Princess For Hire: The Second Semester
Part 6
By Melanie Ezell

Undercover Princess

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(Beginning of Part 6)

Part 6: Undercover Princess

-16-

As the next week passed, I found myself slipping more easily into the role of Becky the girl than ever before. It was no huge surprise to me that applying the same mental shift I had used to write my letter for Rosie to other events in my life helped to make things easier, but it did worry me a little how much less effort such a shift was starting to take.

At first it was the little things that caught my attention, or more to the point didn't. The first time I caught myself looking through one of Sarah's clothing magazines and imagining myself in them outside the context of the Princess Program was when it finally occurred to me that I was finally settling into the whole girl thing.

Of course, realizing I hadn't been dwelling on things was enough to make me start to dwell on why I hadn't been dwelling so much, and that much dwelling is never good for one's psyche. I needed something, anything, to keep myself busy and keep the non-dwell going.

Without any photo shoots left to worry about until after spring break, I found myself turning my non-Princess non-classwork time to another pursuit that had been bugging me.

Professor Swift.

Stew's folder had been an enlightening read, not the least of which was the knowledge that Swift was a member of Stonewall. Him? Really?

That was only the tip of the iceburg, though. There was also several pages of internet mumbo jumbo I didn't fully understand that linked Swift with the pen name Kelly Brice, and a whole slew of papers written under that name for publications on LGBT rights. What was more confusing was that a lot of them focused on the mistreatment of transsexuals and crossdressers.

Wait. That doesn't make any sense. This couldn't be the same Professor Swift who was constantly berating us for wearing our Princess uniforms to class, could it? Though come to think of it I had never seen him have a significant problem with Sarah, at least not beyond what he had with the rest of the boys who were in his classes.

One of the papers I found especially interesting. It was titled "Transgender Teens in the Modern School Environment," and was all about the lack of actions taken by schools around the country to protect transsexual and "gender variant" teens, whatever that meant. I almost threw the paper down in disgust when I read the spirited defense of these kids in the paper, knowing it came from the biggest pain in the rear I had seen in the entire school for us Princesses.

How could he write something like this and then treat us the way he did? For all the papers I was reading talked about equality and acceptance, he had never shown either in his treatment of us in class! It didn't take me long to come to the conclusion that Stew must have made some mistake in his research, because there wasn't any way that this was the same man I had for Civics every day.

"There isn't a mistake."

"Are you sure?"

Stew sighed, not looking up from his lunch tray as I plopped down across from him, the folder between us. He didn't seem to be comfortable with my presence at his table, but I needed to figure this out, and fast.

"Yes, I'm sure. Hey, I was as surprised as you, and I thought the same thing at first, but I double and triple checked everything and... there's no way around it. Kelly Brice is Professor Swift."

"I can't believe it," I said, staring at the folder dumbfounded.

"Neither could I, but it does kind of make sense when I think about it."

Blink. "WHY?"

"Well, last year I had Swift for Civics, like you do. We were all assigned research papers, and for mine I chose to write a paper about the effect the Princess Program had on the student body. In it I described the Princesses as transgender a couple of times, and it seemed to go over well with the class."

"Yeah?" I urged him when he stopped. This was the most I had ever heard Stew talk, and I wasn't about to let him stop mid-story.

"I got an F, with a note telling me to more thoroughly research my paper next time before using terminology I didn't understand. Then he went off on a diatribe about the difference between someone who crossdresses and someone who is a crossdresser and transgender. He had treated me about the same as everyone else before, but after that paper he got really hateful toward me."

I thought back to the beginning of the year, and Swift's cruel comments toward Stewart that first day. "You haven't had any problems with him this year, have you?"

"Heh. No, I managed to avoid any of his classes this year. And I'm going to continue doing so for as long as I can. He's had it in for me for over a year now, and that was all before...."

"Before what?"

Stewart fidgeted with his food, blushing. "Just before."

I wanted to ask more questions, but before I could Stewart stood up and headed for the disposal window, half his lunch still on his tray.

I stood up, intending to follow him and continue to ask questions, when a very angry hand grabbed me by the shoulder and forced me back down into my seat with an unintentional squeak of surprise.

"We need to talk," Jules said as he sat down next to me, his voice calm but his eyes glowing with anger.

This was a conversation I had been avoiding for several days, and now that it had caught up to me I could feel the sweat dripping down my back as I braced for his anger.

"That was some shit the three of you pulled on Friday night."

I nodded, too scared by the look in his eyes to speak.

"Do you have any idea how that made me feel?"

Shakeshakeshake.

"I've never been so embarrassed in my entire life!"

Nodnodnod.

