Hearts Academy Ch. 02

"Archer does like dirty things." Cosette smirked. "So perhaps she would appreciate a bath and your subsequent rough charm."

"Hey Cosette," He said as he couldn't help but notice her continued aggression towards his date. "why do you hate Archer?"

"I do not hate Archer. She is just someone I find distasteful and unwanted."

"I see." He rolled his eyes. He had little time or energy to decipher her cryptic messages.

"This has been an incredibly productive afternoon." Jess groaned loudly and suddenly. "Can I go back to reading please?"

"I suppose." Cosette sighed.

"Can I ask you all something?" Dana sighed as placed his head in his hands.

"Sure." Charlotte nodded flopping down into the chair across from him.

"What do you see when you look at me?"

"Oh Dana." Cosette shook her head. "That's so sad."

"Very sad." Jess added. "Your self-esteem is lower than I thought."

"I see a very brave boy who's shy and nervous but is passionate about the things he loves." Natalie smiled.

"I see a boy with locks of hair that would make a model jealous. With the most beautiful turquoise eyes I have ever seen." Marie added.

"But that's just it." He whispered. "You don't see me as anything but a boy."

"What's wrong with that?" Cosette shrugged. "We're girls. You're a boy."

"I," He could feel the tears building in his eyes. "I can't believe it."

"You're not a man, Dana." Jess shrugged. "I know you're digging for that, but you aren't a man."

He felt the first tear run down his cheek and down his chin. Then the second as he grit his teeth. Her comments had cut him to the core. Exposed what he had always feared about this situation.

"It doesn't matter what we see." Charlotte's eyes were completely steady, and her face was a perfect picture of seriousness. "We aren't your date."

"But," He stammered as he sniffled. "It does matter."

"No, it doesn't Dana. Archer sees something in you and so do I. You're special. We're all special. That's the beauty of Hearts."

"But-"

"No. Dana, you're not a man. But being a man is fucking overrated. Be something else, Dana. Be you." Her words hit him hard and he began to sob even louder as he buried his heads in his hands. He wasn't sure why he was crying. He only knew that the deep depths of sadness in his soul had burst. That the anxious energy of the day had been brought to an ear-splitting crescendo of release.

"Thanks." He spoke through the tears. "Thank you, Charlotte."

"No worries. Want to put on a dress now?" She grinned.

"Do I have to?"

"Once a month, Dana." Cosette laughed. "Want to make it now?"

"No." He groaned. "No way."

"So, what are you going to wear?" She smiled. "Because we've been down this road before. You need an edge, something to make up for what just happened."

"Like some makeup!" Charlotte laughed.

"If I agree to this, if I say yes, do you really think that it'll help?"

"It's very hard to say no to a pretty face and you've got a fairly pretty face, Dana."

"That's," He sighed as he struggled to think of the word. "comforting?"

"It is truly your choice. I doubt anyone is going to force you into anything here." Cosette smiled.

"Fine." He sighed in defeat. "What else do I have to lose?"

"Yay!" Charlotte clapped suddenly. "Oh, we're going to make you so gorgeous, Dana!"

"Yay." His voice could not be any fuller of sarcasm if he tried.

"To Dana's room!" Marie cheered as he followed along with them.

His room barely supported three people, but it didn't stop the crowd of them to push their way further and further into the small space. The bedroom afforded to him quickly became hot with their shared body heat and he began to sweat nervously at the task before him. The girls moved around his room with surgical precision. They knew exactly where each item they required had been even before he did. The dresser held a blouses and stockings in black or white while the closet itself had the red vests he had seen and the same skirt as Sherri. The masculine variant of his uniform was just that. A red vest, black slacks, and a white button up shirt with a black tie. In his cursory glance at each of them, he could only see about four of them. As compared to the seven, eight, or even nine feminine uniforms.

He was sat in the chair accompanying the vanity as his date night's look was assembled. He cared little for his reflection. He had always been a pretty boy, a sad destiny that resulted from his unfortunate genetics. His mother's mother had been a model in her youth and his father had a sort of glamour that had attracted him to be a musician.

