When the final bell rang at the end of the school day, Wolf took his time packing up his bag and leaving the classroom. He trudged through the hallways like his feet were made of lead, not wanting to go to football practice. He stopped at his locker, even though he didn't need anything from it. He dawdled by the water fountain, pretending to tie his shoelaces.

It wasn't that he didn't like football. In fact, he loved the sport, the feel of running down the field with the ball clutched tight in his arms, of letting go of the ball and watching it spiral perfectly through the air, his aim dead-on. But he didn't fit in with the rest of the team. They were all popular jocks like Carswell Thorne and Kai Lee, with their stunning looks and shining smiles that made girls faint. And then there was Wolf, always brooding darkly in the corner, not speaking to anyone. Constantly grumpy and easily annoyed, the whole team tiptoed around him like they were afraid of him. They were afraid of him. After all, Wolf was a hulking six foot six and the leader of the feared Wolf Pack. No one really knew what to do with him. The only reason he was still on the team was because Coach Jael insisted on it.

Wolf felt a hint of smugness at the fact that the coach wouldn't let him go. The team needed him. Even though Thorne was the captain, Wolf was the best player. He was the strongest, the fastest, and most agile. He didn't hesitate to tackle another player, throwing him onto the ground and pounding his face down. Wolf had heard others talking about him. "He's like a beast," people would say. "He's way too violent. They shouldn't let him on the team. He could injure someone badly!" But in his opinion, that was the whole point of football. To fight. To be aggressive.

"Ze'ev!" he heard a sharp voice call out. Groaning, Wolf stood up. "What are you doing here after school hours?" Sure enough, it was Ms. Lee, the vice-principal, coming toward him. A wave of resentment flashed through him when she called him by his real name.

"Sorry, Ms. Lee," he mumbled. "I...I was going football practice and I stopped to get a drink."

"Well, Ze'ev, football practice started fifteen minutes ago," she said, glaring at him. God, Wolf hated that woman. He hated that whole family, Kai and Ms. Lee and Principal Rikan. They thought they were better than everyone else. "You better have a good excuse, because Coach Jael is not going to be happy. On second thought, the principal has been wanting to speak to you recently. Why don't you come with me?"

Wolf stifled a groan. What could the freaking principal want with him now? He had been called into the office over ten times that year already, for bad behavior and bad grades and more. This was not going to be fun. "But I have to get to practice, Ms. Lee!" he cried desperately.

"Ze'ev, if you had wanted to go to football practice, you would have been there already," she told him. "Trust me, I know how your brain works. Now come with me, please."

"Your attendance record says that you've cut class over twenty times this quarter," Principal Rikan frowned, staring at his computer screen. Wolf was slumped miserably into a chair before his desk. Looking at the clock, he saw that ten more minutes had passed. He wouldn't be surprised if Coach Jael suspended him from the game this week for skipping too much practice.

"That explains why your grades are so terrible," he heard the principal mutter. Kai's father looked at him heavily. "Unfortunately, Wolf, you've missed so much class and forgotten so much homework that it's going to be nearly impossible to pass your classes this quarter."

"I don't care," grunted Wolf. He didn't care about his grades. He didn't give a damn about this blasted school.

"You should care, Ze'ev. You won't be able to go to college with a GPA like that. And let's not discuss your SAT scores."

"How do you know I'm planning to go to college?" Wolf snapped. Why would he waste four more years of his life in school, when he could be off enjoying freedom at last? "You know, that's what adults always say. Graduate from high school. Go to college. Get a job. Then you'll be happy. They say it like that should be everyone's life plan, like that's the only way to have a good life. Well, you know what makes me more miserable than anything? SCHOOL!" He glared, almost panting from his outburst. The words had been bottled up inside him for too long. It felt good to let them go.

