Roads. They all just connect to each other to lead to a837Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡClpEG27dZs
specific destination. It’s like you need to memorize a specific combination—or837Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNoAshycwvi
two—just to end up with an even more specific outcome. But how do we remember837Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt5DBC6z4bl
the longest of combinations, like the one Ms. Sara Leslie had to memorize to837Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsGswbgAOtM
get to the Airbnb she rented. The same Airbnb she was driving Caspian Grenfield837Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfyhDZ38hUo
and all the other seven chosen boys were headed to.
“How did they even get there?” you may ask. Well, you see…
“Will Caspian Grenfield, Isaac Blueburn, Jax Jackson,837Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAQeB2Ftnmo
Robinson Wyatt, Lee Emmet, Caleb and William Otto, and Mason Emalia please837Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxm4l2RDOhI
report to the principal’s office right now?”
Caspian flinched upon hearing his name come out of their837Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡownreBRLi8
school’s intercom. It was especially shocking to hear it along with those other837Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyLTrU140XS
names. He was a bit terrified of the thought that he might’ve become a837Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIJPeffnPdt
delinquent. I mean, yes, he is over exaggerating, but could you really837Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4Q0RjGFjhf
blame him? He was one of those kids who always passed their homework on time837Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuKtD06d2Dp
and has never had a grade lower than above average. He was always avoiding837Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcjUAh1KNkn
trouble wherever he went, and it just wasn’t normal to hear his name being used837Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWBCdohbN2y
along with all those others. Or at all.
He knew it must’ve been a mistake, so he ignored it and calmed837Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKOwSNmrgrj
himself down. Until the intercom called again.
Now this time, he knew it was real. His palms were damp, and837Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7Q5hviMNx2
his legs shook. He looked and acted as if he was actually gonna face an837Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPx0xrAaD6Y
executioner than a principal. Little did he know that it was absolutely nothing837Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡatOYTAb3Li
like that at all.
…
“You called to see me, Ma’am…?”
When Caspian peeped into the principal’s office, his stomach837Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY3o83LxgtK
dropped. William Otto, Mason Emalia, and Jax Jackson stared at him, sitting on837Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIYtXOyhfxz
the three single armchairs along the side of the room. Their attention was837Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWYUmrmP7ib
consumed by his presence, and he didn’t like it.
William Otto was an Alpha, the kind that shows it without837Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgfI1rj6mOp
effort at all. The doctors found out as soon as he was born—and that barely837Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyJK0EvSJsY
even happens. When he was going through puberty, he went from 4’11 to 5’9 in837Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5g9yIreV9R
less than three years. People thought that he was fifteen when he was actually837Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu17YnG96MJ
just twelve. Now that he’s a senior, he stood at 6’2—and that’s why it’s quite837Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡno452iDpJe
difficult to walk through the halls now without getting so much attention.
Though Will looked like the kind of Alpha that could837Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCU4DfQiWJg
kill a Grizzly Bear, he didn’t act like it. Yes, he was tall, had broad837Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjOioOtEd5W
shoulders, and had abs that could bite; but he wasn’t all that. He was837Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuoUlcLivI2
kind, compassionate, and really, really friendly. He was the type of guy837Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYHOf2ekOsE
you could depend on and talk to. He could work in groups of eight and make sure837Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1lFoLRzjH8
everyone had a job to do—and you wouldn’t feel the pressure of doing too much837Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhxy8zO7JFZ
work. He was a sensitive giant, a large teddy bear. That was kind of why he was837Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ055EG99imT
the student body president.
Mason Emalia was the Star Player of their basketball team.837Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyvM1W9eUXB
Though his performance at school wasn’t the best, he’d always make it up to you837Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCSz2Xl0jf7
on the court. He was a ruthless player and a worthy opponent. The only thing837Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoti4YaaSwH
you could beat him at was chess. Jeez, he hated chess.
And finally, Jax Jackson, the mischief. He was the definition837Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8hVCdsWuGL
of “gay and ready to play”—it’s true, he’s the one who made it. Though nobody837Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI4LoHanw1l
really knew where he landed on the spectrum, everyone at school knew that he837Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfpt90WWrZc
was only interested in men. All the girls would ever hear about him were, “I837Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdov8ZZ4bLY
don’t know why, but he was amazing in bed,” and the like. There was even a837Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLZtXSasi4I
rumor the spread like wildfire about him being able to get into their science837Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKVTaNYNrD3
teacher’s pants—who was at least forty years old for your information.
Seeing all these boys here made Caspian feel so small, as if837Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJBTI2rSKk7
he was just a puny ant who could get stepped on in any minute. It terrified him837Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0cKKOXJncE
to the bone. And this was just the first three, where were the other four?
“Caspian, please have a seat while we wait for the others,”837Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡESneshLite
Principal Gwen said calmly as she gestured to the seats in front of his desk.
Caspian took a seat on the couch in front of the three other837Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuS7FzsnyBb
boys who watched his every move (But that was what Caspian thought. They were837Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm63qX1abGM
actually just bored out of their minds right now.)
They silently waited. All they could ever hear was the837Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRGNlU9HmWB
tapping of their Principal’s computer keys. Tik, tik, tik, they went.
Finally, the silence was broken when someone opened the door.837Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK2aZDt5GvD
Another one of the eight boys who were beckoned by their intercom. And who837Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡavA0WfHl4N
exactly? None other than Robinson Wyatt, Caspian’s one and only childhood837Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkfa72deMsK
crush.
