The ex-best friend

Charlotte kept her head down and walked fast past where a crowd had gathered, all watching what looked like a livestream from another school that was being filmed. Glancing briefly at the screen, Charlotte felt her heart sink. She knew the uniform some of those students were wearing, it was the school Rose had transferred to.

Feeling frustration boiling over, Charlotte stalked up to the larger girl holding the tablet with the livestream on it.

“Seriously Rebecca! You don’t have anything better to do than show this off to a crowd!”

Charlotte felt her anger quail in the face of so many eyes turning towards her. The bigger girl Rebecca handing off the tablet to someone else as she approached Charlotte. The smaller girl backing up but finding herself blocked in.

Rebecca spoke slowly, cracking her knuckles as she did so.

“You don’t like us watching that fucking trans whore get humiliated Charlotte? I guess you wouldn’t would you, you were inseparable….before ‘Rose’ came out. Best of friends…and now…still trying to defend her. You fucking moron…”

Even as Rebecca drew back her fist, Charlotte felt herself go dizzy and in an eye blink she was no longer surrounded and about to receive a beating, but was now standing on the plush carpet of a ski resort.

Charlotte glanced around and saw two faces she recognised, Delilah and Rose, her one time best friend dressed in a skirt and blouse that showed off her shoulders nicely whilst Delilah was in her sports wear. The other figures in the room were unfamiliar to her. Charlotte flung herself at Rose, feeling the adrenaline that had been rushing through her body leave her shaky and tearful.

“Rose..I’m…I’m sorry! I tried….I tried…”

Charlotte found herself standing up and releasing her arms from around Rose’s neck, stepping back several paces as she was approached by the busty silver haired woman. She spoke in her soft voice that Charlotte nonetheless tried to still her tears for.

“Greeting, my name is Aurora and I’m the host of this season of the game show Harem Hotel: Served Cold. You are one of six contestants who will be trying to win the season Mistresses favour and affection. The full rules will be explained once all six contestants have arrived. For now, still your blubbering and please introduce yourself to the audience and your fellow contestants.

As if by magic, Charlotte felt her tears stop and her nose clear. The emotions were still there but the physical crying had stopped. She felt the questions pop into her head and answered them almost on autopilot, feeling overwhelmed by the sudden rush of information and sensation she’d felt.

“Hi…um my name is Charlotte Harper and I’m nineteen years old. Before the season mistress came out as trans we were best friends and basically inseparable. But the bullying got really bad and I was having a tough time after Rose moved away so I kinda….stopped returning Rose’s calls. I…I really regret I did that…and I try to fight her corner when I can. I’m really into writing and gaming, I like making fantasy worlds and then running it in any RPG system I can find. Umm….I’ve never had sex or even given a handjob or anything..”

Charlotte wipes the last of the tears away from her face as she is walked by Aurora’s magic to sit down just on the other side of Delilah, closer to Rose. Delilah and Charlotte exchange greetings, the two knowing each other via Rose.

Aurora can see the slight relief on Rose’s face at the appearance of someone else who wasn’t actively or passively antagonistic towards her, joining Delilah in the safety net Aurora had ensured was brought in so Rose wouldn’t feel totally alone with only people who didn’t like her. Aurora smiles widely and speaks aloud to the audience.

“Well, she’s plucky I’ll give her that and a bit of a fantasy writer. I’m sure something can come of her boundless creativity don’t you think folks at home. Now…our final contestant…the one not revealed in the seasons trailer…”

Aurora makes a dramatic flourish with her hands as she prepares to summon the final contestant.