equinox [h.s]

five

My chest heaves and I focus on it. On the way my lungs are clawing for air yet trying to regulate the amount it's getting for how much it's lacked.

There's a drip of sweat trickling between my breasts. I feel it go down, over my sternum until it reaches the fabric of my bra and probably melts into that.

"Perfect. Really good, girls." Honey laughs out a breath, dropping her arms down from our ending position. I drop my arms too. So do the other girls. The five of us huffing and trying to settle our raging heartbeats.

"You're a quick learner, Syn. You've had two rehearsals and you've pretty much got the nack for it." Honey nods approvingly, happily.

A relief fills me, thankful that she can see what I've tried to relay. That I'm here. That I'm serious and ready and prepared to give it my all.

"Thanks, I wouldn't have been able to pick it all up if you hadn't been so patient. So, thank you." I tell her almost shyly as the other three girls already set a light chatter throughout the space.

Honey turns around from picking up her cardigan that she had wrapped around her at the beginning of our session. Her lips are red today. Not a deep, tinged kind of red but a juicy, blood, bright red. Her eyes are rimmed with a black liner and yet the brightness of them pierce through all of it. "You're welcome," She smiles, "I'm really glad you're on the team now."

The grin that takes over my face is genuine, "Me too."

Our smiles linger as Honey pipes up, "Okay, I want all your perky booty's in the dressing room right now. Let's get these outfits fitted and then let's get the fuck outta here." She waves a hand over and I follow her. Lila, Tash and Rio are in the midst of conversation as they make their way over. I'm aware of them behind me as I follow Honey and we round the hallway, down to one of the last rooms until she pushes the door open.

My eyes widen as I glance around. The room is small. Not nearly enough for the five of us. There's two vanity mirrors, lights adorning the sides of them, and there's a large open wardrobe that holds so many kinds of fabrics my eyes refuse to settle on just one. The room is painted in dark colours, it looks more sketchy at first glance than anything else. It's beautiful.

"Christopher won't let us repaint. Well, not him, per se, but he's the overseer, so." Lila sighs, it takes me a second to realise she's actually speaking to me.

I look over my shoulder to where she's pouting, "It's not so bad." I shrug, hopefully. It's really not. It's got character. Lots of it. And I feel right at home in here. Like it's more my space than theirs, even though there's no way that could be true.

Tash almost screeches, looking to me like I'm absurd, "It's dreadful. It's sad and mopey and it looks like death." She sinks into one of the chairs opposite the vanity.

I notice Honey roll her dark rimmed eyes, her blood red nails gripping her hips, "Funny, that's exactly how I've been described." She ponders. I smirk. Instantly. I scratch beside my lip to try and hide it but Honey sees and her red lips only grow wider.

"Ha ha," Tash exhales, "Why do you always have to go against what I say. I think this. You think that. It's getting old now." I feel myself go still. Wishing I could melt into the wall. Or simply just leave.

My eyes glide over to Honey but my head doesn't move. She's standing as confident and comfortably as she normally does, no dints in her armour. "We're just different," Honey tells her, "If you think I do it personally, you need a reality check. I'm not into time wasting."

Tash scoffs. Dramatically. Though she's quiet now. As are the other girls. Including me.

"And seeing as I'm not into time wasting, let's get on with the fittings, yes?" Honey turns, going for the open wardrobe.