Someone I'm Not

19 [pt.2]| MakeOVER

For the past few days, Vianne and Soroya could feel the awkwardness between them. Though they always have to come home and eat dinner together, they tried their best to act normal, even if their relationship as sisters starts to drift apart. And it is one of the problems PHOENIX FROM THE PRESENT has to deal with.

2nd week. It was already Friday, and Soroya has to go to the city again. Although she seems NOT to want to go and preferably have a conversation with her sister, she chooses not to handle it fr now because going to the city, meet Phoenix is her mission.

As soon as she finished packing her clothes, she instantly goes out of the room to slip her shoes. Vianne, on the other hand, pays close attention to her sister as she's wiping the plates dry. Even though she doesn't want to suspect her sister, she doesn't much have a choice after having a conversation with Houdini. And the discussion they had is enough for her to believe that something is up with Soroya.

She doesn't fully trust Houdini or Eduardus. Even if Eduardus seems to be making a move on her, her sister Soroya and him going to school together is just a piece of something she couldn't describe, which forbids her to continue with her feelings towards the man.

*beep!*

The sound of a car morning in front of their house reverberates to the whole house. Quickly, Soroya stands up and walks over to her sister, not too excited, if she's honest.

"That's uhm. . ." she awkwardly trails off of her words, not knowing how to bid goodbye to her sister. Vianne lifts her head to meet her eyes before realizing what she meant.

"Eduardus. . . Yeah, I get it. Just call me or message me when you're already there, okay?" She suggests that makes Soroya nod.

"Yeah, sure. . . I'm heading out now."

"Take care."

It was the shortest, most awkward, and dead conversation they had for the last decades of their existence. It wasn't what they wished for, but considering their little dark possessed secrets, they have predicted it already now that their secrets are on the line of test. These secrets created the boundary, and that the only solution is to be open. But client #100 couldn't do that. . . Not yet.

Soroya turns her back on her sister as she walks, almost hesitant, but she doesn't want to stay longer and end up telling her everything. But how can client #100 explain to her that he just possesses her sister's body and that the person having Soroya Greene's body is her own best friend, Phoenix Oasis?

It was never too easy until one decides to execute it.

As soon as Soroya goes out of the car, Vianne quickly grabs her phone from the dining table and makes her way out as well to check up on her sister. When she's out, being the same black Range Rover car is waiting, as she familiarizes Eduardus, who is standing by the passenger seat's door as his arms find their way, crossing in front of his chest.

"Vianne, hi!" He greets her as Eduardus joyfully waves his hand to support his energetic tone. It kind of makes her a bit guilty, but for some reason, she knows she has to do it right now, or she will be living with regret for the rest of her life.

"Hi." Vianne manages to fake a smile as she lifts her hand to wave back. She then noticed the smile on Eduardus's face grows more prominent, making her heart jump and skip a beat. 'What's the matter with you, heart!? Stop making me believe in this feeling. I am not sure if I need to feel this way about him!' She says to herself before seeing Soroya gets to approach him. They talk for a few seconds that is a sore and torture to her eyes.

For the past few years, Vianne feared that falling in love might haunt her again. If falling in love is like a dream come true from a Disney Movie for others, this became a nightmare to her. For her, after that tragic situation she has faced, she dealt with it with all her might, and that Vianne had suddenly forgotten how it feels like to love and be loved again. . . And ever since she gets to meet Eduardus, that fear came back.

Not only she's starting to have feelings for Eduardus, and she still couldn't read him if everything he told her has validity, or is he bluffing? A hundred percent lie?

"Vianne, we're going!" Soroya bids goodbye as she gets inside the car, Eduardus closing it before rushing into the driver's seat.

"Take care, okay?" She manages to shout as she receives a thumbs up from her sister. Seconds of watching them close, she then didn't keep her eyes away from the vehicle until it drives away, out of her sight.

When Vianne is confident that they're already away, She gets inside dials Houdini's phone number. Five rings when she's about to end it and thinks that agreeing to his plan would make her guilty. But then, just as when she's about to end the call, Houdini answers.

