Eight

The day has come for her to go to her new school. As a him. Not a her. So, she is feeling some massive anxiety about that, but she is pushing it down. She wanted this. She can do this. She has to. She has already done so much to be ready for this.

Such as going shopping with Eddy for boy's clothing. He had taken her back to his apartment and had her put on her wig and the stomach band. He had given her a large ace bandage for her boobs, which she had wrapped tightly over her bra.

With that and the band, she just looked like a plump guy. Combined with a pair of Eddy's jeans and an old AC/DC shirt of PJ's, she looked manly. Then came the wig. She did actually have to show Eddy what she looked like in a bald cap, because she had needed his help. Her hair had gotten tangled in the cap.

She braided her hair back and then pinned it up with bobbi pins that she had in her purse. Then she had pulled the wig cap on over it, using her hand to move her hair around so that she didn't have a weird, mishapen head.

Then she had put on the wig. Removing her mascara and lip gloss and thickening her eyebrows, she looked unrecognizable. Eddy had come up behind her in the mirror and stared hard. “God, that is weird. You look like a pretty man.”

“Thanks.”

When they had left the bathroom, PJ had gasped. “Woah! You look like a fine ass dude.”

Dani could not help but laugh. “Thanks.”

“Although, I miss the hot chick, you aren't bad like this.” He had added, making Dani blush.

Thankfully Eddy had ushered her away after that, taking her to the mall. In PJ's car. He hadn't wanted to be two guys on a motorcycle, to which Dani found amusing. But he hadn't minded teasing her in the mall, which to others might appear as flirting. She had not taken it as flirting, since she knew that he was way out of league, but judging by the hard stares from a judgy old woman, she assumed it looked flirty.

Now it was her and Eddy, alone again in her father's travel car, as he drives her to school. Her father had signed all the paperwork that had required a signature and he had wrote her a check, all without even looking at the forms.

As per usual, he had been so caught up in his own little world that he had noticed that the name on the papers had been Daniel instead of Danielle. But he had asked her if he needed to go, she had said no and that was it. He had bid her goodbye this morning and she had nodded.

He gave her another credit card, some cash and a new check book, telling her that anything she needed to get, to go ahead. Money was no issue. She simply nodded again and after an awkward beat of silence, he had left.

“I like this song.”

Eddy's voice catches her attention and she looks toward him, from where she rides in the back seat. He sits behind the wheel, in his black slacks, white collared shirt and black jacket, with the required hat. Dani thinks that he looks handsome.

“Um, yeah.. It's nice.” She says, remembering that he had mentioned the song on the radio. She had never heard it before, but it was not bad. It just wasn't really her cup of tea.

“That is a nice way of saying that you hate it.” Eddy comments, with a teasing smile.

“Nope. It's a way of saying tht it isn't bad. I just don't really like this kind of music.” Dani replies.

“Have you thought about that? If someone asks you what your favorite band is or favorite movie? You can't exactly be a guy and say that you love Cher. Or that your favorite movies are Out of Africa or anything directed by John Hughes.”

The fact that he knows that she loves the movie Out Of Africa touches her. Besides, he remembered their conversation about liking Cher. Dani feels warm inside at the thought.

“Then what do I say?”

“Hmm. Say that you like Meat Loaf, as your favorite band. Favorite songs are Two Out of Three Ain't Bad and Paradise by the Dashboard Light. You also like AC/DC, Kiss, David Bowie, Queen and Talking Heads. For favorite movies, Full Metal Jacket and Big Trouble in Little China. If they ask any follow up questions, change the subject.”

“I don't really plan on socializing. I just want to attend my classes, make good grades and get out. I don't want to make friends.” Dani tells him and he nods.

“Okay.”

That ends the conversation for a while. He stopped at a gas station outside of the city for her to change her clothes to become Daniel. She could not exactly leave her house in boy clothes with a wig. Her father might have actually noticed that.

That was why Eddy had decided to skip classes today to bring her. To help her out, because the other driver would never understand why she wanted to stop to become a boy. Besides, he might report it back to her father.

Besides, this way, Eddy would get to see his father, who was still a teacher at Northwood Meesler Prep. He said that he hadn't seen his father in months because of how busy he was with school and work. Now he would get to see his Dad, which made Dani happy.

As they crossed the state line leaving New York behind, Dani's stomach started to twist with nerves. She felt more and more nauseous the further they drove away from her home.

She had never lived anywhere but New York. Other than a couple of months in the summer spent in the Hamptons, she has lived in Upper Manhattan since her birth. She has spent a week in Florida and a week in the bahamas. That was with her Mom.

She has never been anywhere alone and she is really starting to think that she can't do this. She is used to being alone in her apartment, sure. But her dad is ten minutes away. Her friends are maybe twenty minutes away. Eddy is just a phone call away. But with her in Vermont, they will be hours away and she will truly be alone. She can't handle being alone so far from everything. “Stop!”

