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The moment she stepped on stage, the entire vibe shifted. She felt powerful, completely in her element, in total control of herself—and even of those around her. That was the power of acting. It was cheesy, she knew that, but little Suzanne Toot had never shied away from complete and unfiltered self-expression.
Rehearsing the lead character’s monologue for her beloved local summer theater production was a dream come true for Suzie. Landing the lead had felt impossible this year—she was one of the youngest members of the amateur theater company—but this was her moment, and she was going to take it. Even if it meant that the original lead, a far more experienced actress, had to step down due to a sudden illness.
She was giving this performance everything—her heart, her power. Even in rehearsal, she always pretended the theater was packed. But the reality was that only one pair of eyes was truly paying attention to her.
Jewels Sparkles, the costume and styling assistant, was always around—all smiles and a sing-songy voice, effortlessly popular and beautiful. Susie’s eyes met hers just as she was about to finish the piece, and for a split second, Jules had the strangest look in her eyes. Suzie was known for being delusional, but this look Jewels was giving her was quite strange.
Jewels had always been a little different than others in the theater world, she didn’t get blinded by the glamour, the shine, the lights, she just saw it as another part of life, something that gave her art the chance to shine fashion. But, right now in this exact moment watching Suzie Toot act with so much passion, emotion, and heartbreak, she was all about it.
How could she not be all about theater after all if Suzie just glanced at her while reciting the most potent words in the dictionary, all of them having to do with love, and adoration from afar, unrequited love, just standing there on the edge of the stage.
She was screwed and tried to shake it off as always. Jewels was good at hiding stuff, always bubbly and knowing the workings of a crowd, but this heart was not hiding anything at the moment, it was fluttering at a very annoying pace, and her face and ears felt so hot, and her eyes just wanted to close so she could feel Suzie’s voice take over her mind and soul as if the words she was saying belonged to her.
But she forced her eyes open, and demanded her heart to get its shit together, took a deep breath and just told herself. Focus, Jewels. You’ve got this. Jewels approached with her usual effortless energy, trying to push down the tightness in her chest. She was too close now to keep her distance.
“Hey, Toot,” Jewels said, flashing Suzie a grin as she flicked a stray piece of hair from her face. “You were amazing out there. I mean, I always knew you had it in you, but wow—theater royalty has arrived.”
Suzie paused, adjusting her costume with a shrug, her red hair falling into her eyes. She didn’t even look surprised at the compliment, just muttered, “Yeah, right. It’s just a rehearsal.”
Jewels chuckled, a little too loudly. Keep it together, Jewels. “You sure about that? You looked like you were performing for a packed house out there.”
“Well, if the house were full of ghosts,” Suzie replied dryly, adjusting a cuff on her vintage-inspired jacket, clearly not catching the underlying affection in Jewel's tone.
Jewels laughed again, a little more nervously this time. “Hey, you never know. Ghosts could be your biggest fans.”
Suzie rolled her eyes, turning back toward the mirror to check her makeup. Jewels caught a glimpse of her face—her focus, the way her brow furrowed in concentration.
“You really think I’ve got it?” Suzie asked casually, her voice uncertain but hopeful.
Jewels straightened, all too aware of the fluttering in her chest. “Definitely. You’re too good not to. It’s your moment, Suzie. Just—don’t forget to enjoy it.”
A faint blush colored Suzie’s cheek, but she shrugged it off quickly, giving Jewels a shy, almost embarrassed smile. “Thanks, Jewels. You’re too kind.”
There was a beat of silence, and Jules realized she was leaning just a little too close. She stepped back, forcing a casual grin. “Anyway, the costumes look great, so don’t mess up the show. No pressure.”
Suzie laughed, seemingly oblivious to the underlying tension. “No promises.”
Jewels caught herself again, staring at Suzie a little too long before quickly turning away. God, what is wrong with me?
Clearly many things were wrong with her since meeting Miss Toot. The next day after rehearsal, Jewels found herself lingering by the stage again. She still had to make some adjustments to Suzie’s costumes, so she told her boss that she would get them done on her own, she just wanted to have a little more alone time with a certain actress.
Now, they were both on the little, dark, and cramped atelier, and something about the moment felt different—charged, even, though Jewels couldn’t quite place it.
“Hey, Suzie,” Jewels called out, trying to sound casual “How’s the monologue going? You are feeling good about it?”
Suzie glanced up from the mirror, her eyes meeting Jewels for a moment before she looked down at the fabric in her hands, fidgeting. “Yeah, I guess,” Suzie replied, her voice a little hesitant. “It still feels kind of surreal. I didn’t expect to get the lead. I just… didn’t think this would happen.”
