Chapter 02 - The Art of Concealing

Meet Luisa, the transferee with so many tales to tell...

CHAPTER 2 �" The Art of Concealing

I am immortal. I will never die.

Literally speaking, it’s impossible. But with this physique, no one would ever forget me. All the boys fall in love with me. All the girls envy me. Nobody knows but perhaps an artist keeps a painting of me, a one-of-a-kind beauty hidden in his drawing book.

I look at the mirror and I just can’t believe that a creature like me existed. I really appreciate God for giving me the rarest kind of escape from the ironies of life �" the secret to an ultimate beauty. I mean, who can not appreciate these amber eyes that seem to look into people’s souls, the lengthy hair that falls smooth on my scapula, the pinkish lips that was ever seductive? I also have the perfect body albeit not that curvy, but everybody envies me of having.

“Ahahahahaha!” Some laughing girls suddenly turned down their volume as they enter the comfort room just as I was getting my bag ready. I playfully lick my lips and roll my eyes a little shortly before getting out and making my way to the classroom.

I sit in the middle of the front row, which is unusual for a main character, because unlike any other trying-hards, I want all the attention. I want all the boys to look up to me. I want all the insecure b*****s to die of envy. “Are you Luisa?”

I move my hair with my two left fingers before facing whoever asked and answered her politely. “Yes, I am the new student here.”

“Nice to meet you.” She then hands out her hand. “I’m Gwen.”

I shook her hand. Well not all girls are insecure of me after all.

But then, she spilled the tea that I didn’t expect to hear. “You know, that seat you occupy was once our classmate’s favorite seat.”

“Oh really? That’s quite an info. Should I move my seat then?”

“No.” she dismisses me, assuring me that it’s okay. “Actually, he died last week.”

And then it’s like all the negative energy gathered around me. I’m intrigued. “Why, what happened?”

“Well, there are rumors that apparently went into his ex-girlfriend’s despedida party.” She sits down in the seat beside and goes on. “Unfortunately that night he was found in his suite, bloody dead.”

I cover my mouth with both hands in shock. “Oh, that’s horrible.”

“Apparently, he was seeing another guy.”

“Another guy?”

“Yes. It’s implicated that he’s had a homosexual relationship.” This discussion really piqued my interest. “And this other guy supposedly killed him after taking advantage of him.”

“That’s sad.” I express concern. “I mean, who could do such a thing?”

Little did I know that in my peripheral vision, there is a suspicious guy that watches me closely. But I’m not just sure. So I ask Gwen for information.

“I need to ask you something, but please don’t look behind me.” I softly say as I turn around to totally face her. “Who’s that guy. He’s giving me the creepy look!”

“Oh. That’s Nathan.” I swear to God I’m trying to resist the temptation of turning and giving him a look. But my instincts tell me not to do so. “Well, he used to be Jacob’s rival in academics here.”

“Jacob?”

“The guy who just died.” I cover my mouth with one hand. Well I’m thinking.

“Can you tell me about that guy?” All ears, I prepare myself for tea to sip. “I mean about your class. I’m actually new here, I wonder what it’s like.”

Gwen’s loose mouth is actually commendable. She just provides you information regardless of necessity. But this attitude could be troublesome someday.

Today I have learned many things about our class. That weird guy Nathan used to be the most excellent guy in the class. But then when Jacob transferred in, he just became second best. He even lost his competitive scholarship to Jacob due to their difference in skill.

And then there’s Miguel, another weirdo in class who used to be best friends with Jacob, but then became insane when he died. I’m sorry for being judgmental, but this guy probably is the killer. But then in everyone’s perspective, that homo partner is the killer. The case is still under investigation as they say. Well, who am I to indulge in it?

“Acting is not as easy as you think. In order to have a perfect execution, you need to be in character. Or else your viewers will see your flaws, and worst of all, they will feel that what you are doing is just plain acting…” and the professor goes on. Well, as a beautiful role model, I’m paying attention but then my instincts tell me that something is wrong. Someone is looking at me intensely.

I focus on my peripheral vision, and there he is. Nathan. Just what is wrong with that plump?

I’m unsettled by this guy, so I decided to face him and show him a raised eyebrow. What’s your problem, little guy? But then he simply removes his glance and looks at the professor, as if attentive, with a less intense look. Somehow I’m puzzled if that’s just the way he is or he really has some problem with me.

“Class dismissed.”

I get my things ready to leave when Gwen asked me. “Are you going home, Luisa? I know I’m kinda annoying but can I come with you? I can tour you around the campus.”

“Oh, no need.” I dismiss her. “I need to go somewhere else after this. Next time, okay?”

“Oh.” She looks a little down. “Okay. See you then.”

I give her a smile as she left, but that is cut short by Nathan who passed by and intentionally bumped with my shoulder.

