The sissy games

Part 26; A laugh and a game

Alex was exhausted. The workday might have only been six hours, but the humiliation he'd endured made it feel like two grueling days. As soon as he sat down, the door opened, and Ember walked in. Her eyes widened, and she quickly covered her mouth in shock.

"My God, Alex... What did they do to you?" Ember's voice was laced with concern and disbelief. She hadn't seen him since she dropped him off at Stacey's, and now, seeing him in this state, she could hardly believe her eyes.

Alex sighed heavily, feeling the weight of the day's events crashing down on him. "It was worse than I imagined," he admitted, his voice tinged with exhaustion. "I had to serve people dressed like this, and then... the guys from the soccer club showed up." His face flushed with embarrassment as he recounted how they'd mocked and teased him relentlessly.

Ember reacted angry. "Stupid boys. They're lucky, any of them could be chosen to participate and be punished like that."

"I know, right?" Alex forced a weak smile, appreciating her support. "But now that it's over, I'm getting out of this ridiculous outfit." He reached up to remove the headband, eager to rid himself of everything.

But Ember quickly stopped him. "You can't! Remember, you have to place higher than you did last time," she reminded him, her voice firm but understanding.

Alex let out a frustrated growl. "I hate this so much," he muttered, slumping back into his seat.

Ember knelt beside him, placing a comforting hand on his knee. "I know it's tough, Alex. But we're so close. Let's have dinner, and afterward, you can focus on winning the games. One more win, and we're out of here forever."

Alex nodded, trying to muster some enthusiasm. "One more win," he repeated, trying to convince himself as much as her.

Ember smiled warmly. "That's the spirit. I'll go get dinner. You just relax for a bit, okay?"

After a while, they sat down to eat together, getting more comfortable now the worst part of the day was over.

"So, what did you do today?" Alex asked, genuinely curious. It was nice to talk about something other than his own ordeal.

"I had a free day, so I went to the gym and caught up on some shows," Ember replied, her tone light.

"I'm glad you had a good day," Alex said sincerely. They chatted for a bit longer, and as the meal came to an end, Ember grinned playfully. "Well, maid, how about cleaning up the table?"

Alex raised an eyebrow at her. He wasn't in the mood for jokes after such a rough day, but the playful glint in Ember's eyes was forcing him to smile. "Oh, you think you're funny, huh?" he said, standing up.

Before Ember could react, Alex lunged at her, tickling her sides. She burst into laughter, squirming and trying to escape his grasp.

"Okay, okay! Mercy! Mercy!" she cried out between fits of laughter, trying to push him away.

Alex grinned triumphantly. "Thought so!" he teased, finally letting her go. "Now clean the table, maid," he added with a mock-serious tone, turning her joke back on her.

Ember caught her breath and shot him a playful glare. "Calling me a maid? I'm not the one in the dress!" she quipped, sticking her tongue out at him.

"Oh, so that's how it is?" Alex said with a grin, diving at her again for another round of tickling. They both ended up on the floor, Alex hovering over Ember as they caught their breath, still laughing.

For a moment, they locked eyes. Alex felt a strange flutter in his chest as he leaned in closer. But before he could make sense of the feeling, Ember retaliated with another tickle, breaking the moment.

"Okay, okay, truce!" Alex laughed, rolling off her. They both stood up, still chuckling, and worked together to clear the table.

After they finished, Ember turned to him, her expression more serious now. "I've got the hint for today's game. There's an eye pencil that will rotate clockwise first, but after eight seconds, it switches to counterclockwise. Remember that—it might save you."

Alex nodded, taking in the information. "Got it. Thanks, Ember."

She smiled, giving his arm a reassuring squeeze. "You've got this, Alex. Just focus on the game, and we'll be out of here in no time."

With that, they headed toward the main room. As soon as Alex stepped in, he felt all eyes on him. The room fell silent for a moment, then the whispers started. Everyone knew he was the one with the eighth-place punishment. His eyes drifted to the new boy, Oliver, who stood awkwardly against the wall. Danny, looking angrier than ever, glared at him. They were all forced to wear worse underwear and breast forms because of Oliver's mistakes.

The doors to the arena opened, and the familiar noise of the crowd filled the room. They were hyped as always.

"Welcome, dear guests, to the 143rd Sissy Games! Let's see which of our beauties will end up as pretty as our maid!" the announcer's voice boomed, causing the crowd to erupt into cheers and laughter.

The big wheel spun, and Chris was up first. The course started with three spinning eyeshadow discs. He made it through with ease, moving on to the eye pencils. He balanced carefully, but when the pencils suddenly switched to counterclockwise, he lost his footing and fell.

As the next contestant prepared to go, Alex overheard some whispering. Danny was leaning close to Eric, his voice low but filled with malice. "Tell Oliver that if he reaches the third obstacle, he needs to fall into the bottle. It'll automatically put him in the finals. He deserves it for what he did to all of us."

Alex's heart sank. Danny was planning to sabotage Oliver as revenge. Should he warn Oliver? Part of him felt bad for the new guy, but then again, Oliver had already tried to pull something in the games before. Maybe he deserved to learn a hard lesson.

Alex hesitated, torn between doing the right thing and letting karma take its course. But before he could make a decision, he saw Eric lean over to whisper to Oliver. It was too late. Alex decided to let things unfold on their own. After all, Oliver still had to make it to the third obstacle first.

Finally, it was Alex's turn.

"Is our maid up for the task?" the announcer teased, the crowd laughing in anticipation.

Alex took a deep breath and stepped forward. He jumped onto the first disc, quickly realizing how slippery it was. Red powder puffed up, staining his dress as he carefully balanced himself. With a well-timed leap, he made it to the next disc, then the next, until he finally reached the platform.

"One down," he muttered to himself, wiping the sweat from his brow. The next challenge was the rotating eye pencils. He waited for the change in direction and then began to walk, counting in his head. 6... 7... 8! He shifted his balance just as the pencils switched to counterclockwise, making it across with a sigh of relief.

Now, for the final challenge—the nail polish swings. "Just don't fall into the bottle," he reminded himself, nerves prickling at his skin. Falling here would be bad enough without the extra punishment.

He jumped for the first brush, swinging towards the next. His heart pounded as he tried to land on the handle, but his foot slipped, and he fell. He hit the side of the bottle, sliding down into the pink gel. It was messy, but he was safe—no extra punishment.

"That was close," Alex thought, wiping the sticky gel off as best as he could. With his dress now clinging to him, he made his way back to the others, his heart still racing.

Oliver's turn came, and Alex watched intently. Oliver made it further than expected, reaching the nail polish swings. But then, as if on cue, Oliver dropped himself into the second bottle, convinced he was securing a spot in the finals. The crowd went wild, but they knew better. Oliver was now completely dyed yellow, from head to toe. Danny and Eric burst into laughter, their plan having worked perfectly.

Finally, the names of the four contestants moving on to the semifinals were revealed. Alex held his breath—and there it was. His name. He had made it.

"Next round, here I come," Alex thought. This nightmare would end, and he would make sure of it.