Chapter Thirty-Five: Perfectly Polished

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Dylan woke up with a groan, staring at the ceiling of his dorm room. Yesterday's gown shopping had drained him more than he expected, and he wasn't looking forward to today. The thought of pretending to be his girly, bubbly Diana persona all day made him feel exhausted before the day even started. But, like every day here at Crestwood, he didn't have much of a choice. He had to play the part.

Throwing off his covers, he dressed quickly, choosing a fitted long-sleeve and oversized grey sweatpants. He checked himself in the mirror, adjusting his hair and practicing his smile. He hated that he was getting so good at this, slipping into character like it was second nature now. With a deep breath, he headed down to meet Amber, Kayla, and Claire for their nail appointment.

The girls were already waiting in the courtyard, chatting excitedly as usual. Amber spotted him first, beaming brightly.

"Di! You're here! Ready to get those nails done?" she chirped.

"Of course!" Dylan responded with an over-the-top smile, sliding seamlessly into his Diana persona. "I've been looking forward to this all week!"

Amber giggled and linked arms with him as they headed out. Kayla and Claire followed, all of them chatting like a group of close girlfriends. Dylan laughed along, but inwardly, he was preparing for a long, exhausting day.

The nail salon was sleek and modern, with soft music playing in the background and the faint smell of lavender in the air. Amber quickly took charge, declaring they should all get matching nails for their talent show performance—black French tips. Dylan felt his stomach flip at the thought of having such long, dramatic nails, but he had no choice but to play along.

"Sound so amazing! So cute!" Dylan exclaimed, putting on his best girly voice as he picked a chair. The nail technician smiled at him, already getting to work on his nails.

As the technician filed and shaped his nails, Dylan listened to Amber and Kayla talk about the talent show. They were both buzzing with excitement, talking about how perfect their routines were going to be. Dylan kept up with the conversation, nodding and chiming in when needed, but inside, he felt the dread of the performance creeping in.

"Diana, you're going to kill it out there!" Claire said, smiling at him. "We're def going to have the best group routine this year."

Dylan forced a bright grin. "Totally!"

He glanced down at his nails as the technician started painting the glossy finish. They were sleek and elegant, but they didn't feel like his nails. They were just another part of Diana, another layer of the mask he had to wear.

Back at Crestwood, Amber invited the group to her dorm to try on their talent show outfits and do a quick rehearsal. Dylan felt a wave of nervousness but forced himself to keep smiling, pretending to be as excited as the others. He had seen his outfit once before, but he wasn't thrilled about it.

In Amber's dorm, she pulled out the costumes. Dylan's heart sank as he stared at the leotard with one sleeve and small flares around the hips. It was paired with nude pantyhose. The whole looked uncomfortably tight. The outfit was far more revealing than anything he was used to, and the thought of performing in it made his skin crawl.

Amber handed him the leotard with a wide grin. "Here! You're going to look so good in this, Di!"

Dylan's smile didn't waver. "Oh my gosh, I love it!" he said, his voice dripping with fake excitement. "It's so cute!"

Inside, he was cringing, but he couldn't let it show. He quickly slipped into the bathroom and changed into the leotard and pantyhose, trying not to think too much about it as he adjusted the high-cut legs. When he finally looked at himself in the mirror, he felt his face heat up. The outfit left very little to the imagination, and the glossy sheen of the pantyhose made his legs look even more prominent. He felt exposed, vulnerable.

"Diana, girl, look at you!" Amber said, her voice full of genuine enthusiasm.

"Yeah, seriously, so hot," Claire added with a smile.

Dylan posed in the mirror, pretending to admire the outfit. "Oh my god, thanks! It's super cute," he lied, though all he wanted was to rip the leotard off and put his sweatpants back on.

The rehearsal began soon after, with all of them in their costumes. Dylan pushed his discomfort to the back of his mind, focusing on the routine. He had practiced enough that he knew the moves by heart, but today, everything felt different. The leotard clung to him tightly, and every time he moved, he felt the high-cut legs shifting, exposing more of his hips and butt, reminding him of his situation.

Still, he smiled through it. He had perfected his Diana persona over the past few weeks, and today was no exception. He twirled, kicked, and danced with exaggerated enthusiasm, just like the others, pretending to love every second of it. But inside, he felt disconnected—like he was watching himself from a distance, playing a part he didn't want.

As they rehearsed in front of the mirror, Dylan caught glimpses of his reflection. His long black nails, his glossy legs, the tight leotard—it all felt like more of a costume than it really was, a disguise in a way no one else realized. The longer he spent as Diana, the harder it was to remember where she ended and Dylan began.

By the time the rehearsal ended, Dylan was mentally and physically exhausted. The girls flopped onto Amber's bed, laughing and congratulating each other on a job well done.

"We're going to kill it at the talent show," Amber said, grinning.

Dylan forced a smile and nodded. "Yeah, it's going to be so amazing," he said, even though the thought of performing in front of the whole school in that leotard made him feel sick.

As they laid on the bed, Amber and Kayla continued chatting excitedly about the performance, while Dylan stayed quiet, keeping up his bright smile but feeling the weight of the day's performance settling in. He had survived another day as Diana, but the effort of maintaining the act was starting to take its toll.

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