JAMES
On Monday morning, everyone was talking about the party. After the online school forum nearly exploded over the weekend because everyone shared photos, videos, and comments, our classmates applauded us as we walked by and thanked us for the success of the event. The setup not only made headlines in our school newspaper but also reached other English schools.
Of course, my parents didn't believe a word when I assured them that I had nothing to do with the matter, but in the end, they were more upset with Lydia, who didn't show up at the party.
Overall, the show was a great success. At least until the hallway speakers screeched, and an announcement echoed through the school: 'James Beaufort, report immediately to Director Lexington's office.'
I expected that to happen. During the Monday assembly in Boyd Hall before classes start, Lexington expressed his disappointment about what happened and, with an expressive voice, reminded all students of Maxton Hall's code of values. It's always the same: we put on a show, he explains in front of the entire student body how affected he is, calls us to his office for a reprimand, and five minutes later, lets us go.
"Let's see if he delivers the same sermon as always," Wren says, putting an arm around my shoulder. He holds me close for a moment. "Don't let yourself be intimidated."
"I never do," I reply.
I say goodbye to him and the others, then make my way to the principal's office. When I arrive, the assistant points to the door without saying a word. I knock twice without hesitation.
"Come in."
I enter and close the door behind me. When I turn around, I'm surprised. Next to the principal's desk is Coach Freeman, and directly across from me... Ruby. She gives me a brief glance over her shoulder and then looks straight ahead.
"Did you want to speak with me?" I ask, a little taken aback by the audience.
Lexington gestures for me to sit to Ruby's right, in front of his desk.
"Take a seat." His voice sounds different from usual. Normally, when he talks to me, he sounds both nervous and irritated, as if everything is too much of a burden, and he'd rather get back to the important tasks of his job as soon as possible. Even the wrinkles on his face seem deeper. Apparently, I've caught him on a bad day for speeches. I sit in the chair in front of his desk.
"Is it true that you hired some..." he clears his throat, obviously choosing the right word for these quarters, "...entertainers who caused a disturbance?"
I have to suppress a laugh at the word "entertainers."
"It depends on what you mean by entertainers, sir," I respond slowly. "I swear I had nothing to do with the DJ."
Lexington nods and looks at me with steely gray eyes.
"Do you think we're joking, Mr. Beaufort?"
I shrug, uncertain.
"Sometimes, yes, sir," I reply.
Ruby snorts indignantly. I glance at her but quickly avert my eyes.
Principal Lexington leans over the dark mahogany desk. The light from outside illuminates only half of his face. The silence in the room feels almost spectral.
"Tell me, Mr. Beaufort, what consequences do you think this incident will have on our school's reputation?"
I briefly consider my response.
"I believe something like this will be very beneficial for our image. Everything here is too rigid; a little relaxation now and then won't harm anyone."
"You're out of your mind," Ruby mutters.
"Miss Bell!" Principal Lexington barks. "This is not your turn."
Ruby's face turns as white as chalk. She clenches her lips tightly and looks down at the green backpack on her lap. It seems like she might disintegrate any moment.
"Mr. Beaufort, what you've done has crossed the line. I cannot tolerate such behavior at Maxton Hall College."
"That's why I'm warning you that if you continue to behave this way, you'll have to face the consequences."
I know Lexington's speeches by heart. I'd love to recite them alongside him and see his reaction.
"You're an adult, and this is your final year of school. It's time you started taking responsibility and realized that your actions have consequences," Lexington continues. Ah, this part is new. "Since you've disrupted the first event of the school year, I believe it's only fair that you support the events committee from now until the end of the term. Let's say you'll be performing community service under Miss Bell's supervision."
A second of silence. Then:
'What?' Ruby and I shout simultaneously.
We glance at each other.
'You cannot be serious,' I say, while Ruby murmurs:
'Sir, I don't know...'
Principal Lexington raises his hand, signaling us to be quiet. He looks at me over his glasses, and his eyes seem to bore into mine.
