Star-crossed double-cross 27

Chapter 27 – Home sweet home

Still shaking, Lucian looked out of the train window as green fields and tall trees whizzed by. It hadn’t been easy, but he had done the impossible, he'd actually gotten away.

Hearing a door at the end of the carriage open, Lucian peeked over, desperately hoping not to see the ticket inspector again. With no money in his possession, he had, so far, successfully avoided the inspector by hiding out in the nearby toilet cubicle. But now, being so close to home, the thought of getting caught was almost too much to bear.

Lucian let out a sigh of relief. It wasn’t him. Instead, It was just some young blonde woman. In the clear, Lucian motioned to turn back towards the window before suddenly stopping himself. He knew this woman! Her name was Judy Sommerwell, and she was the girl he’d had a crush on throughout high school.

Staring over, Lucian watched as the woman reached up to take down a suitcase as her short jacket lifted to reveal her thin waist. Scanning down her frame, he instinctively scrutinised the rest of her outfit. She was wearing a pair of ripped jeans, not too dissimilar to the tight pair compressing his legs, the only difference being that his rips had a pattered nylon-type material sewn in where hers didn't.

On her feet, Judy wore a pair of ankle boots with a short blocky two-inch heel and a small platform at the front, a comfortable choice for a train journey. In complete contrast, Lucian had patent platform boots tightly laced to his feet. Their six-inch stiletto heels a necessity after the involuntary operation on his calf muscles. Smiling, Lucian thought back to all those times in high school, when he'd dreamed of getting into Judy's panties. How ironic, he was now wearing a pair himself and wearing a similar outfit to boot. Well, almost. In a perfect world, he’d be wearing a pair of shoes like hers. A simple pair that were easy to move in and wouldn’t stand out. But it wasn't a perfect world, and he'd have to live with the mistakes he had made.

Continuing to stare at the woman who used to consume most of his thoughts, Lucian tugged on his fur hood. As ridiculous as it was, he was trying to hide his face, knowing full well that Judy would never recognise him after all the months of surgery and beauty treatments. There was more chance she would recognise him as Bianca Cabello, but with his fake glasses and face devoid of makeup, that also seemed unlikely. After all, he’d been travelling for hours now, and no one was yet to out him.

A jingle suddenly sounded from the speaker causing Lucian to jump. “This train will shortly be stopping in Ravensfield. Please ensure you have all your belongings with you when alighting. Thank you for travelling with Amtrak. Have a nice day now."

Taking a deep breath, Lucian looked down at his feminised body and felt nervous. Tucking a few strands of red hair into his hood, he unfolded his legs. In a few moments, he would be face to face with Nancy after she'd agreed to pick him up, and all of a sudden, the reality and bizarreness of the situation hit him. What would she think when she saw him? He had been too embarrassed to tell her what he looked like over the phone. Would she believe his story? Would she cause a scene at the station?

Knowing it was too late to change anything now, Lucian stood up, feeling his feet rest into their familiar slanted position. The outfit he was wearing was the best he could have hoped for under the circumstances. A little flashy for Ravensfield, but still just about casual enough to blend in.

Shuffling into the aisle, Lucian thought, once again, about the questions, Nancy might ask. He imagined his body and face would be first on the agenda. Something he didn't fancy discussing much on the platform of his hometown train station. Having already thought about it, he would give her a few details before changing the subject to how he escaped. He would tell her all about the masked makeup artist, whom he had always been intimidated by, and how, in the end, she had turned out to be his saviour.

It all came about a few days back as Lucian sat having his makeup done before a television appearance. Looking sullen and glum, the woman surprised him by starting a conversation. “You always look so sad,” she'd said while curling his long thick lashes. “Why is that?”

Lucian thought for a minute before looking straight through the eyeholes of her mask. “It’s my mother,” he’d replied in a sad voice, “she’s dying in the hospital, and the record company won’t let me see her.” As it turned out, the masked makeup artist had a sick mother herself, and after offering to help, Lucian begged her to find him some plain-looking clothes and help him sneak out. She did better than that, suggesting that if he wore her mask, he’d be able to sneak out of the building, perhaps even the city, before anyone noticed.

Stepping out onto the practically deserted Ravensfield platform, Lucian watched as Judy ran into the arms of a muscular-looking man waiting for her. Seeing Nancy waiting for him, Lucian hoped for an equally warm embrace.

(See image 27.1)

With his heart pumping furiously in his chest, Lucian gazed over at Nancy, who was easy to spot, given the lack of people.

Nancy looked Lucian's way, then away. A few seconds later, she came around for a second glance. This time scanning the high-heel-wearing boy from head to toe. Confused, she again looked away and got out her phone.

Hearing Zane's phone ringing in his coat pocket, Lucian slowly plucked it out and answered. “Hello,” he said as he kept his gaze fixed on Nancy.

“Lucian, where are you?” A concerned-sounding Nancy announced, “I thought you said you were on the four twenty?”

“I was,” Lucian replied with a gulp. “Remember you said before that I sounded like a girl. Well, there’s a reason for that. Look towards the train again.”

In what seemed like slow motion, Nancy's head swung around to face Lucian once more. Raising his free hand, he gave her a wave and a weak smile. “Hi, Nance,” he said as Nancy’s mouth flew open, and her cell phone bounced off the platform floor.