Love Is Only an Illusion

“Ready?” Sutton’s cousin asked her as she was reapplying her dark red lipstick. Her cousin’s slim arms wrapped around Sutton’s shoulders, her head sitting atop her own.

Sutton puckered her lips a few times before dabbing them with a napkin. “Ready,” she smiled.

The two held hands as they walked on stage, smiling brightly to the crowd. Sutton watched in amazement as her cousin cupped her hand slightly, making her look more like the princess Sutton saw her as.

They were a two woman team made up of an escape artist and a mentalists who dabbles in some card tricks. The two were inseparable since Sutton’s cousin left her assisting job.

“Hello, Los Angeles! We are the Reeves Girls!” the women announced, raising their interlocking hands to the sky. Cheers erupted from the crowd. The rush of performing flew through the girls’ bodies.

Act after act, the girls performed. Sometimes individually, sometimes as a team. The crowd loved when they tag-teamed, especially the men.

Henley hollered as she reached the top of her platform, Sutton situated beside the large water tank. “Okay, Los Angeles! Are we ready to end this thing?” Henley asked. The crowd responded positively.

“When that timer hits zero,” Sutton declared into her headset, “a tank full of flesh-eating piranhas will fall from above!”

The male assistants strapped Henley in. “A lady has to have handcuffs, right, girls?” Henley joked with the female viewers. “One, two three!” Her clothes were ripped from her body, revealing the sparkly short outfit she insisted on wearing.

Sutton rolled her eyes as whistles and cheers were heard. She watched as Henley gave a small dance and a bright smile. After all, Henley was the more popular of the two. She was the reason they could afford such great performances, not to mention a place to rest their heads at night.

The timer went off, and in Henley fell. Sutton stood beside the tank, acting as though she were afraid for her cousin as Henley struggled with the cuffs. She unlocked one and raised her arm in triumph.

As the timer ticked down, Henley began to panic. That was Sutton’s cue.

“Oh, my God!” Sutton screamed, rushing to the tank. She slammed her fists on it, mimicking her cousin’s actions. “Someone help!” she called to the crowd.

Two male audience members rushed to the tank. “She’s serious! She can’t get out!” one told me. No, shit, Sutton thought, forcing herself not to roll her eyes.

One of the males yelled something, but Sutton couldn’t understand it. Another male returned with a pipe. He ran straight for Henley’s tank. One of the original males pulled Sutton out of the way, holding her. Sutton shook in fear to make the performance more real.

Henley managed to remove her leg chains, emerging at the surface of the water with a deep intake of breath. It was too late as the blood-hungry fish fell on her. Sutton slammed her eyes shut and held her ears closed with her hands, muffling Henley’s scream. Although it was all part of the act, Sutton hated hearing it.

The crowd began to scream, and the man holding Sutton left to try to find Henley in the tank. Sutton stumbled and ended up on the floor. The water from the tanks splashed onto her. She buried her head in her arms, hiding from the image of Henley’s terrified face and the bloody water.

“Come on! This is bullshit!” Sutton heard, causing her to get up from her seated position. “Whoever thought of this is a sick sadist!”

The crowd erupted in cheers once more as they realized the escape artist was still alive and well. Henley stayed in the crowd, fist-pumping and high-fiving members.

Sutton walked to the top of the platform to wait for Henley, who followed shortly after her. “We are the Reeves Girls! Goodnight!” the two yelled, interlocking their fingers once more. They stood for some time, but rushed to the back dressing room.

“That was awesome, Sut!” Henley squealed to her cousin, grabbing her dry clothes and heading to the bathroom.

Sutton laughed. “They always love you, Hen.” She sat on the arm of the couch as she waited for Henley to emerge from the bathroom.

“You were great, though!” Henley responded, not wanting her cousin to think low of herself. “I mean, did you see the look on their faces when you hypnotized that girl with her favorite singer?”

Sutton chuckled to herself, recalling the memory. The girl stated her favorite singer was Shawn Mendes, so Sutton made sure the girl would sing, “I'll be needing stitches,” every time she heard the singer’s name. It would wear off in a week, so no big deal.

Sutton was in her own world, staring at the floor when Henley emerged from the bathroom in dark blue jeans and a brown shirt. Sutton gave a slight smile as Henley spun. “Beautiful as always,” she said.

Henley smiled. “You’re the best cousin ever!” She grabbed Sutton’s hand and they ran out the door, back into the area they had just performed in.

The two were giggling about the performance as Henley continued to towel-dry her hair. Sutton froze in her footsteps as they passed the water tank.

“What’s up?” Henley asked when she noticed Sutton’s footsteps were no longer in sync with her own.

Sutton made her way over to the tank, peering inside. “Look, Hen.”

Henley’s heels clicked behind Sutton. A piranha swam in front of what appeared to be a card. “Woah,” she whispered.

“I-I think it’s meant for you,” Sutton blushed, sorry she had found it.

Henley gave her a small smile. “I’m sure you got one, too.”

Sutton shook her head. “No, Hen,” she sighed. “You and I both know that you’ve always been the hot one, the favorite performer, the-“

“Sutton, shut up!” Henley laughed, causing Sutton to look over at her. Henley was twirling a card in her hand by the steps of the platform.

Sutton smiled, ripping it from between Henley’s red painted nails. She stared at it in amazement.

“Now,” Henley said, placing her hands on her hips, “how the hell am I supposed to get my card out?”