Star-crossed double-cross 03

Chapter 03 - Changes

Having finished getting dressed, Lucian took great care to avoid his reflection in the full-length mirror on the wall of his new bedroom. Knowing what he’d see if he looked and knowing he wouldn’t like it.

A week had passed since he had first arrived in New York. A week of dieting, rules, and exercise. A week of Mariana, his new housemate in the apartment he had been given within the training complex, barking orders at him.

Every day was just a repeat of the last. Wake up, eat a meagre breakfast, take Spanish lessons, dance, exercise, sleep, repeat! A gruelling and absolutely exhausting routine, both physically and mentally.

Leaving his room, Lucian clomped down the hallway in the chunky pink sneakers he had been given to wear, still feeling very self-conscious about his outfit. As he walked towards the kitchen, he felt the silky material of bell-bottomed pants and short top slide against his skin and again thought back to the reasons, why he was there.

“Buenos dias, Lucia,” Mariana chimed out without turning as he walked into the kitchen. “Como estas,”

“Buenos dias, Senorita Lopez, Lucan replied as he felt his stomach rumble, “Estoy bien, gracias.”

“Muy bien. Now come and eat your breakfast. We have a long day ahead of us.”

(See image 3.1)

“We’re not training today?” Lucian asked as he plodded over to join her, both nervous and excited as he thought about a day off from the torturous training routine.

“No, we still train. But first, we have somewhere we need to be,” Mariana replied before taking a sip of coffee that was delivered each morning by the record company.

Lucian’s initial reaction was happiness. Having been stuck indoors for over a week, with only the demanding Mariana for company, the thought of the outside world was suddenly very appealing. That is until he thought about what he was wearing. “We’re going out?” He muttered, “I can’t go out dressed like this.”

Mariana tutted. “Por que? What is wrong with what you are wearing?”

“People will stare at me,” Lucian exclaimed, “They’ll think I’m weird.”

Mariana tutted again before turning with an angry expression on her face. “So, you want to quit? Give up over some colourful clothing?

“I… err… I just don’t understand why I have to wear such embarrassing clothes,” Lucan stuttered. “Is the person I’m impersonating gay or something?”

“No, they are not gay,” Mariana shot back. “But even if they were, that is none of your concern. Your job is to look like they do and act as they do. No more, no less.”

“I remember,” Lucian replied, feeling frustrated, “But surely this man can’t always wear pink, silky clothes? He must wear black or darker colours sometimes, right?”

Mariana glared at him. “Of course, but this is not the point. You like black because black is safe. My job is to expand your horizons to take you out of your comfort zone. When you are doubling for another, you must believe you are that person. And to do that, you need to lock your personality away. Comprendes?”

“Si, I understand,” Lucian answered, looking away.

Mariana curled her lip “Muy bien. Now eat. And besides, the place we are going to is on the fourth floor. We won’t be going outside just yet.”

===================================================================

Feeling the cool air tickle his smooth hairless legs. Having just gone through one of the strangest experiences of his young life. Lucian stood, shellshocked, staring at his reflection. In reality, it had only been a few hours since Mariana had left him in the beauty salon, but to him, it felt as if he'd been there for days. From the moment he arrived, he’d instantly felt uncomfortable. Surrounded by scary, unfamiliar equipment with his eyes watering as he inhaled the strong, chemical aroma in the air. Every instinct in his body was telling him to run. And it only got worse from there as a masked woman entered, only to stand silently in front of them. With his eyes bulging, Lucian stood rooted to the spot. Staring into the deep, dark-brown eyes of the mysterious woman wearing a white porcelain mask.

"You are not to talk to or ask questions to this woman," Mariana explained. "You will obey her commands and let her do her job. Comprende?"

Long over at Mariana, Lucian bit his lip and nodded his head.

Mariana smiled. "Bueno. I'll be back to collect you later. Relax and try not to get yourself too worked up." She added before turning and leaving the room, leaving Lucian alone with the masked stranger.

Offering him a robe, the intimidating woman asked Lucian to change. And knowing full well that he wasn't supposed to ask, he still tried asking why. After receiving a silent glare in response, he reluctantly put it on. He was then instructed to lie face down on a table where he again tried to understand what was happening. Once again, he was ignored.

He gave up asking questions after that, and by the time the first strip of wax was ripped painfully from the back of his leg, he couldn't help but start to panic. Crying out in distress as the masked woman tore away strip after strip, his mind searched for answers. "Why was his body hair being removed? And for what purpose?

Still fixated on the image reflected back through the mirror, Lucian failed to notice as Mariana walked up and stopped by his side.

(See image 3.2)

“Mucho mejor,” she announced, causing Lucian to jump.

“Senorita, Lopez,” he mumbled as he turned, “What is going on here? I don’t understand?”

“You are a blank canvas, remember?” Mariana replied. “You look more natural now with your hair like this.”

Turning back to the mirror, Lucian wasn’t so sure. Still finding it odd to see his natural hair colour after having his friend Nancy dye it for him for so long. But on top of that, it now looked full and voluminous, standing out from the sides of his head with a strange shine to it. He didn't like it one bit.

“But why did she have to wax my body? And what was that laser thing she did to my face? Men are supposed to have hair. Body hair is natural,” Lucian moaned.

“It’s called grooming.” Mariana shot back.” Maybe where you come from men look like apes, but in show business, we like to have a cleaner appearance.”

Knowing that he was fighting a losing battle, Lucian sighed before scanning down his body once more. Wincing as his eyes fell upon the girly looking shorts, he had been given to replace the shiny pink pants he had worn for the last week. “Can I at least have my pants back?” he asked, feeling embarrassed and exposed.

Mariana smiled, “No. You need to become more comfortable showing off a little more skin. Especially now they look more presentable. Now vamos. We need to get to the gym. We are already behind schedule. We’ll have to work extra hard to make up the time!”