But he went a bit beyond pretty boy. His life had been plagued by a lack of testosterone. His visage unlike that of a woman already. It was not helped by his long, silky, raven hair that flowed like rivers of ink down his shoulders. Nor was it dispelled by his sharp cheekbones, button nose, and plush naturally peachy lips. He resembled his female relatives far more than his male. His father had always teased him but assured him that women fell head-over-heels for pretty boys. He didn't need to be made up like a doll to be womanly. All he had to do was to simply show up.

That did not stop the girls of Hearts Academy from showing him the error of his ways. There was always room for him to become even more feminine. Charlotte was quick to work on him. A mask of silky porcelain colored foundation to cover the few pores, specs, and shadows on his chin. A light dusty rosy pigment was brushed lightly brushed across his cheekbones. His eyelashes draped with a small coating of mascara. He had never worn makeup outside of a few theatrical forays in high school. It his least favorite piece of the ensemble. A mascara wand did not look like a tool of beauty and glamour but an instrument of torture. He had jabbed himself far too many times in the eye with it to care.

Charlotte did not have the same problem. She waved the wand with absolute grace and wonder as she applied it to his eyes. For the final touch, she applied a small coat of soft pink lip gloss. It would have been a gross exaggeration to suggest that he had somehow been transformed into a woman.

But it was not that bad. Certainly not harmed by his already feminine look but certainly not like a new person.

As Charlotte worked hard on his face, Natalie and Marie fussed over his hair. With slender graceful movements, they took strands of his hair and wove them together in two perfect braids. Tying it with a simple red ribbon, he could not believe that they had turned his hair so easily into a picture-perfect display of innocence.

He looked like the definition of a schoolgirl. Coy, innocent, and full of youth. He didn't turn up his nose at their hard work. But the look certainly did not suit him.

"How's that Dana!" Charlotte smiled placing the used cosmetics back into the drawers.

"It's something." He shrugged.

"You don't look half-bad, you know."

"I think our Dana looks stunning." Cosette nodded.

"Absolutely!" Marie nodded.

"Beautiful." Natalie smiled.

"Amazing." Jess droned from outside sarcastically.

"Thanks for the help?"

"We laid out the clothes for you on your bed. Have you worn makeup before?" Charlotte lay a hand gently on his shoulder as he looked up at her. She was radiating a kind sort of energy that made him feel warm on the inside. He wasn't sure of the cause or sure of her intent, but he still felt an ease wash over him.

"Yes, I acted once in high school."

"Good!" Cosette placed another hand on his shoulder. "Then you shouldn't mess it up like a messy child during your date then."

"Sure Cosette." He rolled his eyes. "Thank you for the advice."

"Not a problem." She smiled with a nod. "We will leave you to dress yourself. I know how much you appreciate your privacy."

"Please do." He sighed staring back at the arranged uniform. He was not going to be happy with himself tomorrow. The girls of Hearts filed out of his room quickly without a word. Leaving him alone with his thoughts and problems.

"Alright." Dana muttered as he stood from the chair and pulled his shirt over his head before tossing it into the closet.

