They both looked to their left. Alex already knew he was in 4th place, since three had lost in the first challenge, and Erik had fallen before him. The screen displayed the word "eyeshadow." It was one of those punishments that would be visible for anyone to see. But at least it wasn't being completely turned into a girl.
"Stupid punishment," Ember muttered.
"I'm just happy I don't have to be fully turned into a girl for once," Alex said.
Ember smiled. Normally, Alex was always in need of support, but today, he seemed positive on his own. Ember wasn't sure if it was a good thing. What if he was accepting this fate? No, she thought, that can't be it. She shook off the thought and laid back down beside him in the bath. They talked a bit more before getting out.
They dried off, and Alex had to put on female underwear again. A lace black T-string and a lace push up bra. They went to their room, and Alex was exhausted from the day. They decided to sleep almost as soon as they got there. But first, Ember helped him remove the nail polish from his fingers and toes.
The next morning, Alex was woken up by Ember. It was early, and for the first time this week, he had to go to school. He was glad he wouldn't have to endure a low-ranking punishment today. All he had to do was wear eyeshadow, and maybe he could choose a color close to his skin tone, making it less noticeable.
"Did you sleep well?" Ember asked, pouring him some tea.
"This was the best sleep I've had in days," Alex replied. "Knowing you're here and not Lucy to keep me awake," he added with a smile.
"Lovely to hear, my dear," Ember said. "And how about you?"
"I slept well too, quickly fell asleep thinking about seeing you again after everything that's happened," Ember replied, handing him a piece of bread.
They smiled at each other, and it was time to get ready.
"All right, what clothes did you pick for me today?" Alex asked excitedly, as he had avoided another low place and could finally wear boys' clothing again. Or so he thought.
"Uhm... I didn't get you anything... your clothes are in the closet," Ember said, sounding a little uneasy.
Alex remembered the deal and his loss. He walked over to the closet and was met with a school uniform for girls. The colors weren't too bad, with only the skirt being pink, but it was still embarrassing to have to wear it. He put on the blouse first, followed by the skirt and knee-high socks.
Once Alex finished, he stood in front of the mirror and was shocked. The outfit was impossible to hide, and even worse was the pink hair. This wasn't just a day with eyeshadow as he had hoped. It was much more than that.
Ember entered the room and looked at him.
"Oh, Alex... I knew you shouldn't have taken the deal."
"You were right. I should have known she would cheat," he answered.
"Uhm..." Ember hesitated, unsure how to tell him that he had to do his makeup as well.
"Yes?" Alex said.
"You have to do your makeup yourself," she said, struggling to find the right words.
"Oh..." he replied.
"The lady thinks you're female enough to do it yourself," Ember added with a tone that made sure Alex knew she didn't approve.
Alex sat down at the makeup table. He opened the drawer and found a note inside.
"Hi, as promised, I asked the lady, and now you have the lipstick you loved so much. You can use it whenever you want. It looked great on you. xoxo, Jade and Amy."
In the drawer was the two-sided lipstick. Alex grabbed it.
"Ember?"
"Yes?" she responded.
"This is for you," Alex said, handing her the lipstick.
Ember looked at it, a bit confused.
"Uhm, thank you," she said, taking it. Alex handed her the note to clarify.
"Those girls... they sure know how to put words in your mouth that you don't want," Ember said, annoyed.
"They do... but I think it will look cute on you," Alex said with a smile.
"It's a bit over the top, but if it pleases you, I'll use it," she said, smiling back.
Alex turned to look her in the eye. "You are the sweetest. You know that?"
"You too, and not just your smell," Ember joked. As soon as the words left her mouth, she wished she hadn't said it. It wasn't the right time to joke. But Alex laughed and tickled Ember in the sides.
"Please find a bath bomb tonight that smells different, and not this overly sweet smell."
"I'll see what I can find, but you know how they are here. Everything must be as girly and feminine as possible" she said, trying to catch her breath.
Alex stared at the eyeshadow palette and mascara. Another makeover, he thought. Will it ever end? The idea was simple: win a game, and you're free. But these games were so challenging. Sometimes it was just bad luck, other times they were tricky. He snapped back to reality when he heard Ember cleaning up. He started with the eyeshadow, opening the palette to find only bright colors. To be expected, but he had hoped for something less visible. He picked red, Ember's favorite color, and made soft twisting movements with the brush over his eyelids. The pale skin turned a bright red, much more visible than he had hoped. But he realized it didn't matter. They would laugh at his hair and clothes either way. He grabbed the mascara and applied it, lengthening his lashes and turning them black.
"I'm done! Let's go!" he said.
Alex and Ember arrived at school. Out of curiosity, Alex asked, "When I had to do that terrible speech at school... where were you?"
"I was told to do some cleaning at the facility and some other tasks. When I asked why, they said I wasn't allowed to go to school today."
"It seems they know we have a bond," Alex said.
"And they didn't want me to support you?" Ember added.
"I'm sure of it," Alex replied, as silence fell between them. Not long after, they left the car, and Alex's embarrassing day began.
The walk to class was just as bad as he had imagined. The girls giggled and whispered, while the boys whistled or yelled things like, "Looking sexy, Alex." Alex had thought they would be bored by now, or worse, accustomed to him looking like a girl. But it was the ladies who were responsible, erasing their memories every time they left the school. Every day was a new experience for them, so they still laughed at his makeover. If he didn't win a game soon, he would have to endure this every day, without the joke ever getting old.
He entered the classroom, and everyone laughed. He quickly sat down, but to his surprise, his friends didn't laugh at him. That was strange.
"You look good, Alexis," they said, sounding oddly sincere.
"What's with you guys? You should be laughing at this ridiculous outfit and hair."
"No, we're supporting your decision, Alexis," they stammered.
"What's wrong? Tell me," Alex said, his voice stern. This was worse than their laughter. Could it be because? No... it can't be... can it?
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