Page 58 of Okay, Cupid

No, right? As a human, there’s no Leah, no Richard, no Cal. There’s no comfort in helping people find the person they love, working to get them together. I like doing that. And what does a human life even look like for me? Would the Cupids simply kick me out, leave me to roam the streets all on my own, figure out things for myself? Would Leah help to take care of me? Or could she not be bothered? I can’t imagine her being that cruel, but would she even have a choice? I’d no longer be their responsibility, after all.

So, I guess my question has two answers.

(a) Fall in love with a human I’ve known for two weeks, become human, allow my entire life to be upended to the point that I have zero idea what’ll even happen to me.

Or (b) live a life of comfort, doing something that I’m good at while never ever getting to love this boy back, never getting to determine my own fate, never getting to live the life that I might want to live and being forced to serve some “greater purpose” in the universe all because my life was decided for me before I was even born.

God, I hate my stupid fucking brain.

There’s a soft knock on the door.

“Hello?” It’s a voice I don’t recognize. “Sorry, we need to get in there.”

I stand up, double-checking myself in the mirror and grateful that I’ve avoided any tears. I flush the toilet, run the sink for a bit, and try to focus, regain what little composure I was managing before.

I have a job to do. It’s time to grow up and accept my responsibilities as a Cupid. Enough messing around and dreaming of something I can’t be.

I step out of the bathroom, whispering a sorry to the girl whose entire face and hands are now a sickly green color to perform as the Wicked Witch of the West. I don’t remember what her actual name is.

My phone dings in my pocket, and I chastise myself for hoping that it might be Huy.

CAL: Where’d you go? Are we still doing this?

Right. I am here to help Alice and Huy get together. That’s my role in their life. Not to be their friend, not to fall in love, not to go to school or perform in the orchestra or anything like that. I’m a Cupid.

A Cupid.

This is my role in their lives, and to want anything else is wrong of me.

I have a duty.

ME: yeah, coming out now

CAL: okay, I see Alice, she’s talking to Neve

ME: i’ll find huy

I swallow a hard lump that almost refuses to go down as I climb back onstage and slip down the steps hidden on the side. It’s easy to find Huy. He’s alone, near the corner of the room with a piece of cake in hand, his family nowhere to be found. I grab my own precut slice of cake before I walk over toward him. It’s dark chocolate with a thick layer of frosting, the perfect ammunition for what I have to do here.

In all honesty, I’d prefer it if I could talk to Alice and Neve instead. But Cal’s been nice enough to help me out here, which means I need to take the lead.

I can’t give up now, not when I’ve gotten so close.

Huy finally sees me, and his eyes light up.

“There you are!”

It’s unfair how he literally has a piece of cake stuck to his teeth and he’s still so perfect looking.

“Here I am.”

“I must say, your page turning was superb. I think you saved the whole show?”

“Oh, hardy har har, you’re so funny!”

“I’m serious!”

“I messed up a few times. I was late.”