After his short conversation with their homeroom teacher, Max decided to sink everything in before heading back to his new class. He only wanted peace and quiet for at least a couple of minutes, but it was disrupted the instant he heard a loud banging sound coming from their room.

"There is never a dull moment now, is there?" Max sighed and entered with an exhausted look. He wasn't expecting much, but to his surprise, he saw Ervin Walker pinned against the wall with a chair.  Even more shocking, the one pushing the chair with his feet was Ari Faulkner, the boy who sat beside Max.

"I understand that you want to flaunt your rank and status to the new kid, but make sure you don't get people like me involved. Got it?" Ari asked, his face far more serious and taunting than the cheerful smile Max had seen earlier.

"Ervin is crazy to hit Ari like that. Even if it was an accident."

"He's the second-highest-ranking student in our year. Ervin isn't crazy. He's an idiot."

"More like unlucky."

Max overheard the whispers as he approached Ervin and Ari. The room fell silent when the other students noticed him. Though unspoken, everyone felt it. The aura radiating from the three boys was overwhelming. These three, plus Sir Barron as their homeroom teacher, would no doubt make Class II-A the talk of the entire school.

"Pardon me, but the chair you're using to pin him against the wall is mine," Max said calmly, his blank stare unwavering.

Ari gritted his teeth and turned to snap at whoever interrupted, but when he saw Max, his expression flipped in an instant. The seriousness melted into a bright grin. "Max! Sorry, I was just borrowing it for a minute." He released the chair, finally allowing Ervin to breathe.

"Were you planning to kill him?" Max asked, arms crossed as Ari returned the chair to its place.

Ervin shot a look at Max and shoved past him to get back to his seat. He clearly wanted to say something, but his silence showed he wasn't in a position to.

One by one, the others went back to minding their business. Ari pulled out a handkerchief, wiped the seat, and gestured for Max to sit.

Max sighed but sat anyway, following Ari's lead. He didn't wait for Ari to settle before shooting questions. "What was that about? And what did they mean when they said you're the second-highest-ranking student in our year?"

Ari blinked at the sudden curiosity, then smiled as he composed himself. Without asking permission, he scooted closer. "As you may already know, J.S. High isn't a normal school. It has its own system, and one of those systems is the ranking system. It was created to force students to compete with each other. And to climb ranks, you need merit points."

Max frowned, like he'd just heard a foreign word. Before Ari could go further, he pulled out a black hardbound notebook and a fountain pen. "Please continue."

Ari stared at the notebook, then laughed. He hadn't expected Max to take this so seriously. "Alright then, the merit point system..."

"Do all the students share the same ranking, or is it by year level?" Max asked.

"All the students in J.S. High are in the same ranking," Ari replied.

"Then wouldn't that be unfair to freshmen? They just started."

Ari understood his point and agreed. "Well, of course, seniors are ranked higher since they've been in J.S. High longer, but there's this bracket we follow. A very, very important bracket."

"And what could that be?"

Ari smiled and bravely took Max's notebook and pen. Once again, without asking for permission, he started writing.

"Think of it this way," Ari explained, scribbling in Max's notebook. "Your rank decides whether you're a Gaffer, a Dweller, or a Serf, but the cutoff isn't the same for everyone. Freshmen are compared against freshmen, sophomores against sophomores, and so on. A freshman who's ranked 460 could be a Gaffer in their year, but if they were a sophomore, they'd already be a Dweller. It all depends on the bracket."

"J.S. High is known as the House of Kings," he went on. "It's the castle. And every castle has a hierarchy. For White Uniforms, the hierarchy looks like this—"

Max stared at the not-so-neat rows of numbers and Ari's terrible handwriting in disbelief. Even though Ari hadn't said it outright, the answer was obvious: he was a Serf. A second-year student with zero accumulated merit points couldn't possibly fall anywhere else.

"So technically, I'm at the very bottom," Max muttered, half to himself, half to Ari.

Ari only grinned in response, leaning back as if to enjoy Max's discomfort.

"It's okay now since you're a transferee. It's like a free pass," Ari reassured him eventually. "But you won't get a free pass on everything. There are guys like Walker. He's one of the hidden types." Ari pointed toward Ervin, who was laughing with his friends as if nothing had happened.