Principal Rikan sighed again. He put on his caring-principal-trying-to-correct-a-messed-up-student face, and Wolf braced himself for a lecture. "Listen, Ze'ev. I didn't let you into this school for no reason, not even the football team. I let you into this school because I wanted to give you a chance. I know you had a rough childhood and a poor early education." Wolf snorted. That was an understatement. He and Ran had grown up so poor that they barely got anything to eat each day. They were practically living in the mud when Coach Jael had discovered his football talent and ordered him to come to Commonwealth High.

"I wanted to change things for you. I thought you had the potential to become a great student. You're a smart kid, no doubt about that. I wanted to help you fix up your life and be able to go to college someday. That's the reason I paid for plane tickets for you and your brother to travel here. That's the reason I convinced my friend to let you borrow his vacation home and why I pay for your living expenses. I gave you a chance, Ze'ev Kesley. And you're throwing it away."

Wolf balked at the accusation. This man had no right to get mad at him just because he didn't want the life everyone had planned out for him. He wasn't some poor little kid getting fixed up by charitable social workers. He had a right to make his own choices, to figure out himself what kind of life he wanted to live. "I didn't ask for any of this," he growled. "I didn't ask to come here or to be taken care of by you."

Principal Rikan, unbearably, didn't get mad. The lines in his face were more prominent than ever as he sighed and rubbed his temple. "If that's the choice you've made, Ze'ev... then I won't interfere anymore."

Wolf jumped up, about to turn his back and storm out of that room. But then an image flashed through his head. His mother. Maha Kesley. Staring at him as Coach Jael led him away with those sorrowful eyes. He hadn't seen her in years. But he remembered something she had said to him, long ago. Do you want to know why I work in the factory from dawn till dusk, little Ze'ev? I do it so that I can give you a chance. I want you to have an education I want you to escape this poor little town and have the best life possible.

A lump grew in his throat. His mother had wanted him to do this. She had agreed to send him away to Commonwealth so that he could attend the better, more financially aided schools there instead of the poor little elementary he had gone to. She would be disappointed in him, throwing away this great chance to have a better life.

He turned back around. Principal Rikan smiled and raised an eyebrow. "Are there other options?" Wolf blurted out before he could stop himself. "Is there any other way to bring my grades up?"

The principal beamed. "I'm so glad you asked. Sit down again."

Wolf reluctantly sat down. He could see the glee in the principal's eyes and was already starting to regret this.

"As I said before, you are failing in all of your classes. That's an easy fix. Just don't cut class, do your homework, et cetera."

Wolf frowned. He didn't think it would be that easy. "What about getting into college?" He was still doubtful about spending another four years in prison, but he would do it if it would make his mom happy.

"Ah. Well. Assuming you follow my advice and raise your grades, your GPA should be high enough to have a shot at getting into college. But...most colleges won't take students with SAT scores that low. However, your chances significantly increase if you take a sport and do some kind of extracurricular activity. Obviously, you already play a sport."

Oh no. He saw where the principal was going with this.

"Now, all you need is another activity!" Principal Rikan grinned. "Unfortunately, your pickings are slim. Most extracurriculars require you to sign up at the beginning of the year, and we're almost in the second quarter already."

Wolf had a feeling that the principal had planned this whole conversation out beforehand.

He ticked things off on his fingers. "Orchestra, art, jazz band, photography, sewing, cooking, and singing aren't options anymore. That leaves you with...musical theater!"

Dread filled Wolf. "No, sir, anything but that, please." He could hardly imagine that. Getting up in front of an audience and singing? Dancing? Acting? Definitely not.

"If you don't want to do it, Ze'ev, then it's time to make a choice. You have three options: one, raise your GPA and start theater so that you have a chance of going to college and making your family proud. Two, fail all your classes... and be forced to retake your senior year. You know we can refuse to let you graduate. Three, run away and become a delinquent drug dealer or something like that."

Wolf groaned. The principal eyed him. He had backed him into a corner and he knew it. He was just waiting to see Wolf crumble. Deep down, he knew what to do. There were no other options.