In the silence of defeat they walked back to their room, Alex still looking like a cyber girl, though he had at least removed the heels. Just before reaching the door, they both hesitated, each wanting to speak at the same time, creating an awkward pause.
Ember finally broke it. "We might have lost today, but we came so far. We shouldn't lose hope—we'll win the next one."
"I was about to say the same thing," Alex chuckled softly.
They stepped inside, and Ember gave him a mischievous grin.
"So... wanna keep the makeover on for tomorrow's finals?"
"First of all, hell no. Second of all, it's always a different final."
"I know, dumpie," Ember teased, sticking her tongue out.
"Who are you calling dumpie? I'll get you for that!" Alex said, chasing after her.
"Come and get me then!" she laughed, darting across the room.
He caught her at last, pulling her into a playful hug before they both tumbled onto the bed. Cyber-girl Alex looked down into Ember's sparkling eyes, which gleamed with mischief.
"Don't you dare say it," Alex warned, though he already knew she would.
"Say what? About your girly eyes... or those big painted smoochers of yours?" she teased back.
He attacked her with tickles, making her burst into uncontrollable laughter until she begged him to stop. When he finally did, he leaned down and kissed her, leaving a bold metallic lipstick print on her lips.
"Looks like we're both cyber girls now," he said, mimicking her teasing tone.
Ember's eyes widened in mock outrage, as if to say 'no you didn't!'. In one quick move she rolled them over so she was on top, tickling him back before stealing another kiss. Soon enough, the teasing gave way to cuddling, the two lying close together in quiet comfort.
"I'm happy I met you," Alex whispered, breaking the silence.
"Me too," Ember replied softly. "I just wish it had been under different circumstances."
They held each other for a while longer before finally sitting up. The makeup came off, the clothes were folded away, and the illusion of the cyber girl faded. Ember carried the clothes past the television, but stopped when she noticed the ranking screen. Alex noticed her pause.
"What's on it?" he asked.
"The ranking," she answered.
"Oh? And...?"
"It says your punishment is scented hand cream."
"Finally, something light," Alex sighed with relief.
"Want me to massage it into your hands tomorrow?" Ember offered playfully.
"Sure," he smiled.
The went to sleep quickyl; exhaustion from the games weighed heavy on both of them. By morning, Alex awoke to find Ember's bed empty. The smell of fresh bread betrayed what she was doing in the kitchen.
They greeted each other with a kiss, shared breakfast, and Alex wandered over to the closet with a sigh.
Wonder what awful clothes I'll have to wear this time, he thought. Five more days. It wasn't fair.
He opened the door and froze. His eyes widened at the outfit waiting for him: a top-and-skirt combo. Cute, stylish... for a girl. And yet he was the one expected to wear it.
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He put on the outfit and made his way to the table, where Ember was waiting with a little pink tube.
"Ready?" she asked.
"For your hands? Always," Alex replied with a half-smile.
They sat down, and Ember carefully squeezed out small drops of the cream onto several spots on his hands. She spread it gently, massaging it into his skin. The scent rose up immediately; strawberries mixed with something even sweeter, almost candy-like.
When she finished, Alex rubbed his hands together. They felt incredibly smooth, as if freshly shaved.
"Not so bad, right?" Ember said, lifting his hands to her nose and giving them a playful sniff.
"No, not bad at all. But the outfit is..."
"I know," she cut in. "Let's win tonight so you never have to wear something like this again."
With that motivation, they left for school.
As expected, Alex was laughed at and whistled at by nearly everyone. The only ones who didn't were Max and Roy. They looked worried, yet a little relieved as well. At least this time, Alex didn't have makeup on.
They tried to chat as if it was just a normal day, until Alex suddenly felt something brush against his hand under the table. It was paper. He slipped it into his pocket as if it were just a pen, waiting for the right moment.
At breaktime, Alex was about to head to the bathroom to check the note when Ember stopped him.
"Can we talk? Somewhere quieter," she asked.
They found a corner, and Ember leaned in. "Did you notice it too?"
"Uh... what?" Alex asked, confused.
"I have the feeling Max and Roy didn't lose their memory."
"I'm certain of that," Alex replied firmly. "If they had, they'd be laughing at me just like the others."
"But why?" Ember asked, frowning.
"Well... Max told me yesterday the lady warned them. She put lipstick on them as punishment for laughing at my speech the other day."
"No way," Ember said in disbelief. "And now?"
"They... kinda believe the same thing is happening to me."
Ember gave him a serious look. "Be careful with what you do, Alex."
"I will," he promised before slipping away to the bathroom.
He checked carefully for cameras first, then unfolded the note. It was full of questions: Where? Why? How long? Who?
Alex answered what he could, but some things had no answer, he didn't know where they were, nor truly why, except for the lady's hatred of men. During the day, he managed to secretly hand the paper back.
At the end of the day, Alex parted from his friends. He caught the look on Max's face; thoughtful, determined. He's going to think of something, Alex realized. I just know it.
That night, as always, Alex and Ember were blindfolded and transported back to the facility.
Ember was given tasks, cleaning clothes, scrubbing the bathroom, cooking. When she returned, it was time for dinner, and with it, a hint for the next game.
"Grab as much as you can," Ember said thoughtfully.
"A clear hint," Alex replied.
They finished their meal and walked through the long hallways toward the lobby. The other boys were already talking. Danny was trying to rally them together again, while Jorn pushed back, warning him of the consequences.
Alex didn't join in. He just sat and listened.
"Today's game is gonna have some awful job to it again," he overheard one of the boys mutter.
