Someone I'm Not

6. Burgers and Outfits

Phoenix is a bit rattled by what is happening that the only thing that comes into his mind is to hold a grip on his phone and call for his mother. But what makes him stop from feeling this is to see his stolen smiling face on the screen.

"Did I suddenly change my home screen wallpaper? But, I don't recall doing that." He mumbles to himself as he rapidly bites his lower lip. He is now more nervous than earlier.

"Open the door, Soroya!"

"I told you to—" he is quickly cut off short when he comprehends what Vianne suddenly called him.

'Soroya!?' He couldn't answer the question. Even his own mind couldn't seem to function. 'What the hell is going on!?'

His eyes roam around to find something that would somehow help him either escape into the house or find out a way how to handle the situation.

"How did I even got here in their house—" his voice trails off as his eyes landed on the full-length mirror, standing from the corner. He rushes his way there but halts when he's already a step away from seeing his figure. At some point, he seems scared of what he's about to stare at. Is seeing his face what he's actually afraid of? No. What he's more afraid of is the fact that he might NOT be seeing who he is.

'Will I be deformed? Will I get ugly? Did I—'

His thoughts suddenly got cut off short when he hears the banging of the old wooden door from his side.

"SORAYA!"

'SH*T!' He shouts inside him as he turns to his shoulders in a couple of seconds before standing back straight to where he was currently facing a while ago. He bites his inner cheeks as he takes a deep breath before he purses his eyes close. He takes a step forward and stands there silently. He has doubt. A HUGE DOUBT of finding out if his thought will disappoint him or not, but it will surely make a big problem on his side.

"I'm gonna open this door, young lady."

"Just wait for a second!" He yells as he still has the feeling of doubt. "I can do this. I can do this. I can do this." He continuously chants, still trying to encourage himself that everything will be just fine.

"Whoo!" He releases air as he quickly opens his eyes. What he sees made him feel like he's a cast at a horror film, that even he couldn't believe the sudden twists and turns. Just when he's about to scream from what suddenly came into his realization, the door harshly pushed open, making her flinch.

"Sorry!"

"Aaahhhhh!" He screams on top of his lungs as he quickly turns to face Vianne.

"Aaahhhh!" Vianne then follows on screaming, as the room fills with a loud noise of scream. When Vianne comes to her consensus that there's nothing serious going on, she immediately cuts to the chase. She places both arms crossed in front of her chest as she eyed the person in front of her. "Cut the bullish*t, Roy!" She shouts back that made Phoenix instantly shut his mouth.

Silence instantly fills the air as Phoenix doesn't know what to say next. 'I'm f*cking alive in someone else's body!' He panics inside his mind as he bites his lower lips. He could feel Vianne's stares like a dagger for the longest time he ever felt being started at. Vianne is ready to talk when a sudden sound interrupts their awkward and very silent space.

Knock! Knock! Knock!

They look at each other for a second, trying to measure one another's gaze to what they're about to do next.

Knock! Knock! Knock!

Their staredown contest was interrupted once more from the knocking. Vianne sighs before pointing at Phoenix.

"We're going to talk later after we deal with that f*cking person behind that door so you f*cking stay right there of you will receive a heavy punch from me." She demands in an irate tone. Phoenix didn't hesitate to nod as he gulps his saliva.

"Good—"

Knock! Knock! Knock!

"COMING, YOU SON OF A B*TCH!" Joanne shouts as she turns her back on him. Quickly, Phoenix turns around to see his face again.

"No, this is not happening!"

In the speed of flickering light, he springs into action as his eyes shift to every angle of the room, trying to figure out how to escape it all.

"Oh, that's right! Maybe this is all just a dream!" He exclaims as he claps his hand. Almost immediately, he throws himself into the bed as he intently closes his eyes, hoping that he'll instead go back to that portal than staying in a body he was born to not mustering at all. Even though it's impossible to drift off to sleep too quickly while dealing with an adrenaline rush, he still pushes himself to. But before he could even enjoy the feeling of lying in bed, an eardrum destroying noise makes him open his eyes shortly.

"SOROYAAAA!" He hastily jumps out of bed as he rushes out of the room, almost slipping his way to him. He halts as he balances himself, not wanting to humiliate himself in front of the visitor. But then, his eyes widen as he meets the person standing by the front door.

"E-Eduardus!" Vianne eyes him suspiciously.