"And now you're going to pay for it."

Nodnod-SHAKESHAKESHAKESHAKESHAKE.

I jumped when Jules's hand slammed into the table, rattling it and sending food flying from several of the other students' trays. I watched nervously as he stood up and stomped off, fully expecting something else to happen, and somehow not all that relieved when it didn't.

Looking at the table where he had smacked it, there was a single sheet of paper there. With a great deal of trepidation I picked up the sheet, and after reading it I groaned aloud.

"What did you do to him?" Amos asked, slipping into the seat that Jules had just vacated, his eyes wide with awe.

Feeling a headache rising, I leaned back in my own seat and rubbed my temples. "Well, it was kind of like this..."

-17-

***Friday night, four days earlier***

Jules looked at us suspiciously as the three of us came out of my room, grinning conspiratorily.

"What do you guys have planned?"

"Oh, nothing," I said in a sing-song voice. "I'm just glad you decided to join us for our date night."

"Well, I've gotta guard my brother's honor after all," he said with a smirk. I'm sure he was expecting me to be caught off guard, but instead I simply smiled even more, to be rewarded with the first hint of uncertainty I had ever seen on his face.

"Let's gather up the boys, it's a little early but we can go ahead and get started."

As expected, both Leslie and Andrew were more than ready when we knocked at their doors, and without further ado our little group made our way to the common room. There was already a group there playing Halo on one of the televisions, but they agreed to turn it down so we could hear our movie on the other side of the room. The extra people weren't something I had accounted for, but it wasn't an obstacle my plan couldn't overcome.

"So what're we watching tonight?"

"Sarah and I already picked something," I said, pulling the DVD case out of my bag and handing it to Sarah without letting anyone else see what it was. Ruby knew, but she was part of the conspiracy now, and sworn to secrecy.

When the disc loaded up all three boys groaned as one.

"Pride and Prejudice?"

"Hey, I like this movie," Sarah said, smacking Leslie in the arm when she saw his grimace.

"You don't mind, do you?" I asked Andrew, seeing his eyes narrowing as he stared at the screen.

His face quickly changed to a smile when he looked down at me. "Nah, it's a good date movie."

"I mind," Jules said sourly from the other couch, where he sat with Ruby at arms length away.

I winked at her, and Ruby gave me a nervous grin before sliding closer to Jules and putting her arm around his waist. "But it's a great date movie! We can cuddle and watch it, it'll be fun!"

I fought not to laugh as Jules' expression morphed from cool disapproval to outright horror, his body stiffening as his gaze shifted down from the screen to the slip of a Princess gripping his waist and looking up at him with puppy-dog eyes.

"What exactly are you and Sarah planning for tonight?" Andrew whispered in my ear quietly, the music swelling as the opening credits rolled on the screen.

"Don't worry, you'll enjoy it. Trust me," I told him, seeing the same mischievous gleam in his eyes that must have been in mine.

For the first half hour of the movie, nothing happened. Sarah cuddled with Leslie, I curled up with Andrew's arm around me (a position I was still a little uncomfortable admitting I enjoyed, though it was growing easier,) and Ruby continued to hold Jules in a death grip, slowly pulling herself up until her head was on his shoulder while he sat rigidly on one corner of the couch, a deer caught in the headlights expression on his face.

The next step of the plan was the one Sarah was looking forward to, and while I was nervous, it would both work toward our goals and give me a better idea of exactly how comfortable I really felt with Andrew. I knew Ruby was as nervous about it as I was, but if all went to plan, she would have her revenge on Jules as well without having to go too far out of her comfort zone. I hoped.

Sarah made her move, and inched up Leslie's body, bringing his face down to hers in a deep kiss and holding it for as long as she could. Letting go long enough to take a breath, she then dived back in. For Leslie's part he was only shocked for a moment before getting into it himself, kissing her back just as passionately and with a grin growing on what was visible of his lips as he did.

I looked up from watching them to see Andrew looking at me intensely. I knew he had seen me watching them, and I knew that he was wondering what would happen next. My palms were sweaty, but I fought down my nervousness as I mimicked Sarah's movements, pulling myself up and kissing him gently. It might not have had the passion that she had shared with Leslie, but I could feel the heat growing in his face as he kissed me back. I wasn't sure I was ready for a full-blown makeout session yet, but a little kissing wasn't about to hurt me, and I knew Andrew wouldn't object. Besides, I owed him that much for putting up with all my crap over the last few months.

"Hey, what's going on herRMMPH!"

And that, I thought to myself as I smiled while keeping Andrew in a soft liplock, would be Ruby giving Jules the same treatment we were giving our boyfriends.

