The Lie of a Genius

Chapter 1

The year I finally hit the big time as a painter?

My sister, because she couldn’t get pregnant, was getting abused by her mother-in-law and her deadbeat husband.

I was trying to help her get a divorce, and ended up getting stabbed by her husband.

As I lay there dying, I heard my sister get some kind of system, something about swapping lives.

She looked down at me, pure hate in her eyes.

“If I’d been able to study art like you, I’d be the famous one! Now you get to see what it’s like to be a freaking housewife!”

What she didn’t get, though, was that in the art world, hard work is nothing compared to actual talent.

…

I never knew my own sister, Lisa, saw me as the enemy.

Even as her husband was beating her to death, she’d tricked me into coming over, just to make sure I died before she did.

I’ll never forget the look in Lisa’s eyes, full of glee as that cold knife went into my gut.

Right before the lights went out, we both heard this robotic voice in our heads.

“Congratulations! You’re both hooked up to the Life Swap System. You can choose anyone to switch places with!”

Lisa’s soul was hovering next to me, eyes wide. Then she screamed, “I wanna swap with Amy! I choose her life!”

I tried to grab her hand.

I thought she was being stupid, you know? With a system like that, she could swap with anyone!

But Lisa yanked her hand away, looking at me like I was her worst enemy.

“I’m so done living in your shadow! Why do you get to be Amy, the golden girl, and I’m stuck being plain old Lisa? Why are you the great artist, and I’m just some nobody?”

“If the teachers hadn’t all been drooling over your paintings, if Mom and Dad hadn’t been obsessed with you and spending all their money on your art classes, no one would’ve even seen how much I loved to paint! No one cared how hard I worked! Is it any wonder I’m so miserable?”

“You took the easy way out, Amy, going to art school. You think you’re better than me? You think you could’ve gotten into Yale without that head start?”

“I hate you! I hate that stupid name, Amy! My misery is all your fault, now you get to see what it’s like to be me!”

She was screaming like a banshee, like she wanted to rip me apart.

Then, a flash of white light.

I snapped my eyes open and found myself back in our childhood home.

I looked in the mirror and saw this innocent-looking face staring back at me, all freckles and a sweet little smile. I was, like, seventeen or eighteen again.

I really was Lisa.

I was my sister—now Amy. Amy burst through the front door with a huge art easel strapped to her back.

Mom and Dad were all over her, fussing and asking if she was okay.

“What are you doing home so early, honey?”

“It’s that time of year, when everyone gets sick, so Mom made you some apple pie! You have to save some for later.”

Amy smiled, all sweetness and light.

She glanced over at me, a flash of something nasty in her eyes.

“It was so crowded at art class that I felt sick. The teacher told me to take the day off.”

“Mom and Dad, I’m just going to practice on my own for a few days. Please don’t bother me.”

I glanced at the calendar. At this point in our lives, I’d just gotten the highest score in the city.

It was just a month or so until the art school entrance exams.

I was usually at the studio, changing my style, sketching, mixing colors, sleeping four hours a night and painting until I could barely stand.

The teachers wouldn’t usually give anyone a day off at that stage.

Amy was probably back because she couldn’t remember how to hold a brush and was planning to cram as much as she could at home.

She always thought that 99% effort was more important than 1% talent.

I wanted to see how her efforts would make up the difference between us.

The system only told her she could switch lives.

It never said anything about switching talent.

Finally getting a break from my parents’ fussing, I could finally breathe.

I got my school bag, went to Lisa’s room, and started studying.

Starting today, I’d be Lisa.

No more art school, I had to start studying academics.

Luckily, Mom and Dad had spent a fortune hiring tutors to help me with academics, so it wasn’t too hard. After a couple of practice tests, I was back up to speed.

My sister thought I took the easy way out with art, but I actually got more than five hundred on my SAT and graduated from my dream school.

Only I knew how hard I had worked.

I finished my homework and heard a crash from the next room, followed by the sound of something breaking.

Amy started yelling. “Can you just leave me alone! I’m trying to work!”

Mom had already brought her three plates of fruit.

The house went quiet for a second, and then Mom’s voice sounded, kind of nervous.

“Okay, honey. I’ll leave you alone. Get some sleep, don’t work too hard.”

Mom didn’t bother Amy again, but I could still see the light under her door when I turned off my bedside lamp at midnight.

