The sissy games

Part 18; Glimmers of hope

There it was his name. Alex, first place. For a moment, he couldn't believe it. Then, as it sank in, he and Ember started cheering, jumping up and down with excitement. "You did it! We've got our first ticket to freedom!" Ember shouted, her voice full of happiness.

"One more, and we're out of here," Alex replied, feeling relieved. They were now one step closer to escaping this torture.

"Come on, let's go claim our ticket. I'll turn around while you get out of the bath," Ember said, her voice gentle now. Alex stepped out of the tub, shivering a bit as he looked down at his almost hairless body, now covered in glitter. The sparkles stuck to him, refusing to come off. He grabbed the pink towel and dried off as quickly as he could. The towel smelled sweet, like it had been sprayed with perfume. Even after drying off, the glitter wouldn't go away. It clung to his skin, making him feel emberassed already by the thought of how his friends would laugh at him tomorrow at school again.

As Alex dressed, the TV turned on, showing the punishment for the boy who came in last. Danny had finished in last place, and his punishment was clear: "It seems you didn't like your fairytale character maybe you just need to get used to it?" The words flashed on the screen, and Alex realized with a sinking feeling that Danny would probably have to wear the costume again tomorrow, meaning he had to go to school like that. Alex felt uneasy by the thaught alone.

Ember had laid out a lacy orange underwear set for him—a color that almost matched her hair. Alex sighed as he picked it up. At least, he thought, no one would see him wearing this.

"I'm dressed," he said quietly, letting Ember know she could turn around.

"Perfect. Since you won, we need to claim the ticket, which means you have to meet 'the lady,'" Ember explained, her tone getting more serious.

Alex felt nervous. "And who is this 'lady'?" he asked.

"Remember the princess judge?" Ember asked.

"Uh, yes?" Alex replied, feeling his heart race.

"That's her," Ember said. "You can't meet her in your underwear, so you'll have to wear this." She held up a formal black dress. The sight of it made Alex's heart sink even more.

"Really? After everything today—the fairy costume, the makeup, and now this?" His voice was full of frustration.

"Yeah, they really want to make this as miserable as possible," Ember said, trying to keep the mood light. Even though he was upset, Alex took the dress and put it on. The black fabric felt heavy, matching how he felt inside.

"The black suits your mood," she joked. Even though Alex was grumpy, he couldn't help but smile a little at her attempt to cheer him up.

They walked through a bunch of fancy hallways. Finally, they reached a big room that looked like a palace. There were pillars, statues, and decorations everywhere. At the far end of the room sat a woman behind a large desk, her presence making Alex feel small and nervous.

Alex walked up to the desk, with Ember by his side. "When we reach her, bow," Ember whispered urgently.

They both bowed before the woman, who smiled down at them. "The winner of today. Welcome, Alex. You looked amazing in my games today. Ember did a great job," she said, her voice smooth but with a hint of something cold. Alex stayed silent, feeling angry inside. How could she speak so casually about his suffering?

"And look at you now, simply perfect. For your efforts and for winning my games, I give you the first freedom ticket." She handed him a pink paper with gold writing on it.

Alex took the ticket with both hands, trying to be polite. "Thank you... my lady?" he said, still unsure of how to speak to her. He hesitated, then found the courage to ask, "May I ask... why do you do this?"

The question hung in the air like a challenge. Ember shot him a worried look, reminding him to be careful.

The lady's smile didn't change, but her eyes grew colder. "The games, you mean?" she asked, her voice calm but with a sharp edge.

"Yes, my lady," Alex answered, trying to keep his voice steady.

"I despise men, that's all," she said, her tone cold. "Maybe one day I'll tell you more. But for now, it's late." Alex felt a chill at her words. He wanted to know more, but he knew it wasn't safe to push.

"Thank you, my lady," he said again. Ember gave a slight tug on his dress, signaling that it was time to go.

As they left the big room, Ember turned to him, clearly upset. "Did you really think it was smart to ask her that just after she gave us the ticket?"

"When else was I supposed to ask?" Alex replied defensively.

"What if she got mad and took away our only ticket?" Ember said, her voice sharp with worry.

"I... I didn't know she could do that," Alex admitted, feeling a wave of guilt.

"You are one lucky guy, Alex," Ember sighed, still upset but also relieved that things didn't go worse. They walked back to his room in silence.

"I'm sorry," Alex said quietly as they reached his door. "I'll think twice before doing that again."

Ember looked at him, her anger fading. She couldn't help but smile at his apology. "It's fine. After all, she didn't seem to mind." Her smile was warm, and Alex felt a sense of relief.

"Let's get some sleep. Goodnight, Alex."

"Goodnight, Ember," he replied softly.

The next morning, Alex woke up feeling unusually well-rested. Wait a minute... well-rested? Panic shot through him as he looked at the princess clock—it was 10 o'clock. School had started at 8:30! Why hadn't Ember woken him up? He scrambled out of bed, knocking on the door frantically. "Ember? We're late!"

The door opened a few seconds later, revealing Ember with a wide grin on her face. "Surprise! We're free today!"

"Free? Did the school burn down?" Alex asked, still confused.

"No, silly! That's the prize you won yesterday! We're going to have some fun today!" Ember said, excited.

Alex blinked, trying to process what she said. A free day? Slowly, a grin spread across his face. "That's great!" he finally said, feeling relieved.

"Come on, let's have breakfast," Ember said as she disappeared around the corner and returned with two plates.

"That looks delicious, Ember," Alex said as she handed him a plate filled with fluffy pancakes topped with fresh berries, scrambled eggs, crispy bacon, and a glass of orange juice. As he reached for the food, he noticed his pastel green, glittery nails and remembered his victory. "Hold on, I was first yesterday. I can get rid of these, right?"

"Yes! I'll remove it as soon as we're done eating, okay?" Ember replied with a smile.

They finished breakfast quickly, and true to her word, Ember carefully removed his nail polish.

"Alright, put these on, and let's go out!" she said, handing him a set of boy's clothes. The sight of normal clothes brought him a lot of relief. But then a thought hit him.

"Wait... did you say 'go out'?"