Chapter Twenty-Six: Yucatan

Dylan woke slowly, blinking up at the ceiling as the early morning light crept through the curtains. For a few peaceful moments, his mind was still. Then the weight of the day settled in. It was Monday, the start of the second week at Crestwood. He exhaled, pulling himself out of bed and rubbing his eyes.

After freshening up in the bathroom and slipping into his uniform, Dylan glanced in the mirror. His reflection was a reminder of how much had changed in just over a week, though he tried not to dwell on it. Instead, he grabbed his bag and made his way to the dining hall, where breakfast and the rest of the day awaited.

The hum of morning conversations filled the hall as Dylan walked in. He spotted Emily, Hannah, and Kyle at their usual table, already halfway through their meal. With a nod of acknowledgment, he grabbed a tray, filled it quickly, and joined them.

"Morning, Dylan," Emily greeted, her smile warm but a little distracted as she picked at her toast.

"Morning," he muttered, sliding into the seat beside her. "Yucatan Peninsula test today, right?"

"Yeah." Emily sighed. "Not exactly looking forward to it. I barely studied this weekend."

"Same." Dylan pushed his food around his plate, avoiding her gaze. "I kept telling myself I'd look over the notes, but then... I didn't."

Kyle chuckled from across the table. "That's usually how it goes."

Before they could dive further into their mutual test anxiety, Aaron and Marcus arrived. Aaron, acting more like his old self, dropped into the seat across from Dylan with a smirk.

"So, Beyoncé, huh?"

Dylan shot a questioning glance at Marcus, who just shrugged with a guilty smile.

"You told him?" Dylan groaned.

Marcus held up his hands defensively. "He would've found out eventually."

Aaron leaned back in his chair, twisting his long hair that he'd clearly become accustomed to. "I'm just saying, after all your, "we just need to get through this... we're all in this together," comments, it's kinda perfect that you'll be up there, strutting around and shaking your hips like Beyoncé, while we all help you get through it  with our cheers from the audience."

"Shut up," Dylan muttered, taking a sip of his juice and hoping to avoid Aaron's teasing for the rest of breakfast.

Emily chuckled softly, leaning in. "It'll be fun, Dylan. Trust."

"Yeah, fun for you guys, maybe," Dylan replied dryly. He shifted in his seat, turning back to his food, trying to ignore Aaron's grin. He could feel the nerves creeping in, but he shoved them down. He had bigger things to worry about today, like the Geography of the Americas test this afternoon.

The rest of the morning passed in a blur of classes and half-hearted studying. By lunchtime, Dylan's anxiety about the upcoming test had reached a quiet simmer, a constant undercurrent as he skimmed through his notes once again. The dining hall was louder now, filled with the clattering of dishes and conversations, but his focus stayed on the papers in front of him.

"Still cramming, huh?" Emily said, sitting down beside him.

Dylan shrugged. "I mean, better late than never, right?"

"Right." She pulled out her own notes, glancing over them briefly before giving up with a sigh. "I can't tell if I know this stuff or not."

"I guess we'll find out soon," Dylan replied, though his stomach twisted at the thought.

That afternoon, the Geography classroom buzzed with nervous energy as the students filed in, taking their seats. Dylan, seated next to Emily, kept his head down, reviewing his notes one last time before the test started.

Their teacher, Ms. Chandler, walked in with a calm smile, her long skirt swishing as she made her way to the front of the room. Unlike most of the other teachers at Crestwood, Ms. Chandler had an eccentricity about her. Her office was filled with maps and strange souvenirs from her travels, and she often broke into tangents during lectures, going off about obscure historical facts no one had asked for. Today, however, she seemed determined to ease the tension in the room.

"Good afternoon, ladies," Ms. Chandler greeted them cheerfully. "I know this test may seem daunting, but don't stress too much. It's just a small part of your grade, and you've all done wonderfully so far. Just remember, the Yucatan Peninsula is more than just a pretty beach destination." She winked, causing a few students to smile.

Dylan glanced over at Emily, who gave him a weak, encouraging smile in return. He took a deep breath, trying to shake off the nerves as Ms. Chandler handed out the test papers.

The exam was harder than he had expected. The questions were detailed, asking for specifics about trade routes, ancient civilizations, and climate patterns that he wasn't sure he had fully absorbed. By the time he reached the last question, his mind was spinning. He scribbled down his best guesses and hoped it would be enough.

When the test was finally over, Dylan walked out of the classroom with Emily by his side, both of them wearing the same expression of exhausted confusion.

"How'd you do?" Emily asked, running a hand through her hair.

Dylan shrugged. "I have no idea. That was harder than I thought it'd be."

"Yeah, tell me about it," Emily agreed. "I completely blanked on the question about ancient Mayan trade routes. I couldn't even remember the names."

"Same," Dylan admitted. "Let's just hope Ms. Chandler grades easy."

Emily gave him a sympathetic smile. "Hope so."

After their brief post-test chat, Dylan didn't have much time to dwell on it. Etiquette class was next, and that meant meeting up with the other guys. As he arrived at the classroom, he saw Aaron, Marcus, and Kyle already seated. Ms. Abbott, their poised and strict etiquette teacher, was waiting at the front of the room with her usual air of refinement.

"Good afternoon, ladies," she greeted, looking over the boys with her critical eye. "Let's start today by reviewing introductions. Miss Maya, why don't you lead us off?"

Marcus stood up, smoothing down his skirt, and walked to the front of the room. He performed the introduction flawlessly—polite, poised, and perfectly in line with everything Ms. Abbott had drilled into them over the past week. She beamed at him, clearly impressed.

"Excellent work, Miss Maya," she said. "You're becoming quite the graceful lady."

Dylan watched as the rest of the class went through their introductions. Aaron, surprisingly, had improved a lot since last week, though he still had that casual air about him that made everything seem less serious.

Ms. Abbott noticed as well. "Much better, Miss Alana. Still some work to do but you'll be at Miss Maya's level in no time all."

Aaron shot a quick glance at Dylan, rolling his eyes while doing so. Dylan knew Aaron didn't mind the praise, even if he acted like this whole experience was a joke most of the time.

The rest of the lesson focused on proper workplace manners. Ms. Abbott went over the importance of maintaining professionalism, respecting others, and preserving one's dignity in any environment. Marcus, once again, excelled, easily answering questions and performing scenarios with grace. By the end of the lesson, it was clear he had become a favorite of Ms. Abbott's.

As the class wrapped up, Ms. Abbott reminded them of their upcoming mid-term assignment: the Formal Ball. The boys exchanged nervous glances as she explained that they would be observed and graded on everything they had learned so far—from their introductions to their behavior in a formal setting.

"I suggest you all start preparing now," Ms. Abbott said with a small smile. "The Ball is less than two weeks away, and I expect nothing short of excellence."

Back in the dorms, Dylan, Aaron, and Marcus gathered in the common area, their minds still on the Ball. The idea of being observed at such a formal event made all of them uneasy. They hadn't even scratched the surface of what to expect.

"We should ask the mentors," Aaron said, sinking into the couch. "They'll know what this stupid thing is all about."

"Yeah, we need to know what we're getting into," Dylan added.

The rest of the boys nodded in agreement.