Our Differences.

The next day, Evan and Kai were called into the coach's office. Evan entered first, with Kai trailing behind him. They closed the door behind them, the tension in the room palpable.

"Sit down," the coach instructed, his tone leaving no room for argument.

Evan and Kai took seats opposite the coach, glancing at each other with wary eyes.

The coach leaned forward, resting his elbows on his desk. "You two have been pushing my patience for a long time. Yesterday's fight was the last straw. If this happens again, you're both off the team."

Evan shifted uncomfortably in his seat, his jaw tightening. Kai just looked down at his hands, avoiding the coach's gaze.

"I've tried to let your little fights slide, thinking you'd grow out of it or find a way to work together," the coach continued, his voice stern. "But this... this was too much. You can't bring that kind of behavior to the field. It's disrespectful to your teammates and to the sport."

Evan opened his mouth to speak, but the coach held up a hand to stop him. "I'm not finished. Because of this, I've reported both of you to the principal. You need to go to his office right after this."

Kai finally looked up, his eyes wide with shock. "The principal? But Coach, we—"

"No buts, Kai," the coach interrupted firmly.

Evan stood up immediately, his expression stern as he glanced at Kai. Kai met his gaze with equal intensity. Without another word, they both exited the office, the door closing with a soft click behind them.

As soon as they were outside, Kai turned to Evan, his frustration evident. "You didn't even try to defend us in there!"

Evan shot him a cold look. "What's the point? We screwed up, and you know it."

Kai bristled, stepping closer. "You just love playing the martyr, don't you? Acting all righteous."

Evan's eyes narrowed. "And you love playing the clown, causing trouble for everyone."

Before the argument could escalate further, they both took deep breaths, realizing they had no choice but to face the principal together. They walked down the hallway, the tension between them thick.

When they reached the principal's office, Evan knocked on the door. A voice from inside called, "Come in."

They entered to find the principal sitting behind his desk, a familiar look of exasperation on his face. "Ah, Lockwood and Wentworth, my favorite troublemakers," he said with a hint of sarcasm.

The principal launched into his usual long-winded speech, filled with humorous anecdotes and exaggerated gestures. Despite the situation, Evan and Kai couldn't help but feel a bit amused, though they kept their expressions neutral.

"Now, onto the matter at hand," the principal finally said, shifting to a more serious tone. "Your behavior on the field yesterday was unacceptable. We can't have that kind of disruption in our school. But I believe in second chances."

Evan and Kai exchanged wary glances.

"I've spoken with Coach Davis, and we've agreed on a solution," the principal continued. "You'll both be assigned to the entertainment section of the upcoming school gala. Ellie, our head organizer, will give you the details." the principal continued. "Yes, just the two of you. You'll be responsible for one section of the event. I expect you to learn to cooperate and show some maturity."

Kai raised an eyebrow. "Just us? Isn't that a bit... extreme?"

The principal leaned back in his chair, a smile playing at his lips. "Consider it an opportunity to prove you can work together without tearing each other apart. Now, get to it."

Evan sighed but nodded, understanding there was no way out of this. Kai, though reluctant, followed suit. They left the office, the task ahead of them daunting but unavoidable.

As they left the principal's office, Evan turned to Kai, trying to keep his frustration in check. "Entertainment, huh? This should be interesting."

Kai smirked, his usual playful demeanor returning. "Well, at least it'll be fun. Who knows, maybe we'll discover a hidden talent for event planning."

Evan rolled his eyes but couldn't help a small smile. "Let's just get through this without any more fights, okay?"

"Deal," Kai agreed, extending his hand.

Evan hesitated for a moment before shaking it. "Alright, let's see what we need to do."

They headed to the student council room, where the rest of the gala committee was gathered. The head of the committee, Ellie, greeted them with a mix of curiosity and amusement. "Ah, the infamous duo. We've heard about your new assignment."

Evan sighed. "Yeah, we're on entertainment duty."

Ellie nodded, handing them a detailed plan of the gala. "You'll be responsible for organizing the performances, arranging for the sound and lighting, and making sure everything runs smoothly during the event."

Kai scanned the list, his eyes widening slightly. "Wow, this is... a lot."

Ellie smiled sympathetically. "You'll have help from the rest of the committee, but the main responsibility falls on you two."

Evan took a deep breath. "Alright, where do we start?"

Ellie pointed to a stack of papers on the table. "Here are the sign-ups for performances. You'll need to review them, contact the performers, and schedule rehearsals. You'll also need to coordinate with the AV team for equipment and setups."

Kai picked up the papers, flipping through them. "Looks like we've got a variety of acts. This should be interesting."

Evan nodded, already feeling the weight of the task ahead. "Let's split up the work and get started. The sooner we get organized, the better."

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