"You know this man, Soroya?"

'Oh sh*t! I forgot what body I'm using right now.' Phoenix curses to himself. He purses his lips in a thin line, not knowing what to say next. Eduardus now wears a confident smile before looking back at Vianne.

"She hasn't told you yet?" He asks that made Vianne raise a brow.

"Excuse me, what—" the tension is already too high for Phoenix to take in. He decided to step in the middle to draw their attention away from the pressure.

"Why come inside first, Ed." He approaches them by the door as Phoenix pushes the door widely open for him. He eyes Eduardus while he does this, his back facing Vianne at the moment. He even hears Vianne groan almost silently behind him.

As they got themselves seated in the living room, Vianne offers to give Eduardus something to drink, leaving both Phoenix and him there.  As soon as Phoenix assures that Vianne's far enough to hear them, he leans forward to talk to him.

"What the hell is going on right now, Eduardus?" He raises the question straightforwardly. The smile didn't seem to leave Eduardus's lips, making Phoenix more and more irritated. "What are you smiling at!? Do you think this is funny?"

"And do you think Goddess of Justice would make this second chance ticket an easy way for you? If I remember it correctly, the goddess said that she wanted Justice to taste great and—"

"I'm sorry, Eduardus but, we only have iced tea flavored juice. Will that be okay with you?" She asks, peaking right from the door leading to the kitchen.

"That'll be great, Miss Greene." He responds with his sweetest smile before Vianne returns it and does the refreshment.

"But this? No, he must have mistaken this! I CANNOT BE into a woman's body, Eduardus—"

"Watch your manners, Mister Oasis. . . Or should I say, MISS GREENE now." He teases as he jokingly flips a hair and laugh. Phoenix rolls his eyes in anger, not knowing what will happen next. He cannot straighten his thoughts yet, for everything is just a piece of a puzzle. Seconds later, of silence before Vianne comes back with three glasses of refreshments and a loaf of sliced bread with peanut butter.

"Thank you, Miss Greene."

"Just call me Vianne, Eduardus. It'll be too formal if you keep on calling me by my last name." She humbly responds. Phoenix then notices something in Eduardus that he has never seen before.

"Then that I will do, Miss— sorry, Vianne." Vianne smiles at him as he takes a seat beside Phoenix, and now they are facing Eduardus.

"Thank goodness I'm hungry!" Phoenix exhales as he grabs a slice of the bread and about to eat it when he stops midway, realizing what the bread stuffing is. He stares at it for a couple of seconds before he catches both Eduardus and Vianne's attention.

"What? Something wrong with it?" She asks that made Phoenix look at him, and he quickly shakes his head. "Are you doubting on taking a bite at your favorite breadstuff?"

"NO! I mean, no, heh. I'm just. . . I just don't feel like eating yet without. . .  Yep! Without drinking this ice tea!" He excuses as he's about to grab one of the glasses of iced tea when Vianne clears her throat.

"But I thought you hate Iced Tea flavors for juice?" She asks that made him look at Vianne. His eyes are wide open. He cannot seem to find another word to use for his excuse.

"I did say that?" He raises that question that makes Vianne look at her with doubt.

"Duh! Of course! You are my sister for too long. That's the reason why I got you the glass of water instead since we don't have the flavored melon juice anymore."

"I— I forgot?" Phoenix replies, but it sounded too good to sound like a question. This time, Eduardus is the one who raises a brow in his direction.

"Soroya, are you okay?" Vianne lets out the question that he's been wanting to hear now. But then, he also starts to get worried about everything.

"W-what? Of course, I am!"

"You seem pale. Are you sure you're okay?" She asks again that makes him feel more nervous. As much as he wanted to yell "YES" and tell everything he's been facing, he knows it won't be that easy to convince someone to believe you over a truth that whistles fantasy.

"Y—"

"I'm sorry for worrying you, Vianne, but I actually came here because I wanted to talk to your little sister, Soroya."

Vianne's attention quickly turns to Eduardus, who has just placed his glass of iced tea on the table. His aura changes quickly into a sad one, making Phoenix roll his eyes.

'And the drama is on!'

"Two days ago, we had a small argument that led me to admit my, you know, feelings to her. After that, she starts avoiding me up until today, and I cannot shake the feeling off that our connection will be that quickly gone after I confess. I'm just a man, and I take responsibility for my feelings and actions. That is why I came here personally to not only visit her but to say sorry." The long explanation makes Phoenix clap in his thoughts for convincing acting.