"Let me guess...an underling?" Max asked.

"That's right," Ari said. "Underlings aren't official Brotherhood members, but they're protected by one. That's why most Serfs join up for protection. It's a smart move."

"Then the only reason Ervin didn't fight back is because he's either a Serf or a Dweller, and you're a Gaffer."

"He's a Dweller," Ari clarified.

"Then that only makes you a Gaffer," Max concluded.

Ari shrugged, his sly smile confirming it.

"Why would a Gaffer be nice to a Serf like me, then? You obviously want something in return."

Ari leaned close, whispering in Max's ear, "Your brother wouldn't like it if I don't play nice."

Max's eyes widened. No one knew about Marcus. No one even knew he had a sibling. He almost shoved Ari away, but the campus bell rang, stopping him cold.

"Looks like the House Assembly is about to begin. Let's go, Max," Ari said with his usual cheerful grin, as if he hadn't just thrown a grenade into Max's head.

As the others left, Ari walked toward the exit. Max followed, then grabbed his wrist.

"I may be unknowledgeable now, but I'm not deaf. You can play nice all you want, but you just stepped into the wrong playground. I won't let something so serious slide again, especially when it involves my family."

Ari yanked his hand free, his smile gone. The two locked eyes, their standoff electric in the empty classroom. It might have lasted forever if someone hadn't bumped into Max's shoulder, breaking the tension. He turned away and left without another word.

Ari took a deep breath and touched his chest. As tough as he was, there was just something different about Sinclaire. If it hadn't been for the guy who bumped into Max, Ari would have looked away first. It felt like he was staring at something inhuman. He almost felt frightened.

"Hey, Max," Ari called out once he calmed himself down. Max was already near the exit when he stopped and looked over his shoulder. "What?" he asked.

Ari pointed at his own head. "Peaked cap. They're not going to allow you in the stadium without it."

Max didn't answer right away. He wanted to ignore it, but Ari was the second student to remind him about it. Wearing the cap might really be important after all. 

"It's not in the rules that it has to be clean, right?" Max asked.

Ari blinked at the odd question, so Max went to his bag and showed him the tire-stained cap. Ari stared for a second before bursting out laughing.

Max rolled his eyes in annoyance. Still, thanks to Ari's outburst, the tension between them had completely vanished.

"It must be a talent for you," Ari said between laughs.

Max crossed his arms, expectant. "What is?"

"To stand out," Ari replied, and just as soon as he stopped laughing, he started again. Max wanted to smack him, but knew it wouldn't make a difference. When Ari finally calmed down, he wiped his eyes and added, "Don't worry, new kid. The rules don't say the uniform has to be clean. Knock yourself out."

* * *

Ari and Max walked toward the gymnasium— "the stadium," as the school called it—where the most-awaited assembly would be held. After Ari's explanation about Gaffers, Dwellers, and Serfs, Max could now see the separation of each type more clearly. He especially noticed it when some students moved away from Ari, who was apparently a Gaffer.

"I haven't asked you yet, but how high is your rank anyway? You said that to be a Gaffer in our year, you have to rank above three hundred," Max asked as they walked side by side.

People stared at them, and Max had three guesses as to why. One, because he was a Sinclaire. Two, because he was walking beside Ari. And three, the most obvious, because his peaked cap had a tire mark on it.

Ari tried not to laugh again, but the third reason was too obvious. "I can't believe a Sinclaire is confidently walking down the halls of J.S. High with a dirty peaked cap." When he saw Max glaring, he cleared his throat and answered the question. "I'm not really that high, but I'm ranked 294."

"Well, that means you're ranked higher than some juniors, right? That's pretty impressive. How did you even get that—" Max was cut off when a small boy was suddenly shoved toward them. Ari stepped aside, leaving the boy to collide with Max hard enough to almost knock him over.

Everyone around them froze.

"Seriously, Max, when you see someone hurling toward you, you move away, not block the way," Ari muttered. But Max was already staring at the three students who had pushed the boy.

Ari recognized the kid and tugged Max toward him. "Let's go. That's a Serf, and those guys are Dwellers from Class II-B. As a Serf yourself, it's common sense that you—" He stopped midsentence when Max pushed him aside to approach the three.

