You stare at the mirror, uncomfortable in the elegant silver gown Feliks had picked out for you. Your breasts were a prominent as ever, pushed up by the corset of the dress. You knew that, had you actually been the least bit feminine, you would have been ecstatic with the bright rhinestones that ran along the hem of the skirt and the pattern of glitter across the corset, but the only thing you felt was utter terror.

  "Feliks, are you sure all this is necessary? I feel kind of ridiculous. And I can't really breathe in this thing." You complain, tugging at the fabric while trying to stay upright in the heels he had made you wear.

  "Totally, girl. If you vant to impress him, you, like, have to vork at it. And dis is vhat I call vorking."

  "Are you sure I can't just wear something simple? I doubt anyone's going to be impressed by this."

  "You could, but vhy vould you vant to? Besides, dis'll, like, totally get his attention. Now let me fix dat hair and ve'll, like, totally be good to be going."

  "Feliks, what are you going to with my hair? It's way too short for anything." You sigh, resting your cheek in your palm as you sit.

  "It's long enough for me. Now stop, like, moving and let me vork my magic." He replies shortly before digging his hands in your hair.

  A few moments later, you find yourself with a few curled strands of (h/c) bangs. You play with them as Feliks looks down with satisfaction.

  "As much as I appreciate this, Feliks, I really don't think I can wear this dress. I feel like I'm about to pass out."

  "Fine, have it your vay. I have someding extra in de car. Vait a minute and I'll, like, totally be right back."

  You sigh as he leaves, hoping to find something simple with him upon his return. To your surprise, Feliks came back carrying only a plain green dress.

  "Here, take dis. If he doesn't, like, totally fall for you, den he's an idiot."

  Laughing, you change, not subconscious about Feliks being in the room. He was going out with Toris, and had already told you that he didn't have any sexual attraction to women.

  The green dress was looser along your chest, allowing you to breathe more freely. The dark shade brought out you (e/c) eyes and it was long enough to cover halfway down your calves. You still felt strange, but it felt better than the gown.

  "Dis vill totally impress him, _______________. Don't vorry about it."

  "Well, it's certainly easier to breathe in."

  "Ha ha, you're so funny. Now go and, like, impress your man!" He shouts, shoving you out the door.

  "Fine, fine! Jeeze, you just love to kill me, don't you?"

~***~

  You had ended up wearing the dress to the party, and now nearly nobody recognized you. They all thought you were a new kid, so it did somewhat work to your advantage. Arthur had taken you under his wing so you wouldn't be harassed, for which you were eternally grateful. Unbeknownst to you, Alfred had made it an all-guy party, and the only females there were you and Alice.

  "I can't believe _______________ isn't here yet! He's usually the first one to show up!" You hear Alfred exclaim as Arthur led you away from prying eyes. You sit in a corner, able to see Alice hanging off of Alfred's shoulder as he cracked a joke.

  After about twenty minutes of light conversation with Arthur, you decided it was time. As Alice left Alfred, you managed to summon the courage to talk to him.

  "H-hi, Al." You say timidly, trembling slightly.

  "'Sup, dudette? Wait, who are you? The voice sounds familiar."

  "It's me, __-_____________. I, um-"

  "-No way, dude! Everyone knows ____________ is a cool guy, not some unattractive chic! No offense, of course." Cat calls and jeers from Alfred's other friends follow, making you wish you had just stayed home.

  "But I a-am ____________! Have none of you ever realized that '________________' is a girl's name?!” You shout hysterically, your face red as tears prick your eyes. The taunts become louder as the men begin imitating you, their voices high-pitched.

  "Look, dudette, why don't you just leave? It's not going to get any better for you if you don't. I don't know who you are, but-"

  "-For the love of – I'm ______________! What the hell is your problem, Al? I swear, you jackass, you've never been able to put two pieces of information together! How do you not recognize me?! Arthur was right, you're not worth it! I should have never tried to tell you this – I've never been able to trust you with anything!” You yell, the tears beginning to trickle down your face. Everyone becomes silent in shock and you feel their eyes on you. Looking towards Arthur, you see Alice standing beside him, their faces mirroring an expression of disbelief.

  Feeling the pressure get to you, you bolt outside, leaning against the house and discarding your high heels. You slide down into a sitting position, head in your hands as you pull your knees to your chest.

  "Are you okay, love?" You hear Arthur ask as the door closes.

  "What do you th-think?" You retaliate, mumbling into your hands.

  "Not well, I assume."

  "Great job, Sherlock. Want an award?" You ask scathingly, not bothering to look up.

  He chuckles softly before kneeling in front of you, pulling your hands away from your face. You bury your head in your knees, trying to hide the red in your puffy (e/c) eyes.

  "Love, hiding yourself isn't going to fix this."

  "You wanna bet?" You say, your voice muffled by your knees.

  "Why don't you come back inside? You don't have to talk to anyone."

  "I'd sooner die in a ditch under water."

  "You mean a trench?"

  "Whatever."

  Silence passes between you as music from the party penetrates the night.

  "He doesn't even think I'm attractive." You whisper to yourself, feeling more tears flowing down your face. Arthur grabs your chin and forces you to look at him, a hardness in his pools of emerald.

  "_______________, don't you dare do this to yourself. You hit the nail on the head when you said Alfred is an idiot."

  "Don't do this to me now, Arthur. I just want to crawl under a ro-"

  You're interrupted as Alfred bursts out, his hair messier than usual.

  "It's ________________, right? Why don't you guys come back inside, the party's getting crazy!"

  Arthur bristles, looking like he might murder Alfred. You place a hand on his shoulder, restraining him.

  "So you really don't recognize me?" You ask hopelessly, already knowing the answer.

  "Sorry, dudette, not a clue. Should I?"

  "Alfred Foster Jones, you have known me for almost a year. Just because I let my...breasts...breathe now gives you no reason to not recognize me." You growl, feeling another set of tears at his response.

  "Sorry, dude, but ______________ is definitely a guy. Stop trying to trick us."

  "Alfred, you arrogant prick. You always go on about being the hero,...but you're just another lazy man who only helps out when there's the possibility of a reward. What did I ever see in you?"

  Alfred looks confused as you confront him, barely containing your range of emotion. "Well, dude-"

  "-No. Just leave me alone, Alfred. Arthur, please, I'm begging you, leave me alone. I can't do this right now." You plead, content as Arthur nods. You stand up, taking a moment to look at Alfred before leaving, your bare feet squelching against the mud.