Star-crossed double-cross 07

Chapter 07 – Skirting around the issue

“Lucian, honey. It’s so good to hear from you. I was so worried.”

“Hey, honey. It’s so good to hear your voice. I was so worried.”

“Hey, Mom,” Lucian answered down the phone. “Sorry I haven't called sooner. I’ve been a little busy.”

“You’re not in any kind of trouble, are you?” His mother replied in a worried tone. “It’s not drugs, is it?”

“No, Mom,” Lucian groaned. “It’s nothing like that. I got the job in New York with that record company. I had to start right away and couldn't call before now. Sorry."

“Oh, Lucian! That’s wonderful!” His mother shrieked. “It's always been your dream to be a singer. You must feel over the moon."

"Yeah, over the moon", Lucian answered, trying to sound enthusiastic while rolling his eyes. "I’ve got a few more weeks to go, then I'll have the money for your treatment.”

After a few seconds of silence, the tone of his mother's changed, "Let's not talk about that now," she said, sounding much more serious. "It's too late for me. Spend the money on yourself. Use it to live your life and have fun.”

“Mo-oo-om,” Lucian groaned, stretching the word. “Don’t talk like that. You’re going to get better. This job pays more than enough for your treatment, and the record company has promised to help find you the best doctors available.”

Lucian shook his head as the conversation fell silent for a second time. It was the first time he had been allowed to make a phone call and even though he knew his mother to be a stubborn woman, he had hoped she would have responded a little more enthusiastically to all the sacrifices he was making.

“Anyway, tell me about this job.” His mother said, changing the subject. “They’re not working you too hard, are they?”

“No,” Lucian lied, feeling exhausted as always. Finding even holding the phone to his ear tiring. “It’s ok.”

“Oh, come on. Give me more detail than that,” His mother shot back. “What have they got you doing? What did you do today?”

“Well,” Lucian said sheepishly, looking down at his feminine outfit. “It’s mostly training and stuff at the moment.”

“Training?” His mother responded. “like singing?”

“Yeah. Something like that,” Lucian replied, screwing up his face as he thought back to the previous few hours."

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“Just one more minute, Lucita” Mariana called out enthusiastically. "Dig deep, Chica”.

Lucian didn’t respond as he stood like a statue on the tips of his toes, his thin girly legs locked in position on the tips of his toes. Not that he could see them with the fullness of his frilly tutu like skirt and the protrusion of his false breasts blocking his vision.

(See Image 7.1)

Fully concentrated on the task at hand, Lucian tried to block out the pain after nineteen minutes of pain, standing on the tips of his toes. As Mariana kept saying, It was all mind over matter as she had, day by day, slowly upped the time in which she expected him to stand there. He could hear her voice in his head as he stood there now shaking. Telling him how it would improve his pose and balance, making it easier for his feet to cope with the six-inch heels he was now expected to perform his dance routines.

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“You can’t just sing all day though?” His mother probed. “what else have they got you doing?”

“Erm… there’s some dancing too, I guess, and some stretches,” Lucian blurted out, instantly regretting mentioning it as he heard his mother giggle.

“You! Dancing!” his mother said while laughing. “Oh, I’d love to see that. You’ve always hated dancing. I remember that show you were in back in school. I've never seen anyone look more awkward!”

“Err… yeah. But it’s just… you know to get in shape and stuff,” Lucian answered, feeling his face turn red.

“Oh, I’m sorry, honey,” his mother replied. “I’m only teasing. I’m so happy that you’re living out your dream, and I do appreciate that you want to help me too.”

“Yeah, thanks Mom,” Lucian replied, looking down at the towering heels strapped to his feet, rolling his ankle to try and take the pressure off one of his standing legs.

“Ok, honey. I’ll let you go,” His mom said, sensing his tired mood. “But don’t leave it so long next time before you call, ok? I want to hear updates on how things are going. Love you, Baby.”

“Love you too, Mom. I'll call again soon, promise,” Lucian said before hanging up the phone.

Hearing the clatter of his heels, Lucian turned and marched back into the gym. Handing the phone back to Mariana, he looked down, feeling embarrassed all of a sudden by the way he was dressed. Over the weeks, the skirts, the heels, even having a freaky feeling pair of boobs stuck to his chest, had become somewhat normal. But after speaking to his mother and remembering who he was, the bizarreness and humiliating nature of the situation had all come flooding back.

“Are you ready to start?” Mariana asked with a smile. “I want to see, "How I love you". And I want to see it full energy with lip-syncing, ok?”

“Yes,” Lucian said with a nod, holding back the urge to groan, knowing that the sickly pop song Mariana was asking for was one of the most demanding he had been taught.

Tottering over to the centre of the room on his stilt-like heels, he turned slowly and took a deep breath as the song started up and he thought about the words. “Smile,” he thought to himself. “You’ve done this routine a hundred times before. Do it once and do it well. Mom’s counting on you.”