Her room was full of videos playing “One Minute Guide to Hatching” and “Zero to Drawing in One Day.”

The next morning, I grabbed my bag and headed to school.

As I opened the front door, the door across the hall cracked open and I met Amy’s dark, baggy eyes.

She tried to make it look like she was just letting Mom and Dad see the sketches she’d been working on.

“Mom, what do you think of my work?”

“It’s amazing! Just as good as we hoped!”

“It looks just like her!”

She smiled to herself.

Amy glanced at me like she was showing off that she could learn what takes other people months and years in a single night.

Then, she smiled. “Lisa, you need to study too. That way, we can go to the same college.”

“I heard you watching Youtube last night. The SATs are in a couple of months! It’s going to cost money to retake the test.”

My parents turned around to yell at me.

“What are you doing watching TV so close to the test?

“Look at your sister, who is trying to practice and study at the same time.

I looked down sadly and held up my homework.

“Last night I was watching videos and working on my homework. I got rid of all my entertainment apps.”

“I worked on three practice tests last night.”

My parents looked relieved as they saw my homework. My mom looked back at me, scolding me. “You have to rest as well. How are you going to listen to these lectures if you don’t?”

“There are eggs in the fridge. Have your favorite runny egg before you leave.”

I started to head out, but then I remembered.

“Mom, Amy’s drawing is really cool! Can I take a picture to show my friends?”

Amy didn’t want to show it.

“I don’t like showing my paintings to everyone!”

Mom liked sharing her life on Facebook, so she thought Amy was shy. “Amy, let me take a picture and send it to your family. It’s going to be okay.”

Amy acted embarrassed, but then she finally let my mom take a picture.

Mom took several pictures, trying to get the right angle.

I smiled to myself.

I remembered Mom followed my teacher on Facebook.

That night, I saw what I was expecting.

“??? Is that Amy’s drawing? Are you kidding me?”

[Smile/Yes teacher.]

[…]

When I got back home, I heard Amy apologizing to her teacher. “That’s something that I messed around with. I was up all night drawing, so I made it messy.”

The phone gave a stern response.

“Amy, the entrance exam is coming up soon. I let you rest at home because you are a good student. But there are geniuses all across the country. If you don’t take it seriously and you don’t work hard, then you are throwing away your talent.”

“Don’t think you are special. There are so many people who are better than you.”

Amy looked panicked as she bit her thumbnail.

She ended the call and looked at me when she saw me walk in. The panic turned to hate.

She was angry. “What are you smiling about? Are you happy that I’m embarrassed?”

I looked concerned.

“I can teach you the basics if you want.”

She lashed out and slapped me.

“It’s just drawing. It’s not that hard. Anyone can do it. What are you acting like?”

I pushed her away reflexively.

But I didn’t put any strength into it. Amy staggered backward and fell.

I heard glass breaking as my parents arrived. Amy’s hand was bleeding.

Mom asked her what happened, and Amy looked at me hatefully. “I don’t know why Lisa pushed me. She said she hates me and that I stole your love. I never knew she felt this way.”

“My hand really hurts. There’s glass in my hand.”

My mom looked closely at her hand. Glass shards had scratched at her. My mom looked at me angrily.

“If you have a problem with your parents, you should talk to us. It’s not fair to your sister!”

My dad yelled, grabbing my shoulders.

“You know that your sister is about to take the entrance exam. This is so important.”

“You are ruining her future.”

His grip was so strong that I felt like my shoulders were about to break.

So, this was how Amy wanted to avoid the tests.

I looked at her deeply.

Then I started to cry, scream, and slap myself. “I know that I’m bad at school. I know that I’m not as good as my sister. But I’ve been trying so hard! Why does she have to keep saying she’s better than me? I just feel like I’m falling apart!”

“I’m a human being too! It hurts! I can see that you care about my sister more than you care about me! That’s why I’ve been trying so hard to catch up! Why are you keep hurting me?”

“If you think I’m worthless, then I’ll just die. It’s okay if you just have a perfect daughter.”

I ran away and headed towards the yard. My dad grabbed me before I was able to do anything.

That night, my parents called my teacher and were told that students were extra stressed as the SATs approached.

They had a long, serious look at each other and apologized to me.

