Totally Boy. Totally Fine. Totally lying.

AMELIA  ‘Declan’ SILVER

                         Chaotic!

If someone had told me that Lunaris Academy wasn’t just a school but a certified mad house for elite young men with too much testosterone and too many secrets, I would have politely laughed.

Now? I wasn’t laughing. I was regretting all my life decisions up to this very moment.

I stood at the massive iron gates… that must have been the third one I had come across… with suitcase in hand, hood low over my forehead. The stone walls looked ancient, the emblem of Lunaris carved on them like a warning — a wolf and moon intertwined.

And I? I was about to walk into this place pretending to be someone I wasn’t…

Totally boy…

And if anyone here found out I wasn’t one?

Well… let’s just say expulsion would be the least of my worries. Boys didn’t like being tricked, especially powerful, ego-heavy, competitive ones.

I took a breath. You're Declan. Keep your voice low. Don’t panic. Don’t stare too hard. Don’t accidentally walk into the wrong restroom and scream.

Simple rules. Totally manageable.

Right?

The moment I stepped through the gate, chaos hit me like a wave.

Guys everywhere. Talking loudly, running, shoving each other playfully — or not so playfully — throwing sports bags, calling out challenges, arguing about ridiculous things like who would survive longer in a forest with only a spoon.

I walked forward, trying to look normal, casual, like someone who belonged here and definitely wasn’t internally dying.

Then… bam!

Someone bumped into me so hard I nearly fell.

“Watch it, boy.”

His voice was deep and irritated. He didn’t even look back. Just continued walking.

I blinked. “Sorry,” I muttered, even though he was already twenty miles away.

Okay. Zero stars for my first interaction. Fantastic start.

I kept walking — and the looks began. Boys glanced at me, assessing, curious. Not in a creepy way, thank goodness, but more like…

Who is the new guy? Can he fight? Is he weird? Should we challenge him to something stupid?

My heartbeat felt like drums in my head.

A boy suddenly stepped into my path. Tall, lean, green-eyed, messy black hair like he fought a tornado. His grin was obnoxiously confident.

“New face,” he announced like he’d caught a rare animal.

“Yeah,” I said, lowering my voice, praying I didn’t sound like someone’s confused aunt.

“No kidding.” He snorted. Then he sniffed the air dramatically. “I could smell it.”

I blinked. “…Smell?”

He burst into laughter and slapped my shoulder. Hard.

“I’m just messing with you, boy. Chill. I’m Noah.”

“Declan.”

“Welcome to Lunaris. Try not to die.”

My eyes widened. “W-What?”

But he was already gone, whistling like he didn’t just drop a concerning sentence on me.

Great. New school, new identity, new possibility of death. Love that for me.

I dragged my suitcase, trying not to look like a scared rabbit. The conversations around me were insane.

“Bro, if you eat six bowls in one sitting again, the nurse will ban you.”

“Nah, I trained my stomach. Mind over matter.”

“That’s not training. That’s stupidity.”

Then…

“I'm telling you, the east dorm showers are cursed. The water turned red last week.”

“Dude, that was tomato juice. Someone pranked us.”

“I still think it's blood.”

I stared. What kind of school is this?! Who spills tomato juice in showers?!

Someone tapped my arm.

“Hey,” a red-haired boy said, pushing his glasses up. “Transfer student?”

“Yes.”

He nodded sagely. “Just a warning… avoid training field B after sunset.”

“Why?”

He leaned closer, whispering like he was sharing government secrets. “Last guy who ignored that rule swore he saw glowing eyes in the bushes.”

“…Like an animal?”

“No. Like a person with fangs.”

I stared at him.

He blinked. “Anyway, welcome!” Then he jogged off like he didn’t just deposit horror movie material into my brain.

Glowing eyes? Fangs? What is this, Werewolf Academy?

Before I could process that, someone suddenly grabbed my shoulder.

I nearly flinched hard enough to blow my cover.

The guy was huge. Muscles. Black hair. Cold eyes that looked like they judged humanity and found everyone lacking. He stared down at me like I was a puzzle piece that didn’t fit.

“You're new.”

