Sheep In Wolf's Clothing
Fandom: Twilight
Rating: M, for language and eventual sexual situations
Pairings: Canon
Comments: AKA One Step Beyond Tomboy, or Lost in Boys' Pants. A story that has been eating up my brain for a long time.
Records held here are fictional, thought up as best as possible to make Bella a believably record-holding runner for even males, all while in range of female records. This was not easy, and sometimes I had to even break the Women's HS records to make it possible. I'm also well aware that Cross Country is a Fall sport, not a Winter sport, as it seems they're doing here (their meets would be happening by early September, yet try-outs haven't even happened in my story here). The schedule I use for the timeline of this story is based on the 2010-2011 school year, where dates and events fall accordingly.
Prologue
Dear Billy Swan,
We are delighted to inform you that the Volturi Hill Academy Admissions Committee has agreed to offer you a place on our campus for the Fall semester...
It'd be quite honest to say that at this point my fingers lost grip of the paper, letting it fall straight to the table.
I did it. I actually did it. For someone who was told this was the most absurd, impossible feat anyone could ever try to go through with, I should have felt pride, or at least joy. But there was only one thought going through my head... How on earth will I ever go through with this? And cue the panic.
Immediately I began to mentally sift through all the important things that needed to be taken care of, now that I was accepted (oh God, it was beginning to truly hit me now): Jenks would need to be contacted ASAP, clothes and supplies - whatever supplies could be - needed acquiring, unfortunately a haircut too, what would be said to Charlie... what would be said to Jacob! My face contorted into a grimace; he knew what I was getting into, and honestly, he didn't seem to care much at this point... The thought brought a stinging to my eyes, but I held back.
First things first: Charlie. I never thought I'd even get to have this conversation with him, though I did plan for such a situation. I was, after all, a worrier. It was a wonder I got this far, or even that I actually went on with it. I remember how this had all started.
I was - am - an excellent runner. I was loath to exercise when I was younger; in fact, I detest anything otherwise even now. But the moment my mother died when I turned thirteen, for once in my life I wanted to be the free one. And so I ran. Often, too. From the social workers, from the pitying stares, from even my own father. It was a result of relating to my often flighty mother. Or so my therapist at the time had told me.
I'm not a troubled child. Really, I'm not. It was just such a difficult transition that running became my only coping mechanism. Don't get me wrong. I love my father with all my heart, but your mother's death will change certain attitudes about the world. He was glad to have me live with him, and, what's more, understood I needed space. But it wasn't until meeting Jacob when I began to feel alive again. Through him, I learned my running was a natural talent, and I began to hone my skills.
Running soon became my passion. When I wasn't engrossed in a book, or with the guys on the rez, I was running. It was a constant high for me, but Forks High didn't have any track and field or cross country team. So unfortunately, I only got to race in some private meets and a few Seattle marathons. Detached from the world, I wanted more. I craved more.
One of the things that fell under "more" was following famous runners, including local and nationally acclaimed track teams. There were many female runners I'd admired, but none could compare to the respect and awe I had for the all male V.H. Academy racers. For as long as I'd been following high school teams, they had stuck out to me the longest and hardest.
Continually, their track stars went onto international fame by getting into top marathons and even the Olympics. Constantly, they set records for high school students and adults alike. Collectively, they were all extremely good looking, I admitted to myself bashfully. I remember my first time looking at the team picture, posted on a fansite, and instinctively running my fingers over the face of one Edward Cullen of my year, rising cross-country star. Coincidentally, he was quickly becoming the best of the best, as well as quickly becoming my all-time favorite.
It would be a dream to even be in the same room as him.
Jacob on the other hand wasn't so into running; he was more of an extreme sports kind of guy, and doing something repetitive such as doing sprints or jogging long distances was just too boring. That's why it didn't surprise me that when I expressed interest in going to V.H., his response went a little something like this:
"Honestly, Bells, you're obsessed."
But I didn't care that he brushed it off. This idea started to consume me, and, by spring semester Sophomore year, I was convinced I'd belong in the school, and more importantly, the track team. Thus began my journey to join the all-boys boarding school Volturi Hill Academy located across the country.