They weren’t close when Caspian first saw him, but he thought837Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOiV2olvIAT
that Robbie was… cool. He watched him play around in the playground from a837Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUtA3J0hxYI
distance but never found the courage to actually talk to him. He was too afraid837Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXV7qAXcDMm
that Robbie would think that he was just a stupid Omega with no friends.
A few years later, word got around that Robbie was an Alpha837Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMKaY0Jh1DX
and that just made things more confusing for him. He couldn’t understand why837Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4TvGgaMYzh
his face would heat up or why his heart skipped a beat when Robbie passed him.837Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr9x0Dn3aCT
It was a weird feeling that forced him to grin for no reason. Soon, he found837Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtxOCcF7SUg
out that it was Love.
“Okay,” Principal Gwen started.
Caspian awoke from his mental nap, blinking his eyes837Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYlvP9Ks8W9
furiously under his round glasses. The boy didn’t even notice that Blue, Caleb,837Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgvJfu9fIQo
and Lee had already arrived—and that Robbie ended up sitting beside him.837Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNsbhsHMSXi
Fortunately, he could still breathe. For now.
“I called all of you here today to discuss something really837Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqZTHZnJO9y
important-” she leans forward, fixing her posture- “though it may sound837Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpfCzHprOAZ
extremely odd.”
“Ma’am,” said Lee. “Are we in trouble of some sort?”
All eight boys leaned closer, as if they were programmed to837Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfUQMlA9Xt1
do this in sync. Their ears were open wide enough to fit a moth.
Their once fully composed principal smiled. “No. I’m sorry to837Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8ygFmLz8oR
disappoint you, Mister Emmet.”
All eight boys eased up. Lee sat back, pleased to hear the837Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTE5daaAOQm
good news. A small phew was could be heard from Blue—that is, if you837Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFDJGg4Q2Ry
listened hard enough. You could hear familiar cuss words from Jax and Mason’s837Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNJnxDhoGQ3
direction. Will, Robbie, and Caleb sighed for a good two seconds, thanking the837Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu1CvLqjTyu
Lord’s Holy Name. And Caspian finally eased every inch of his body.
“Why?” their Principal asked. “Is there something you should837Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9QgMiEHm2A
be in here for?”
“Nope,” Mason said immediately.
“Not that I know of… yet,” coming from Mason.
“Of course not. How could I?” babbled Lee.
“No, Ma’am,” Will said, shaking his head.
“…”: Caleb.
“Hopefully not,” Caspian muttered.
“I don’t think so…?” Robbie said slowly.
“Very funny, Miss Gwen,” chuckled Blue.
“Okay then good,” smiled Principal Gwen. “Because if there837Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNKk5ciue4T
was, you’d still have to participate in this activity.”
“Activity?” blurted Blue.
“Yes,” Principal Gwen said enthusiastically—only in her voice837Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXERENjZhoo
though. “I would appreciate it if you eight would plan an event before this837Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWmyeNMKQkS
school year’s prom. You know, to commemorate the graduation of the seniors.”
“But Ma’am,” Blue said, raising his hand.
“Yes, Blue?” Principal Gwen said, giving Blue permission to837Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCtxE9yom5F
keep going.
“What makes this year’s seniors make you want to plan a huge837Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWP6ROT2LCj
event for? (No offense.)” Blue continued.
We heard chuckles from some of the boys, knowing that Blue837Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7ueUHbeHAX
was referring to Will, the only senior in the room. He was a good sport who837Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUHk70fluYz
smiled it out and muttered, “c’mon, guys.”
Miss Gwen chuckled along with them. “Well, what’s also funny837Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk48vf4mFsu
is that we actually raised too much money for the yearly charity fund, and we837Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc53PJMHn5C
couldn’t locate any other charities who were willing to accept the excess.837Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSfyFIR0sGz
Plus, the school’s had a good year, so I didn’t think it would be necessary to837Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLcl4g2ysHB
keep too much money on our hands.”
The boys go ooh because now they understand what’s837Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1ECeI4odKD
happening.
“So,” Caspian blurted out, absent-mindedly. “You gathered all837Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSR2y9nb4Ef
eight of us randomly to plan a pre-prom party?”
He realized that all eyes were on him again. All eight pairs837Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPT2mQninhS
of them.
“Uhm, yes,” their principal confirmed. “I like the sound of837Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsMBy7huWiL
that. ‘Pre-Prom Party’. You boys already have something to call it.”
“Way ta go, Cassie!” Blue cheers enthusiastically.
All the other boys cheer as well, even Robbie—who was still837Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ63vGcMBGc0
sitting beside him.
“Good job,” he whispered. “Caspian Grenfield.”
Hearing his name come out of Robbie like that made his face837Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1iKy4WrUMC
grow warm. He put his palms on them, trying to hide his flustered face as he837Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcT5lHFXcRa
muttered back a shaky “thanks” to everyone.
“Okay, okay,” Principal Gwen hushed. “Here are the forms837Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlx9HtwKkBS
containing most of the other information you need to know, -“ she passed a pile837Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjtet0vn3y9
of white paper to each of the eight boys as she continued to explain. “-and the837Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJe1ebQ82BI
reply slip your parents need to sign in order for you to-”
“‘Stay at an Airbnb for a week’?” read Lee from the form.
“Miss,” Mason started, confused. “What do you mean by that?”
“Don’t worry, you will be accompanied by Miss Leslie.”
…and now they were arriving at the Airbnb.
837Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFbc9MdjG3y
837Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKvWpGi3E9Y
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837Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrvpGRfjgf7
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837Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAS1Td7iEKF
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837Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYRFJpyXFOM
837Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHsX5f5U7rx
Oh, how time flies…
ns216.73.216.0da2
