Star-crossed double-cross 26

Chapter 26 – Hard truths

“Hey, Nance. Sorry, it's taken me so long to call,” Lucian said into his stolen phone, hearing the squeak of leather on leather as his mini-skirted backside slid across the cover of the sofa.

“Me who? Nancy replied, not recognising the high falsetto voice with a hint of a Latin American accent. “Who is this?”

“It’s me, Lucian,” the skirted boy replied, trying to make his voice sound deeper but failing. “I know I sound a little different, but I don’t have time to explain it right now. This is the first chance I’ve had to call you, and I haven’t got long.”

“Luce, oh my God! Is that really you? What's happened to your voice? You sound like a girl! And why haven’t you been answering me? When I call it goes straight to the answering service!” replied Nancy, speaking at a hundred miles per hour. “You can’t just tell me you’re in trouble and send one message every five days. I’ve been worried sick.”

“I’m sorry,” Lucian replied, looking up at the ceiling before letting out a heavy sigh. “I’ve had to keep this phone off to conserve battery, and I can only answer you when I’m alone, which hardly ever happens.”

“Lucian, this is crazy,” Nancy shot back, sounding very concerned. “You keep telling me in your messages that you're in trouble, but you won’t tell me what has happened to you. Are you ok?”

Lucian closed his eyes, feeling his long soft lashes brush against his cheek. Opening them again, he looked down past a pair of fleshy mounds spilling out of a little tartan crop top to see a pair of smooth shiny nylon legs disappearing inside a pair of thigh-high boots. “No, not really,” He answered in a sad-sounding voice. “I need your help, Nance,”

“Tell me what you need. I’m here,” came the instant reply, making Lucian start to tear up.

“I need to get out of here, but I don’t know how!” Lucian said while stretching out a leg to examine the killer six-inch heel on the end of his boot.

“Just come home,” Nancy shot back. “Just walk out. Get on a bus or a train and come home, Luce. We all miss you here.”

“I…I can’t,” Lucian stuttered, holding back the urge to cry. “It’s not that simple. They are always watching me, and even if I could slip out, I have no money or anything to wear.”

“Nothing to wear!” Nancy repeated, sounding shocked. “They keep you naked! My God, Luce. This all sounds insane. We need to call the cops. No, the FBI.”

“No, don't” Lucian cried out, thinking about the newspaper headlines. “You can’t do that, please. It’s not that bad. I think I’m just a bit tired. I’m wearing clothes. They give me clothes.”

There was a moment of silence until Nancy spoke again. “Lucian, whatever is going on, I can’t help you unless you let me. If anyone else was telling me this stuff, I’d think it was some kind of sick joke or a mental breakdown, but I know you. Let me help you, please.”

Suddenly there was a light knock on the door. “We need you on set in two minutes, Miss Cabello,” came a voice from the other side.

Removing his hand from the speaker, Lucian brought a long red acrylic nail up towards his face to wipe away a tear that was rolling down his cheek. “Thank you, Nancy. I appreciate you trying to help, but it’s a complicated situation. I need a little more time to think things through. I’ve got to go now. I’ll call you back soon, ok?”

“Wait before you go, I’ve got to tell you about your Mom,” Nancy blurted out. “I didn’t want to tell you like this, but she’s really bad, Luce. The doctors say she might not last much longer.”

Almost dropping the phone, Lucian started breathing faster. “Bad? I thought she was getting better! How do you know this? Did you visit her? The facility she’s in is on the other side of the country!"

There was another short pause in the conversation.

“Lucian, your mom is in the local hospital. She had a fall a few weeks back. It’s not looking good. I went to see her a few days ago, and she was asking about you.”

Lucian dug his acrylic nails into the leather sofa, gripping so tight he felt pain in his nailbeds. “Mother fuckers,” he screamed out in a high feminine voice. “Those lying sons of a bitch. They’ll pay for this. Nancy, please look after her. I’m coming. I don’t know how yet, but I’ll be there, even if It kills me.”

“Of course, I will, Luce,” Nancy replied in a reassuring voice. “Is there anything I can do?”

There was another knock on the door, this time more forceful than before. “It’s time, Miss Cabello.”

“When I get home, I’ll need a ride and a place to lay low for a while. Can I stay at yours?” Lucian asked, staring at the door.

“Uhm… yeah, there’s not much room, but yeah, we can sort something out,” Nancy answered, confused as to why Lucian would need to stay at hers when his house across the street was sat empty.

“Thanks, Nance. You’re the best. I knew I could count on you. But I really do have to go now though. I’ll call you soon, promise” Ending the call, Lucian quickly slipped the phone back down between his breasts just as the door opened. “How dare you just walk in here without being invited,” Lucian cried out. “What’s your name, girl,” he added as he rose to his high-heeled feet and stormed towards the frightened-looking young woman standing in the doorway, “I’ll have your job for this.”

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“Love it, so fierce. Give me more of that, Bianca baby,” called out the photographer while Lucian stood posing.

Too angry to think straight, the sexily dressed boy glared at the camera, pouting, his gloved hands resting on his slim waist.

(See image 26.1)

“You’re an animal,” yelled the photographer as he snapped away. “Roar for me, Baby.”

Letting out all his pent-up and bottled frustration, Lucian screamed out at the top of his lungs as the grin on the photographer’s face grew wider. For the first time since he'd taken over Bianca Cabello’s life, he didn’t feel nervous or embarrassed. After talking with his oldest friend, he just felt angry, mostly at himself, unsure how he'd allowed this charade to get so far out of hand.