Time kind of got away from me after that, and I will admit to enjoying my close-up time with Andrew quite a bit more than I had been expecting. We never moved beyond light kissing, and him rubbing my shoulders, but it gave me a light-headed feeling I hadn't expected. When we finally broke away, I was less than surprised to see Ruby sitting quietly with her arm still wrapped around Jules' waist, a smug look on her face and an expression on his that could only be described as pure unadulterated embarrassment, the red seeping down his neck and reappearing on the upper part of his arms, his skin practically glowing.

When she saw me watching, Ruby pointed to Jules' mouth before pinching her nose with a grimace. Then she chuckled and gave me a thumbs up, turning back to the movie.

-18-

"You can't be serious."

I groaned. "We thought it was funny at the time."

Amos grinned, nodding. "Oh, it is, but I can tell you now, the three of you are gonna be paying for that for the next two years."

I groaned again, and Amos laughed at my discomfort.

"I don't see what the big deal is, it was just a joke! We even said so after the movie was over. He said it was okay, and went to bed, but ever since he's given me the death glare every time I've been near him."

Amos's grin disappeared. "Oh. Yeah. Well, he deserved it, but there's a reason for that."

"This isn't going to leave me feeling like a dirtbag for the joke, is it?"

"I hope not, it was a good joke."

"*sigh* Alright, spill."

"Jules sees the entire Princess thing as one big joke where he can push the limits of what the school is comfortable with without getting in trouble with it."

"Yeah, I know that much."

"The thing is, he kinda assumes that everyone else does too."

I shrugged. "I can't speak for everyone, but it's a bit different for me, and for Sarah."

"Yeah, but ya'll are girls."

"I..." I changed my mind on speaking. Now wasn't the time to correct him, and I wanted to hear where he was going. "Go on."

"Jules likes to mess with all the guys around here when he's dressed as a Princess, but as far as I know Jules is completely straight. My guess is that he brought along Ruby hoping to mess with you and Sarah, and probably her too, because he thought that like him you would all think of Ruby as a guy."

I shook my head. "Ruby's... Ruby. I don't think even she knows what she wants yet."

Amos smirked and rolled his eyes. "Well, Jules sees her as a guy, and when she kissed him I'm betting his brain was telling him 'guy' while his eyes said 'cute girl' and he didn't know what to do with everything. You made him question his sexuality. Any guy would take that rough."

I stared at Amos, a new appreciation for his intelligence growing inside me. "How do you know so much about Jules?"

He laughed, a deep, happy sound. For all his insecurities about his voice when dressed as Amanda, Amos's voice was always a joy to listen to when he spoke, with a rich Morgan Freeman-like tone. "We've shared a bathroom for the last two years. You learn a lot about a guy when you share a makeup mirror with him."

So I had hit Jules a bit harder than I had wanted to with my little joke. Well, not so little I guess, given how much it had affected him.

"So what's on the paper?" Amos asked when I had gone silent. It was a question I really didn't want to answer.

"Uhm, nothing."

"Come on, I shared with you about Jules."

"Urgh, alright," I said, reluctantly handing him the sheet that had sealed my doom.

He looked at it, and began to read. And read. And chuckle. And finally start laughing again, just as happily as before, though now I found it much less appealing.

"It's not funny!"

"Hahah! Yeah, it is, and just the kind of abuse of power Jules would use for revenge."

I pouted as I picked the page up and read it again, wondering why things like this always ended up falling into my lap.

Dear Reader:
You have been selected as the school's official representative for the Princess Program in the Persistence Saint Patrick's Day Parade.
As per your contract through the school for your services as a Princess, you shall receive standard rates for your service on this day despite its holiday status for all other school-sponsored student employment programs.
Your responsibilities as representative will include, but are not limited to:
---Helping to design the school's float.
---Participation in the Persistence Saint Patrick's Day Parade as part of the float's occupants.
---Serving as hostess at the school's booth at the Persistence Saint Patrick's Day Fair.
We thank you for your cooperation in this matter, and expect you to serve well in the honor of representing our school.

It wasn't a long letter, but it made it quite clear to me who had won this round.

"You win this time, Jules," I said under my breath, as I began to contemplate some way to get the upper hand again.

(End of Part 6)

NOTES:
Well, I hope people enjoy this chapter! The end bit (concerning the parade) wasn't something I originally planned, but I began to realize as I wrote the story that I hadn't really planned for any costumes this semester! For those who liked the cosplay/costumes element of the first book, this is my attempt to bring some of that back this semester.

So, any ideas on what kind of dress she should wear? Leave comments/pictures/ideas! Let me know!

Melanie E.