Boarding with the Bad Boy [COMPLETE + BONUS published edition]

THE BOARDERS: 11

Lo

I'm halfway back to my dorm, loaded down with the supplies I need to make Sam's life hell, when I run into Coleman. His anxious smile can mean only one thing, confirmed as soon as he opens his mouth to announce that he's been asked to escort me to the headmaster's office.

We make the walk in silence. I feel a sick sense of déjà vu as we step into the cool, dark hallway of Hollinger Admissions Hall. Less than twenty-four hours ago, I'd entered this office with a bubbling feeling of hope (if not some anticipation). Now I can almost guarantee that this conversation with the headmaster will end in my shipment back to my mother's slightly-less-crystal-laden apartment in LA. Before classes even start. My throat is coated in terror and I barely make out a coarse "thanks" as Mr. Coleman holds open the door of Headmaster Carr's office.

It's a beautiful room with walls made entirely of mahogany. A large leather chair sits in one corner and books line shelves surrounding a fireplace. The whole thing is straight out of Dead Poets Society, a fact I'd appreciate deeply if I wasn't so angry with myself for ruining this opportunity (and my future) so entirely. I swallow as I lift my eyes to the large desk where Headmaster Carr sits.

"Thank you, Rodney," he's saying, dismissing Coleman before directing his attention to me. "Sit down, Miss Somers."

We're skipping the pleasantries then. Okay. I move to a chair on jelly legs, my brain whirring with regret and disappointment. I think of what I need to say: that I knew this was a bad idea, that I'm smart enough to have handled it correctly. I should have walked right back into Hollinger yesterday and told the blonde secretary her mistake. But I didn't, and I'm so, desperately, sickly sorry. Please don't send me back to her, I want to plead.

When I'm seated, Carr leans back and gives me a long, disappointed look. "It's been brought to my attention that you spent last night in MacMillan Dormitory." He pauses for my reaction, but I stay silent and still. "I'd like to understand what you were doing there."

I pause for a moment, forming the words. In the moment before I speak, I'm struck with a brilliant idea: I could lie. Without thinking about it further, I stutter through my short history at Remington, telling the truth except for one thing: I make it sound like I didn't actually know MacMillan was the boys' dorm.

"Miss Somers," Carr says after we've both sat quietly for nearly a minute in the wake of my explanation. "I understand you came to Remington under the recommendation of Javier Ross. Is that correct?"

Crap. I've been so concerned with myself, I haven't even thought about the blowback Mr. Ross might get for this little stunt. I suddenly feel ten times sicker, nodding slowly into Carr's expectant silence.

"And you've maintained a close friendship with his daughter, Jill, for many years?"

Another nod.

"In that case, it seems incredible to me—and I mean incredible in the truest sense of the word—that you were not aware MacMillan houses our male students, and that our female students reside in Sullivan." He pauses and I do my best to stay still, looking at the shelves just over his shoulder.

"Of course, you're a bright girl." He smiles, more derisive than friendly now. "I've seen your transcripts. So surely you'd have noticed upon receipt of your check-in packet that your roommate was male, and, once you entered MacMillan, that the rest of the hall was as well. Unless there's something I'm missing?"

He looks like he's expecting me to say something specific, but I don't know what it is.

"When I got my welcome packet, I just...I freaked out," I say weakly. Turns out that where my frustration collects into quick and angry sparring with Brandon, it all but disappears under Headmaster Carr's long stare. He continues to watch me, his face inscrutable.

"I lost my dad this summer," I continue needlessly. It's only after I say it that I realize what I'm doing. I feel like an idiot and an asshole, using my dad's recent death as a bargaining chip. I hope like hell he's not judging me from wherever he is.

Headmaster Carr nods. "I am aware. A tragedy."

"So when I saw MacMillan on my packet yesterday...I don't know. I just panicked."

Carr's smile drops as he considers me for a long moment. "Unfortunately, Miss Somers, panicking does not fall into the class of reasonable excuses at Remington, regardless of personal misfortune. I assume you've read the handbook?"

The damn handbook again. I think through what I remember from the relatively thick booklet and land on chapter eleven, which covers boarder conduct, specifically protocol for being caught outside your assigned dorm after hours. (Part of Jill's defense for my staying in MacMillan was this, that the handbook language had been changed from "being caught in a dorm belonging to the opposite gender" to better accommodate multiple sexual orientations. She'd reasoned that, because 202 MacMillan actually was my assigned dorm, I wasn't breaking any rules.) And besides, Coleman had said yesterday that first offenses generally garner a warning. A warning! That's not so bad. Carr must hear the relief on my voice when I say so. His face shifts into an uncomfortable smile.

"Regarding fraternization after hours, you're correct. We're not dealing with that here, however." He pauses. "In this case, you purposefully and willfully endangered our students through your actions. Section 11.03.04. Do you recall?"
I do. I can't say it aloud.

"We have no choice but to expel you from Remington, Miss Somers."

I knew this was coming, but it still stings to hear it. "I don't have anywhere to go," I mutter. "My dad is..." Well no point repeating it. "And my mother..."

"As I said earlier, a tragedy." Carr's no longer looking at me, already scanning through a document on his desk. I am clearly dismissed, and his indifference makes me angry.

"Doesn't your Admissions department take any responsibility for this? They're the ones that put me in the system as boy, landing me in MacMillan in the first place."

"We've already begun an investigation into the error, but the results will have no bearing on your place at Remington. We treat our students as adults here, Miss Somers, which means that we expect them to make adult decisions and to accept adult consequences. The adult decision, in this case, would have been to report the error to Admissions immediately. The adult consequence is as stated: expulsion for the purposeful and willful endangerment of fellow students."

"Somers didn't endanger anyone. Except maybe herself."

I spin and Carr glances up, both of us surprised. Sam leans against the doorframe blowing a bubble with his gum and looking cool as can be. He smirks at my horrified expression and red-rimmed eyes.

"Mr. Evans, thank you for joining us. Kindly take a seat."

Sam lopes across the room and slides into the chair beside me, leaning close and whispering loudly, "what's up, Roomie?"

I ignore him, turning my attention back to Carr. The last thing I want is for Sam to witness my humiliation, but I don't know that I have it in me to keep it together. Luckily, it appears I won't be staying.

"Miss Somers, I believe we have concluded our time together. Please arrange for your departure this evening. You can coordinate any required steps with Jessica in the front office."

I stand, glancing awkwardly between Sam and the headmaster. I can't believe this. I've been a pretty decent kid my whole life and now I'm getting kicked out of school before it even starts. My mother was right. She'd warned me, a couple hundred times, that running back to Salisbury would only make things worse. The familiar kick of anger—at her, myself; at the decision I made four years ago that seems like it will follow me everywhere, forever—rises in my throat. I have to force myself not to slam the door to Carr's office.