Jewels moved closer, stepping behind Suzie to adjust the hem of her costume, her hands brushing against Suzie’s waist as she straightened the fabric. “You earned it,” Jules said, her voice warm and low, they were so close that whispering was almost too loud, but the proximity was making her a little more nervous than she expected. She adjusted the costume a little more, fingers lingering a little too long on Suzie’s side. “You’ve got more talent than anyone here, Suzie. Don’t doubt yourself.”
Suzie tensed at the touch but didn’t pull away, not even when Jewels’ hands brushed up to fix the collar of her costume, adjusting it just so. Suzie couldn’t help but notice how close she was, her hands gentle and sure on the fabric—but it was the smell that distracted her the most. Jewels smelled like something warm and comforting—like vanilla mixed with some kind of floral scent. Suzie’s mind wandered for a moment as she inhaled the fragrance, her heart inexplicably skipping a beat.
“Thanks,” Suzie mumbled, still a little caught off guard by the closeness. “But I don’t know… It feels like I’m just filling in. Like, I got the role because someone else got sick, not because I deserved it.”
Jewels adjusted the sleeve carefully, her fingers brushing over the soft fabric of Suzie’s arm. “That’s not true,” she said firmly, her voice suddenly softer. “You earned this role. You belong here, Suzie. You’re amazing.”
The words made Suzie’s cheeks flush, but she didn’t pull away. It was strange—This girl was always so confident, always so put together, and here she was, standing so close to Suzie, speaking to her like… like she really meant it.
Jewels’ hands drifted down to adjust the fit of the costume at Suzie’s waist, her fingers brushing the curve of her side for a second longer than necessary. Jewels was aware of the closeness, and despite her calm exterior, her heart was racing. She couldn’t help it.
There was something about being this close to Suzie, the way she smelled, the way she looked at her with those big eyes. It felt important and substantial to her if only she could go back to herself, be the girl that wanted something, and never shied away from getting it, but Suzie was different, she was the first girl Jewels had any real feelings for.
“You’re lucky, you know,” Suzie said, her voice husky and low, trying to distract herself from the way Jewels’ touch sent little electric jolts through her. “You’re so… confident. You always know what you want, right?”
Jewels’ breath caught in her throat for a second, but she pushed the feeling aside, pretending it wasn’t there. “I guess you could say that” she replied, a soft smile on her lips. “But I’m just saying what’s true, Suzie. You’re perfect for the role. And you… you’re more than you give yourself credit for.”
She stepped back, trying to pretend like her heart wasn’t pounding in her chest. But Suzie was still standing there, looking at her with those wide, unsure eyes, and Jewels couldn’t quite keep herself from looking down at Suzie’s lips for a split second. Just a moment, but enough to make her breath catch.
“Thanks, Jewels,” Suzie said, finally meeting her eyes again. “No problem,” Jules said quickly, trying to hide the way her voice wavered. She was suddenly all too aware of how much she wanted to say more, to tell Suzie how she felt—but she couldn’t. Not yet. Not like this. It was interesting how Jewels approached any guy she’d been interested in without any hesitation, but now she didn’t even recognize herself.
Suzie didn’t seem to notice the way Jewels was looking at her. She was too distracted by the warmth of her presence, the way her hands had lingered just a little too long on her skin, and the soft, intoxicating scent that still clung to the air between them. Suzie swallowed hard, trying to keep her composure.
Jewels shot her a quick smile, stepping back, though her gaze lingered just a little longer than usual. “You’re gonna do great,” she said, her voice a little shaky. “I’ll be cheering for you.”
Suzie watched her leave, still reeling from the unexpected closeness, she didn’t expect to be so touched by the idea of Jewels Sparkles being her cheerleader, by Jewels Sparkles admiring her work, and Jewels Sparkles thinking about her, spending time with her, smiling at her…it was all too much and too little in her mind suddenly. That night after the costume moment, Suzie couldn’t sleep.
She couldn’t stop thinking about the way Jewels’ fingers had lingered on her skin, the warmth of her smile, and the soft, unexpected intimacy between them. Was she imagining things? Had Jewels been as close to her as she thought? Or had it all been in her head? The scent of vanilla and flowers was still in her mind, a reminder of their proximity. Suzie buried her face in her pillow, feeling the heat rush to her cheeks. What was she supposed to do with these feelings? It was all so confusing.
Meanwhile, Jewels lay wide awake in her bed, her heart racing. She was tangled in a mess of emotions. Had she crossed a line today with Suzie? The way she’d touched her, the way she’d spoken to her—it had all felt so natural, so easy, but now that she was alone with her thoughts, Jewels couldn’t help but question everything, she was afraid of being too obvious and freaking her out.
