I looked down the table, and Jake waved at me. His dark hair had been cut short, and it was perfectly styled. It was combed to the left, and he looked completely different without his long hair. I waved back and smiled. Randy was talking about this or that about the school, and I was half listening. I already knew all about the school. I even knew the pitfalls that were before me. I was just deciding how to meet them as I sat there.
"So, Killian, what do you think?" Randy asked me.
"I think we'll soon find out just what the school has to offer," I said with a smile. "I'm looking forward to seeing the Phoenix Club."
"We can go over there after lunch," he said. "I can show you the club house, but it won't be all set up yet."
"I'd like to see it," Kevin said. "Do we have to sign up for it?"
"Yeah, but you do that with your head of house," he said. "That way they know if you've been a bad boy and shouldn't be allowed to be a part of the club."
"Are there bad students here?" Kevin asked.
"There are bad students everywhere," Randy said. "Here they have to really mess up before they earn that title. There was one last year, but they asked him to leave."
"Okay," Kevin said. "I'm done."
"Me, too," I said. I'd eaten half my burger and a couple of fries.
"You guys eat like birds," Randy complained.
"We literally just ate pizza and fries at the end of our tour," I said. "That was just a little more than an hour ago."
"Yeah," he said. "That explains it. Come on, I'll show you where to put your trays."
We dumped our trays in the trash and then put them on the refresher line. Then we followed him out of the building and down the familiar path to the Phoenix Club building. It was a smaller building that wasn't pictured in the pictures we saw of the campus. It was a one-story building that was longer than wide. We walked up the steps and inside. The familiar wood paneled walls and indoor-outdoor blue carpet was a welcome sight. There were tables set up along one wall, a pool table in the center of the room, and a fooseball table in one corner. Along the back wall there was a table that was usually covered with snacks and jugs that contained water, tea, or juice. There was a soda cooler standing beside the table, but its shelves were empty.
"This is the Phoenix Club," Randy said. "We meet the girls from Worthington Prep here. This club was set up so that we could make friends with the girls."
"Our sister is at Worthington," I said. "We'll see her here."
"How many siblings do you guys have?" he asked.
"Just April and Richard," I said. "Richard is our older brother. He's got two more years of high school and he's currently living in our home town with our grandmother so he can finish school there."
"He didn't want to come to Maxwell?" he asked.
"No," I said. "He's got friends and all of that in Janus."
"You didn't?" he asked.
"I'm sure we would have if we'd stayed," I said. "But we're here. So, we'll have different friends."
"You guys talk like adults," he said.
"Yeah," Kevin said. "It pisses people off a lot."
"Well, it won't here," Randy said with a smile. "There are a lot of boys here that talk like adults. They're even talking about starting a new club for some of them."
"New club?" I asked.
"I don't know all of the details," Randy said. "It'd be the first new club here since Saguaro bought the campus and made it a prep school."
"We'll wait to find out," Kevin said.
"Let's get out of here," Randy said. "The place is depressing without the people."
"Okay," I said.
"Did you see the art room?" he asked.
"On the tour," I said.
"Well, art isn't a class here," he said. "It's a voluntary thing. Those of us that are interested can use the art room and all of the supplies there. There's usually a professor in there that can help you if you need them, but you're pretty much on your own there."
"I'll build model cars in there," I said before I could stop myself.
"You don't build model cars," Kevin said, looking at me hard.
"No, but I want to," I said. "I've been thinking about it for a while."
"Okay," he said. "I'm not interested in that."
"Okay," I said.
"Do you two usually do things together?" Randy asked.
"We've been all we had for a long time," I said. "We're all right with doing things without each other. It just hasn't happened yet."
"Well, it sounds like it's about to," Randy said with a smile.
I suddenly remembered what it was that I didn't like about Randy. He was nice on the surface, but he was constantly trying to rip the bond between me and Kevin apart. I'd seen it in the last timeline. This time, I'd been so happy to see someone I remembered from the other timeline that I'd momentarily been blinded by that. I didn't like Randy in the other timeline. I didn't like him in this one. I just walked beside him and let him talk. He always insisted on standing between me and Kevin. I purposefully moved to stand on Kevin's other side. He looked at me and smiled. He saw it, too this time.
"I'll see you boys later," Randy said when we reached Durant House.
"Later," we said at the same time. He glanced at us, and for a moment I could see the irritated look on his face. He covered it quickly, though.
"Let me know if you need anything," he said before heading up the stairs.
"He's a slimy one," Kevin said when we were in our room.
"He sure is," I said. "He's trying very hard to separate us."
