UnEnchanted

Ch.1 In Which Cinderella Makes a Cappuccino

"I'd like a large caramel cappuccino with whipped cream and white chocolate shavings please." The woman, tall and dark, stated with her brown eyes happy while showing me a crisp white smile.
I tried my best to smile and sound peppy for the sake of my job. "Of course Miss!" I state, trying my best to keep from gritting my teeth and rolling my eyes. Who the hell would be this happy at 9 in the morning on a Saturday?
I grabbed the white cup with the green Starbucks logo on it, then quickly walked over to the back counter and filled it with the blond coffee from the machine.
If I could make it fast enough, maybe I'd get a decent tip.

I reach for the generic whipped cream in a can of the shelf above me. I shake it about two times, and I realize it feels rather light. But I continue on and turn the can upside down to try and make a whipped swirl at the top of the cup, only to find that I'm greeted with squirting air.
'Oh for the love of all that is holy...'

I turn around and look at the tall and slender African American lady. She looks at me patiently with an expectant, but kind look on her face.

"Ma'am, I'm sorry but I'll have to run to the back room real quick to complete you're order." Thankfully, she just nods her head yes and tells me in her honey voice "Oh that's fine!"
I do a mental sigh of relief as I head to the back room to grab another can of the whipped topping.
I make a quick grab for the can and with one shake to make sure it's full, exit the back room.
I rush out of the back room, holding the can of delicious, whipped goodness, only to see that my line of waiting customers has doubled, if not tripled in size.
'Why me?... What did I do to deserve this?!' I thought to myself.
I walked speedily to the drink I had prepared for the other woman and I squeezed the fresh cream onto the blond beverage and sprinkle the white, sweet shavings on top.
"That'll be 5.95$ ma'am." I said as I exchanged the drink for her money. "Have a good day!" I said as I looked up  at the new line of people, not looking nearly as peppy and happy as the last woman was.
"Lord help me..." I whispered to myself.

A few hours later

It was 2 in the afternoon, and my shift let off in 30 minutes. 'I could do this. I can do this. I will do this. I believe in myself.' I chanted in my head. That's what I tell myself a lot. My psychiatrist tells me I just need to trust in myself and believe in myself more. And that it would help fend off oncoming anxiety attacks.

Ding

The bell rang out as I jump and let out a girly squeak as my eyes widen. I hear the laughter of my closest and only friend, Simon.
Simon was someone you could look at, and expect to be a gay coffee barista. He was a cheery and peppy person who could slay most anyone who was messing with his friends in an instant with only his words. He had more female friends than guys, but he still insisted he was attracted to girls.
He had large, dark purple glasses framing his pale peach face, while underneath them sat blue-grey that seemed to sparkle when he smiled.
When I first met him, he had chocolatey brown hair, but he later stripped it blond, and styled it in color. He looked alike to the YouTuber Tyler Oakley, but he had his own, personal flair and fashion to him. His hair was now a purple ombré color, like the color of lavender, which I was allergic to.

(Tyler Oakley is below, except for I slimmed and tanned his face, and gave him purple glasses. Simon's look is alike this, but not exact. But hey, imagine however you want!)

"Hey Alex!" He stated peppily, leaning on the counter. His voice was different from the lady earlier, who's had sounded like she had a voice of sticky and sweet honey.
His voice was the summer breeze, which would have the scent of fresh air and flowers and the slight bitterness of cut grass. That's why I wanted to be his friend in the first place. The sound of his voice was soothing and it helped melt away my anxiety well. To me it was perfect. And it calmed me. And besides, on a cold, frosty winter day like this, I needed a bit of summer.
"Hey Simon." I said trying to sound happy. With one look at him, I knew he could tell I was worn out, and even with him there I was still on the brink of another Anxiety attack. He looked at me, with his cold, iced eyes glancing over my face worriedly. "I'll be fine..." I said slowly. "Give me a sec."
I poured myself a cup of hot chocolate, which I plopped two cinnamon sticks into, as I had no desire to look at whipped cream for the rest of the day. I opened the cash register and threw in 5$ , which was a small discount, considering I was an employee.
I grabbed my warm drink and walked to the other side of the counter, out into the table area.
Walking beside each other, I thought I must have looked like elf next to a giant as he was 5'10 and I was barely 5'1. I was a pretty short person... He probably looked amazing and desirable to anybody who saw him as he was tall and slender and kind... And.. Well perfect.

We sat down at the table near the window and Simon gave me my bag, which I had been so caught up in my thoughts I wasn't even aware he had. Breaking free of my own mind, I grabbed my black lined notepad and pen as I placed it in front of myself. And then I was sucked back into my thoughts.

But then there was me who had dark brow hair and dark dull brown eyes with a round face who was short and wide and wore contacts and had freckles and had anxiety attacks and was... I was... Ugly.

Ugly.
Psycho.
Mentally ill.
Crazy.
Stupid.
Frazz.
Clutz.
Idiot.

The names were like fire in my brain as my breathing became short and wild. They were flashing at me. They were chasing me. They were the truth I had always known.
'I can't breathe. I can't breathe, please dear god let me breathe!' I pleaded in my mind. My vision was now gone, and all I could see was black and the flashes of the words I could see in my mind. How it hurt so badly. Like fire in my lungs. And the pain. Mental and physical, both were great.

By now I knew that I was at out of my booth and sitting the dirty floor, breathing in short spastic breaths as I could feel Simon's arms around me, and hear murmurs from his voice of summer. One that, if I could ever smell the sound, would have been filled with all the joys I had ever felt.
"Breathe Alex. Come on... I know you can do do it. Breathe with me, okay?" I nodded my head in a rush as a choked sob escaped my throat and I tried my best to slow my breathing.
It took a lot of effort, but I managed to slow the intake of oxygen my body gets and I inhale loudly through my snotty nose. It's becoming more and more apparent of Simon's strong arms wrapped around me stroking my hair, and his kind and gentle words.
Yes my best friend. He knew me so well, and he would always be there when I needed him. And with that I began breathing with him in the same pattern and I could now see he was holding me to his chest on the ground. And with that, I looked up to see the clock slip to 2:30, as a resounding click was heard. Then all was silent.