“Excuse me?!” I exclaim, irritated. But then he just walks in the same pace, as if he never heard me. What a bad attitude. His good looks are such a waste.

My phone rings as I walk. “Hello, Alisa? What’s up?”

“You need to go back here, we need to change our plans.”

That’s confusing, but I prefer discussing it personally than over the phone. Someone might be listening in our on-line conversation.

“Okay. I need to get ready first.” I put down the phone and then finally, after a long while, I feel uncomfortable and itchy in this dress. I need to change clothing soon.

It’s getting dark, and I think there’s chance of rain. This university is quite barren at this hour. It’s very peaceful for a 5:30pm atmosphere, there is no one around but me! I look left and right, just to make sure nobody’s trailing me. Well, because of this beauty I might get in trouble. Who knows?

But then when I was about to walk away, someone grabs my arm, and drags me towards a dark unused room. “Where the f**k are you taking me?!”

He slams me to the white board, the only thing you can see in this almost-total darkness. “What’s your problem with me?!”

It’s the weirdo, Nathan. “Why did you take me here?!”

He then forces me pinned against the board with his very strong arm through my chest. “I know just who you are.”

“What do you mean?!”

BAM! He punches the white board, just a few inches near my skull. I am about to cry, because to be honest, I feel choked, but then I can’t lose face here, so I held it in.

He shouts at my face while wiping the top of my lips with his sweaty arm. “Stop pretending, you sick f**k killer!”

“I did not kill anyone!” I shout back, and with all the force I have, I push him back, but he caught my hand. “Let me go, you psycho!”

“You need to surrender now. I’m a suspect!” He exclaims, and his gaze �" it was just so intense. And then I felt it, his touch. It was just… cold. Very, very cold.

“I �" I don’t know what you’re talking about, Nathan.” And with the force left in me, I pull my hand from his grip and run away with tears in my eyes. That b*****d!

“Alisa, what’s wrong?”

She keeps walking back and forth like a crazy lady. “This is so wrong, they put me up on the suspects list!”

“What?! That’s crazy!”

“But, I did not kill Jacob. I did not kill Jacob. I did not kill Jacob!” She mumbles with a crescendo as she approaches me with crazy moist eyes “Neither did you.”

“None of us killed him, right?” She bawls as she removes my hair �" my wig, and wipes away my make-up. “We’re innocent, Kim.”

That’s right b*****s. This is me, Kim. Luisa is just an art of concealing myself. Was I suspicious? Or was I convincing?

“Kim?” Alisa softly slaps me. “You’re getting too in-character your voice totally sounds different and you look like a wild lady.”

I breathe deep, like getting myself �" Kim �" back. I now play a dual character, but I swear to God I am not the killer!

“Nobody followed you right?” Alisa asks with worry.

“N �" no. Relax.” I assure her. “Now tell me about this mess.”

Alisa was put up on the suspects list, because she is a waitress on duty in the inn that night Jacob was killed. She vanished in the middle of her shift but that’s due to her getting her early time-out since she had a sudden shaky health because she’s pregnant. Her absence makes the authorities suspicious so she was put up in the list.

Actually on that night, I immediately knew something was up and felt that I’ll be framed anyway, so I clothed myself and escaped by the front door before Jacob’s body was found. I could think of no one else to turn to that fateful night. Definitely not Cecil, she’s busy with her plans in life. And my parents are no longer around. I could only think of Alisa since she is my other best friend who accepted me for being this way. I thought she might be able to help me get out of this crazy situation.

That night when Jacob died, it was raining hard. It did a good job camouflaging my tears. But my eyes never lie. Her lights are on so I rang the doorbell and went inside her apartment, soaked.

She looked perplexed, more like shocked even. As if she was telling me what are you doing at this mighty hour?

“Jacob was killed. I might be in danger. Please help me, Alisa.” She looked frightened. But she hugged me right away.

She waited until I was calm and then I explained to her everything that happened. How I met him, what we did, and explained my hunch that I might be framed as the power shortage seemed suspicious. And she had this idea, to take advantage of my androgyny.

“You need to find out who killed Jacob and turn whoever he or she is to the authority before you’re caught.” She said with determination, but with a shaky voice. “But you’ll be caught if you stay as Kim. You have to assume another persona. You get me?”

Then I asked her, “why are you shaking?”

“I am pregnant.” She said immediately like it’s the heaviest thing she had carried. “By some random guy out there.”

She burst into tears. I don’t know if it’s due to me undergoing a trauma early on, but I was not convinced. “Well, I’m currently alarmed because my conservative parents might know and I don’t know what to do. I mean am I gonna tell them that their princess was knocked up just from too much f*****g?!”

Well, she has her sentiments. “That issue can be saved for later, Kimmy. Now let’s see if my disguise will work on you.”