"I noticed," he said. "I don't think I'll have much to do with Randy."
"Me, either," I said.
From the time between dinner and lunch we played checkers in our room. We didn't talk much. We just played. This was a game that we'd played in the past at Hank's house. This time we were just playing it to pass the time. I thought about all of the boys in this school that I had to get reacquainted with. There was Adam, Alex, Robby, Pug, Dustin, and a few others. I just wasn't sure how to go about it without The Five. I hoped it would form in this timeline.
At dinner, we made sure to sit with Jake and his roommate. His roommate was named Oliver Pressman. He was a Sophomore like Jake. He had dark brown hair that was kind of messy, with blue eyes that were calculating. He looked us over with mild interest. Then he went back to talking to the boy on his other side. I didn't like him. Kevin looked at me, and we both looked at Jake. He shook his head. Jake didn't like him either.
"So, Jake, how are things so far?" Kevin asked him.
"So far so good," he said, eyeing his roommate. "There have been a few bumps in the road. Apparently, an entire social class of kids go to this school called the Scholarship Students."
"That sucks," I said. "Some people will find any way to be prejudice."
"Yeah," he said. "I'm thinking about asking Professor Grant for a new roommate."
"I would, if I were you," I said, eyeing Oliver. He looked at me with contempt.
"Are you another scholarship student?" he asked, his voice oily.
"No," I said. "I paid for myself and my brother out of my personal account."
"Personal account?" he asked, smiling evilly. "What are you talking about?"
"My name is Killian Flynn," I said. "I have over thirty million dollars in my account at home as of right now. I paid my tuition and my twin brother's tuition. If Jake had asked, I'd have paid his tuition. We have all survived abusers, you aren't worth our time."
"You think you're something because you are allowed to come here," he said. "You're nothing just like Jake."
"You are a stupid boy," I said. "You think just because he's a scholarship student, he's some how lower on the totem pole than you are. I'm here to tell you that there is more worth in his fingernails than there is in a boy like you."
"Who do you think you are to talk to me like that?" he snapped.
"I just told you who I am," I said. "You don't listen very well. Do me a favor and go back to your discussion with the one friend you seem to have. I'm going to eat my food and talk to my brother and friend. I don't want to talk to you anymore."
He looked at me with his mouth hanging open. "Pretty smug for a Freshman," he said with a grin.
"A Freshman who could by your daddy and sell him again before breakfast tomorrow," I said. "Do I have to tell Professor Grant what a bully you are?"
"You just keep your fucking mouth shut about me," he said.
"I don't respond well to bullies," I said. "Consider yourself reported. I could file a grievance against you for this."
"What the hell do you know about that?" he demanded.
"I know that the Honor Code is made up of seniors from all five houses," I said. "I know that if I go to them and ask for an action statement, they'll give me a form to fill out. I know your name and house. I could file it and give Witness Statements to Kevin, Jake, and the quiet boy who is sitting on Jake's other side. They take bullying serious here, I'm told. Would you like for me to go to the Honor Code?"
"No," he said, deflated.
"Then shut your mouth and leave us alone," I said coldly.
He went back to talking to his friend. Jake was looking at me like he'd never seen me before. Kevin was looking at me in shock. I wasn't about to let the likes of Oliver Pressman get the better of me. I may have been twelve but I had forty-nine years of experience, and he was just a bully. I ate my food in silence as I glared at him. He kept looking at me from the corner of his eye. He never said anything, but he looked at me. I made a decision then. They were going to realize that messing with me was a bad idea. I didn't know exactly how I was going to make this a reality. I just knew that I would.
When we left the cafeteria, I went to the Honor Code. I filed my grievance. I collected witness statements and handed them out to each person at the table, including Jake. He looked at me with wide eyes and let out a breath. He filled it out and handed it back. Then he smiled. "He's really going to shit when he sees this," he said.
"Well, I did warn him," I said, smiling back at him.
I turned it all in and was told that they would review it and give me a date. I went back to my room. Kevin was waiting for me. He sat on his bed and looked at me. "I can't believe you did that," he said.
"I did warn him," I said again. "I told him what I was going to do. He just didn't believe me."
"Do you think that this might cause trouble for you later?" he asked.
"How?" I asked. "Students take other students before the Honor Code all of the time."