'Mr. Beaufort, you've been at this school for five years. During this time, you've allowed yourself to do the most inconceivable things,' he begins, 'without me ever asking you to account for them. I looked the other way when you organized a car race in the schoolyard. I tolerated it when you and your friends thought it would be fun to dress up the school founder's statue in a cheerleader uniform and a wig. Or when you created an online dating profile for me and other teachers. Or when you threw an unauthorized party in Boyd Hall. Not to mention the countless times you've shown up drunk at official events. But you must learn once and for all that your actions have consequences. Maxton Hall College has built a reputation over the past two centuries. We stand for discipline and excellence, and I cannot allow you, with your youthful recklessness, to question it time and time again.' Lexington now looks at Coach Freeman, who nods briefly. Then he turns his gaze back to me. An unpleasant sensation spreads in my stomach.
'Mr. Beaufort, you are suspended immediately and for the remainder of the term from the lacrosse team.'
My ears buzz. I see Lexington opening his mouth and continuing to speak, but not a single word reaches me.
In the last season, an opposing team player swung his stick so hard at me that we both collapsed on the ground, him with all his weight on top of me. I had never felt such intense pain, and for half a minute, breathing seemed impossible.
That's exactly how I feel now.
'No... you can't do that,' I croak, hating how pitiful my voice sounds. I clear my throat, take a deep breath, and force the mask of impenetrability onto my face, just as my father taught me.
'Yes, Mr. Beaufort. Yes, I can,' the principal replies, composed, crossing his hands over his belly. 'And before you threaten me with your parents: I've already spoken to your father this morning. He assured me he supports any punishment I impose.'
I hadn't counted on this.
'Sir, with all due respect, it's our final season. I'm the team captain; the guys need me.'
I glance at Coach Freeman, seeking his support. The regret in his eyes feels like a punch to the gut.
'You brought this upon yourself, Beaufort.'
'Alistair is suspended for the next three games. If I'm not...'
'Cyril will take over as captain, and one of the new players will fill your position.'
My throat goes dry. I feel the heat in my cheeks from anger, and my hands start to tremble. I clench my fists, digging my short nails into my skin until it hurts and my knuckles crack.
'Please, Sir.'
Out of the corner of my eye, I see Ruby shifting in her chair. It's as if the situation makes her extremely uncomfortable, but at that moment, I don't care what she thinks of me.
It's my last year in school. The final months before my life spirals downward. And for lacrosse—for this last, carefree period with my friends—I'd give everything. Even if it means having to plead right before Ruby Bell's eyes.
To my horror, Freeman remains unmoved. He shakes his head and crosses his arms.
'Miss Bell, I trust you'll explain everything about the events committee to Mr. Beaufort,' Principal Lexington continues as if he hasn't just shattered my life. 'He must attend all meetings and be involved in all celebrations until the end of the term. If he refuses or causes any problems, come directly to me, understand?'
'Yes, sir,' Ruby responds quietly but resolutely.
'When is the next meeting? So Mr. Beaufort can note it in his agenda right away.'
Ruby clears her throat, and though I don't really want to, I turn my head toward her. Her gaze is stern. Mine is even more so.
'The next meeting is today, after the lunch break, in room eleven of the library,' she says, devoid of any emotion in her voice.
I grit my teeth. I desperately search for an escape from this situation, but it's impossible. Besides, I have no idea how I'll explain this to my parents.
This time, I've truly screwed up.
RUBY
"What?", Lin exclaimed loudly in the group room, so loudly that people in the library probably heard her too. The rest of the team stared at me after I conveyed the news.
—From this very moment, James Beaufort is a member of the events committee — I repeated as neutrally as I had the first time.
Lin bursts into laughter. When she has calmed down somewhat, I continue.
—Please, behave normally when he arrives.
As I utter this last sentence, I see Jessalyn Keswick touching up her lip gloss. The light pink shade complements her dark skin, as does all her makeup. Jessalyn is a beautiful and charismatic girl, captivating everyone, including me. I could spend hours just looking at her.
—What's going on? —she asks innocently—. I just want to look my best when Beaufort shows up.
She blows me a kiss. I roll my eyes, but pretend to catch it and carefully tuck it away in my pocket. The rest of the team laughs.
—What does Lexington expect from this? —asks Kieran Rutherford, a student from the year ahead of ours. With his fair complexion, sharp gaze, onyx eyes, and slightly too long hair, he looks like a vampire, a young Count Dracula with sharp features.
He's also a fellow intern at Maxton Hall and the only one on the team who, along with Lin and me, works reliably and diligently—. That we'll convert him and set him on the right path?