“I’m sorry, Lisa. We’ve been ignoring you. But we don’t think that you are worthless. Don’t worry too much.”

“All you need to do is work hard. We just want you to be safe.”

“We love you and Amy the same amount.”

I smiled and started twirling my pen. “It’s okay, Mom and Dad. I was just emotional today. But I really want to study and work hard so I can get into a good school.”

“Can you get me a tutor? I won’t ask for an allowance for a little bit.”

The old Lisa would always beg her parents for money to buy things. There was no way she would stop her allowance to study.

My parents started to tear up and nodded.

“Okay! We are going to support you no matter what.”

Amy did the same thing, asking Mom and Dad to get a top student from art school. She said that she needed to become more familiar with the art styles that she would see on the test.

She continued to make her parents serve her, because her hands were hurt. She needed to heal before the test.

My mom gave her fruit as she lay in bed watching TV.

I smiled and shook my head as I watched.

The entrance exams were just starting.

The best part of all this was coming up.

…

The teacher was a handsome college student.

He was very charming and he dressed well. He looked just like Amy’s crush.

Amy’s eyes shined and she couldn’t even speak when she saw him.

The guy stretched out his hand first. “I know who you are. Teacher Shaw’s student. I might be your senior.”

“My name is Sean Smith. You can call me Sean.”

“I’m Li… Amy Jones.”

Sean laughed sweetly and bent his eye.

“Amy and Sean. What a perfect combination.”

“I didn’t know that you were so cute.

The guy put his arms around Amy’s shoulders and started heading toward her room.

I could see their shoulders touching and her blushing cheeks through the crack.

I could hear them talking and laughing. I closed the door for them before my parents arrived.

I didn’t want them to interrupt me from studying or them from having a good time.

I knew Sean from my past life. He had tried to win me over.

At first, I liked him because we went to the same school. But then I found out that he was a player and I broke it off.

He was a decent teacher.

I didn’t know if Amy was going to put in the effort.

It all made sense when I saw his advertisement for tutoring and made my parents see it.

Two weeks passed quickly.

I don’t know how Amy’s progress was. I just know she was often holding hands with Sean, going in and out of school.

She was already acting like she had been accepted.

My parents gave Sean his tutoring fee every week. On the last day, I saw him smoking with his friends.

They were talking about Amy, and he laughed. “I thought she was going to be special because she studied under Shaw. But I was wrong. Even my two-year old nephew is better than her.”

“She’s average, empty-headed, and boring. She has a crush on me.”

“I would have left a long time ago if her parents didn’t pay me so much! I’m going to keep taking as much as I can!”

“I’m taking money for emotional damage!”

Sean took a deep breath as he passed by me.

“But her twin is really cute. She’s white and nice. Like a movie star.”

I pulled my hat down and started to walk faster.

I couldn’t help but smile.

…

Amy was at her desk, looking at her work.

She was biting her nail, realizing that Sean was only playing with her and he wasn’t seriously teaching her.

I looked down at her.

“What? Effort not working for you?”

Amy hid her art and refused to meet my eyes.

When she saw it was me, she yelled. “It’s none of your business! Sean said that I’m improving!”

I laughed, looking down at her.

“You think that’s enough to get you in the best art school?”

“You can work as hard as you want and you are never going to catch up to Sean. He is going to leave you. He can date anyone, why would he date someone who can’t even pass the test?”

Mentioning Sean’s name just broke Amy.

She had been tormented by an abusive husband for her whole life.

She had been given a new life and met an amazing college student.

How could she let go?

She swiped everything off her desk and started screaming.

“I’m talented too! If I work a little harder, I’m going to go to school with Sean.”

“When I took drawing in elementary school the teacher complimented me often! I’m better than you.”

Her teachers always complimented her in elementary school, because they compliment everyone.

Everyone was special.

I said, “If you’re like that, you’ll just spend money to buy a grade. You can only dream otherwise!”

“You now know that it’s not that easy to switch with me.”

Unfortunately, she only heard the first part of what I said.

She seemed to get an idea. Her eyes started moving fast.

“Right. There is a lot of dirty money involved in the arts. If others can buy a grade, why can’t I?”

“I remember reading on Little Red Book that the top 3 spots in the exams are bought…”

“I’ll pay for it and then I can be with Sean.”

The next night, Sean came over.

My parents left the house for us.