Nothing happened for a few days. Then I was contacted by one of the Honor Code. I was told that the meeting would convene Friday before dinner. I thanked him and sat on my bed. Kevin looked at me. It was happening. Oliver was about to be put on trial for bullying. I knew what would happen if they accepted the grievance. He'd be expelled. He should have thought about that before he started to be nasty. I went to classes the next day. My first hour class was French with Thiphet. He didn't glare at me that day, and he took no points from anyone. He talked about what was expected of us. He said that we should have had a grasp on the French language before we set foot in his classroom.
The rest of the day was great. I was really happy to see Professor Grant again. He assigned a report. He said we could write about anything as long as it touched the government in some way. I got to work on it that night. I went to the library and researched my topic. Kevin was doing the same thing. I didn't know what he was writing about, and he didn't ask what I was writing about. I chose to write my paper on child abuse and the laws and punishments for those found guilty in the fifty states. It was a lot of research when you had to look up everything manually. I longed for the days of Google and the internet. I got it all written down. I started my outline and then started to write my paper. When I was finished, I put it in my government folder.
Friday dawned bright. Classes were good. Even Thiphet was in a good mood. We had lunch and no one said anything about the grievance. Oliver shot me dark looks but he said nothing. Just before dinner we filed into the dining room and took our seats. Professor Grant was there and so was Professor Pritchard. The entire Honor Code was at the head table. This time I didn't know any of the boys on the code. Of course I hadn't been a freshman the first time I'd gone to this school.
"We are here to decide if Oliver Pressman is guilty of bullying students based on their financial situation," said Tom Fetterman, the head of the code. "Killian Flynn has filed a grievance stating that Oliver said things about scholarship students being beneath him. There are witness statements that say the same thing. Mr. Pressman, what do you have to say for yourself?"
"All I said was that the scholarship students should stay together so the rest of us didn't have to be around them," he said.
"That's not all you said," Tom replied. He read from the report. "You said, 'you think you're something because you are allowed to come here? You're nothing just like Jake."
Oliver squirmed in his seat. Tom and the others conferred. Then they turned back to the rest of us. "This is a clear case of bullying," he said. "The Honor Code finds Oliver Pressman guilty of bullying scholarship students in his misguided belief that they are beneath him."
"Oliver," Mr. Pritchard said. "You are here by expelled from Maxwell Academy. Your parents are sitting in my office. I called them when I saw what you were being charged with. You have one hour to pack your things and leave the campus. Do not engage with any of the students. If you do, I will call the police."
"This concludes the meeting," Tom said. "Everyone, you may get ready for dinner. It sure smells good."
That got everyone to laugh. We waited while Oliver left the cafeteria. Then we got up and went to our room. I changed out of my uniform and put on street clothes. Kevin did the same. We headed back to the cafeteria and joined the lunch line. Randy found us in line. He chattered excitedly about the Honor Code Meeting. I answered his questions with simple answers. He didn't seem to notice that I was being hesitant with him.
"So, how does it feel to know you got someone expelled?" he asked.
"Not particularly good," I answered. "He just shouldn't have said what he said."
"Well, his friends are going to be angry," he said, smiling as he looked around the room.
"His friends will keep it to themselves if they know what's good for them," Kevin said.
I ate my food in silence as I looked at the table of Oliver's friends. They were in deep discussion. They didn't look at me, so I didn't worry about them. When Kevin and I were finished eating, we left Randy sitting at the table. We dumped our trays and put them in the refresher and went back to our room. We'd signed up for the Phoenix Club and tonight was the first meeting of the club. We went over to the club house and there was Randy again. He told us to stick with him. We told him we'd sit with our sister.
Everyone was in the room. The tables that had been empty were filled with snacks, jugs of tea, water, and bottles of soda. We grabbed a glass of iced tea and found April talking with none other than Thalia Dwyer. We sat down next to April and she squealed. She hugged us both. She told Thalia that these were the brothers she'd been talking about. Thalia introduced herself and smiled at us. She told us that April talked non stop about her twin brothers.
"Well, I hope she told you good things about us," I said, smiling.
"She did," she said. "She told me that you're protective and really stand up for her."
"Well, we had to be," I said honestly. "In our house, Hank went for the smaller ones. She was the smallest of us all."
"Nasty business, that," she said. "I'm sorry that you all had to put up with that."
"That's in the past," I said. "Let's leave it buried."
"It's good that you can do that," she said. "So many wallow."
"I'm not one of those," I said, smiling. "Life is meant to be lived. The past is what it is. You can't dwell on it. Learn from it, never deny it, but don't dwell on it. You get nowhere like that."
"Very well said," she beamed. "April told me I would like you. So far, she's correct. Killian, you are like no one I've ever met before."
"Thank you," I said. "I hope that means that you and I can be friends, Thalia."