It should be important to note that, after my mom's passing, I was the sole proprietor of her life earnings and insurance. Being the only child of an unsuspecting heiress instantly skyrocketed my bank account's savings. While I had been aware of her high status during her time on Earth, I had no idea how much she truly had until it had been passed onto me. Needless to say, I could not work a single day of my life and still live rather comfortably. However, I wasn't much for spending, at least until it reached a time when I felt my unearned money had to help me truly live my life. After all, my mother, free spirit as she was, would completely and wholeheartedly agree with my decision.
So I did a stupid thing, and applied to V.H. Only, not as myself but as Billy Swan. For a while, I had no idea what to write under that slot. "Isabella" wasn't exactly a boy's name and I certainly didn't feel right inventing a name for me. Finally, when Jacob was being picked up, I simply said, "Bye, Billy." And it clicked. But the name wasn't the most difficult part... it was finding someone like Mr. Jenks.
Obviously, how can a girl get into an all-boys school without the proper paperwork? I was creating a whole new identity, this Billy Swan. Who's to say that they'll accept me only because there's a little checkmark in the box that says "sex: male"? Certain protocol was involved when getting accepted into one of America's most prestigious boarding schools. That's why I sought out the help of papers-forger Mr. Jenks. It had been a tedious search for anyone like him, and it finally happened by chance that I came to meet him personally - and he, for some unfathomable reason, found my interests agreeable. Or maybe it was the money talking.
Still, he was a life saver. Since I felt like there was too much lying involved already, he helped forge my transcripts - the only difference being my name. I kept my grades and my experiences all the same; name and gender were the only things altered. However, since I was applying to be in the sports program, they had to base my acceptance on legitimate running tests. With the help of Jenks, I hired a certified scout to run the tests and send his report to V.H. Of course, keeping this as completely honest as possible, he had no idea I was really female. All I did was stuff my hair underneath a cap, bound my breasts (which was easy enough, size considering), and wore baggy clothes; the effect was exactly what I wanted. Anyone who saw me would agree I was just an athletically-built effeminate man. The coach had no idea, and before I knew it, my tryout was over.
At this point, I had to come clean to my best friend. I did mention to him how I planned to go to V.H. in the future; he just wasn't expecting that I was hoping to go as a student, and it was at this point that his response had shaken me up. He first was incredulous (obviously), telling me "You can't be serious," but it morphed into this... cross between a grimace and a grin. He then proceeded to burst out laughing. He found it hilarious, and annoying as it was, I was simply glad that my best friend didn't care so much about what I was doing. It seemed I was wrong, however.
It may or may not have been my applying to V.H., but this was when Jacob started to drift away from me as a friend. He gradually started to hang out with some of the older kids, like Sam Uley. I was sad at our drifting apart, but in this time, I found a confidant in our younger friend Seth. His encouragement was almost the complete opposite of Jake's reaction. Well, Jacob wasn't exactly disapproving, just disbelieving. Seth, however, thought it was a great adventure I was embarking on. He didn't even give a rat's ass why I applied, whereas I was always questioning what the hell I was doing.
Why had I enrolled? I mean, it wasn't as if I was going to be accepted anyway. They would find out I was a girl, and it would be a silly thing of the past that I'd dreamed about. The only thing that made this all palpable was Mr. Jenks. Had my desire to simply run along the best of my peers gotten this out of control? Did I really want to be accepted amongst them? Was this some sort of weird defect in my judgment? Seth didn't seem to care; he just told me it'd be awesome if I did get accepted. We continuously hung out at my house almost everyday to check if I had gotten any new mail from V.H., even though we both knew that acceptance letters wouldn't come in till summer. As it was the end of the school year, we were both anxious about the impending news.
Slowly, Jacob seemed to become aware of my newfound obsession with the school and my newfound friendship with Seth. He'd called me to meet up with him. I missed our friendship after the few months that I agreed on instant. To my utter surprise, he planted a sloppy, wet kiss on my lips upon arrival. It wasn't our first kiss, with others or even together, but he was acting like it was...and it freaked me out.
I ran off, trying to get as far away as possible from him. He was asking for something I could not give, which was bound to strain our relationship. There was only one solution: run away as far as possible from him until I could... sort out everything. Incidentally, this was when I had found the letter in our mailbox. It was a good thing Charlie wasn't home yet, because it would have put a damper on my contemplation.
Yet, after what happened with Jacob just that afternoon, I knew my answer. I was going to V.H., and I was going to damn well run with the best of the best.