"But, she didn't mention you to dad and me before." Eduardus and Phoenix look at each other for almost three seconds before Phoenix jumps into the scene.

"You know, dad. He doesn't want me introducing boys just because they're courting me or something like that. And you know, dad, he doesn't want us YET to have a boyfriend." He defends.

'Please let this excuse work! Please let this excuse work!' He repeats in his mind, hoping that they'll convince Vianne. Phoenix, now inside the body of Soroya, takes the glass with the water in it as he starts to sip it nervously.

"Hmm. . ." Vianne mumbles as she takes a good bite at her sandwich. "You're right, and dad doesn't want us to get involved in that kind of activity yet. . . But haven't you seen his face every time Phoenix comes over for you?"

"He almost spits the water that's all on his mouth when he hears his name being mentioned.

"Oh my goodness, Soroya! Disgusting!" Vianne stands up. "I'll just grab some cloth for the table." She rushes back into the kitchen as Phoenix grabs a napkin and starts dabbing it into her t-shirt.

"You alright? You seem to be lost in your own thoughts." Eduardus asks with pure sincerity that makes him wonder for a second.

"Yeah. . . yeah I'm okay. Sorry, I keep messing this up."

"Don't worry. You acted pretty normally, so don't be sorry." He winks at him.

"We, don't wink at me, BRO. We're both men here, similarly liking women and not the same sex." He straightforwardly answers that makes Eduardus chuckle. "What's so funny, huh?" He asks.

"Oh, nothing. Just remember what body gender you are possessing right now."

"Wha—"

"Remember, you're possessing Soroya's—"

"Eduardus, I am so sorry for what my sister did! She's this way when she is nervous. She does things that would a hundred percent embarrass her."

"There's nothing to worry about, Vianne. Here, let me help you wipe the table." He volunteers as he leans forward and stretches his arm.

"No, I'm fine with it, Eduardus, no need to-"

Their hands unexpectedly touch that makes them both stop and stare at their hand. Phoenix, a.k.a Soroya now, sees what is happening, making him turn to them with a grin on his face.

Vianne and Eduardus are now staring at each other's eyes like their eyes have the ability to talk to each other. It lasted for an estimated seven seconds before Phoenix clears his throat to stop them.

"Guys, you two just spaced out. Are you two okay?" He asks in a teasing tone, hoping that it worked for both of them.

"YES!" Vianne aggressively reacts, making Phoenix laugh on the inside. 'Hah! Got you, big sis!' He jumps to victory inside him.

"I'm thankful for your offer, Ed, but let me just do this, okay? You're our guest, and you should NOT volunteer like that. Okay?" She didn't beat around the bush and tell the man exactly what she feels. That made Eduardus raise his hand for defeat as he nods.

"Yes, ma'am."

Silence fills the air once more before getting back on track. Vianne asks a few more questions about Eduardus to get to know the man in front of her more. When they're done with I'm the snacks, Eduardus decides to make his move.

"Sis, I know you two are getting to be too comfortable with each other, but is it okay if I take Eduardus out for a minute? We have some important matters to talk to, and I just need some proper answers from every but of it."

"Oooh, you're interrogating your suitor now?"

"It's not like that is. But, is it okay? Well, I can also talk to him tomorrow if you want to let me—"

"Oh, go ahead, I don't mind. . . Just don't be home too late, okay? By six, I'll be expecting you to be back for dinner. Understand?"

"Yes! Thank you, sis!" Phoenix pulls Vianne for a hug, a bit carried away by the conversation. But at some point, he felt something different. Something he has been longing for. And he's now wondering what it is.

"Let me take these back to the kitchen." Vianne excuses herself with the used utensils in a tray, leaving Eduardus and Phoenix from the living room.

"So I'll guess we will be going to have a proper conversation now, huh?" Eduardus asks, which makes Phoenix nod. He stands up as he eyes him suspiciously.

"Yeah. I'm afraid so. So, let me take a shower, and we will be out in a minute. Prepare to treat me to the Street Burger."

"Anything you want." He replies. Phoenix stands up as he head into the room to get changed. But then, as he opens their drawers, he sighs.

"Oh, f*ck me."