Eddy slams on the break, stopping the car immediately. Thankfully they are on a side road with no other cars around. He pulls over to the side anyway before he stops the car once more.

He turns around to face her frantically, scared because of her outburst. “What is wrong?”

“I can't do it. Turn around and take me home, please.”

“What? Why?”

“I can't do this, Eddy. What kind of crazy am I? Delusional. For sure, if I think that I can successfully pretend to be a boy, for God's sake! I have boobs!”

“Dani-”

“And a vagina! You know that, right? I have a vagina! Clearly not a boy! I can't do this. Besides, I am going to be alone! I don't know anyone here! I am crazy! This is a crazy plan! No! I just need to go home and forget this stupid idea of mine!”

“Dani!”

“Take me home, Eddy! Please!” She shouts and he nods.

“I will, if that's what you want. But ont before I saw this. You're plan is crazy, I will agree to that. But I do not agree to that assertion that you can't do it. I think that you can do anything that you want. Yeah, this is a weird idea that you had, but you had your reasons. You could have looked for a different school, one for girls, which I am not sure why you didn't...” He trails off and shakes his head. “Never mind. But you commited to this.”

“But-”

“No! You can do this. You will be the best fucking boy that this school has ever seen and I will be so proud of you!” Eddy's eyes widen in surprise. “God, that it the weirdest sentence that I have said in a long while.”

Dani laughs, feeling more at ease.

“You are just panicking, which is normal. Lord knows that you are in over your head, but you will do fine!” Eddy tells her and she nods.

“Now, climb your cute little boy ass up here with me and stop freaking out. We have a lot to cover before you get to this school and have to be a guy.”

Dani moves forward, climbing over the seat and once she is in the seat beside him, she leans over to hug him. “Thank you-”

“No problem.”

“You didn't let me finish.” She grins. “For saying I have a cute ass!” She winks at him and he actually blushes.

“Shut up.”

The rest of the trip was spent talking to Eddy about guy things that she is going to have to know if she wants to pull off her guy facade. He keeps up a steady stream of conversation and she gets the feeling that he feels like if he gives her a moment of silencem she will overthink things again and freak out again.

The last hour and a half of the drive is through tree lined streets and they pass maybe three other cars. When he turns down a gravel road, she sees the mountains looming ahead of her and she sighs. It is so gorgeous!

She did not realize that she had said that out loud until he agrees with her. “Yes, it is.”

He stops outside of a large wrought iron gate and they both stare in wonder at the beautiful scenery around them. The gate was opened, so he drove on through, for what seemed like miles.

“I forgot how much I missed this place!” Eddy comments, as the drive down the road. When it splits into two roads, he goes to the left, which the sign points out if Northwood.

After a minute or two, a large stone building comes into view. It looks like a large, stone castle. They drive past large, perfectly manicured lawns, down the tree lined drive. She spots gardens with benches, walking trails by the river, a tennis court, basketball goals and that is just from the front.

When he follows the drive up to the loop and parks, she is too daunted by the sight to get out of the car. The front of the school has a double sided stair case that leads up to the large, ornate front door.

In front of the stairs is a statue of a man posing seductively, with a piece of cloth draped across his private parts for modesty. His hand is laying over, palm up and a small fountain of water bubbles out, to fall into the pool below.

“Um, that statue fountain thing is kind of cool.” Dani remarks.

“You are here for two minutes and already you have seen a naked man.” Eddy playfully shakes his head. “Tsk. Tsk. I am not sure this was the best idea... you are so young.. and impressionable.”

“Bite me.” Dani mutters at him with a glare.

“Good Lord! Now she's a harlot!” Eddy gasps dramatically and clutches his heart in eigned shock. “Propositionaing men in broad daylight!” He leans forward and whispers. “You brazen hussy! I am not that kind of man!”

Dani leans forward to whisper back “Yes, you are.”

Eddy shrugs and nods. “Guilty.”

The playful banter loosened her up so that she was not longer quite so nervous about climbing the stairs to the intimidating structure before her. When the reach the door, she looks up at the towering place and sighs.

“Why do I feel as if I am about to enter Thornfield Hall?”

“Maybe because you have read a little too much Jane Eyre?” Eddy asks her, playfully bumping her shoulder with his.

“Ha!” She scoffs. “No such thing as too much Jane Eyre. Besides..” She pumps him back. “Can one desire too much of a good thing?”

“Quoting Shakespere the second you walk in the door. Ambitious. You let them see how smart you are, they might just give you a job here.”

She turns to Eddy, thinking that he said it, but he is looking past her. Besides, the voice came from somewhere behind her. Turning in that direction, she finds a handsome guy leaning against the wall. He has a back pack slung loosely over his shoulder and his uniform jacket hangs open, with his shirt pulled loose from his pants.

