Beauty In The Boy's Dorm

Lana's Point of View

"Did you cut your hair?" Liam asked, horrified, as I climbed down the stairs. I was clutching the handle of my suitcase in one hand and pulling my backpack in the other. "Why would you cut your hair?!"

"Did you dye it?" My heart nearly jumped out of my mouth when I heard Leon from behind me. Before I could stop him, my proactive, 14-year-old brother's fingers were mangled in my hair.

I swatted his hand. "Ouch!" He jumped away from me.

"Don't ruin the style." I snapped. "What do you think, how do I look?" I asked, getting into character, deepening my voice.

"I agree with Liam, you shouldn't have cut your hair," Leon muttered as he joined his identical twin brother on the dining table, and for a split moment, I was unable to tell the difference between them.

"That isn't the point," I threw up my arms in exasperation, stressing my question. "Do I look like a boy?"

"Well, if anything, you look ugly." Liam drawled, and they both laughed, mocking me. I want to throttle them so bad.

"Lana..." I froze when I heard my father's weak voice from behind me.

Why did I forget about him? He stood in the doorway; his panicked eyes raked over my new appearance.

"Jesus Christ!" He neared me and then quickly set down the plates in his hands on the table, before turning back to me. "The implications of what you are about to do will cost you throughout your lifetime, Lana, and as your father, I don't approve of it."

He had tried to convince me over the week, but my decision had remained the same-I didn't take the scholarship exam, and pass to just give up now.

"We don't have money." I reminded him. "We need money for mother's hospital bills, and to make matters worse, you are-"

I barely stopped the venomous words from spilling out and drew in a shaky breath. "With me off your neck, you can focus on other things... on yourself."

Father's voice grew softer.

"Lana, I understand how much you care, but not like this; you are throwing away your identity, which is basically your life."

I clenched my fists tightly, my nails dug into my palms, holding back the words that threatened to spill from my lips.

"I have made my decision, and I will do it either with or without your support." Pain squeezed father's eyes, but he did not attempt to argue with me any further.

"I will drop you off-" before he could finish, I interrupted him sharply.

"There is no need, I can get there on my own." I don't want to risk him ruining this for me. My eyes flickered towards the twins; both seemed uncomfortable as they watched Father and me argue as always.

"Be good, boys," I stressed, and they both nodded.

I pulled the suitcase, leaving behind the swallowing silence behind me, bidding goodbye to Lana, and welcoming