"No way." I found myself saying to Neil, Hans, Frans, Taki, Edmund, and Rin, all crammed into our dorm.  "No way in hell." 

Rin looked like she was going to cry.  "Why not, Girl?" She asked, her voice quivering. 

"Because I'm a guy, that's why."  I lied, but no 'guy' would ever wear this frilly, this dainty, this--

"It looks OK." Hans said, snickering.  

"Decent."  Frans nodded.

"I like it."  Taki said loudly, then blushed.  "Never mind." 

The dress itself, chosen by Rin, the "woman in residence" (she's neither a woman (age 5 or something) or in residence, but O well), was not bad at all.  In fact, I wanted desperately to take it home and wear it to one of my grandmother's tea parties.  It was white, with lace, and looked like what I liked to call a sacrifice-the-virgin dress.  It tied behind the neck like a halter top and was both classic and totally in fashion at the same time.  

"It's not that bad."  Edmund commented.  "A lot of boys last year wore worse."

"I can't believe you guys would force me into something like this."  I gestured toward the dress.  "I thought you were my friends."

"Yeah, you're mine."  Hans said.  "But friends--"

"--have to make sacrifices."  Frans finished without skipping a beat.

"Have I ever told you that I love you two?" I asked sarcastically.

"Why them?"  Taki asked.  "All they do is make fun of you!"

"It was a joke." I explained flatly.  

"Oh."

"What about the dress?"  Neil asked.  "A veto, because Friday is the costume Gala, and if you don't have something..."

"I can always do some other event."  I reminded them.

"No way!"  Hans cried, jumping to his feet.  "You were made for the Ladies Department."

"Yeah."  Frans agreed.  "Those fine facial bones, the delicate frame, the big, blue eyes."

"If you were a girl..."

"Let's not go there, brother."

"Right."  

They sat down and the Rin pulled out the next dress.

The evening went on in this manner until everyone was bored (two dresses later) and we all went to dinner together, where I was ambushed by Cole (we had to lock him out of the dorm) and waited on hand and foot.