Lydia layered her makeup very thickly that morning. If she was going to go down, she wanted to go down in style. "Lydia Zephyn?" They would say. "Even though her group failed to win, she outshone everyone there was."
The Cup would start in one hour, and her time was swiftly running out. She had been dreading this moment ever since her father had told her that she needed to compete. Life hadn't always been fair for the Zephyn family. Mothers had a habit of dying and money of vanishing into bottles that smelled of dust and mildew. The dust and dirt of her surroundings left no mark on her appearance, she didn't let it.
There were some days were she felt like crying. When they came, she always cowered down and hid inside of herself. Nothing could touch her there. No pain, no panic, no regret. She wasn't afraid of the Cup. Like a feather, she would float instead of fall.
"Lydia! Are you almost ready? We have to leave in five minutes if we want to be on time!" A loud call jerked her from her thoughts and she looked across the room. Isa was there, tightening one of the straps on her boots.
"We don't need to be there that early." Lydia mumbled, but quickly put on the rest of her mascara. Even though she hated to admit it, she wasn't as upset with Faze as she had been. He had a side that not many ever saw. Sometimes, it would peak through the cracks. She saw it most when he was with Dawn. Like an older brother, affectionate and caring sort of feel.
What she couldn't stand was Isa. Everything that the girl did ticked her off, from the way she was able to make her ponytails with no bumps to the way her voice sounded when she talked. She did have to admit though, Isa was a good leader. If anyone could see them to the top of the tower, it was her.
Lydia didn't want to keep her hopes to high...but maybe they would even win the competition. Maybe she would receive the prize and make her name known. Anything was possible. If she could find any compassion towards Isa, she could do this.
YOU ARE READING
To Fall is to Die
FantasyEvery year, several teenagers come together to compete in the Cup challenge, an obstacle course in the clouds. While each of their stories are different, all of them are after the same things: fame and fortune. But the origins of the Cup seem to be...