When Suzanne finally managed to fall asleep, a very vivid dream came to her—an embarrassing one.
She was in the park, walking hand in hand with a beautiful brunette dressed entirely in pink, but Suzie couldn’t see her face; she didn’t know who she was. The sun was warm against her skin, and spring was blooming all around them. Then, suddenly, they stopped.
The brunette softly grabbed her by the waist and pulled her close. She held Suzie so gently, so tenderly, that she relaxed and almost melted in her arms. Her heart felt so full, swelling with emotion. She closed her eyes—then the scent hit her, a perfectly warm and balanced mix of vanilla and florals.
And then Suzie woke up. The alarm clock was about to go off, so she stopped it before the annoying sound made her forget her dream and stopped for a moment to clear her head. She knew who the girl in the dream was, of course, but she was very taken aback by it, why did her brain choose Jewels to be her love interest in the dream?
She guessed Jewels was just a memorable person, someone her subconscious liked, not that she liked, of course, she liked Jewels, but not in the way her subconscious liked Jewels, her imagination was just a very creative little bitch.
When she got to rehearsal that afternoon, she decided to take things lightly and keep to herself for most of the day, she stayed inside the little actor’s lounge listening to her relaxing speakeasy jazz music and going through the lines before going on stage.
Of course, there was nothing particularly wrong with that, but she was also actively trying to avoid a certain bubbly brunette, Suzie knew that the emotions of her dream still felt too fresh, and coming face to face with Miss Sparkles would only get her all weird and flustered.
So, when the bubbly brunette realized that Suzie was not backstage like always watching her costars perform their scenes and giving them her mainly unsolicited advice, she got worried.
She asked the staff if Suzie was in the theater, and set out to look for her, she found her in the actor’s lounge, reading her lines over and over, and listening to her old music, she decided not to interrupt her, she looked too focused, in the zone almost, but when she was about to turn around and go, Suzie glanced at her so she had to stay.
Suzie felt the presence of the one person she couldn’t see in the eye right now, felt her stomach do a flip, and then she found Jewels in all her glittery glory in front of her.
She looked so perfect and angelic in baby blue, Suzie could’ve sworn this was a dream all over again, and she was fully convinced of that for a long moment until Jewels, who noticed her in limbo, asked her playfully “What, were you dreaming about me?”
Suzie almost choked with her own saliva, making Jewels ask her if she was ok, when Suzie calmed down, she couldn’t help but laugh a little too loud about the whole thing, she felt cheeky and happy for coming up with something so flirtatious to say, or, at least to her standards, and making Suzie go all red, making her look so adorable and kissable.
Suzie was intoxicated by the sound of her laughter, so she decided to calm down and breathe and act normal around her closest friend here, she didn’t want to ruin this thing they had. “You do look beautiful today Jewelzie” It was the first time Suzie called her by that nickname, but it had slipped naturally from her lips.
Jewels blinked, a bit taken aback by the nickname, but her lips curled into a smirk. “Jewelzie? That’s new,” she mused, tilting her head as if testing the name out. “I think I like it. Sounds like I belong in a jewelry commercial.”
Suzie chuckled, finally meeting her eyes. “You’re sparkly enough for it.”
Jewels dramatically flipped her hair. “Obviously.” Then, with a teasing glint in her eyes, she leaned in just slightly. “But I’m still waiting on my thank-you.”
Suzie frowned, confused. “For what?”
“For blessing your afternoon with my presence, duh.” Jewels gestured toward herself with an exaggerated flourish. “I mean, I did have to go on a whole Suzie hunt to find you, and I’d hate to think my efforts went unappreciated.”
Suzie rolled her eyes, but her lips twitched with amusement. “Oh, yes, how noble of you. I bet you traveled great distances and faced many perils to get here.”
“You have no idea,” Jewels said with mock solemnity. “I braved the dark and treacherous backstage, dodged flying costume racks, and even had to endure three whole minutes of listening to Greg complain about his monologue.” She placed a hand over her heart. “Truly, a harrowing journey.”
Suzie bit her lip, shaking her head. “And yet, you made it out alive.”
“Just barely.” Jewels sighed dramatically, then flopped onto the couch beside Suzie, close enough that their knees brushed. She glanced at the script in Suzie’s hands. “So, is this what you’ve been hiding away for? Or are you secretly plotting something even more dramatic than theater?”
Suzie exhaled, realizing she was still gripping the pages a little too tightly. “Just… needed a breather, I guess.”