Lin snorts.
—Listen, in this case, converting him won't do any good.
There it is. The reason why Lin is my best friend at Maxton Hall.
—Hey! —Camille interjects.
No surprise there; after all, she's one of Elaine Ellington's closest friends and therefore part of James's group. Add to that the fact that she can't stand Lin and me, and she hates that we've been put in charge of the committee. I don't know why she's still on the events committee, but I suspect it's just to earn points for her diploma. Either way, she's not exactly enthusiastic about it.
—Regardless, I interject hastily—whether we like it or not, he'll be participating in our meetings. Besides, he's been suspended from the lacrosse team until the end of the term.
Jessalyn whistles in surprise.
—Now, now-Lexington has taken some really strict measures this time.
A murmur of agreement spreads through the room.
—Beaufort has earned this —Lin says—. We spent half the vacation planning the back-to-school party, and his setup ruined everything. Plus, Ruby had to endure a half-hour lecture from Lexington today.
—Seriously? —Kieran asks incredulously. When she nods, he says indignantly—: But it's not your fault that Beaufort invited those people to the party.
I shrug hesitantly.
—We organized the party, so Lin and I are responsible for what happened. Besides, the entrance should have been better monitored. From that perspective, we're also partly to blame. He wants us to publicly apologize on the Maxton Blog so people know it wasn't something the committee planned.
What still infuriates me about Beaufort is this: ever since I've been at Maxton Hall, I've never been reprimanded—no teacher has done it, let alone the headmaster in person. If I still want a glimmer of hope for acceptance at Oxford, I need an impeccable record, and James, with his childish behavior, has compromised it. I won't let an idiot with too much time and money destroy my future when he doesn't even know what to do with them.
—This makes no sense, it's absurd. You're the last person who should take responsibility for that crap. —Kieran frowns, angry.
I smile gratefully and ignore Lin's meaningful look. Since the end of last term, she's been trying to convince me that Kieran is madly in love with me. But it's nonsense. He's just a good guy.
—Shall we begin? —I ask, clearing my throat.
The others nod, and I point to the agenda items that Lin has already written on the board for this meeting.
—First, we need to review the party: what worked well and what didn't? Except for Beaufort, of course. Camille, would you like to take the minutes?
Camille shoots me a murderous look but opens her notebook and grabs a marker. Lin starts sharing her impressions of the party, and I glance at the clock. It's a few minutes past two. The lunch break is over. Beaufort should show up any moment now.
I experience an unpleasant sensation. Something fluttering and unsettling, as if... disturbed.
I push that thought aside and engage in the discussion. It takes us so long to gather feedback and formulate future tasks that we have to postpone the other agenda items until later in the week. We divide up some tasks and wrap up the meeting. Lin and I stay in the group room to draft the apology letter.
During the entire two and a half hours, James Beaufort doesn't appear. After sending the letter to Lexington, Lin and I say our goodbyes. She heads to her car. Although she doesn't live far from school, there's no bus that takes her there, so her mother bought her a car last summer.
The place where I was born is half an hour from Maxton Hall. With its crumbling house facades and poorly maintained streets, Gormsey.
It's kind of the opposite of glamour, but despite that, I like living there. It doesn't bother me to take the bus to Pemwick every day, where the school is located, and then return. On the contrary, it's the most relaxed time of day. During the commute, I don't have to be the Ruby who tells no one anything about her family or the Ruby who can't share her school experiences with her parents. Instead, I'm simply... Ruby.
As I walk to the bus stop, I pass by the sports area where the lacrosse team is currently practicing. I watch the players running back and forth across the field with their gear.
One player catches my eye, wearing the jersey with the number seventeen.
I stop abruptly. Then I approach the fence and grab onto the metal mesh. That guy wants to mess with me.
With my mouth hanging open, I see Beaufort pass the ball to Cyril Vega as he runs by. From here, I can hear his stupid laughter.
What a... what a jerk!
Just then, Beaufort turns around and sees me. Through his helmet, I can't discern what's happening on his face, but his demeanor changes. He stiffens and almost defiantly lifts his chin. What an idiot! I hear the sound of the school bus approaching behind me. Despite the anger welling up inside me, I tear my gaze away from James and continue the remaining distance to the bus stop.
Let him do whatever he wants.