Mirror Crown
The blaring of his phone alarm pulled Xavier from a dreamless sleep, his body stiff from lying in the unfamiliar bed. For a moment, he thought he was back in his tiny apartment, still tangled in the sheets of his ordinary life. But as his eyes slowly opened, the luxurious surroundings of his room hit him again, a stark reminder that he was now living someone else's life.
Christian's life.
Xavier groggily sat up, rubbing his eyes, trying to shake off the confusion that seemed to cling to him like a second skin. His head was throbbing, the pressure of pretending so heavy that it felt like it was squeezing the life out of him. He had barely slept, his mind racing with the weight of everything that had happened the day before, the meetings, the conversations, the constant fear that someone might catch on to the fact that he wasn't Christian Classic.
But today, the pressure was going to be worse. Today, he had to go to school. Christian's school. Where did he even go to school? Xavier thought, panic beginning to rise in his chest. He didn't know where Christian went, what classes he attended, or what his daily routine looked like. How was he supposed to do this?
A soft knock on the door startled him out of his thoughts. He quickly stood up and threw on a robe, making his way to the door. The moment he opened it, a woman in a sharp business suit stood before him, holding a clipboard.
"Good morning, sir. Your car is ready," she said, her voice professional and cool, as if she had delivered the same line a thousand times before.
Xavier blinked at her, his mind still foggy. "Uh… What car?" he stammered, still struggling to understand what was happening.
"The car to take you to school, sir. It's waiting downstairs," she said, looking at him with the kind of expectant professionalism that made him feel like an imposter. "You should get ready."
"School…" Xavier echoed, his voice trailing off. He had been hoping for some time to figure things out, to breathe, but it seemed that was never going to happen. Everything was moving too fast.
"Yes, sir," the woman said, unfazed by his hesitation. "The driver will be waiting for you in the front. You have about twenty minutes."
She turned and left him standing there, staring after her as his heart began to race. How am I supposed to get ready? What do I wear? Where is Christian's uniform?
Frantically, Xavier moved around the room, trying to find something that looked like it belonged to Christian. He noticed a few suits hanging in the closet, but those seemed too formal. His eyes scanned the room and landed on a neatly folded set of clothes on the bed—dark jeans, a crisp shirt, and a sleek jacket. Christian's school attire, he assumed.
With shaking hands, Xavier dressed quickly, pulling the clothes on without really thinking. His mind was a mess, the pieces of Christian's life scattered in every direction, and he couldn't seem to put any of it together.
Once dressed, he hesitated at the door, his mind still racing. What if I don't fit in? What if they see that I'm not Christian?
But before he could question himself any further, he heard the faint sound of a car horn outside. The driver, no doubt, signaling that it was time to leave.
Xavier took a deep breath and forced himself to move. He had no choice but to follow the path that had been set for him, even if he had no idea where it would lead. With one last glance around the room, he stepped out into the hallway, praying that no one would notice that he was a fraud.
As he made his way downstairs, he felt a strange mix of dread and excitement, like a person walking into a storm without knowing if they would survive it. The mansion was quiet at this time of day, the staff already moving about their tasks as if everything was normal.
Xavier didn't feel normal. Nothing about this situation felt normal.
He stepped outside to find a sleek black car waiting for him, the driver standing by the door. The man opened it for him with a polite nod, and Xavier slid into the backseat, trying to keep his face neutral, his thoughts chaotic.
The car sped off, and Xavier stared out the window, trying to steady his nerves. He was being driven to a place he didn't know, to a world he didn't belong in, and all he could do was follow the motions, pretending to be someone he wasn't.
Soon enough, the car pulled into the driveway of an extravagant building—Christian's school, he assumed. The gates were high, with large iron walls and sleek, modern architecture. As the car came to a stop, Xavier's heart skipped a beat. This wasn't like any school he had ever seen. It looked more like a private estate, with large glass windows, manicured lawns, and fountains decorating the property. Students walked around in uniforms, chatting in small groups, their laughter echoing through the air. They looked so at ease, so comfortable in this world that Xavier was completely foreign to.
The driver opened the door for him, and Xavier hesitated for a moment before stepping out. What now? he thought.
He tried to walk with purpose, hoping no one would notice his discomfort. The students around him didn't seem to pay him any mind, and for a brief moment, he thought he might actually make it through the day without incident. But then, as he approached the main building, he saw a group of students standing near the entrance, all of them looking at him expectantly.
"Hey, Christian! Over here!" one of them called out, waving enthusiastically.
Xavier froze for a moment, his stomach twisting into knots. They know me… They think I'm Christian.
But he forced a smile onto his face and made his way over, pretending to know exactly where he was supposed to go. His legs were shaky, and his heart was pounding in his chest, but he had no choice but to keep walking, to keep pretending that everything was fine.
"Hey, man!" another student greeted, slapping him on the back. "How was your weekend? You go to that party last night?"
Xavier's mind went blank. What was he supposed to say?
"Uh, yeah, it was… good," Xavier replied, the words coming out in a jumble. "How about you?"
The student looked at him with a raised eyebrow, clearly a little surprised by the lack of energy in his response. But Xavier didn't have time to explain. He didn't know how to explain. So he just kept walking, the eyes of his classmates on his back, his every move scrutinized.
As he entered the building, the reality of his situation hit him all over again. He's gone. Christian is gone, and I'm trapped in his world.
He didn't know how he was going to make it through the day, but one thing was clear: he had no choice but to keep pretending.