The sissy games

Part 17; happy or bad ending?

"Our fairytale characters are almost at the end of their journey in the Sissygames. But will they get their happily ever after?" The loud voice echoed as the crowd cheered. Alex felt his stomach tighten as he walked onto the stage with the other boys. The lights were bright, and the stage seemed huge in front of them, waiting for whatever comes next.

The voice continued, "You look like your fairytale characters, but now the people want to see you perform as yourselves! Each of you gets 15 minutes with your mentor to prepare an act that will amaze the crowd. They'll vote for the winner!"

The excitement in the crowd was clear, and as the mentors stepped onto the stage, the timer started. Alex quickly met up with Ember, feeling nervous. "I have no idea what to do, Ember," he admitted.

Ember thought for a moment. "Hmm, a fairy... What can a fairy do?"

"Magic, but I can't do any, and I'm no good at tricks," Alex replied, feeling even more worried.

"I was thinking about fairy dust," Ember said, though she didn't seem completely sure.

"Just throw it into the crowd?" Alex asked, trying to laugh but still feeling anxious.

"No," Ember said, her eyes brightening as an idea came to her. "Maybe you could dance?"

"I'm not really good at dancing," Alex admitted nervously. The last thing he wanted was to embarrass himself even more.

"Then I'll teach you something simple," Ember said with a reassuring smile. "We'll do some easy steps."

"Dancing in a fairy costume? This day can't get any worse," Alex muttered, but he knew he didn't have much choice.

For the next 15 minutes, they practiced a simple dance. Ember moved gracefully, showing him the steps, and Alex tried his best to follow. His movements were stiff and awkward, and he felt silly in his green dress and glittering wings. Ember was kind and helpful, but he still felt embarrassed.

As they practiced, Ember suddenly left and came back with a small pouch of glitter. "Throw this out while you dance, like it's fairy dust," she suggested, handing him the pouch.

Alex took the pouch, his hands trembling a little as he looked at Ember. Her smile was warm and supportive, and despite how silly he felt, he couldn't help but feel a bit better. Ember had been kind to him this whole time always encouraging, never making fun of him. For a moment, his fear and embarrassment eased, and he felt thankful for her.

Time was up. The loud voice spoke again: "Dear guests, our fairytale characters are ready to perform. Are you ready?" The crowd's cheers grew louder, and Alex's heart pounded in his chest. "Spin the wheel!" the voice commanded.

First was Jorn, dressed as Snow White. He sang with a decorative bird on his finger, but his singing was terrible. Realizing this, he took a dramatic bite of an apple and collapsed on the ground. The crowd burst into laughter and applause, clearly entertained.

Next was Danny, dressed as the devil. He acted out a dark scene, pretending to torture dolls, but the crowd didn't seem to like it as much. The cheering was quieter, almost uneasy.

More acts came and went—princesses dancing clumsily, Ariel pretending to swim on the floor. With each performance, Alex's nerves got worse. Finally, it was his turn.

He stepped onto the stage, holding the pouch of fairy dust tightly in his hand. The stage lights were blinding, but he forced himself to move. He remembered the dance Ember had taught him: step, jump, spin, throw. Each move felt awkward and embarrassing. His green dress twirled around him, and the glittering wings caught the light. His hair, nails, covered in glitter made him feel even more ridiculous.

But as he danced, he threw the fairy dust into the air, watching it sparkle as it fell. To his surprise, the crowd roared with approval. For a brief moment, he let himself believe he could get through this. He glanced at Ember, who was cheering for him. Her smile gave him the strength to keep going, even though he felt foolish.

To his shock, the crowd applauded loudly when he finished. They loved it every embarrassing second of it. Relieved, he left the stage, his heart still racing.

When all the performances were done, the boys were sent back to the bathroom with their mentors. Ember's face was glowing with excitement. "You did great! I think you might actually win!" she said, her enthusiasm contagious.

"Thanks," Alex replied, feeling both tired and relieved as he quickly took off the fairy costume. He couldn't get out of it fast enough.

"Well, time for your bath and to see if you won or not," Ember said, holding up three different bath bombs with a teasing grin. "Not that I need to ask, but which one do you want?" She showed him the usual choices: pink, purple, and a new golden one.

"I'll take the golden one. Maybe it'll bring me luck," Alex said, trying to lighten the mood.

Ember dropped the bath bomb into the tub, and to Alex's surprise, it burst into a sea of golden glitter. The water, once clear, was now a sparkling golden pool.

"I think if you step in this, you'll be shimmering for days," Ember said, laughing.

"Yeah, let's not do that," Alex said nervously, eyeing the glittery water.

"Well, you already chose, so..." Ember said with a playful grin.

"But... but..." Alex stammered, looking for a way out.

"Sometimes the best choice isn't the easiest one," Ember said with a playful but firm tone.

With a sigh, Alex stepped into the glitter-filled tub. The water clung to him, covering his skin in a fine layer of gold. It felt silly, but somehow, he knew this was just another part of the game.

"I'll be going again," Ember said, turning to leave.

"Uh, Ember... you can stay if you want. We could watch the results together," Alex said, his eyes following her as she moved.

Ember paused, her face turning pink. "I... I'd like that. I'll just put your clothes in the wash and get your new outfit. I'll be right back," she said, turning slightly away to hide her embarrassment.

"Alright, I'll see you soon," Alex replied, his heart feeling lighter.

It didn't take long for Ember to return with fresh clothes. She set them aside and leaned against the bathroom sink, her eyes on the screen as they waited for the results.

"I've never taken a bath before, and now I've had three in one week," Alex said, breaking the silence.

Ember chuckled. "No bath at home?"

"No. And on vacations, if there was a bath, I'd always say it took too long to fill and just took a shower," Alex explained.

"I have a bath at home, but I don't use it as often as you do," she said with a smile.

"Well, after all this, I think I'll be too traumatized to ever take a bath again," Alex joked, and they both laughed.

Then, the screen flickered to life, showing the results. The rankings appeared one by one, from place 1 to 8. Alex held his breath, hoping he had done enough.