Make Me, I Dare You

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Five minutes crawled by like an eternity before Mr. Lockhart finally turned to us. His sharp gaze cut through the air, and instantly, we both found something-anything-else to look at. Even Damien's quiet, unreadable stare felt unbearable.

"I've seen the video," Mr. Lockhart said at last, his voice low but laced with authority. "And now I know exactly who started this chaos."

Silence. The kind of silence that presses down on your shoulders and dares you to breathe.

His eyes narrowed just slightly. "Your punishment will be different from the others. Consider it a lesson-to never act without thinking again."

Mr. Lockhart looked at Damien and gave him the smallest of nods. Damien's lips curved, just slightly, like he already knew what was coming.

"You'll be working for the student council from now on," Mr. Lockhart said.

Sienna blinked. "Wait-you want us to become council members?"

I slapped my palm to my face. "Sienna..."

But it was too late. Damien smirked. Oh no. That smirk was not a good sign.

"Not as members," Mr. Lockhart clarified smoothly, his eyes glinting with that terrifying strategist calm. "As workers. If the council room floor is dirty-you clean it. If a member wants coffee-you fetch it. If their clothes get dirty-you handle the laundry."

I felt my jaw drop. "So... basically... you want us to be slaves?"

Mr Lockhart leaned against the desk, arms crossed, looking entirely too pleased. "Not slaves," he corrected in that maddeningly calm voice. "Assistants. But-" his smirk deepened-"I like where your head's at."

My soul left my body.

Sienna groaned dramatically. "This is worse than being expelled."

I raised my hand like I was in math class, my voice thin. "Is this... only for one day?"

Mr. Lockhart's gaze cut to me, and my stomach flipped. "No. This punishment lasts until you finish your first year."

My brain short-circuited. "That's... seven months!"