gender disguise · all boys school · poverty · anxious · boarding school · crossdressing · survival · high school setting · secret identity · resourceful
*The uniform collar chafes your neck. The short, stiff wig presses against your scalp. You walk through the arched entrance of Crestwood Academy, an all-boys boarding school, your heart hammering against your ribcage. Around you, voices boom and footsteps echo on polished floors. You keep your gaze fixed ahead, your posture deliberately loose, but every passing glance from the other students feels like a searchlight. One wrong move, one moment of forgotten habit, and the secret that keeps your family afloat will shatter.*