Éclair Academy

“Are you sure about this?” Clara, vice president of the disciplinary council, bore holes into the prefect’s eyes in front of her.

“Y-Yes! I’m positive!” the prefect stuttered trying to look away. But it was like looking away from the eyes of a cobra and any second it would start spitting poison.

“Is there a problem here ladies?” A slender blonde approached them, her hair perfectly curled and her makeup pristine and professional.

Clara swept her red hair over her shoulder and sighed. “It seems two first years are missing Diana. The prefects just took register and a certain Quin and Jenna are missing.”

Diana grimaced but somehow kept it dignified. “Search the entire school even the school grounds if you have to. They can’t have gone far.”

“What if they somehow slipped into town?” A tall imposing girl with a sheet of black hair asked whilst adjusting her Hugo glasses on her nose.

Diana smirked, looking over at the shivering mass of girls in the courtyard. Many had had their hair dyed with food colouring and the colours were vivid to say the least. “Then we’ll be waiting for them.”

~~~~

I ground my teeth and swept his feet out from under him before he could complete the sentence. Before he could respond I had him flipped onto his stomach and was pushing his arm up behind his back, up and up and up…

“Stop! Stop!” he shouted. “Guys help me!”

Suddenly three pairs of arms had thrown me off of shorty and I stood panting watching them suspiciously as they took up fighting stances. They looked hesitant but then the meathead, moron, galactic idiot, blockhead on the floor moaned and said, “That…thing’s not a girl. It’s a dude…check out the chest.”

I looked sideways at Jenna who was watching the whole spectacle, rooted to the ground, with wide eyes. I looked away and covered my chest. But then I thought of how they had humiliated Jenna and I ripped the suit’s jacket off and copied their fighting stance. Jenna gasped and so did one of the guys.

“I’m a guy who likes to cross dress,” I told them grinningly. “Got a problem with that?”
I might be short, I might still be wearing mascara and I MIGHT have just said what I think I did but I knew I cut an impressive figure.

“You’re that kid…” one of them began.

“Quintex,” Jenna said from behind me “The child karate prodigy.”

“Feels good to hear that after so long,” I muttered. “Anyone still want this suit back?”
One guy grimaced, and after each had said something…colourful they left, whispering and risking glances over their shoulder.

“Here,” Jenna handed me back my leather jacket, her expression cold. “I don’t want to wear something from a liar and a perv.”

“I don’t like cross dressing,” I blurted out. “And I didn’t go to Éclair just to check out girls. I want to become a chef…The best, and signing up for courses at just any cooking academy isn’t going to cut it; Éclair’s the best there is and unfortunately only girls can enter. I’ve watched my sisters for years and decided it couldn’t be that hard. And the clothes don’t look too bad on me…” I was digging my own grave.

“Are you gay?” Jenna asked, her brows furrowing.

“What?! N…” Gay? Me? There was a better chance that margarine could actually taste good. But then I thought of the consequences if I denied it and the benefits if I didn’t. Quin wouldn’t mind sharing a room with a gay guy…at least most girls seem pretty chummy with them and Quin would actually believe me about coming to Éclair for the cooking. But if I denied it she would think I’m this creepy cross dresser (I wouldn’t believe me either if I was her)and that I enrolled just to be surrounded by sweet smelling girls.

I took a deep breath, as if I was playing the part of a closet gay who’s admitting for the first time. “Yes. It’s true, don’t tell anyone that I’m…gay.” I began to cry and Jenna flung her arms around me.

“You poor thing!” Jenna whispered into my ear. “I won’t tell a soul.”I cried for my lost manhood. I’m screwed if she finds out the truth.

Soup thickens if you leave it standing long enough, like carrying on a big lie.