"Oh, it does," she said, smiling. "I need to have people like you in my life." She turned to Kevin. "What do you have to say?"
"I agree with everything that Killian said," he said. "I want to live my life for me and not look back constantly. I have my twin brother with me. I can see my little sister on Fridays, and my big brother is a phone call away. That's reality. That's life. I can't let my past dictate my future. It may define the boy I am today, but it doesn't dictate the man that I will grow into."
"You're both full of good things to say," Thalia beamed. "You guys are not what I expected at all. I find that I want to be friends with both of you."
"That's good to hear," I said. "I'd like to ask you now, will you go to the back to school dance with me?"
"Of course," she said. "I was going to ask you before the night was over."
"Then it's settled," I said with a smile.
"My dress is blue," she said.
"Thank you," I said. "We go to the city to rent tuxes. I'll keep that in mind."
"Why does it matter that her dress is blue?" April asked.
"She told me so that I know what color cummerbund and bow tie to get," I said. "It's so we match."
"Oh," she said, smiling. "Then I should tell the boy that I go with that my dress is red."
"Yes," Thalia said. "We'll find you a date."
"He needs to be a good boy," April said. "I don't want someone who will maul me."
"April, you're eleven years old," I laughed. "Any boy that we set you up with would never do anything like that. I'm thinking of a boy that would be perfect for you to go to the dance with."
"Next year, Jessy will be here," she said. "Then I'll have the date I want."
"Well, until then," I said, standing up and reaching for her hand. "Let me introduce you to someone."
We walked over to the table where Alex Porter was sitting with his roommate. There were no girls at the table. He looked up at me and smiled. We hadn't been introduced yet, but I was about to take care of that. I made sure that April was standing beside me. She looked from me to Alex and back. I smiled at her. Then I extended my hand to Alex. "I'm Killian Flynn," I said. I touched April's shoulder. "This is my little sister, April. She attends Worthington Prep. She's looking for a date to the back to school dance. Alex, I recommended you."
"You don't know me," he said.
"I have watched you for a while," I said. "You're an all right guy. I trust that you'll treat my sister well."
"I will," he said. "Thank you."
"My dress is red," April said suddenly.
"Okay," he said, smiling. "I'll match you. Can I call you to talk about the dance?"
"Yes," she said, smiling. "Understand that I want to be friends only. I'm not looking for a boyfriend."
"I'm not looking for a girlfriend," he said, smiling again. "I just want someone to go to the dance with."
"You've got that," April said.
"Well, we'll leave you gentlemen alone," I said. "April will expect your call. When Professor Grant takes us into the city to get tuxes, just sit with me and Kevin. We'll take care of you."
"Thanks, Killian," he said with a smile.
We went back to the table. Thalia was beaming at me. She talked about what a great thing it was that I had done for my sister. I couldn't tell her that this was my way of putting Alex in our lives without Kevin having to sleep with him first. Instead, I told her that we were living our lives the way we wanted to. She smiled. She asked if I could dance. I assured her that I could. Kevin looked at me hard for a moment. He finally must have decided to take my word for it.
I hugged my sister and shook Thalia's hand. We left the Phoenix Club when the night was over. Randy came to try and stand between me and Kevin. This time, it was Kevin who moved to stand on my other side. Randy was clearly irritated by this, but he said nothing. He talked a mile a minute about the girl he was going to the dance with. He asked us if we had found dates. I told him that I had and that she was finding a date for Kevin.
"Do you let him do everything for you, Kevin?" Randy asked in a condescending tone.
"Killian is doing me a favor," Kevin said coldly. "You don't have to make it sound like I can't do things for myself."
"Why the sudden hostility?" Randy asked him.
"You keep trying to separate me from my twin," Kevin said coldly. "It stops or we will have nothing to do with you going forward."
"I'm not trying to separate anyone," he said. "You two are too close to each other. You're roommates and everything it isn't healthy for twins to be as close as you two are."
"And what evidence do you point to?" I asked him. "What training to do you have to understand the psychological link between identical twins?"
"I just don't like it," he said. "It's weird."
"Well, we don't think it's weird," Kevin said. "You aren't a good friend for us, Randy. I think you should stay away from us."
"What do you think, Killian?" Randy asked.
"I agree with Kevin," I said slowly. "Not for the same reason, but I agree completely. You are not a good friend for us. I don't like being around you. You constantly try to act superior, separate me from my twin, and talk to me like I'm stupid. That's not acceptable. Stay away from us."