[ Read Chapter One]
Rating: M, for language and eventual sexual situations
Pairings: Canon
Comments: AKA One Step Beyond Tomboy, or Lost in Boys' Pants. A story that has been eating up my brain for a long time.
Records held here are fictional, thought up as best as possible to make Bella a believably record-holding runner for even males, all while in range of female records. This was not easy, and sometimes I had to even break the Women's HS records to make it possible. I'm also well aware that Cross Country is a Fall sport, not a Winter sport, as it seems they're doing here (their meets would be happening by early September, yet try-outs haven't even happened in my story here). The schedule I use for the timeline of this story is based on the 2010-2011 school year, where dates and events fall accordingly.
Prologue
Dear Billy Swan,
We are delighted to inform you that the Volturi Hill Academy Admissions Committee has agreed to offer you a place on our campus for the Fall semester...
It'd be quite honest to say that at this point my fingers lost grip of the paper, letting it fall straight to the table.
I did it. I actually did it. For someone who was told this was the most absurd, impossible feat anyone could ever try to go through with, I should have felt pride, or at least joy. But there was only one thought going through my head... How on earth will I ever go through with this? And cue the panic.
Immediately I began to mentally sift through all the important things that needed to be taken care of, now that I was accepted (oh God, it was beginning to truly hit me now): Jenks would need to be contacted ASAP, clothes and supplies - whatever supplies could be - needed acquiring, unfortunately a haircut too, what would be said to Charlie... what would be said to Jacob! My face contorted into a grimace; he knew what I was getting into, and honestly, he didn't seem to care much at this point... The thought brought a stinging to my eyes, but I held back.
First things first: Charlie. I never thought I'd even get to have this conversation with him, though I did plan for such a situation. I was, after all, a worrier. It was a wonder I got this far, or even that I actually went on with it. I remember how this had all started.
I was - am - an excellent runner. I was loath to exercise when I was younger; in fact, I detest anything otherwise even now. But the moment my mother died when I turned thirteen, for once in my life I wanted to be the free one. And so I ran. Often, too. From the social workers, from the pitying stares, from even my own father. It was a result of relating to my often flighty mother. Or so my therapist at the time had told me.
I'm not a troubled child. Really, I'm not. It was just such a difficult transition that running became my only coping mechanism. Don't get me wrong. I love my father with all my heart, but your mother's death will change certain attitudes about the world. He was glad to have me live with him, and, what's more, understood I needed space. But it wasn't until meeting Jacob when I began to feel alive again. Through him, I learned my running was a natural talent, and I began to hone my skills.
Running soon became my passion. When I wasn't engrossed in a book, or with the guys on the rez, I was running. It was a constant high for me, but Forks High didn't have any track and field or cross country team. So unfortunately, I only got to race in some private meets and a few Seattle marathons. Detached from the world, I wanted more. I craved more.
One of the things that fell under "more" was following famous runners, including local and nationally acclaimed track teams. There were many female runners I'd admired, but none could compare to the respect and awe I had for the all male V.H. Academy racers. For as long as I'd been following high school teams, they had stuck out to me the longest and hardest.
Continually, their track stars went onto international fame by getting into top marathons and even the Olympics. Constantly, they set records for high school students and adults alike. Collectively, they were all extremely good looking, I admitted to myself bashfully. I remember my first time looking at the team picture, posted on a fansite, and instinctively running my fingers over the face of one Edward Cullen of my year, rising cross-country star. Coincidentally, he was quickly becoming the best of the best, as well as quickly becoming my all-time favorite.
It would be a dream to even be in the same room as him.
Jacob on the other hand wasn't so into running; he was more of an extreme sports kind of guy, and doing something repetitive such as doing sprints or jogging long distances was just too boring. That's why it didn't surprise me that when I expressed interest in going to V.H., his response went a little something like this:
"Honestly, Bells, you're obsessed."
But I didn't care that he brushed it off. This idea started to consume me, and, by spring semester Sophomore year, I was convinced I'd belong in the school, and more importantly, the track team. Thus began my journey to join the all-boys boarding school Volturi Hill Academy located across the country.
