Deuce is largely hiding his past at NRC, taking a visiting group of bullies from his hometown into the woods during Halloween to drop a cauldron on them and threaten them with physical violence if they dare hurt the school as he is a new person now.
(Jamil: “I had no idea Deuce could get that rough.”)
When his mother’s coworkers comment on how he used to have bleached hair he asks them not to bring it up in front of the other students, and when Epel reveals he has heard rumors of Deuce from his pre-NRC days Deuce pretends that they are talking about someone else.
When Deuce is recognized as actually being the same person from Epel’s rumors he fervently denies it (Ortho: “Your vital signs are going all over the place”).
Deuce says he saw his acceptance to NRC as his chance to change himself in a new environment, but when Epel asks if he has changed Deuce responds, “Not a bit. I can play the part of an honors student, but I can’t change who I am deep down.”
But, Deuce says, he has learned at NRC that even the most capable people struggle behind the scenes, but they never give up.
Deuce intercepts when Ortho is being bullied by Diasomnia students, telling Ortho that he couldn’t stand seeing the bullies acting like he used to.
He has a long conversation with a bully in his hometown during White Rabbit Fes, saying that he reminds Deuce of the old him, but he doesn’t want to be like that anymore.
Afterwards the delinquent leader asks Deuce to adopt his gang and Deuce refuses, saying, “I’ve changed. All I want now…is to be an honor student!”
Twisted Wonderland Reference Note 