[I was expecting you to call.] Houdini quickly talks as Vianne could see and feel him grinding from the other line.

"I just accidentally pressed it so, goodbye—" she says and about to end it when she got interrupted again by the same voice.

[Great! I'll see you in an hour for the lay-outing fo the plan, pumpkin.]

"NO! That's not—"

*beep! Beep! Beep!*

Vianne shifts her phone away from her ears as she stares at the screen with the bold white letters CALL ENDED blinking on top of her phone. Vianne groans in frustration as she runs her fingers into her hair, walking back and forth as she talks to herself inside her head.

"Argh f*ck this! Now I don't have any other choice." She mumbles to herself before throwing her phone into the wooden sofa but making sure it won't be damaged. She then heaves a breath as she remembers the remaining undried plates. She groans once again before heading to the kitchen sink and finishes drying the remaining panes before heading to the bathroom to have a bath.

On the other hand, as Soroya gets in the car and Eduardus starts to hit the road, she opens her music application to play her favorite song playlist. She connected it to his car as they both enjoy the blissful silence. Although it should be just a typical day, Eduardus noticed that something is not .right

"Hey, you seem so silent. . . And Vianne seems awkward, too." He breathes out and looks at him before turning his attention to the road again, wanting to break the growing silence. Soroya, who is looking outside the window as her chin rests on her palm, turns to look at him. "Is everything okay?" He raises the question even though he knew the answer to it already.

"I don't know." She replies with such sadness, as seen in her eyes. Soroya then turns her attention outside the tinted window. Eduardus then throws a glance in her direction and sighs before looking back at the road again.

"Is this has something to do about what you said to me last Monday?" He asks, remembering the exact day. That made Soroya look at him again. . . She stares at him for a second before sitting erect and sigh.

"This is, by far, the saddest week of my life. . . The house feels empty; Soroya and Vianne got too aloof with each other as if there's a boundary between Her and the body in possessing right now. And even though my would is different from the body, I'm living with. It is as if I AM Soroya and she is my real sister. . . I can always feel the awkward silence evaporating, the tension building, even if this body and Vianne still lie beside each other at night since there's only one bedroom for the two of them to share. It felt so cold that I almost thought im living on the ice." She says that makes both of them fall silent after. But just before the silence prolongs, her phone rings, indicating a call.

"Who is that?" Eduardus asks as his eyes are on the road.

"It's Nico, one of my friends." She says before answering the call.

"Nico, hi!" She greets as she shifts her body slightly, showing a bit of discomfort that she's surprised with his call.

[Damn, you should have been here because Bret's expression was— wait. . . You still haven't watched the video I sent you, didn't you?] Nico asks when he didn't receive the reaction he was expecting from her. Soroya didn't have a choice but to bite her nails. [I sent the video like last Tuesday. We're you that busy?]

"I'm sorry. I just happen to be loaded with school activities and what's needed to be done for the rest of the week." She has the reason that she wants able to watch it, and that makes Nico understand by responding with a chuckle.

[Then what are you waiting for!? Go on and watch it and give me a call immediately and tell me what you think. . .]

"Of course I will! Or maybe I will tell you personally about my reaction for a few more hours now." She says as she feels herself grinning.

[No way. . . You're coming again, right?] He asks, sounds too excited.

"Of course I am! Didn't I tell you I am?"

[Well, maybe I just got too coped up with studies also that I forgot you tell me when you're coming to revisit us.] He says from the other line that makes her smile.

"Right. . . So, I'll see you later?"

[Couodnt wait. . .]

The call ended after that. Soroya expected Eduardus to start asking her for juicy gossips, but he remained silent. Eduardus, on the other hand, wanted to ask her about Nico. . . But then, he decided not to meddle with it because it is not in his position to pry to his client's personal issues.

•••

*knock knock!