"I should really get used to the fact that you don't fucking listen," Ari grumbled.

Max walked right up to the boys. "Aren't you going to apologize?"

They exchanged glances and laughed. One stepped forward, gave a mocking bow, and said, "I apologize."

Max didn't look impressed. "Not to me. To him." He pointed at the terrified boy behind him. The kid flinched and hid, while the three stopped pretending to play along.

"The fuck do you want, Serf?" one sneered, shoving Max.

Max stumbled but caught his footing. He stepped closer, smiling. "Let me make a bargain, then. Hit me instead. That's why you're bullying him, right? You want to hurt someone and humiliate them in front of everyone here. If that's not it, then...what's the fucking point?"

Whispers spread across the crowd. The three looked around, visibly frustrated at the attention.

"Alright, I've had enough of this," Ari said, finally stepping in front of Max and blocking the boys' view. He didn't need to say a word. The moment they saw his face, their bravado vanished.

"That's fucking Ari."

"Shit, let's go."

They bolted without hesitation. The crowd scattered just as quickly when Ari glared their way. When calm returned, he turned back to Max. "You knew they weren't going to hit you, didn't you? Even with all the ranks, you're still a Sinclaire. Some people will always be afraid of you, regardless of the school's principles."

Max only shrugged and walked back to the boy they'd just saved.

Ari followed. "You shouldn't always be so confident, Max. You'll eventually meet students who don't give a fuck who you are."

"Oh, I'm counting on it," Max replied, making Ari sigh. He stopped in front of the boy, studying him so intently that the kid squirmed.

"Well, you owe me one. I just saved your ass," Ari said.

"Consider it repayment for what you said about my supposed brother. You should be glad I'm not interrogating you right now," Max shot back without looking away from the boy.

Ari crossed his arms, angry at himself for letting that slip. Max was going to use it against him for as long as he liked.

"You should know how to respect the system," Ari muttered instead. "And respecting the system means knowing your place. Outside J.S. High, you might've been treated well, but it's different here."

Max finished his inspection and finally glanced back at Ari. "Don't worry. I know my place. You have no idea what I'd have done if I didn't."

Ari stayed quiet. He knew Max wasn't bluffing.

"Besides, we need him," Max added, gesturing at the small boy. 

The kid flinched again.

Ari was about to ask why, but stopped at one word. "Wait. Did you just say we? We as in...you and me? Since when are we a team?"

Max ignored him and looked at the boy. He was tiny for his age, practically grade school size. "You're from our class, right? The kid Sir Barron singled out with his 'first most hated thing.'"

"He got that one right at least," Ari chuckled under his breath.

Max glared at him, then turned back. "What's your name?"

The boy looked down. "F-Felix...Felix Campbell."

Max smiled. With that surname and heavy Australian accent, he knew exactly who he was. "We met before. You were at a gala with your parents and sister. If I recall, you had five guards with you."

Felix's eyes widened at the recognition.

"Holy shit, five guards? What are you, the president's son?" Ari blurted, half-joking.

"We didn't get a chance to talk then. Want to start now? Without guards and formality," Max offered.

Felix looked ready to cry. "Will that be okay with you, Sir Sinclaire?" His eyes sparkled.

Before Max could reply, Ari cut in. "Oh, I am not babysitting two Serfs."

"Then rejoin your own friends," Max retorted.

Ari clutched his chest like he'd been shot. "Ouch. You had to hit where it hurts. How'd you know I don't have friends?"

Max glanced at both him and Felix. "Judging by how our class treats you, they're too scared of you. After all, you're the only Gaffer. And this guy's too weak for anyone to bother with."

"So you're recruiting loners now?" Ari asked.

"It's called investing."

Max walked away, leaving Ari to sigh before following. Felix trailed nervously until Ari glared at him. Felix fell back, only to brighten when Max looked over his shoulder.

"Keep up, Campbell."

Felix jogged happily to Max's other side. Ari crossed his arms, annoyed. When their eyes met, Felix stuck his tongue out. For a split second, Ari glimpsed the not-so-timid boy beneath the act.

As they continued toward the stadium, Ari suddenly remembered something Max had said earlier. "By the way, you're wrong about one thing, Max."

Max raised a brow.

"I'm not the only Gaffer in our class."