Kat POV

This was so exciting. Possibly the most exciting day of my life! I finally made it to high school! I'm going to meet with the head master today. I'm so nervous I don't even know what to wear. I wasn't given a uniform yet, which struck me as odd but who cares! I'm going to freaking high school!

"Catherine! Please come downstairs so that I can cut your hair before your meeting!" My mother called out. I was still standing in front of the mirror deciding on the clothes that I wanted to wear to the meeting. I couldn't decide between my old school uniform, and a cute tan ruffled skirt with a light blue t-shirt. It had some ruffles in the chest area to make them look bigger although I was highly lacking in that department. I sighed and went the cheesy route by wearing my old school uniform. I went down the stairs and was greeted by my mother with a pair of scissors in her hand and a chair that was beckoning my name.

"I want to keep my hair long for this new day in high school so please only cut off the split ends." My hair ran clear past my but in golden tendrils. I was lucky enough to get my father's Irish genes instead of the typical Japanese straight black hair. I often got in trouble with the dean of my old school for claims of dyeing my hair. I always had to argue that it was natural.

"Yes, yes I know." My mother's auburn eyes crinkled as she smiled at me. I sat down in front of her. Sometimes I wonder if my mother hated seeing my hair. She often would make me dye it black. My father left her when she had told him that she was pregnant. It has only been my mother and I but we make it work.

I heard her take the first snip in my hair. 'That's odd' I thought. Instead of seeing just a small amount of hair fall into my lap, it was almost the full length of my hair. "Mom?" It took me a few more snips till I realized she was cutting all of my hair off. I pulled away from her. "Mom! What are you doing?"

She had on an innocent face. "Sorry dear. My hand slipped." She continued to cut away at my hair but not without a fight. The end result was horrid. My hair was boy short and choppy. I kept touch the short length as if somehow touching it would grow back the length of the hair. My hair was the only feminine feature I had. Now I truly looked like a guy.

"Why did you do this?" I glared at my mom, with fury in my emerald green eyes.

"I told you it was an accident. I'm sorry." She continued onto the kitchen as if what just happened wasn't a big deal.

I called after her. "So you really do hate me for looking like my father don't you?" She stepped back in, her face was reddened with tears. She didn't like talking about him.

"That is not why I cut your hair!" She gasped.

My eyes widened in shock. "So you admit that you did this to my hair on purpose?!" I screamed at her. I couldn't muster up the will to fight with her. I didn't want to know the reason she cut my precious hair. I ran up to my room and buried my head in my pillow. This was supposed to be the time of my life. I was starting high school, the place that will define us and craft us into the future and ready us for society. Most importantly, it was the place to find love. But now, I just look like a boy.

I could hear my mother's footsteps coming up the stairs. I heard her sigh before she entered my room. "I know that right now you don't understand. But maybe when you are older you will understand what I did." She set something on the bed. I refused to look at her or even move so I had no idea what it was. "Come on. We need to get going."

I waited until I her foot steps were faint before I lifted up my head. I looked over at what she set down and it was a school uniform… for a boy. With some conviction, I put on the uniform. I stared into the mirror. I didn't even recognize who was staring back at me.

We drove in silence to my new school. I was excited to go all summer but now in just a few mere hours, that was all ruined. I dreaded every inch we moved, getting closer and closer. My mother stopped in front of a building. This place definitely wasn't my school. I recognized it though. It was the most prestigious school in the area. No, I would say all of Japan. "This isn't the school I applied for." I said as I stepped out of the car.

My mother also stepped out but when I looked at her she refused to make eye contact with me. "I'm sorry but I couldn't afford that school. The head master here will explain everything to you." I sighed and walked towards the finely built school. My mother called out to me but I refused to look at her. The wind carried her words to my ears. "I love you."

It just didn't make sense. This school is a heck of a lot more expensive than the school I had picked out. She should have said something. I would have gotten a job during the summer instead of goof around. But the one thing that really didn't make sense is that this was a prestigious school for boys.

I walked timidly through the hallways of the school until I reached the Head Masters office. I lightly knocked on the door.

"Come in." said a voice on the other side of the door. I slowly entered the room. Books covered the walls. In the center of the room stood a mahogany desk and sitting there was a very stout little bald man. He had piles of paper surrounding him. He came out from behind is desk and stood and just shy of 4 feet. "You must be Catherine Hiroshi. Now you are probably wondering why you are here. Please have a seat." Once I was seated he continued. "I have offered your mother with assistance with the tuition fee. I had heard about your financial situation and I decided to help out. Now you will get the best education that money can offer for free. Isn't that exciting?" He grinned from ear to ear but I just stared at him even more confused than before. "I eventually want to integrate this school into a co ed, but when I brought this up with the board, they completely shattered my idea, claiming that no one would want to send their child into a school with no girls. So what do you say? Do you want to be a guinea pig for me? Of course, you would have to hide as a boy for a while."

"But wouldn't me being dressed up as a guy defeat the whole purpose of trying to make this a co ed school?"

"Well you would only be dressed up as a boy to blend in so then when revealed it won't be that big of a deal. Everyone would have gotten to know you and they may even favor a feminine touch in this school."

'Or it could be like sending a guinea pig into a pack of starving wolves.' I sighed internally. 'But what other choice do I have. Mother can't afford anything better than free.'

The head master saw the internal turmoil play out on my face. "Look, how about we do a trial. If you are too uncomfortable after your first year of being here, then I will personally pay for any school you desire to transfer to." I looked up at him. "So what do you say? You still get a high school experience."

He was right. I would still experience the high school life. Just as a boy. I mean, come on, how much different can it be? "It looks like you have yourself a deal." We shook hands with one another.

"There have been added precautions so that our little secret won't get out. You will have to live in the boy's dorm but I have arranged it so that you will have a room to yourself. Also there is a matter of taking a bath. There is a separate building that we haven't decided one what to use it for but the bathroom is completely functional. It is off limits to students so don't get caught by your dorm leader." The old man smiled and led me to the door.

'Why do I get the feeling that this is going to be a decision that I will regret agreeing to?' I swung open the door, unaware of there being someone on the other side of it. I heard a loud grunt. "Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry!" I said in a bit too high of a shrill. "Uh… I mean…. Sorry bro." I tried to make my voice an octave lower. A pair of the fiercest red eyes pierced me. I was dead. Literally, I could feel my spirit leaving my body. It took all of my strength just to hold onto it. The look he gave me was horrifying. It was death in human form. He didn't even say anything, just glared and shoved passed me. I rubbed my sore shoulder. 'So this is how my life as a boy begins.'