Vianne immediately stands up from sitting comfortably on the wooden sofa when she hears a knock coming from the door. She doubtlessly opens the door to see Houdini standing confidently. His hands were comfortably resting on his pockets, as he now wears a brown expensive-looking suit that bothers Vianne almost immediately.

"What are you wearing?" She asks as Houdini's smile slowly falls when he hears her question. Immediately, he looks down into his outfit to see if there is any dirt or stain on it. But then, his clothing is clean to perfection.

"What's wrong with my outfit? I can't see anything wrong with it—" but before he could even finish his sentence, Vianne decided to interrupt.

"IT'S TOO FORMAL!" She shouts at him that makes him flinch. "I mean, look at me! Look what I AM wearing! Just plain random black leggings and an oversized basketball shirt that was given by an old friend. . . And you, Mister Houdini, should remember this because this is the required dress code when you're going to visit our place." She announces that it makes him raise a brow.

"So, you'd want me to buy some clothes first before letting me inside your home?" He asks, which makes her raise a brow. It took her a few more seconds before grinning at him.

"No, we can do that later. So, come in, Mister Houdini." She says as she opens the door wide for him to enter. When he did, she closes the door behind her and gets the snack she prepared.

"So, what's the plan now?" Vianne asks as she comes back with a pitcher and a plate on hand. Houdini grabs them out of her hands as he is the one to place them down on the table before sitting down.

"Well, we follow the same plan that we talked about last Monday: We FOLLOW THEM." He says as he watches Vianne pours her a glass of orange juice.

"So. . . That's it? We follow them?" She asks as she hands him the glass.

"Thanks. . . And yes, that's it. When we're there, we, of course, try to hide so that they won't get suspicious of us." He explains before sipping from the glass. "Hmm, this is sweet! I like it!" He compliments.

"Thanks. . . But, what about Eduardus? Won't he get suspicious of us?" She raises a question again as she pours herself a glass of juice and drinks into it.

"Of course, he won't!" Houdini confidently replies that makes Vianne worry even more. "I mean, the first weekend my sister got there, he came back and said he wanted to hang out."

"Well, was he consistent when it comes to physically present?" This time, it was Houdini's time to ask a question that made her think through.

As she tries to recall her being able to spend time with Eduardus last weekend, she was then sure that she noticed him disappearing at very unexpected times.

"Uhm, he suddenly tells me that he needs to use the bathroom, but it usually takes him longer than expected. . . He did this most of the time when I just wanted to hang out. I thought he has a stomach ache and that we need to visit the doctor. He ended up going home instead of wanting my help. Then, when Saturday morning came, he got here early as he slept in my house, then he went to the bathroom again, and this time, it took him almost thirty or forty minutebeforeoree coming out."

"So, you never suspected anything about this?"

"I thought it was just a regular stomach ache. Something about he ate, but not until he came the next morning and almost spent an hour inside the bathroom. . . Do you happen to know the reason for this?"

Her confession with her last question drops like a bomb to Houdini. He knew the answer to it, but it wasn't for him to tell.

At least not yet.

"Houdini?" Vianne waves her hand in front of his eyes that makes him blink back to reality.

"What are you doing?" He asks as he slaps her hand away from his face.

"Well, you suddenly spaced out and creepily smoldered. Do you think that won't freak me out?" She asks that made him stare at her for a second before breaking into laughter. A bit creeped out, Vianne releases a fake and forced laugh.

But then, Houdini suddenly halts from laughing that made Vianne follow.

"That's a question for me not to tell and for you to find out." Houdini takes the glass of juice into his hands before emptying it. Vianne watches him, still puzzled about what he has in mind. When Houdini finishes his drink, he places the empty glass down and wipes the edges of his lips using the cloth from his suit's pocket. "The question is, are you ready to go and find out?"

This time, it was Vianne's turn to drink her glass of juice and places it down on the coffee table. With a smirk on her face, she looks at Houdini from top to bottom before talking.

"Of course I am." She says before leaning forward, her elbow resting into her knees and her chin gently lies into her palm. "But before that, I think it's time for a makeover."