Author: Malebranche

Date: 04/04/04

Contact:

Genre: Original, slash, drama.

Comments: PG-13 for profanity. 1000-word short story challenge.

--

My name is Emily Niels. Pale skin, pale eyes, brown, shiny hair. Five foot six inches, shoe size of seven and a half. One hundred and twenty five pounds. My favorite outfit is a pair of comfortable black jeans and a big fluffy blue sweater. For looking remarkably unlike a princess, I feel as if I am living in a fairytale.

I graduated from the University of California San Diego with a Masters in American Literature two years ago. I am now an English professor there. I have a spacious apartment walking distance from the university. It has a balcony that opens up to a view of the neighboring park. My castle. I drive the car I’ve always wanted: a cherry-red Eclipse with a personalized license plate. My pumpkin-turned-carriage.

I even have a prince. I met him during my time in college. We’ve been together for three years, and I love him with all my heart. He has warm chocolate-colored eyes and auburn hair with streaks of red. He surfs, and that gives his skin an exquisite coffee color. He takes me out to fancy French restaurants on our anniversaries and plans surprises for me on my birthday. He proposed four months ago. I was ecstatic. White flowing gowns, bouquets of flowers; just like a princess. His name is Dominick Cruz, and he is beautiful.

The sad thing is, he is even more beautiful with Russell Niu. Beautiful when he is clinging to the other man by the shoulders, their chests heaving with the exertion of...

I’m getting ahead of myself. Let me start over. Everything I said before should be in past tense. My fairytale was beautiful. My life isn’t.

Once upon a time, a princess found her prince and they were happy. At least, she thought so. One day, when the princess came home early from her royal duties, she found an extra pair of boots outside her palace. She was not bothered, since her prince must have brought a nobleman friend of his to have tea. She walked inside her palace. There was no one in the kitchen or living room. Wandering in the hall, she heard noises coming from the closed bedroom door. Curious, she twisted the doorknob and swung open the door.

She found her prince tongue-wrestling with his nobleman friend on their bed. Her bed. They were naked and sweaty, legs entangled and hands reaching at unspeakable places. They hadn’t even heard her come in. Her prince opened his eyes for a second and saw her.

“Emily!”

With a cry, Emily (no longer a fairytale princess) covered her eyes and ran from the room. She ran into the kitchen, looking frantically for her car keys. Her heart hammered inside her chest and her head pounded. Where had she put it? She heard footsteps in the hall, coming from the bedroom. What would Dominick say to her? What could he say? Where the fuck were her keys?!

“Emily.” Dominick’s voice, coming from the kitchen doorway. It was cautious, and had a guilty undertone. He better feel guilty, the bastard.

“What the fuck are you doing, Dom?” said Emily, voice shaking. She stared hard at the surface of the counter. No eye contact, or else she would crumble into a million pieces.

“I’m sorry Emily. I...I have to break up with you.”

Of course. “You’re leaving. Pack up your shit and leave. Now.”

Dominick paused, hesitating. “I didn’t mean for you to find out like this.”

Emily blinked back tears. “How long, Dom? How long behind my back?”

“Three months. I love you Emily, but not in that way, not anymore. I don‘t know what I feel for Russell, but it‘s something completely different than what I feel for you.”

The sad thing was, Emily still loved him. In that way. “I can't believe you. Couldn’t you fucking break up with me properly? You wait until I find you in bed, in our bed, with that...that man?! I didn‘t even know you were bi!” she screamed.

“It just happened, and I was too scared. Too scared to leave our relationship, because this was something I could depend on. It started as a fling. I never meant for it to go this far.” he said apologetically.

Emily looked at his hands. His fingers were fidgeting; they always did that when he was nervous.

“Just...leave. If I want to talk to you, I’ll email you.”

Dominick mumbled another apology and left the room, presumably to pack his things. Emily opened the cabinet and took out the bottle of aspirin. One, two, and a gulp of tap water. She sat at the dining room table, looking through the ads on the table for a sale on sheets. No way in hell was she keeping the ones that were on the bed.

A few minutes later, Dominick left with his lover, the door closing quietly. Emily heard the engine of Dominick’s car start up, heard it fade as they drove away.

Closing her eyes, Emily wondered when her fairytale had gone so wrong.

--

He was in her class. Russell Niu. Her ex-fiance’s lover. He didn’t recognize her right away, but when he did, he simply smiled and waved. It drove Emily nuts. While teaching the students, she avoided making eye contact with the entire group of students that sat near him. After class, she would see Dominick at the doorway, waiting for Russell.

Waiting for Russell, and not her. Of course.

After that, Emily kept seeing the couple everywhere; at the beach, at the market, at the park. Even when she was in a bar, shot glasses lined up on the table in front of her, talking to a handsome stranger, she saw them together on the dance floor.

The sad thing was, they were still enchanting. They matched each other, step for step. The arms linked and fingers touching, they were the most beautiful things Emily had ever seen. She tossed back another shot of vodka.