"Let's get this over with."

~~~~

It helped him to think of it as an exercise in expression. It would have been emasculating, humiliating, or even horrible if not for his blessed surroundings. He was not mocked for his appearance here. Instead, he was hailed for it. Beautiful girls that would make most men nervous in their wake had waited on him hand and foot. They all vied for his attention; they all fell atop each other to simply speak to him. It was the hot blood of masculinity that drove him to put on the uniform. But it meant very little when he admired himself in the mirror.

His cursed genetics had given him a nearly perfect womanly frame. The silky caress of the blouse on his skin made him shiver with each step while the vest kept him from feeling nearly as naked. He pulled at the hem of his skirt but could not force it any lower than below his knees. The rest of him was clad in the silky sheer white stockings that absolutely affirmed his innocent look. For shoes, he was forced to wear a small heeled black shoe that matched his ensemble completely.

Dana glanced at himself in the mirror and rolled his eyes at the reflection. He still resembled his pretty self, albeit just a bit prettier than normal. Even with all the adornments of his feminine classmates he could still clearly see his own face. His skin however had never looked so pristine. So perhaps there was something to this cosmetic business he could adapt into his everyday life.

With a heavy breath, he threw open his door and faster than a blink of an eye sprinted out into the hallway before he could hear the gasps and cheers of his roommates and their friends although he heard fragments of their shock and awe as the door slammed shut behind him.

Dana winced at the loud boom in the quiet corridors before beginning to briskly walk to his destination. He did not know the time but judging by the darkened sky he could only guess that it was approaching his appointment with Archer. The dining hall was easy enough to return to consisting of only a single entry back into the main building. But it was his nerves that kept him from making decent time. He had no idea what to expect from a girl that he had barely gotten the time to know. A girl who had refused to even give him her real name. But he knew enough about her to know that she drove him wild. She was strong, fast, and had a sense of humor. Her toned legs that nearly broke through the seams of her snow-white stockings, to her slender yet deceptively muscular arms that looked as if they could choke him out and maybe they would if he asked nicely enough.

He laughed at the thought. The girls of Hearts were already madly in lust with him. Would it be so easy to take advantage of it? Perhaps this date could lead to other things. Perhaps, he could break a lot of firsts with Archer.

His thoughts of sexual conquest melted away when he pushed open the doors to the dining hall and felt his breath being taken away. Archer was seated at lone table in the center of the room. The room had been cloaked at night with only her position keeping the darkness at bay with a lit candle in a silver candle stick in the center of the table. Whilst he had changed for their meeting, she remained in the same uniform as earlier and a look of amusement spread across her face while those beautiful green eyes sparkled in the dark.

"An interesting choice of attire, Dana." She laughed standing from the table. "Please allow me to get your seat."

"I," He swallowed his protests as he accepted the gesture and allowed her to pull out his chair for him before sitting down across from him. "Thank you."

"My pleasure." She smiled. "Now, do I call you Dana or Dana?"

"What?"

"It is a joke." She chuckled shaking her head in amusement at his confusion. "Because Dana and Dana are both feminine and masculine."

"I see." He nodded as he slyly rolled his eyes at the taunt. "Funny."

"Go ahead and laugh!" She smiled. "It's fine to laugh at yourself and at your date's funny jokes."

"I didn't mean to imply-"

"Oh, I'm just joking around." She laughed harder. "You're so easily flustered, Dana!"

"I-I-I see." He blushed gripping the tablecloth on his side of the table in his hands.

"Did you enjoy your day?"

"I can't say that I did or didn't." He sighed reclining in his chair. "My roommates are insane."

"Oh?"

"Well they insisted on me coming to this date dressed like this. They weren't pleased with the clothing that I had brought from home and then did this to me."

"I rather like it."

"I'm not saying it's bad." He shook his head with another sigh. "Just surprising."

"You act as if a little makeup will kill you." Archer smiled, she reached ever so slowly across the table to take hold of his hand. "I rather like it."

"I," He swallowed. "I'm glad you do."

"So tell me, who are these mischievous roommates of yours?"

"Uh, Charlotte and Marie."

"Ha!" She slammed her palm on the table with a loud laugh. He nearly leapt back in his seat in surprise.

"You know them?"

"Oh yes." She smirked. "I know Charlotte Durepos very well."

"So, you understand then." He sighed in relief. "Thank heavens for that."

"I do." She nodded. "I know all of her tricks and schemes. You'll have to watch out for her, Dana. She's quite the charmer here."

"Will do."

"As are most of the girls here." She chuckled. "Always playing their odd little games."

"What do you mean?"

"Oh, I think you know what I mean."

"I don't." He shook his head in confusion. "What games?"

"A lot of girls will try to seduce you."

"Yourself included."

"Ha!" She laughed loudly again. "How am I doing so far?"

"I am here aren't I?"

"True enough. Shall we get started? Or do you wish for more small talk?"

"Dinner or the date?"

"Why not both, Dana?" She smiled removing her hand from his.

