Escape artistry

12. Thigh slit (now)

The show would begin at eight pm. I had decided to leave home at seven, to give myself some marginals.

Chris and Sandra came at five to get me ready. Or mostly, Sandra did because Chris didn't, as he so politely put it, "know dick about fuck".

I had washed my hair the day before to get it perfect, and Sandra cut the ends, freshened up my curtain bangs and straightened it until it gleamed. Then, she did sort of like a bridal braid. She did very minimal makeup on me, just a natural touch to enhance my features, and also enhanced my eyelashes a little and put some gloss on my lips.

Then, it was time. I took a deep breath before I stepped into the piece Tobirama had apparently paid for.

"Dang, Izuna, my man!" Christ burst out.

"Oh, you look lovely", Sandra whispered and I could see she was close to tears.

"You two behave like proud parents sending their daughter to the ball", I laughed to try to stop my own tears.

I looked at myself in the mirror. I wore a dress that had only one arm and left the other bare. The dress started off as a milky cream coluor at the top, almost matching my skin tone giving a nude feeling, and then faded like an ombre into black at the end. It was draped around the waist and fell like a waterfall to my feet. It glittered with a wonderful glitter, as if stardust had been blown on it.

But the best part was, on the side that left the shoulder bare, there was also a thigh slit that went so high up, you could see I was wearing no underwear.

For the first time in my life, I was glad I had the appearance I had. My feminine features made me look soft, and my thin frame didn't look disgusting, as I had always viewed it, but elegant in this dress.

"My lady", Chris said, offering his arm.

"You homophobic piece of trash", I said sweetly and took his arm and let him escort me down to the road, where the agent was waiting with Tobirama's black car.

I didn't know excitemeant like this even existed.

I kept pacing back and forth backstage as magician number four did their contortionist show. My black silk platform heels made a chunky sound over the floor that could have been soothing if it wasn't for the fact that I was so nervous, nothing could control my nerves.

I hadn't seen Tobirama yet. Was he late? Was he staying out of my way? What would I say to him? What-

"Izuna."

I gasped, turned around and put my hand to my heart.

There he stood, in a black suit with a bow tie and everything, his blonde hair a ragged mess. The only thing not black and white about him were the red stripes.

And the way he was looking at me... He was looking straight into my eyes, one eyebrow raised in a way I remembered from our childhood that ment he was concentrating, and he simultaneously looked like a person whose blood was boiling, and whose heart had just stopped.

I realised I was panting, and let my hand, with my nails painted silver chrome, slide down to rest by my side. The air felt so thick, it was like breathing water.

"Izuna, I-"

"Tobias, on stage", a backstage worker said.

And with one final look at me, that told me a bedtime story of how he really didn't want to leave, he went.

I was left alone, waiting for my cue to go up on stage with Tobirama. 

I had only thought to the point of seeing my old best friend. I hadn't even considered what I was about to do, which was going on one of the most famous stages in the world on a Saturday night. My pacing backstage thus didn't stop just because the Tobirama part was done.

Was it really done, though? The atmosphere between us had told an entirely different story, of words unspoken. I wondered suddenly what would happen after the show. I knew he would go backstage before me and the other assistants, that we would get the final bow, which was a principle of his; they had told me during practice. Would he wait for me?

"Izuna! It's your turn!"

What, already? I had heard he would do things himself for fifteen minutes or so before it was time for me to get up. Had time really passed that fast?

I went out on stage, hardly understanding anything. I heard the buzz that I would have recognised as applause if I had had my head with me, but at that moment, I didn't understand it. I couldn't see anything; the stage lights were so bright, they blinded me. Despite the heat radiating from them, I felt frozen.

Suddenly, I saw a hand being stretched out towards me. It was covered in a black fabric that was clearly expensive, the white of a shirt showing off beneath. The shirt sleeves were tied with ruby-covered shirt buttons. The hand was large and white as snow, and looked safe and dry.

I took it.

"Ladies and gentlemen." Tobirama's voice. "May I present my lovely assistant for the evening, Izuna."

Somehow, his voice tied me up to reality, and I found I came back to myself. I smiled, and so, I could start what would turn out to be the most thrilling experience of my life.