This is Her Reality

The cheap perfume lurked in the background as he put on his thick black, false eye lashes. He could still smell the harsh white musk prowling around the small box-like change room. “Two minutes Georgia,” a muffled voice demanded from behind the hollow fake wooden door. He had two minutes. Two minutes until the blinding yellow light washed away his week. Two minutes until he didn’t have to pretend. Two minutes until he was Georgia Glitter.

Greg Rendell was brought up in a household where the sheets were bleached every Sunday, and Friday nights consisted of family bonding around a game of scrabble. Greg was never a fantastic speller, his mother always won. She always got the most points for spelling the word excel – something Greg never did according to them. But then again, he never did anything accordingly.

He did one last outfit and makeup check, his eye liner was perfect. It was a deep navy, highlighted with gold shimmer eye shadow. The gold shimmer matched his new gold gemmed dress and cherry pumps. During his weekly lunch breaks he use to scope out the new fashions in the fancy lady’s store down the street from his office. On Wednesday he saw the gold dress and knew, he just knew. He looked like perfection. The kind of perfection that would have made Diana Ross leave a bar.

It was time. Georgia opened the door and headed towards the stage. He never felt as comfortable as he did when the heels clicked on the floor echoing behind him. This was who he’d been since he was 10. A person he could never admit to being, a person his parents wouldn’t have accepted, and a person who was finally in their own skin.

He stood waiting for the red curtains to unravel his true self. There was only seconds left now until his debut. Within these seconds questions colonized his mind – did he tell his wife it’s poker night? Is there going to be anyone he knows who would recognize him, and ultimately ruin the only reason he got up every morning? Did he remember to put his make-up remover in his bag?

Flash. Bright yellow lights stung his eyes. He heard the music dim and a deep, mind numbing voice began, “And now, the moment we’ve been waiting for since last Thursday night, please welcome Georgia Glitter.” He walked up to the microphone, looked out onto the crowd and let his mind go. Greg Rendell is Georgia Glitter.