The Rumours of my Feminisation Have Been Greatly Exaggerated

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AND...HERE...WE....GO!! The first caption I wrote in nearly four years. I will admit I was a little rusty and they get better (IMO!!) but you gotta start somewhere so it seemed a fitting place to begin Season 4

Seth stared across the desk at the two women who held his fate in their well-manicured hands as they pawed their way delicately through his university application. The admissions office appeared to shrink giving him a front row to seat to every wrinkle of the nose and he clenched his seat with both his hands and butt cheeks in anticipation of the next question in his grilling.

If only they knew how much rested on their decision. Not just his future. His pride, his sanity, his redemption and his escape rolled into one. But alas, how could they understand the living hell that had become his final year of high school?

It had all started with that year's season of Ru Paul. There had been the usual casting call for auditions and some bright spark had photoshopped an application of Seth in drag and put it on social media. It wasn't clear if people believed it was real. It didn't matter. They wanted it to be real and so it went viral all the same. The teasing followed and even those who didn't ridicule him but rather supported him and his 'bravery' were unable to see him as anything other than his supposed alter ego, Crystal Beth. Things reached critical mass when he realised even his parents weren't 100% sure if it was real or not. He had to get out.

The first admissions officer looked up from his application and sighed while her colleague continued to type notes on her laptop. “You know we get so many applications,” she began carefully, “and it is awfully difficult to stand out. Good grades just aren't enough these days. If only you had something else...some pezazzz.” Seth could feel his hopes slipping through his fingers in the awkward silence that followed. Suddenly, the second admissions officer stopped her typing and blinked widely. She nudged her colleague and seconds later they were both looking at the laptop screen with wide smiles.

“Is this you?” She turned the laptop around and Seth's heart sank as he saw she had been looking at his mocked up Ru Paul application. “You know, when we do social media background checks on our applicants, we very rarely find anything positive, but this is perfect. Not only do we put great stock in the performing arts but we take pride in our academia leading LGBTQ+ community.” She stood and offered out her hand. “Mr. Walker, welcome aboard.” Seth took her hand nervously. “Of course, your participation in our arts will be monitored. We want to make sure you are getting the most out of your time here at BTRU.”

It was 3 months later and Seth was standing in the dressing room before the first weekly meeting of the student union Drag Arts Club. His skin felt like it was melting beneath the caked on layers of makeup and even with a summer's worth of practising getting ready under his belt, he still wasn't used to the weight of the thick vinyl dress. Making a silent note to buy something more airy once his student loans came in, he turned to join the rest of the club eager to meet a former Ru Paul applicant.