He smirks at her and it takes everything inside of her not to blush. Instead, she gives a casual shrug, deepening her voice an octive or two. “Eh. I could use the extra money.”

One side of the guy's mouth crooks up in a grin. Eddy clears his throat and Dani turns back to him, momentarily forgetting that he was there. “We need to get to the office, Dani.”

“Yeah, we do.” She agrees.

She thought about bidding the guy goodbye, but that seems like a girly thing to do, so she just follows Eddy as he walks off. He had barely taken too steps when he stops. “Dad!”

Dani looks up to find an older, just as handsome version of Eddy. He smiles and moves forward quickly, embracing his son! “Eddy!” He holds him close and grins, clearly so very happy to see him. “How is school? Life in New York? The job?”

“Everything is great. Doing great in school, though it is tough. Med school is no joke. I love the job, except that I have to hang out with that one.” He nods over his shoulder at Dani, who smiles at the men. “New York is great but living with PJ is a challenge sometimes.”

“Yeah, I understand. Living with his father wasn't exactly a picnic in the park.” Eddy's father remarks. He turns to face Dani and moves forward, releasing his son. “You must be Dani. I have heard so much about you from this one. I am sure that you are in for quite an adjustment here, but from what I hear, you are more than capable of handling it.” He winks and Dani grins.

Eddy told her that he had filled her ather in on her little cross-dressing escapades, so he was aware of her shenanigans. Apparently he just didn't care. “Thank you, Mr. Lydell.”

“By the way, my name is Bentley, but you can call me Ben.” He tells her.

“Is that allowed, calling you by your first name here?” Dani asks him and he shrugs.

“It is at the teacher's discretion if we want to allow the students to be informal. Most of the prigs here want to be addressed formally, because they are blowhards. The students that I like, I let call me Ben. Simple as that.” He tells her and she smiles.

“I am glad that I make that list.” Dani tells him.

“Anyone that can put up with that son of mine gets automatically added to the list.” He says and she laughs.

“He's not that bad..” She murmurs.

“Geez, thanks.” Eddy tells her.

“Well, I have to get going to my class, but will you be around for a while son?” Ben asks and Eddy nods.

“I was planning on staying until around afternoon, then leaving.”

“Good. I will see you after classes. Meet back here around two or so?” Ben asks and Eddy nods.

“It was nice meeting you, Dani.” He tells her, smiling at her.

“You too, Mt. Ly-” He gives her a pointed look. “Ben.”

With a satisfied nod, he walks away. She sees where Eddy gets his good looks from. Ben is hot. She would put him in his forties or so, with thick brown hair that is just a bit over grown and a short dusting of dark facial hair to make him look rugged.

“Hey, now. Don't fo crushing on my dad.” Eddy tells her and she jumps guiltily, thinking that maybe she had thought aloud once again.

“What?”

“You were staring after him with this weird look on your face. Please don't tell me you have the hots for him.” Eddy begs her and she chuckles.

“Well, I mean, he is hot.. but I'm good. I am already pushing things at this school by pretending to be a guy. I don't really need to press my luck by screwing around with a teacher too.” She tells him, following him as he starts moving towards where she assumes the office is located.

“Ew. Don't ever mention my dad and screwing in the same sentence again, please.” Eddy groans.

“Sorry.”

They get to the office and she turns in all of the paperwork, which the old lady in the office files away. She gives Dani the key to her room and a huge stack of papers, as well as her class assignments.

“Do you need someone to show you to your room?” The woman, Miss Merkle, asks her.

“No ma'am. With the room number that you supplied, I should be able to find it. Thank you.”

Then Dani and Eddy head out to the car to get her bags, carrying them up to her room. Eddy leads her up to the floor, still remembering his way around. They look for the right number, before the unlock the door and go in.

Once again, when seeing the large, empty room that she is to stay alone in, she feels nerves overtaking her once more. It looks like a large room that you would see in an old castle.

To the right of the entrance is a large stone fireplace, a door that leads to the bathroom on one side of it, a door that leads to a closet on the other.

On the left, across the room from the fireplace, is a double bed with a small table beside it. There is a dresser of five drawers and a small three shelf book case beside the door that leads into the room. A reading chair tucked beneath the window that is directly from the door. Lots of open floor in the middle.

“You can decorate the place however you want.”

“Okay.” She says, at this moment wondering if she even wants to stay. This place is huge and empty. If she feels like that with Eddy here with her, how is she going to feel once she is alone?

She must look as lost as she feels, because he moves over and puts an arm around her shoulder, pulling her into a loose side hug. “Don't worry, I will spend your first night with you, to help you adjust.”

Eddy is going to spend the night with her?

As is just the two of them?

Alone?