Crestwood Academy for Young Ladies - Forced Fem Fantasy

Chapter Ten: No Aaron

The dining hall buzzed with conversation, the clatter of trays and the hum of chatter creating a lively atmosphere as Dylan and Marcus finally made their way through the lunch line. Dylan felt like his brain was swimming after the morning classes. 19th-century literature had been intense, and Finance wasn't any better. He'd spent most of the class struggling to keep up with the formulas on the board, wishing he could just disappear.

"I swear, I don't even know what just happened in that last class," Marcus muttered as they found a table. "How are we supposed to know all of this already?"

Dylan groaned in agreement. "Finance was brutal. I could barely keep up."

Marcus shook his head. "Literature wasn't much better. It's like they expect us to be experts already."

As they sat down, Kyle joined them at the table. "Hey, you guys seen Aaron?" he asked, scanning the room. "He wasn't in class with me."

Dylan glanced around the dining hall. "No, haven't seen him. What's up?"

Kyle leaned forward, lowering his voice. "He got pulled out of Baking 101 by Headmistress Beaumont."

"What? Why?" Marcus asked, surprised.

"Something about this morning. I think it's punishment for being late and mouthing off," Kyle replied, his tone serious. "Olivia mentioned that Beaumont doesn't let anything slide."

Dylan frowned, feeling a pit of unease form in his stomach. "So, she's really punishing him for that?"

Sophie and Emily, sitting across from them, exchanged a glance before Sophie spoke up. "Yeah, Aaron's probably facing some kind of consequence. Headmistress Beaumont is strict about punctuality and respect. She's not someone you want to cross."

Olivia nodded, joining the conversation. "If Aaron gave her any more attitude, she's likely giving him extra chores or something worse. It's not exactly uncommon here."

Marcus sighed. "That's harsh."

Dylan felt the weight of the situation press down on them. The reality of how strict Crestwood's rules were was starting to sink in. "So, what now? We just wait to see if he shows up?"

"Pretty much," Kyle replied, glancing back toward the entrance of the dining hall. "But I wouldn't count on it. If Beaumont's involved, he might be stuck for a while."

As they continued with lunch, their thoughts kept drifting back to Aaron. The girls tried to steer the conversation back toward classes, asking Dylan and Marcus about their morning sessions, but the boys' answers were short, distracted by Aaron's absence and the pressure of keeping up with the workload.

When lunch was over and they stood to leave, Marcus glanced around one more time. "Still no sign of him..."

Sophie sighed. "Just focus on staying on top of your own stuff. You don't want to end up in the same situation."

Dylan and Marcus nodded, gathering their things. With no further sign of Aaron, they followed their mentors to their next class. European History loomed ahead, but the worry about what Aaron might be dealing with hung over them like a shadow.