"What do I have to do to get into the crazy martial arts school. I will do anything, but I need to get in," I half plead, half demand from Liam the day after my ball, after bursting into his dojo (place where martial arts is practiced).

"Why the sudden urgency? You not only rejected the idea yesterday, but scoffed at it! Did something happen?" Liam asks suspiciously.

damn, I forgot how perceptive he is.

"I just realized that I want to live up to my full potential. If that means playing with the boys, then so be it. They want a boy, they got one. What do I need to do?" to say I was merely determined would be a major understatement.

"There's the Colie I know!" Liam smiled, "Well, first I took the liberty of buying you some baggy guy's clothing, just in case you decided to go," Liam's eyes glinted mischievously , he was going to enjoy fooling everyone just as much as I was. "and I bought you a corset in there too, I've no doubt that they'll fit after ordering your guis for you all these years. Oh, and I don't suggest you cut your hair, because in the pamphlet, it states that the boys go home on the weekends like you did at HO Academy, so that way you parents won't suspect anything. So if you braid it and tuck it into your shirt you should be fine, its the style there by the looks of it."

"Wow, so you pretty much have it all figured out," I say rather quietly. Liam really cared about me. He'd gone through all that trouble...for me. He wasn't even sure if I was going to end up going to the school, but he made sure that I wouldn't have to worry about anything, making everything as easy as possible. He's more of a parent than both of mine put together. I realized. Looking back, it was Liam who taught me morals, and virtues, and right from wrong so I wouldn't end up like my older sisters.

"Er...don't cry...it wasn't any trouble...please stop crying," Liam begs me to stop the tears I hadn't even noticed from running down my face.

I'm really going. I can go through with this. It isn't a dream, its real.

Instead of stopping the unwanted tears, I just walk around the wide counter and give Liam a hug. A very wet hug.

"Thank you," is all I could say.

"It wasn't much, most of the stuff isn't designer or anything, just from normal stores. And you have gear you can use already," Liam protests.

"Not just for that, for everything. For raising me, and always being there."

"I love you like I would my own daughter, it's been fun watching you grow up, kid. Now, enough of this, I want to get in a really good session today so that way you'll go into that school with as much of an advantage as possible. There are going to be boys there with skill levels far above you or me. I may be decent, but I'm not the best or even close to it. You are going to need to work harder than you ever will at Hogwarts Academy."

At the sound of my new school's name, I laugh and shake my head. How could such a prestigious school have such a stupid name!

"There's the smiling Colie I know," Liam smiles. I unlock my arms from around his waste, and go to get changed.

"Oh! Liam, when do classes start? When do I leave?"

"You can arrive at the earliest in five days, the same day that you would normally go to HO Academy, so you can pack your things and have your driver drop you off there, and then hire a taxi to take you back down to where the campus is located. You should be fine, now hurry up! We've wasted enough time already!"

Five days. Five short days. I'm ready.

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Five days passed in a blur of packing and last minute preparations, I managed to convince the maids to pack my bags in plain black bags, not the obnoxious pink ones that were customary of HO students. It was easy to sneak in guy clothing and my sparring gear (sparring is a controlled fight within a ring). Liam and I decided I should bring my clothes that I would normally need at Ho so my parents won't freak out when I come home in my guy clothes, in a corset, and with my hair braided behind my head and the braid tucked in to the back of my shirt. With a bit of makeup making my face look a little more mature, and some light black smudges on my face to make it seem like i had a beard, I did make a good boy. All be it a young, small looking boy, I would pass.

Now, the bus pulls up to the Hogwarts School of Martial Arts for Boys campus, and i spy a series of small buildings arranged in a semicircle with the biggest building in the center. The bus pulls right up to this building so, with a slight bit of nerves, I grab my bags and enter.

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"Name." the stern looking man at the front desk asks.

"Cole Richards." I say, trying to make my voice as gruff as possible.

From the look I received from the man, I guess I didn't get the voice right.

I'd have to work on that later.

"Room 209," he hands over the key without asking any questions, and I let out breath I didn't even realize I was holding.

As I turned around I saw some other boys enter and get their keys. Watching the way they walk with long strides and a slight bit of a swagger, I realized that I must still be walking my lady walk. I immediately take longer strides and copy their gait. I can pull this off, just stay quiet, don't attract attention, and observe.

Room 209 ended up being at the very end of one side of the semicircle (of course), and i realized it was also furthest away from the class buildings which all surrounded the center big building where I checked in. Actually, it wasn't that bad, I was in a small dorm with lots of privacy as there were only five total rooms in my building. Each room had its own bathroom.

Entering the dorm, I walked directly into a hallway with doors on either side, 213...211...209.

And, with now further adieu, I crossed the thresh hold, walking into the room and straight into a brick wall...with piercing blue eyes.