Jewels nodded, her expression softening just a touch. “I get that.” Then, after a beat, she nudged Suzie’s shoulder lightly. “But you know, if you ever need to hide, I’ve got better spots. This one’s way too easy to find.”
Suzie turned her head slightly, her gaze meeting Jewels’. It was supposed to be a joke, another throwaway comment, but something about the way Jewels said it—low, warm, inviting—made Suzie’s heart stumble in her chest.
She forced a scoff, trying to push past the sudden tightness in her throat. “Right. Like I trust you with hiding spots.”
Jewels gasped, placing a hand over her heart in fake offense. “How dare you doubt my skills? I know all the best places to disappear. In fact,” she leaned in conspiratorially, “there’s a little storage room near the dressing area that—”
Suzie groaned, laughing. “Oh my God, Jewels, you’re trying to get me in trouble, aren’t you?” Jewels grinned, her eyes twinkling. “Me? Never.”
Suzie shook her head, but the warmth of Jewels’ shoulder still pressed lightly against hers, and her skin tingled where they touched. She was suddenly very aware of how close they were—how effortless it felt.
Jewels was still watching her, and before Suzie could overthink it, she muttered, “You do smell nice, though.”
It was meant to be a simple, absentminded comment. But the moment it left her lips, Jewels’ teasing smile flickered—just for a second.
Then, she tilted her head, slow and deliberate, and whispered, “You noticed?”
Suzie’s throat went dry. Oh.
Jewels had always been good at teasing, at pushing Suzie just enough to see her squirm, to watch her blush and stammer her way through a response. But this?
This was different.
Suzie had noticed how she smelled.
Jewels wasn’t sure why that made something coil tight in her stomach, but it did. The thought that Suzie had been close enough to pick up the scent of her perfume, that she had thought about it, noticed it enough to say something—it sent a strange, thrilling shiver down her spine.
She could play it off, she should play it off. But Suzie was still staring, still pink in the cheeks, still shifting like she was trying to figure out if what she’d just said had crossed a line.
Jewels liked that look on her.
And maybe, just maybe, she wanted to see how far she could push.
So, instead of teasing, instead of throwing out another joke, Jewels let the moment settle. Let the air between them stretch, just enough to feel heavy. Her eyes flickered down—to Suzie’s lips, just for a second.
Then, before she could overthink it, she moved.
Softly, barely anything at first, just tilting her head, just leaning in. Close enough that she could see the exact moment Suzie’s breath caught in her throat.
She could pull back. She could laugh it off, turn this into another joke, let Suzie off the hook.
But Suzie wasn’t moving away.
So Jewels didn’t stop.
She closed the space between them in one slow, deliberate motion, pressing her lips to Suzie’s, soft and warm, like a question she already knew the answer to.
For a second, there was nothing but stillness.
Then, Suzie exhaled—a tiny, almost hesitant breath against Jewels’ lips—and kissed her back.
It was tentative, unsure, but Jewels felt it, the way Suzie lingered, like she was afraid to let go too soon. And god, that did something to her chest, something she didn’t have words for.
When she finally pulled away, just barely, she let her forehead rest against Suzie’s.
She expected words. A reaction. Something.
But Suzie just sat there, blinking, lips parted slightly like she was still catching up to what had just happened.
And then, in the softest, most completely wrecked voice, she whispered, “Oh.”
Jewels grinned, her heart still racing.
“Yeah,” she murmured back. “Oh.”
Jewels could still feel the ghost of the kiss on her lips, her heart thudding just a little too fast. She wasn’t expecting Suzie to kiss her back, but she had. And now they were staring at each other, barely a breath apart, in the dim glow of the actor’s lounge.
Suzie’s hands were clenched in her lap like she was holding onto something for dear life. Jewels could tell she was thinking—probably too much.
So, she decided to push, just a little. “Was that just for fun, or…?” she asked, tilting her head, eyes glinting with something unreadable. Suzie hesitated, licking her lips, but then—shockingly—she met Jewels’ gaze head-on. “I had a dream about this,” she admitted, voice quiet but steady.
Jewels’ stomach flipped. “About the kissing part?” she teased, smiling, trying to keep it light. But Suzie shook her head. “No.” A breath. Then, barely above a whisper: “About loving you.”
Jewels felt the air shift, something deeper settling between them. Suzie wasn’t looking at her anymore, her fingers fidgeting in her lap as she had just revealed something dangerous.
Jewels reached for her hand, steady and sure. “Then I guess your dreams are pretty accurate,” she murmured, squeezing gently. “Because I’ve been loving you for a long, long time.”
Suzie finally looked up, and for once, she wasn’t overthinking. She just smiled.