Free Prodigal Son (Jensen Family #1) by Michelle Day Page A

lucky that he had his brother to lean on, now that crutch had been
taken away and he was completely alone he knew he wouldn’t survive here on his
own.
    Matt was stunned that he had
been placed in a different dorm to Paul, he was sharing a room with a large,
friendly boy named Cameron but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t rather be sharing
with Paul, he knew his brothers’ habits and flash points and now he would have
to learn this other boys’ foibles, he didn’t want to be here but his placid,
laid back nature wouldn’t allow him to rebel.
    During supper the first
night, Paul had tried to sit with his brother but was firmly directed to the
table his dorm mates occupied, placing his tray on the table in front of him,
he folded his arms across his chest and resolutely refused to eat resulting in
him being sent for an early shower and the removal of his television
privileges.
    The following day Paul had
hoped to see his brother during lessons but soon learned they had been put on a
vastly differing timetable. At morning break, he took himself to the far edge
of the quad and sank down against the chain link fence close to some boys from
an older year. He hadn’t intentionally listened to their conversation but
happened to overhear one of the star rugby players complaining that he wasn’t
allowed to play as his science work wasn’t up to scratch. Paul caught the boys’
eye and offered to do the work for him in return for cigarettes and the
occasional message passed to his brother. It was also during that first break
that he discovered his all boys boarding school was situated right next to an all
girls comprehensive, his squeaky clean uniform marked him as a new boy and the
girls on the other side of the fence soon discovered the newcomer was
strikingly good looking, positively charming and an incorrigible flirt.
    By the third day Paul had
come up with the plan that the best way to get out of the school would be to go
through the rule book and systematically break each and every rule. He had
already managed to break the no fraternising with girls rule, that one was easy
and also the highlight of his day. He stopped working in lessons and refused
outright to do homework which earned him a trip to the Principles office and a
stern talking to as did his loud and raucous conversations with the girls each
morning.
    Sitting on his bed the
following evening, rule book in hand, he discovered that refusal to attend
lessons was a major misdemeanour as was smoking, he’d already figured that one
out and he just needed to get caught in the act. The very next morning, he
refused to get out of bed and ended up being dragged out of bed by his head of
year marched to the Principles office, caned across the hands and doing his
days lessons in his pyjamas at a desk outside the Principles inner sanctum.
That evening, he hit the rule book again.
    Standing on the headboard of
his bed, he opened the window and lit a cigarette, well aware that he could be
seen by the teachers outside, he took a deep drag and, resisting the urge to
cough up his lungs and vomit, blew the smoke out of the window, as soon as he
got the attention he desired, he stubbed out the disgusting cigarette, jumped
down off his bed and went to sit at the small desk in the corner of his room
only seconds before two teachers burst into the room dragged him to his feet
and once again marched him to the Principles office.
    “This is becoming a habit Mr
Jensen” the Principle said as he came around his desk “Let’s see if we can
discourage further visits shall we?”
    Paul didn’t answer, he
recognised the rhetorical question.
    “Drop your trousers boy and
lean over the chair.” the Principle told him, he didn’t move, the Principle
nodded to the two teachers who had brought him to the office who leaped into
action, wrenching Paul’s trousers down to his ankles and holding him over the
arm of the leather chair, he soon learnt that it was useless to struggle
against the