We walked away from Randy after that. He was standing there staring after us. He clearly didn't know what to think of what I'd said. We got back to our room and got ready for bed. We didn't need snacks or anything. We just did our assignments. The next day, Professor Grant pulled us aside after class. He said that Randy had told him that we were rude to him. I told him all about Randy, using knowledge from the other timeline to make my case. I told him that we weren't rude. We'd simply pointed out that he talked down to us, tried to separate us, and told us we were weird. I told him that I had told Randy that he wasn't a good friend for us and asked that he stay away from us.
"Well, that's not what he told me," he said.
"Randy has a problem with the truth," I said. "He's prone to starting rumors that are nasty."
"Why haven't you filed a grievance?" Grant asked.
"Because he hasn't stepped out of line with us, yet," I said.
"Yet," he said. "You expect him to?"
"Eventually," I said.
"Well, if he does, you've already talked to me," he said. "If you end up filing a grievance, bring me an incident report."
"Sure thing," I said with a smile.
"Killian, your report received top marks," he said, smiling. "The subject matter must have been hard for you."
"It wasn't," I said. "I treated it like any assignment. I tracked down facts, and there were a lot of them. I wrote the report with those facts in mind. I didn't think about Hank."
"Good," he said. "Kevin, your report got top marks, too."
"Thank you, Professor," he said.
"Off with you," he said with a smile.
We went into the city with Professor Grant that Friday. We were fitted for tuxedos. I paid for mine and Kevin's. Alex paid for his own. He talked about the rumors that were circulating about me and Kevin. I asked him to tell me what was being said. He said that Randy was telling people that we were too close and it was sick. He never said anything was going on, but he hinted at it. I looked at Professor Grant. He nodded.
When we got back to school I went to the Honor Code. I got a grievance packet and a stack of witness papers. No one was there, so I didn't have to explain myself. I took it all back to my room. I filled out the grievance, being careful to be as truthful and concise as I could be. I told Kevin that I was filing it and handed him a witness statement. I told him to write down all that Randy had said directly to him, and the rumor that we'd heard from Alex.
The next day I handed witness statements to everyone who talked about the rumor. Their eyes grew large. They filled them out, though. They turned them all in to me at dinner. Randy saw what was happening and looked scared. I took the witness statements and the grievance to the Honor Code. This time someone was in the room. I handed him my grievance. He read it and whistled through his teeth. He looked at me and smirked.
"They really don't know what messing with you will get them, do they?" he asked. He was a tall, muscular boy with dark hair and brown eyes.
"They clearly don't," I said.
"Well, we'll show them," he said. "My name is David Glass."
"Killian Flynn," I said. I shook his hand.
"I know your name," he said, smiling. "You're the one that got rid of the bully a few weeks ago."
"That's me, cleaning house," I said with a smile of my own.
"Keep it up," he said. "You seem to find the nasty ones in your house rather effectively."
"What house are you in?" I asked.
"Athens," he said. "I fully expect that you will be in Athens House next year."
"I will be, but you will be gone," I said.
"Yes," he said. "This is my senior year."
"Well, it was nice to meet you, David," I said.
"We'll contact you when the trial is set," he said, shaking my hand.
I went back to my room and did my assignments. I was just putting my folder away when someone knocked on the door. I opened it to reveal Randy. "What are you doing at our door?" I asked.
"Killian, kill the grievance," he said.
"Why would I want to do that," I asked.
"Because if it's founded they will expel me," he said. "I can't be expelled. My dad will go ballistic."
"That's a you problem," I said. "You shouldn't start rumors, Randy. It's the same as bullying. I'm not killing the grievance. They're reviewing it already."
I shut the door in his face. I went back and sat on my bed. Kevin looked at me. He didn't say anything. He just looked. I waited. I knew he had something on his mind. He'd say it sooner or later. I put my books in my bag and put it on the desk at the end of my bed. I was thinking about a computer but hadn't decided if I wanted one or not. Kevin did the same thing. Then he sat back down on his bed. He looked at me again and started to talk.
"Life here isn't boring," he said. "We're at least making friends. Alex is a good guy."
"Yes," I said. "That's why I asked him to take April to the dance."
"You've filed two grievances," he said.
"I found two bullies," I said to this.
"Killian, aren't you worried that people will be afraid of you?" he asked. "That they'll think you'll file a grievance against them all of the time?"
"No," I said. "They all know why I've filed the grievances I've filed. No one is worried yet. I don't plan to file grievance after grievance anyway. Randy did this to himself."
"I know he did," he agreed. "I just don't want you to be known as the boy who files grievances to settle scores."
"I'm not worried about that," I said.
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