The boy's gaze pierced through Alex, filled with disappointment and disdain. "My god, you really are... this is just horrible. I was looking for a real girl, not—this. Sorry, but I'm out of here." With a disgusted shake of his head, he stormed out the door, leaving Alex standing, humiliated and puzzled.
Alex's mind whirled. "Did they actually tell him? Why would they ruin their own setup so soon? Wouldn't they want to prolong the humiliation?" Lost in thought, his attention was drawn to a subtle beeping sound from a screen he had initially mistaken for a painting. It displayed his points: 9. He couldn't tell if that was decent or not, as he had no way of comparing scores. Moments later, the door the boy had stormed through lit up in green, signaling Alex to follow.
As he stepped into the next area, he found himself behind a metal fence, next to the other boys—dressed as girls just like him. Judging by their faces, their dates had been equally awkward, if not worse. The voice returned, echoing with a mocking warmth.
"Oh, my poor girls, he didn't appreciate your makeovers? But not to worry, darlings—let's teach these boys a lesson, shall we? You each have five minutes to capture the boy in this labyrinth. The faster you catch him, the more points you'll earn. Now, get him, girls!"
The fence before them lowered, and a set of doors at the opposite end swung open. Alex tried to run, but his open-toe sandals with a high heel made each step difficult to make. He stumbled, nearly twisting his ankle, but forced himself to press on, navigating the narrow halls of the maze.
Finally, he spotted Peter, who was genuinely terrified. He turned on his heel and sprinted away, but Alex kept up as best he could, heels clicking against the floor. Eventually, Peter tired, allowing Alex to corner him. Peter looked up at Alex with wide, pleading eyes. "Please, don't. I'm sorry, really. Just let me go!"
For a moment, Alex hesitated, seeing Peter's genuine panic and realizing he might not have known what he was getting into. "Could he have actually thought he was on a real date?" The thought made Alex pause, sympathy mixing with his own humiliation. But time was ticking. If he didn't capture Peter within five minutes, he'd lose precious points. Gritting his teeth, he grabbed Peter.
A buzzer sounded. He had caught Peter in 3 minute and twelve seconds, enough to secure two more points. Alex glanced around to see Peter being taken away by a woman, who ignored his struggling and begging. The cries and screams of the other boys who'd also been caught echoed in the hallway. Moments later, another green light flicked on, leading Alex to the next room.
Inside, Peter sat in a chair, now dressed in delicate, feminine lingerie. His face was twisted in anger and embarrassment, his hands tightly gripping the armrests as if that alone could stop what was coming.
"And now, my lovely girls, it's time to teach these boys a real lesson. You've all endured beautiful makeovers, only to be rejected! Show them the effort it takes to look this good. You have 15 minutes to transform your boy into a girl!"
Peter's eyes widened with horror. "Please, don't. I'm sorry, okay? Just... don't do this!" But Alex knew there was no option to refuse. If he didn't complete this round, he'd drop to last place again. He selected an outfit for Peter: a pastel purple skirt and a top in a teal colour.
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Peter's resistance was strong, but any refusal earned him a mild shock. Each jolt of the electric necklace made him flinch and cower, ultimately forcing him to give up the struggle. The experience was disturbingly familiar for Alex. He hated doing this, but desperation to avoid finishing last again drove him to continue. Alex pressed on with the makeover, applying foundation, blush, and highlighter to Peter's cheeks, he overdone it a bit with using sparkles. He carefully shaped Peter's brows with a pencil, then applied a winged eyeliner and mascara, completing the look with a bright pink lipstick. Peter looked at himself in the mirror, mortified, his cheeks flushing red.
They both moved to the final stage, where the announcer's voice rang out over the speakers.
"And so, we come to the end of this delightful game. From a charming date between a boy and a girl, we now have two beautiful ladies! One has claimed her revenge, while the other has learned a lesson in beauty. Let's see who made their boy the prettiest!"
The crowd cheered wildly, and there she was, striding onto the stage, the lady herself. She radiated satisfaction, her eyes sparkling with sadistic pleasure as she surveyed the transformed boys before her. Each pair was called to a podium to be judged, their scores projected for all to see. The crowd's laughter was an unending hum of humiliation.
Finally, it was Alex and Peter's turn. As they stepped up, the lady's gaze fell on them, and her lips curled into a smirk.
"Oh, Alex, I'm stunned—truly. You should look like this every day," she purred, her voice dripping with mock admiration. Alex's hands clenched, anger simmering beneath the surface. Her words stung, mocking him even as he stood there, humiliated. She took in Peter's appearance, noting with approval the shimmer on his cheeks, though she clicked her tongue at his unstyled hair. "I'd give it... a seven." The flash of a camera was blinding as a picture of Peter was taken.
Alex started to turn away, eager to escape to Ember's side, but the lady stopped him. "Oh, don't leave yet. You need to add a caption to the picture. Something amusing, of course, for the girls."
He was handed a phone, likely Peter's own. He typed "forced to be a girl," but it was denied, it had to be more humiliating, "Wanted to see if a girl's look would fit me."
The lady snatched the phone, read the caption, and added her own note. "It does! I'm a happy girl." Then, with a mischievous glint, she pressed 'Share'.
Peter's face went pale as the post went live, and he began to scream, cursing and begging her to take it down, but it was too late. Alex walked offstage, where Ember was waiting. He felt guilt, his heart was heavy. The entire ordeal left a bad taste, the unfairness of it all gnawing at him.
Ember placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "It's not your fault, Alex. None of this is. Don't let it weigh on you."
Her reassurance helped, if only slightly, and after a long process of wiping off the layers of makeup, Alex finally saw his real self in the mirror again—except for the fake nails that remained. He let out a relieved sigh as Ember told him how happy she was to see him as the boy that he is, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips. And when the results were posted, he couldn't help but blink in surprise. He had finished third place—far better than expected. If he would finish that, on her birthday as well he would get those awnsers!
