"Expulsion?" Oliver burst.

In Headmaster Slug's study, Connor, Kanashii, and Shay leaned by a bookshelf. Winston curiously watched as flames flickered in Slug's fireplace. Flames danced in the lab's eyes as his ears perked. Seated at his desk, Slug nodded calmly, contrasting the fury emanating from the preps' leader. Then Winston chewed on the end bit of one of Kanashii's shoes, but his owner didn't stop him.

"How can you do this to me?"

"I recommend that you consider calming down," Slug responded.

"You nearly forced Noah No to step down thanks to a wad of cash in your face, but now you want to expel me?"

"While there are some things that enough money can do, we here at Bullworth Academy value a safe learning experience for our student body."

Kanashii instantly shoved his palm to his mouth, unable to hold back a chortle.

"Yes, and three of my toes aren't webbed!" Oliver retorted. "This is the biggest load of bull I've ever heard in my life!"

"Well, of course," Shay replied. "It's somebody telling you no. Unthinkable."

"My father shan't be happy to hear about this!" Oliver snarled, pointing his finger in Slug's face.

Slug waved it away. "Then he can take it up with me personally, but you've just admitted to causing Peter Kowalski's injuries."

"Quite unwillingly, I might add!"

"That means nothing. You're lucky the rest of your crew aren't expelled along with you. Oliver Harrington, from now on, Harrington House, what's left of it anyway, will no longer be open to you, nor will anything else on campus property. Pack your bags; you're moving back in with your father."

"This is utterly unfathomable! I will have you torn limb from limb by starving dogs! Your bones will be placed on display at pet stores all over Bullworth! You will rue the day that you expelled me, Slug." Oliver stomped past the offbeats and on his way to Slug's study door. "And Henson. I will have my revenge. Believe that."

"Tata for now," Slug said with a wave.

The expelled prep slammed the door shut.

"I'd say that conversation went well, wouldn't the rest of you?" Slug asked.

"Should we actually be worried about him getting his revenge?" Shay wondered.

"Pfft!" Kanashii spat, causing Winston's ears to flap with annoyance at the spit getting on him. "Nah. Daddy Harrington will buy him a new car and he'll forget all about this."

"Why did he even care about attending here?"

"Perhaps because this curriculum is top notch," Slug suggested, then he stood from his desk to say, "Bullworth Academy was once a revered place of study across multiple nations. Were it not for an event that transpired six years ago, we'd have a much more reputable reputation currently."

"What happened six years ago?"

"Why, there's no time for me to explain it to you; the three of you must report for detention."

"¿Qué?" Kanashii uttered.

"But we just brought you the reason for the latest bout of violence at your school," Connor argued. "I cleared my name! What's your problem?"

"'My problem' is that I don't appreciate you troublemakers. You lot are never far when disaster strikes our beautiful campus. I may have needed proof to expel Oliver for what he did, but I'm fairly certain you were the students responsible for vandalizing Harrington House."

"Ah, shit," Kanashii muttered.

"Mmhmm," Slug nodded. "This semester is almost over, Henson, but not quite. Only once it's over will your track record be reset."

His swollen eyes widened. Somewhat. "I didn't even realize that was a possibility."

"I wouldn't look so enthralled, boy, for you have to last long enough to reach the spring semester. Winter has only just reared its lovely head. Many more antics from your little group of... of... offbeats... and you'll be headed right along after Mr. Harrington. You will keep your noses clean. Are we understood?"

"Mmhmm," Shay peeped, her eyes nervous saucers.

"Go on then. Out."

Several nights later, a group of prefects herded the preps through the snow and away from Harrington House as construction men worked tirelessly to rebuild its frame, foundation, and the destroyed structures within the building. The still-bruised and beaten preps complained as they were herded, but the prefects didn't listen.

"For the love of money!" Jayshawn snapped. "I'm expected to bunk in the boys' dorm?"

"I'd sooner vomit into my aquaberry sweater," Chandler added.

"Those dorms are dangerously untidy!" Dave panicked. "I may not make it through a mere single night of sleeping there! My body has acclimated to perfect hygiene. Do you want to kill your students? Because that's what you'll be doing if you do this to me!"

"For Christ's sake, Dave," Caden muttered. "You make me understand why everyone hates us."

Harper was the last to go, following the preps with the complete absence of pep in her preppie step. Feeling snowflakes waft around her strawberry-blonde hair that now stuck out from under a blue aquaberry beanie, she sighed. She slowed her pace and allowed the prefects and preps to pass her once they got to the water fountain dividing up the clique turfs. The preppie girl turned around to watch the construction men fix up her former home, and she felt herself slouching, a colder pain in her heart than the weather around her.

"Aw. Poor little babe..."

Harper's coldness turned to heat when she turned around and saw Emma approaching from the auto shop portion of campus.

"What do you want?" she grumbled. "Haven't I been through enough?"

Emma shook her head. "No, no, no, sweetheart..."

Uncomfortably, Harper stood still as Emma strolled her way towards her. Emma watched the construction while Harper rested a cold gaze on the greaser girl.

"Would you look at that? Now it appears that your prim and pristine living conditions are just as trashy as mine. What does that say about you, Harper? Now, you finally have something to knock you off your sweet little high horse."

"Can't you just leave me alone?"

Emma relaxed her eyelids, fluttering her eyelashes as she grinned. "And miss out on your little fit? Your delicious pain? Oh, I couldn't."

"I'm not in pain," Harper muttered.

Emma flashed her an even more amused look, gliding a finger down her aquaberry sweater. "You're so funny, doll. I know that look." The greaser girl delicately stepped around Harper as she spoke, in such a flow that she matched the gently falling snowflakes around the girls. "That look like your beating heart has been silenced. Shredded. I should know; it's only what I'm best at. I find it interesting how similar boys and girls are in that way. Our hearts break just the same. We're really not so different after all. But you're different from the other girls like you."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Harper sneered.

"You let a dirty peasant break your heart. Poor you. That must make you feel even worse, hmm? How could you try and give the poverty boy a chance and be treated this way for it? You've ruined your social standing... all for nothing."

"If you don't stop pacing around me, I'm gonna ruin your... physical standing."

Emma giggled. "Cute and witty. You're a prize, Harper."

"Why are you even talking about this? What, 'cause you're obsessed with guys, now you want Connor? Are you over here trying to make me feel worse 'cause now you're gonna go get with him?"

She shook her head, feigning a sympathetic gaze. "No, sweetheart, no..."

Harper looked to the distance at the sound of distant barking. Over in the basketball court in front of the gym and pool building, Kanashii ran around in the snow with Winston gleefully chasing after him. He had a basketball, and dribbling it around had Winston more excited than even the most avid NBA fan watching the same thing.

"You want the ball? You want it, big butterball? Blubber Belly the pirate?" Kanashii shot it. "Air Bud!"

Winston leaped into the air and bumped the ball back to Kanashii with a pound of his snout. Kanashii laughed and rubbed Winston's belly before the dog could race back to his feet and zoom around the court. He nearly slipped through the snow on his way to chasing his lab around. "I'm gonna get you! I'm gonna get that belly! I'm gonna get that big butter belly!"

Harper watched the scene uneasily, while Emma bit her lip, softly shut her eyes, and lowered her head back as she messed with her leather jacket zipper.

"What's wrong with you?" Harper muttered.

"I couldn't care less about your little project," Emma replied at last. "That's what that Henson boy was to you, yes? A project-an attempt to act like the rest of us human beings. No... But... His friend, however..."

She watched Kanashii and Winston cheerfully and childishly play with a longing in her amused, verging on aroused eyes.

"He has me... simply... enamored..."