Éclair Academy

I was in deep deep trouble. My girl disguise was already fragile, now I had to keep up the gay guy who knows kung fu and cross dresses lie as well. But at least I wouldn’t have to walk on eggshells around Jenna anymore, at least there were less strewn around now.
We wandered back in the general direction towards Éclair, and our conversations were no longer as free and open and I suspected that Jenna was feeling uncomfortable. Who wouldn’t be? Standing next to a (not really dear readers!) gay cross dresser?

I would be. But I smiled nonetheless as I sneaked a glance at her. Now, as a supposed gay guy, I could compliment her freely about her looks and give her some fashion advice. Jenna would look really hot in a pair of black leggings, a skirt…

We stopped suddenly and Jenna stared at me before dragging me away from the flow of people. She blushed, not meeting my eyes, her hand still on my forearm. “Could you… help me find something to wear for the junior ball?”

Junior ball? Oh right, I had heard it was to be held near the end of the term, to welcome the newly initiated first years. I had been planning to skip it and catch up on some reading. But because she thought I was gay (I’m not! I’m as straight as a…straight guy!) she had the misconception that as one of the male gay population I had fashion sense. At least having watched my sisters could help me here somewhat.

I sighed and flashed her my best smile. “Sure!”

We visited a few boutiques, found out they were too pricey for mere scholarship students and finally wandered into a gypsy kind of store selling weird antique clothes.

“How about this?” Jenna asked coming out of the dressing stall for the umpteenth time. I conspicuously wiped the drool from my face, pretending I hadn’t fallen asleep but was actually very excited. I was, having a girl as good looking as Jenna appearing in multiple outfits in front of one is not something to be passed up for, but…Who knew buying one measly dress could take so long? How did girls have such energy?

Today, Jenna had only dressed in these modest granny gowns. But I had finally convinced her to wear something that showed more skin. The dress she was wearing had clearly been some fairy costume but it wasn’t cheap looking at all and the fabric was salmon pink silk, with pearls studded to the hemline and worked into the vintage netting peeking out from underneath the dress. The petal sleeves and prettily woven green ivy running around on the fabric crazily, added a fairy-tale like touch.

Still, something was missing. For the next five minutes I pestered the batty old lady working at the shop to help me find the things I needed.

I came back towards Jenna, handed her a pair of sliver dance slippers and a locket that had lain in the discount box. She took them from me, slightly puzzled.

I stood back as she put these new items on and whistled in appreciation. “Perfect! What do you think, my lady?” I flourished a mock bow.

Her timid smile widened into one of pure delight as she twirled in front of the dressing stall mirror. Even the batty shopkeeper had come to watch, giving a gap toothed grin. “I love it!” Jenna said finally.

“Ah…” Her smile vanished and she looked down worriedly. “Will I be able to afford it?”
My own smile dropped a bit as well and I glanced over at the shopkeeper. The dress was probably the most expensive thing in the shop after the fox fur throw. Okay, it was an out of the way obscure gypsy shop but we were still in a rather up market area of the town.

“Two hundred Lilies,” she said, meeting my eyes and shrugging . “I don’t put the prices on dears.”

One could buy at least thirty grams of truffles or a bottle of high grade red wine with that money. I looked at Jenna, at her drooping shoulders and forced some cheerfulness into my voice, “We can split it. You can pay me back in small amounts for the next six months.” I folded my arms over my chest. “Take any longer deciding and I might add interest.”

Jenna flung her arms around my neck.

“Thank you.” Her breath tickled the nape of my neck and I blushed deeply but hid it by whining, “My make-up will ruin the dress!” Jenna punched me lightly on the arm and I found our eyes were level with one another. Her sky blue ones sparkled and her mouth was quirked up into a wonderful smile. My insides melted and I wanted to tell her EVERYTHING.

But she had already disappeared into the dressing stall and I had sunk onto the dusty armchair nearby. I held my head in my hands and when I looked up I met the shrewd eyes of the shopkeeper.

She tapped her nose. “Beauty’s such as her are rare nowadays eh?”

“Tell me about it,” I groaned.

~~~~~~~~~

“Stop loitering!” Clara snapped at a passing prefect who paled and hurried off. Clara gave a frustrated sigh. “We’ve been waiting for hours! It’s almost dinner time! Have they left town or something? We’ve sent out a search party of twenty eager to please juniors and we still have no results?”

“We should tell the head. Something might have happened to them and as heads of our respective grades we could be held responsible.” Glass girl said coolly, not looking forward to an interrogation by the only person that scared her.

“We’re not telling her anything, Helena. If they find we’ve been interfering so…deeply into the disciplinary council’s methods we could face suspension or even expulsion.” Diana tried hard not to revert to her old habit of nail biting. “I think’s it’s time we stopped waiting and just went on as if nothing happened; get ready for dinner and rest. I’ve wasted enough of my time waiting for two brats. When they show up I’ll make them regret setting a foot in this school.” To herself Diana said, they’ve humiliated me in front of my peers and minions. If I let them slip without punishment I’ll be the one regretting coming to this school.

So they split and went to their rooms each well aware that the tardiness of these two missing girls would be noticed by the head and in turn the reason for their disappearance would come to the attention of the demon head and their dirty laundry would lie on the floor for all to see.

Already plots of revenge were being schemed in all of their pretty heads.