[A young adult retelling of Cinderella - LGBT]
What begins as a failed date in a tea shop leads Jay to find his fairy Godmother, the one who could make love finally come his way.
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Jay struggles with being out of the closet to his friends but getti...
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I exhale in relief that I'm not the one who's late.
I find a small round table in the back of the shop to sit, trapping my phone between my hands.
Looking upwards, I see a guy approaching me. His high heels clap on the floor. He's wearing striking makeup and has a voluminous blond weave that somehow seems more natural than my wannabe K-popartist bawl hairdo.
The corset around his waist is so tight I'm impressed he is able to walk, let alone smile so cheerfully. His arms are slim, but still well-toned.
Wait, he's the waiter? A bit eccentric, but I can't say I don't like it.
"So, what can I get you?" he says, already getting his pen ready. The glittery stick sparks among his fingers as he scribbles.
"Nothing yet," I say, "I'm waiting for someone."
He winks at me playfully before he turns away. Then turns back to me again.
"Oh, just make sure your... uhm," he trails off, "friend?" His smile makes me smile and he continues, "Well, just make sure he's still coming because we're closing in twenty minutes."
Only now I realize that most tables in the tea shop are empty.
"Sure," I say in the most unsure tone. Then wait.
Ten minutes pass and Jord is still not here. I know I'm supposed to text him, but what do I text him?
The last two clients, possibly a college couple, are leaving the coffee shop.
I take a glimpse of the waiter, cleaning tables at the other end of the shop, and sigh.
I grab my phone, ready to text Jord-I swear! - but the screen displays five missed calls from Lia. So, I shove the gadget back inside my pocket.
Dream just turned into a real nightmare.
I crane my neck up to face the tall, eccentric waiter, who's looking back at me with an unsure smile. "So, your friend didn't come?"
Obviously. I'm rolling my internal eyes. "No," I say, standing from my seat. I walk past him and rush out of the shop.
Outside the cold seems to be crawling up to my neck. Not even the fact that I'm fuming inside helps me to stay warm.
On top of that, I struggle to zip my jacket. The thing is old and always gets stuck when you try to zip too quickly.
Even when I'm done, I can't find the courage to walk to my bicycle. I'm going to be grounded until I'm fifty-two when I get home.
And Jord? What the hell is this about? Why did he ask me out and didn't show up?
As If things couldn't be worse, they're playing Pharrell William'sHappy in the bar across the street.
