Only Human: Before and After

Chapter 134: June Jackson

            "This is where you will be performing!" Katherine said all excited with a twirl. She was back to wearing her typical tea dress colored black and red.

I stepped into what looked to be a ballet studio of sorts. The floor was made of clean wood boards with some scuff marks scattered throughout, and the walls were grey and fuzzy outside of the one wall that was a large mirror with a bar. There was a TV stationed on one of the walls that was showing the stage illuminated by stage lights despite it still being light out. On the stage both male and female werewolves were stretching in sweats and loose shirts or sports bras. My heart picked up as this was starting to feel real. This wasn't just some road trip, but an actual tour. I would soon be performing on that very stage, or at least my persona will be.

I walked across the floor and despite the boarded look to it, the floor was entirely smooth. I looked into the mirror wall and still found my disguise off putting. The strawberry locks that brushed my shoulders looked natural with my pale green eyes, but my brain couldn't grasp how that girl in the mirror was me. However dressed in tight sweats, my comfortable sneakers, and a tank-top with a three-quarter length sleeved jacket to cover Destin's mark, I felt ready to dance anyway. From my understanding we would start rehearsing dance then move to the vocals. Due to the last-minute nature of the majority of my songs, those dance steps will be few or up to my interpretation. However, my original song and the duet with Destin will be fully choreographed and drilled into my mind and body before dinner.

"So, what do you think?" Katherine asked with a smug smirk.

I turned around to face her, Jimmy, Hendrix, and Eliza who were all watching me intently. "I love it." I said honestly. "There's enough room to match what I'll need to do on stage." I said.

"The room is also soundproof, has no windows, and only one point of entry which Jimmy will be heavily guarding." Hendrix added.

"My mistress has asked that I stay nearby with refreshments, towels, and whatever else you may need between songs." Eliza said smiling. Ever since I told her everything, Eliza had been much more... clingy? Where she was hesitant to share her affection or trust before, she seemed to have complete faith in me. It was a relief, because I was certain she would start distancing herself realizing I wasn't fully human. Eliza was used to being around nonhumans though, and she found it flattering that I still admired her charisma and presence. She also admitted that it relieved quite a few doubts she had about herself. She had thought she was losing her edge with how persistent men were in pursuing me as opposed to her, but now she could write it off as an angel thing. In all honesty, I wouldn't mind being down a pursuing man, or at least one in particular.

"I checked in with each venue Destin and you had picked out, demanding pictures and such, to be sure a room like this will always be available backstage. I did have to change the last venue due to them not having a room like this, but Destin approved the change." Katherine said proudly.

I was legitimately amazed. "Wow, Katherine. That must have been a lot of work. I didn't even think of that." I said.

She beamed. "It's what any good manager would have done. Now Destin is on his way to the stage. The Persona Maker is already in place. He's going to introduce you real quick and explain the situation."

"Situation?" I asked.

The vampire princess shook her head. "June, your persona is a hologram. Don't you think the other werewolves will find your lack of scent and physical presence odd?"

I mentally slapped myself. Destin already mentioned that we were revealing my hologram trick. "That situation. So how exactly is Destin going to explain it?"