Mister Sharp
Deryn Sharp looked in the mirror, feeling more than a little agitated. She was alone in her bedroom. Mum and the aunties had spent the better part of a month ignoring her, so she only had her brother Jaspert to talk to. He had returned to Glasgow from London three weeks earlier, but would go back to London the next week, with Deryn in tow. Deryn looked at her reflection, scrutinizing herself. In her dress, with her hair done up all proper like Mum made her, she most definitely looked like a girl. But not for long…
"Deryn? Deryn? Can I come in?" Deryn turned from her image as someone rapped their knuckles one her doorframe.
"Come in, Jaspert!" She called back. "Did you bring the shears?"
"Aye," Jaspert said as he opened the door and entered. "Mum nearly burst into tears when she saw me with them."
"Of course she did," Deryn muttered, rolling her eyes.
"Oh, don't be too hard on her," Jaspert said. "She doesn't want her only daughter getting hurt."
"No, she doesn't want her only daughter wearing trousers."
Jaspert merely shrugged. "Maybe that, too."
Deryn sighed and Jaspert put down the shears.
"What are you doing?" Deryn asked. "We're doing this now!"
"Now? Are you mad? Mum will kill us!"
"I don't care Jaspert!" Deryn said, sitting down heavily on her bed. "I'm damn sure of what I want, and if Mum doesn't like that, so be it!"
Jaspert looked at his sister for a long moment, and then picked up the scissors. "Fine. But if Mum takes these shears too our throats, don't blame me."
Deryn grinned and threw her arms around his neck. "Thank you, Jaspert!"
Deryn dragged a stool from the corner of the room and placed it in front of the mirror. She quickly pulled all the pins from her hair, so that it tumbled down her shoulders. Sitting down on the stool, she folded her hands neatly on her lap, waiting. Jaspert walked over to her and pulled at a lock of hair. Using the shears, he carefully snipped it off, and long, blonde strands fell to the floor. Deryn watched silently as each lock fell to floor. She had not expected to feel anything, but she felt a surprising sense of loss as the yellow pile of hair began to build up on the floor.
"There," Jaspert said when he had finished.
Deryn looked up, startled. She hadn't noticed him finish. She squinted in annoyance, seeing a few longer strands at the front.
"Give me the shears!"
She grabbed the shears from Jaspert and hacked at the front of her hair. When she was finished, she threw the shears on the bed and stood up. Both of them looked at her hair through the mirror, their mouths slightly agape. Deryn slowly brought her hand up to her scalp, feeling the unfamiliar shortness. Her hair felt bristly and strange. She quickly rubbed her hand through it, and some excess strands fell off. Her hair now looked ruffled, and felt light as a feather; no longer such a bother. She grinned. It was perfect.
"Well," Jaspert said, after nearly a minute of silence. "You don't look like a boy."
Deryn turned from the mirror to face him.
"Jaspert," she said, indignantly. "I'm wearing a barking dress!"
"True. And we'll have to sweep up all that hair, before Mum sees. She'll have a fit enough when she sees your new hair, I can't imagine what it would be like if she saw the rest on the floor," he replied. "Do you have the clothes, then?"
Deryn when to her armoire and pulled out a man's uniform. "The tailor just finished fixing them up yesterday."
"No doubt he thought you were mighty daft, paying all that for some boys' clothes." Jaspert sat down on the stool Deryn had previously occupied.
"Sod off."
Deryn sent Jaspert out of the room, so that she could try the clothes on. She had already put them on a dozen times since the day before, but not with her boy-hair. Once she was dressed she walked back to the mirror.
"Barking spiders," she breathed to her reflection. Standing in front of her stood a young boy. Yes, his features were light and delicate, and without her long hair he looked a squick younger than usual. But he looked like a boy, nonetheless. She called Jaspert back into the room.
"That's bloody terrifying!" He said loudly, when he re-entered.
"How do I look? Be honest" Deryn asked anxiously.
"You look… you look like a boy." Jaspert stammered.
"Really? I don't want to hear answer that's filled with clart."
"Yes. Just… lower voice, or you'll sound like a ninny."
"Like this?" Deryn deeply lowered her voice.
"A bit higher, don't be a dolt." Jaspert said with a laugh.
Deryn looked back into the mirror. "I need a name."
"A name?"
"A boy's name. And a new identity. You must have told the airmen about your family; that you have a sister. When you introduce me I can be… your cousin. I'll be your cousin." Deryn said.
"Alright then," Jaspert nodded with a smile. "And what about your name?"
Deryn looked at Jaspert with a serious face. "Dylan."
Jaspert's smiled faded. "Dylan? Like Da?"
"Like Da," she confirmed.
To her surprise, Jaspert's jaunty grin returned. "You know what? I think he'd like that."
Deryn smiled, too. "Do you think I can do it? Do you think it'll work?"
"Yes," he said confidently. "You're no softie. Just impress them next week, you better. I'll be damned before I see you on your way back to Glasgow. You're a better airman… woman… than most of the men in London."
Deryn turned back to mirror.
"Hello," she said in her new voice. "I am midshipman Dylan Sharp. Let me at those beasties!"
A/N – After finishing the amazing piece of literature that was Behemoth, I was inspired to write this… please drop a review!