"I agree." With that, Archer pulled from beside the candle a small silver bell and rang it once. The melody of the bell echoed across the dark dining hall before a man in a carefully pressed suit emerged wheeling a cart full of delicious smelling food. He glanced over at the man, he was clearly elderly but had no hesitation in his stride nor trouble lifting the plates to the table. From behind his thin silver rimmed glasses, he stared at Dana with cold grey eyes. He said not a single word before leaving the cart next to the table and vanishing just as quickly as he appeared.

"Who was that?" Dana asked bewildered by his appearance.

"A servant of the school."

"And that's just a normal thing?"

"It is for certain students."

"So, when do I get my personal butler?" He smirked.

"Patience." She cooed revealing a dish of bread and meat. He nearly salivated at the opportunity to try such rich cuisine.

"So what do you study Archer?"

"A complicated question." She laughed as she gently lay the napkin down on her lap.

"How?" He cocked an eyebrow at her apprehension. She was closely guarded, far more than any other student at Hearts Academy.

"Well, as you can tell I take pride in my physical attributes. I train very hard to be in peak shape while I am here. However, I am a student of the mind foremost. A healthy body is nothing without a strong brain."

"So you study fitness?"

"No, Dana." She shook her head with a sigh. "I study the mind. That's quite literal. I focus in psychology."

"Interesting." He nodded. "So what brings you here?"

"The same thing as you and the others, freedom."

"Freedom?"

"Yes." She nodded with a small smile. "The ability to be my true self. Absolute freedom that is afforded to me within these walls."

"I see." He scratched his chin with a shrug. He had sought freedom as well, but it seemed that they had taken to it far more extremes.

"I take it that you don't feel the same." She shook her head taking a bit of her food.

"I never said that."

"Some things, Dana Morgan, do not need to be said." Her eyes quickly shifted from joy to seriousness.

"No, I," He groaned as he threw his head back in frustration. "I understand."

"Understand what?"

"I came here for freedom too, Archer. Just not like everyone else. I kind of guess I stumbled into a strange scenario, but I want to make the best of it."

"Strange? You think that I'm strange?" Her eyes narrowed as her tone took on a shade of anger.

"No! Well, yes, a little."

"Dana, you're a terrible flatterer." She smiled. "But I enjoy someone who does not to manipulate me."

"I came here to pursue my art in peace and serenity. That's what I do Archer, I'm an artist."

"I can tell."

"You can?" His eyes widened. He didn't remember even hinting at it before nor any clue that would give himself away.

"Artists have a sort of charm about them. But really, it's your dexterous fingers that gave it away. That and you have a callus on your dominant hand."

"Oh." He nodded.

"Not a bad thing." She smiled. "Just a interesting little fact. Something that makes you unique, after all."

"Thank you." He smiled back.

"Did you find it hard to leave home for here?"

"I didn't," He shook his head with a heavy sigh. "I had a pretty crap life back home. Hearts gave me freedom to get away from it."

"I'm sorry." She stood from her chair suddenly before placing a hand over his once more and sitting gently on the side of the table.

"It's alright."

"Dana," She purred entertwining her fingers with his. He could feel her warmth, her gentle yet rough touch on his skin. "You're a pretty interesting person."

"T-Thanks." He stammered. He felt her slowly get closer and closer until she sat directly on his lap. His heart raced so fast he worried that it would explode out of his chest at any minute. Slowly sweat began to drip down his face.

"I didn't know what to expect when I first met you in the gardens." She smiled slowly coming closer and closer until he could feel her breath on her face. "But I see now."

"Wh-Wh-What do you see?" He gulped as she let go to take his face in her hands.

"Something beautiful." She whispered as she slowly gave him a gentle kiss on the cheek before moving her hands under his shirt.

"W-W-Wait." He stuttered as she bit gently down on the lobe of his ear and wove her fingers into his hair.

"Shh," She laughed planting a gentle kiss on his neck. "No more talking, Dana."

"Archer." He nearly yelped in shock as he felt her kisses slowly begin to trail down his neck and to his collarbone.

"Are you open to new experiences?"

He nodded. She stood up suddenly before inserting her thumb between her skirt and waist before slowly loosening it and letting it drop to the ground.

Dana was not shocked at the instrument between her legs that stood firm and straight in his direction. He was only surprised by how she managed to hide such a thing in a skirt.

"So?" She laughed quietly as she placed a hand at the base of her penis. "Want some dessert? I've been told I taste quite sweet."

His mouth was drier than a desert at the idea of taking such a thing into his mouth and while his appetite had been whetted by her constant charms, it was certainly not that open. His mind was a blur of incredibly fast-moving thoughts ranging from action to reaction. But not a single second, not a single thought, was in favor of what she asked.

"I don't know." He spoke finally shifting in his seat to get inches away from her. "What if we get caught?"

"Caught?" She laughed. "There's no one around, Dana."

"Still, I don't want to get into trouble." He had hoped his lie was enough to dissuade her and allow himself an avenue of escape from her constant advances. He didn't want to hurt her nor make her think that he was disgusted by her.