Amy pulled him in and shut the door immediately.

Our house didn’t have the best soundproofing, so I could hear everything Amy was saying.

“Really? Do you know someone?”

“I knew you were special! Money isn’t an issue. I can convince my parents! I need to be at the same school as you!”

“100,000? My family can afford that. I’ll ask my parents when they get back.”

100,000 dollars was all the money that my family had.

My parents had never hesitated to provide for my studies.

The old Amy used to ask my parents for money to buy items or go to shows, and as long as it was reasonable they said yes.

The tutor they got me was one of the best.

So, they didn’t have much money.

That night, as soon as my parents came back and sat down, Amy opened her mouth.

Her mom turned white. “100,000? Amy, has someone been scamming you?”

Amy didn’t care. She started to play with her new nail polish.

“No. I want it myself. 100,000 is cheap!”

“You got first on the last test. I think you can pass this one. Does this really need to happen?”

Amy got angry because my parents were hesitating.

“You don’t know how hard it is to pass. If you have money, you can push others aside.”

She started to yell. “If you don’t spend the money, it’s going to be your fault if I don’t get in.”

This was how Amy always did it. She would keep arguing until my parents gave in.

My dad sighed and took a cigarette.

“Okay, we’re going to try. I’ll give you the money tomorrow.”

Before bed, my mom came into my room. She looked at me and paused.

I asked, “Are we out of money? It’s okay, I can learn myself.”

My mom shook her head.

“It’s going to be okay. We are almost done with the test. Money doesn’t matter. Even if we borrow money, you’re going to have a good teacher until the test.”

“I just know that you’ve become more mature.”

“Your sister…”

Amy was volatile.

She had noticed that she could get everything she wanted and she was taking more than she ever had.

Tests could be bought, but you still needed to have a good painting to show.

In the last week, Amy was up all night studying and practicing.

We were only eighteen, and we were sensitive to caffeine.

One cup of coffee could keep us up.

Amy survived to the night before the test using coffee and vitamins.

She was finally able to make a painting by herself.

But, that was all. The composition and line work was bad. She had drawn a person.

I had studied with my teacher the whole time, and I had done lots of practice tests.

Even my worst subject, math, was at 100.

Amy was proud and acted like she had already been accepted.

She thought she was going to get into the best art school in the country.

I had been working for months and was at most going to a third-rate school.

So, she looked down on me and thought that she had made the right choice.

Amy was scheduled to be testing for four schools. She would be living at a hotel for a couple of nights.

My mom was really worried, and told Amy to set alarms so she could hear when we called.

Amy was playing on her phone and didn’t care.

“I know. I’m old enough, I don’t need you to tell me.”

I leaned against the door and said, “Remember, don’t trust anyone during the tests. And keep your ID safe.”

Amy just rolled her eyes at me.

“Don’t be weird, there are cameras everywhere. I don’t need you to scare me.”

She looked great and walked out, dragging her bag.

The next evening, Amy called.

My mom was making brain soup and her phone was in her lap. She started screaming.

“Mom, I noticed today that my pencil was broken and my paints were messed up! I can’t do anything!”

“I know who did it, there was a girl from my class!”

“I asked her to watch my items when I went to the restroom, and when I got back they looked like that. She did it on purpose. I’m going to check the camera. The teachers told me that she said she did it while in the restroom.”

That was the usual trick in the tests.

We had always brought our items with us even when we went to the restroom.

It was the most important test in our artistic lives. No one wanted to be left behind.

But everyone wants to bring someone more special down.

My mom started to comfort her. “It’s going to be okay Amy, your dream school’s test is coming up.”

Amy cried for half an hour, and then ended the call.

I sipped on the delicious fish soup.

This had all happened to me before in my last life, even in the normal tests I had to make sure to keep my test safe.

I was Shaw’s student, so everyone was going to target me.

But this was only the beginning.

In the second test, Amy forgot to bring her own water, and she drank some water that she had thought was supplied by the school. There was a sleeping pill inside.

Halfway through the test, she couldn’t help but fall asleep.

When she woke up, the test was already done.

Amy looked everywhere for the person who gave her the water, but they told her that that person was not a member of the staff.

The second test was failed.

When my mom got the news, she started to worry.

She asked me over and over, “Should I go with Amy next time. Maybe she wouldn’t be targeted if I did.”