It should be important to note that, after my mom's passing, I was the sole proprietor of her life earnings and insurance. Being the only child of an unsuspecting heiress instantly skyrocketed my bank account's savings. While I had been aware of her high status during her time on Earth, I had no idea how much she truly had until it had been passed onto me. Needless to say, I could not work a single day of my life and still live rather comfortably. However, I wasn't much for spending, at least until it reached a time when I felt my unearned money had to help me truly live my life. After all, my mother, free spirit as she was, would completely and wholeheartedly agree with my decision.
So I did a stupid thing, and applied to V.H. Only, not as myself but as Billy Swan. For a while, I had no idea what to write under that slot. "Isabella" wasn't exactly a boy's name and I certainly didn't feel right inventing a name for me. Finally, when Jacob was being picked up, I simply said, "Bye, Billy." And it clicked. But the name wasn't the most difficult part... it was finding someone like Mr. Jenks.
Obviously, how can a girl get into an all-boys school without the proper paperwork? I was creating a whole new identity, this Billy Swan. Who's to say that they'll accept me only because there's a little checkmark in the box that says "sex: male"? Certain protocol was involved when getting accepted into one of America's most prestigious boarding schools. That's why I sought out the help of papers-forger Mr. Jenks. It had been a tedious search for anyone like him, and it finally happened by chance that I came to meet him personally - and he, for some unfathomable reason, found my interests agreeable. Or maybe it was the money talking.
Still, he was a life saver. Since I felt like there was too much lying involved already, he helped forge my transcripts - the only difference being my name. I kept my grades and my experiences all the same; name and gender were the only things altered. However, since I was applying to be in the sports program, they had to base my acceptance on legitimate running tests. With the help of Jenks, I hired a certified scout to run the tests and send his report to V.H. Of course, keeping this as completely honest as possible, he had no idea I was really female. All I did was stuff my hair underneath a cap, bound my breasts (which was easy enough, size considering), and wore baggy clothes; the effect was exactly what I wanted. Anyone who saw me would agree I was just an athletically-built effeminate man. The coach had no idea, and before I knew it, my tryout was over.
At this point, I had to come clean to my best friend. I did mention to him how I planned to go to V.H. in the future; he just wasn't expecting that I was hoping to go as a student, and it was at this point that his response had shaken me up. He first was incredulous (obviously), telling me "You can't be serious," but it morphed into this... cross between a grimace and a grin. He then proceeded to burst out laughing. He found it hilarious, and annoying as it was, I was simply glad that my best friend didn't care so much about what I was doing. It seemed I was wrong, however.
It may or may not have been my applying to V.H., but this was when Jacob started to drift away from me as a friend. He gradually started to hang out with some of the older kids, like Sam Uley. I was sad at our drifting apart, but in this time, I found a confidant in our younger friend Seth. His encouragement was almost the complete opposite of Jake's reaction. Well, Jacob wasn't exactly disapproving, just disbelieving. Seth, however, thought it was a great adventure I was embarking on. He didn't even give a rat's ass why I applied, whereas I was always questioning what the hell I was doing.
Why had I enrolled? I mean, it wasn't as if I was going to be accepted anyway. They would find out I was a girl, and it would be a silly thing of the past that I'd dreamed about. The only thing that made this all palpable was Mr. Jenks. Had my desire to simply run along the best of my peers gotten this out of control? Did I really want to be accepted amongst them? Was this some sort of weird defect in my judgment? Seth didn't seem to care; he just told me it'd be awesome if I did get accepted. We continuously hung out at my house almost everyday to check if I had gotten any new mail from V.H., even though we both knew that acceptance letters wouldn't come in till summer. As it was the end of the school year, we were both anxious about the impending news.
Slowly, Jacob seemed to become aware of my newfound obsession with the school and my newfound friendship with Seth. He'd called me to meet up with him. I missed our friendship after the few months that I agreed on instant. To my utter surprise, he planted a sloppy, wet kiss on my lips upon arrival. It wasn't our first kiss, with others or even together, but he was acting like it was...and it freaked me out.
I ran off, trying to get as far away as possible from him. He was asking for something I could not give, which was bound to strain our relationship. There was only one solution: run away as far as possible from him until I could... sort out everything. Incidentally, this was when I had found the letter in our mailbox. It was a good thing Charlie wasn't home yet, because it would have put a damper on my contemplation.
Yet, after what happened with Jacob just that afternoon, I knew my answer. I was going to V.H., and I was going to damn well run with the best of the best.
[ Read Chapter One]