Dave, known disaster bisexual, is in love with Marie. But Marie is dating Dean, the handsomest guy in town.
After being gifted a magical bracelet, Dave gains the ability to transform into a totally different person...Jade, a beautiful, alluring al...
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I quickly began to regret my decision to show up to Thanksgiving.
Fuck, I thought to myself. Fuck shit fuck fuck.
Maybe I would have been able to tolerate it if this was Marie from 2019. But no, this was a completely different person. I could hardly recognize her, except for the telltale smile that reminded me of a bunny. She had changed, grown up, become even more devastatingly beautiful since the last time I'd seen her. I felt incredibly self-conscious, more uncomfortable than usual now that I was in the presence of a pretty girl that wasn't Valentina. I tried to pretend that it didn't hurt, seeing her act cold and distant when she used to be so warm.
What had happened to the Marie that was chatting excitedly with me on the phone, just a couple days ago? The one who told me that she wanted to see me?
"It's good to see you again, David," Mrs. Pham said.
"Oh! It's good to see you too," I replied, feeling relieved that at least one person didn't hate me. Marie turned away and started talking to Dean.
I need to get out of here now. This was all a mistake.
Mrs. Pham started asking me about what I'd been doing for the past year, and what I was doing for a living. I replied that I was a Starbucks barista, that I'd been studying, and that no, I wasn't seeing anyone. As we talked, I looked around anxiously for Marie's grandmother. I wanted to thank her for the jade bracelet and to show her that I'd been wearing it, but I couldn't see her anywhere.
"By the way, where is Grandma? I have something I'd like to say to her."
"She can't leave Vietnam yet," Mrs. Pham informed me, although her body language did not betray any particular sadness at this information. "Quarantine regulations are still very strict. I'll have to fly out to visit her this January."
"Oh," I said, feeling stupid.
February was Lunar New Year.
The anniversary of the day she had given me the bracelet.
"Well, I'd like to say hi and thank her if I could," I said awkwardly, clearing my throat.
Mrs. Pham looked a bit confused, but she didn't remark on it. "Okay," she said, "I can give you her number."
Just then, I felt a jolt of fear.
What if she didn't actually mean to give you the bracelet? What if it's not a blessing, but some kind of cursed magic amulet? What if she actually hates me so much, she decided to stay back in Vietnam and blame it on the quarantine measures?
"Oh, you don't have to," I laughed awkwardly.
"No, no," Mrs. Pham replied in her sharp, All-American accent. "It's no trouble. She'll like hearing from you, anyway. By the way, how is your mother doing?"
