Noise in the common room alerted them that dinner was to be severed soon. Throwing on the shirt Josh looked over at Lawrence. “I am guessing that the nose in the common room means that we should be getting ready for dinner. Any order we should be sitting in or is it free for all?”

"A fee for a daily meal plan is included in the school tax..." Lawrence revealed, closing his current book and standing up. "So it's free, unless you buy more than what's considered a full meal."

"I was more of referring to where one sits in the dinning room but it is good to know that I don't have to dig into my pocket money to get food here." Josh's mask had formed back around him. the cocky glint twinkled in his eye as they walked out of the room.

Lawrence walked with him, ignoring the stares of some other students. Most weren't aware of his last name, or his family...so they thought he was rather poor, and he was teased and taunted quite often. "We can sit wherever we want unless we misbehave. Then they move us to..." he snickered, "...the 'naughty table.'"

“The Naughty table? OUUUUUUUU I so what to sit there.” Josh give Lawrence a wide grin. Noticing the looks that they were getting Josh stared back giving each of the boys a weird look. Each look was different, some of the boys snickered at the absurdity of it and others turned away quickly not wanting to make eye contact with the mad one. “so I am guessing that it would be considered social suicide if I sat with you?”

Lawrence fiddled with his fingers, then nodded unwillingly. "Yeah...I always sit alone. You don't have to sit with me, if you don't want to...I wouldn't want you to be made fun of or anything..."

Josh laughed. "if they would like to try they can. but I don’t care, you’re the first one that said anything to me when I arrived here." with that he walked with Lawrence to get food and then to sit. Josh ate in silence as he lessened to everyone around them talking about him and the other new students. after dinner they all headed to the gym which had been decorated up to look like a medieval forest. stepping up to a podium the Dean of the school cleared his throat.
“as you all have knew we have for the last three years tried to work with the student body so that you did not have to wear an uniform, but I am sorry to say that we now have to reinstate the uniform. For you who can no longer wear your uniforms or have never had one, tomorrow we will be having the school tailor making up set for you in the morning. Spears will be given out for all of you, but it is expected that you will pay for them in the end.

Lawrence ate in silence as well, ignoring the stares of the other students.

He decided in the end to go with Josh to the induction...presentation...thing, out of boredom. Upon hearing the announcement about the uniform, Lawrence frowned and raised his hand, along with a few other students.

Looking around the Dean sighed, he had been afraid of this. “yes?” he pointed to Lawrence. “what do you want to say?” Josh looked over at Lawrence, he had not expected Lawrence the wall flower to want to draw attention to himself.

Lawrence put his hand down when he was called on. "I won't wear a uniform," he replied, pointedly. "I think they're degrading, just like the school ID rule you repealed last year."

Before last year, students were forced to wear their IDs around their necks at all times. It made Lawrence feel that students were being treated like cattle.

"Fine me and punish me all you want. I think they're degrading, so I won't wear a uniform..."

“as much as I would love to allow you to continue to go dressed as you do Lawrence, there are others in this school who do not seem to know what is appropriate to wear to school and what should never been seen outside of one’s own home, and sometimes not even then.” The dean said with a sigh. “For those of you who feel that you are being personally persecuted we can discuss this in my office. Now it is not going to be as strict as it had been before, we will allow you to put your personal trims and such as long as they meet with the board approved guidelines. I have had a copy of each of the guide lines sent to your rooms as we stand here.” Stepping away from the microphone he sighed,
“so how bad was the rules before?” Josh leaned in to ask Lawrence.

Lawrence grumbled. He would not wear a uniform, at all.

"I just hate uniforms, is all. The rules weren't that bad. I feel that my freedom of expression is being taken away..."

“Well at least they are letting us alter them a bit. I wounded what the guide lines are that we have to fallow. Probable they just want us not cutting off the sleeves and such. Just so that we are not going to offend the general public, or the tight old coots on the board if they happen to come by.” Walking away from the crowed Josh mumbled. “Why could they not have told me before I spent the money on the new outfits? Why did they wait for the announcement now instead of making it in the brochure?”

"I'm just going to wear what I have and never touch the uniform. It's probably what most other students will do, as well. They hate the uniforms. Not only are they ugly, they're also uncomfortable."

Lawrence seemed adamant about this.

“why does the dean know you name? You don’t seem like the type that would be drawn to the deans attention.” Looking around Josh saw that they were getting. “They sure don’t seem to like you do they. What did you do that got them so pissed at you?”

Lawrence shrugged. "He knows my last name. So he pays attention to my first. He doesn't want to upset very rich kids, for fear of upsetting their very rich parents..." He sighed. "I don't know...I guess...it's because I speak my mind and don't wear super-expensive clothes and whatnot..."

“So you just have the bad luck that he knows you by your name. Well it’s better than being known by your reputation. He seems to think that I just will leave here and never look back. It’s not like I don’t want to stay, I really do want to stay at the school I am at, it’s just that something happens and they get rid of me. How would you like to…” Josh stopped as he noticed another student trying to listen to their conversation. “so what do you think a Fragon would look like, one of my old friends says it might look like a feather dragon but I said no I has to be a fraggle that is a dragon.”

Lawrence didn't respond to their previous conversation.

"Um...no idea?"

“you know what a fraggle is right?” looking over at the listener Josh pulled Lawrence away from where they had been standing. “from Fraggle rock?”

Lawrence blinked, staring at him like he was insane. "Um...no?"

It seemed he didn't get out much. Go figure.

"oh you poor thing, denied the joys of childhood." Josh lead Lawrence away from the crowds and back towards their room. "Come on, this party is boreing me any ways."

Lawrence tagged along after him like a lost puppy, still confused. He didn't understand what a fra...a fre...whatever it was...was.

“I had hoped that it would be a bit better party then that.” Turning back to Lawrence, Josh smiled. “Are they always that stuffy? One would think that if they tightened their collars any more they would turn blue in the face.” Josh continued walking backwards.

"Yeah..." Lawrence replied, seeming to fear that Josh might topple over backwards. "They've always been like that. I used to get in heaps of trouble for not wearing my uniform, when the rule was still in place. I guess my recently clean record's going down the drain..."

“well sounds like we are going to be the room with the trouble makers.” Turning back around Josh stuck his hands behind his head. “so will you be wanting to stir up some trouble other then the uniform or are you also going to a bit stiffy?”