“I’m just from a tragedy, but this sure sounds fun.” I let out a laugh, and it was only then that I notice my heavy eyes. I’ve really cried a lot at these dark hours. Plus the fact that I lacked sleep.

She began to put really thick make-up on me and lent me a wig. “For your eyes, let’s leave it as it is. That is your identity, that will be the link between Kim and your other persona.”

She brings me to a mirror, and hell, I looked hell like a dazzling beautiful woman. I looked really… pretty.

You’re pretty. I don’t mean handsome. I mean pretty.

I held my tears as I recalled Jacob’s words. How I wish I could turn back time and make a difference. That’s just not how it works.

“You’re not just androgynous physically, your adam’s apple is also small. We can do something with your voice.” And with practice, I was able to alter the pitch of my voice, albeit only temporarily.

“Do I look and sound more like a woman now?” I asked her in my well-rehearsed voice.

“Perfect.” She said and gave me a sharp look. “And you’re going to be under a new name. It would be Luisa.”

“Why Luisa?”

“So you’d never forget me in case things gets awry. It sounds similar to Alisa.” We both laughed.

“Thank you, Alisa.”

“It’s okay.” She reassured me. “It’s okay, Luisa. We’re already in this together. We are both innocent, okay?”

“Why do you sound like you’re guilty?” I asked jokingly.

“I’m already an accomplice, I helped you escape!” We both laughed at that.

But in the present, it’s nowhere near that. Nobody’s laughing.

“This is really crazy, but you need to leave, Kim.” She says, shaking. “You need to do me a favor and leave!”

“I can keep being Luisa and I can help get you out of the suspects list in case the authorities storm here.”

“NO!” She forcefully answers, which surprised me. “Do you know that danger must have followed you ever since you left that inn?”

“You can fool the people in the university, but not the authorities. They can just… wipe Luisa away, do you get that?” It’s weird but her worry starts to get into me. Like she is horrified by something. Suddenly, I feel a familiar energy �" that sinister energy which took Jacob away from me.

“I understand, Alisa.” I say, submitting myself to escape again. “I’m sorry �"”

But then on the television, there was a familiar voice. A very familiar voice that caught my attention as well as Alisa’s.

“Kimmy, wherever you are, please surrender now.” It’s Cecil. She’s teary-eyed. “I know you had been eyeing my ex-boyfriend for a while, but I never expected you to go that far as… killing him.”

“No.” I gasp as I also burst into tears. “No, no, no it’s not true!”

“I did not kill Jacob!” I shout, but what can a television hear?

“Kim, please come clean now. I can’t leave the immigration because I’m also tagged.” She says in a very convincing tone, that got me offended. “It’s very clear in the footage, Kim. You were escaping! Please spare me from this. I badly need to go overseas.”

I can’t believe that such a good friend like Cecil will ‘turn’ against me. It feels like I’ve been ‘betrayed’. The only thing that remains clear here is that, I did not kill Jacob, and whoever did this to him has to pay.

“I need to strip myself of Luisa before I get out of your house.” I look at Alisa. “You don’t want them to see Kim ‘escaping’ again from the footage.”

I go inside her bathroom and get a good look of myself in the mirror by the sink. My eyes are swollen, my face is really red. Despite all that, I look really pretty, even with some of my make-up smeared away. It’s been a week, but I never expected these sudden turn of events. I don’t know how to live anymore. Suicide? I don’t know. But it may be a good idea.

I reach for a razor in my bag, and look at it. Is it worth it? Looking back, I enjoyed my life. My twenty-three years perhaps had been very fruitful, but with just one death, everything seems to go to waste.

I was orphaned during high school, but with my abilities and creativity, I was able to earn in my own and managed to live normally like any other kid did. It’s too late to be sentimental about my parents, because as far as I remember, there was just nothing. I know they loved me, and I loved them as well when I was young. But they died. And I can’t do anything about that anymore. It’s been so long I just don’t think I could afford to be sentimental right now.

Bullies? Well, I’ve had my share of them back in high school. It’s so hard to be not straight. You are branded as abnormal. That’s why I had only a few friends and I always hated people in general.

I move the blade closer to my neck. This vein? Or this other one? Which vein will give me a more direct route to the other side? Which vein will spray more blood?

But I can’t do that, can I? I have come this far. I have zero clues yet, but I will surely find Jacob’s killer and make him pay for all that he has done. He took away a life, essentially he also took my identity, and he almost took even my sanity.

I move the blade closer to my cheek and use it to remove my facial hair by the sides of my face.

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!”

I immediately go out to see another horror happening right in front of me. There she is. A knife through her heart. Knives in both palms pinned to the wall, hanged and bloody. Alisa. She died just the way Jacob did. Can this get any worse?