“Yes,” I said, trying not to squeak.

“Don’t trust everyone here.”

His voice was quiet. Dead serious. His gaze held mine a moment longer than comfortable.

Then he walked away.

I exhaled shakily. What was that? Why did everyone here speak like they were in a secret movie intro?

My brain: He's suspicious. Avoid him.

My heart: …Or obsess because mysterious guys are weirdly fascinating.

No. Focus, Amelia.

Sorry, Declan, I meant.

I followed the hallway to the dorm building — stone walls, antique lamps, a feeling like old legends lurked in corners. My roommate was supposed to be someone named Zayn.

Room 214.

As I entered, I heard loud noise from down the hall… someone complaining about push-up competitions, someone shouting about a lost sneaker, someone laughing like they had no worries in life.

Ah. Boy universe. Loud. Chaotic. Smelled faintly like deodorant and ego.

Finally, I reached my door. My hand trembled slightly as I pushed it open.

The room was surprisingly cozy. Two beds, two desks, warm lighting. One side neat and organized… a sign that someone took pride in their space. Thank goodness.

Then the bathroom door opened and a guy stepped out, towel around his neck. His skin was tan, jaw sharp, hair wet and messy, eyes dark and observant.

He froze when he saw me.

“You're the new guy.”

“Yes. Declan.”

He studied me. Not rudely, but like someone who noticed details others missed. “Zayn.”

“Nice to meet you.”

“Mm.” He rubbed his hair with the towel. “You already run into Noah?”

I blinked. “Uh… yes?”

“Stay away from him.”

“Why?”

“He collects trouble and attracts weirdness.”

That… sounded accurate for the guy I met.

Before I could respond, someone barged in — tall, blonde-ish, smirking like confidence dripped off him.

“Who's the newbie?” he asked, stepping in without invitation.

Zayn sighed. “Aiden, don’t start.”

Aiden ignored him and eyed me. “Declan, right?”

“Yes.”

He looked me up and down, assessing. I straightened subtly, trying to look… boyish? Strong? Not like someone who watched makeup videos at night?

He smirked. “Relax. I just check out new competition. Lunaris is intense. If you're weak, you won’t last.”

I shrugged. “Good thing I’m not weak.”

Where did that confidence come from? I had no idea. Maybe panic powered it.

His smirk widened. “We’ll see about that.”

He left as abruptly as he came. Zayn rolled his eyes.

“They like to size people up here.”

“I noticed.”

Zayn sat on his bed, crossing his arms. “Lunaris isn’t normal. There are cliques, rivalries, secrets. People test you. Some for fun. Some because they feel threatened.”

“And you?” I asked carefully. “What should I expect from you?”

He paused, eyes meeting mine.

“I don’t babysit,” he said. “I don’t play games.”

“Okay.”

“But…” He sighed softly. “If someone tries to mess with you, tell me. I hate bullies.”

My chest warmed a bit. “Thanks.”

“Just don’t make trouble. Keep your head down. And remember,” he paused, like he was about to tell me the biggest secret of his life, “people here notice everything.”

Oh. Great. Perfect for a girl pretending to be a boy. No pressure at all.

I began unpacking as Zayn stretched and lay back.

“Declan,” he murmured.

“Yeah?”

“You look nervous.”

I froze. “Just… first-day nerves.”

He hummed. “Everyone has secrets, Declan. Just hope yours don’t bite you.”

I swallowed hard.

Noah: Try not to die. Mysterious guy: Don’t trust anyone. Zayn: Secrets bite.

Beautiful. Inspirational. Motivational. Terrifying.

As I stacked clothes in the wardrobe, trying not to hyperventilate, I whispered to myself:

“You can survive this. You’re Declan. Totally normal. Totally boy. No one will find out you’re…”

A shout echoed from the hallway:

“WHO STOLE MY PROTEIN SHAKES?!”

I sighed.

Welcome to Lunaris.

Day one: survived.

Mostly.

Tomorrow? I was either going to fit in or accidentally expose myself and die dramatically. No in-between.

But one thing was certain:

This school had secrets…

And I was determined to uncover them… without losing my identity.

Or my sanity.

Hopefully.