𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐭

thirty

Delphine

In the quiet of the dressing room, Eliza and I sat across from each other, surrounded by an assortment of makeup palettes, hairpins, and costumes hanging on racks like colorful warriors' armor.

Eliza was tugging her hair into a sleek bun, her pink and gold leotard catching the light with every small movement. She looked like she belonged on the ice already—a bright, elegant contrast to the icy colors of my own sky-blue and black costume.

"Hold still!" I muttered, gripping her chin and turning her toward me as I applied a swipe of deep rose eyeshadow over her eyelid. She huffed but obeyed, her eyes flicking up to study my work in the mirror.

I turned her face slightly to the left, making sure the color was symmetrical, the pink shades blending into the gold in a dramatic, shimmering gradient.

Eliza's eyes had always been a showstopper, and today, her makeup was only going to add to it.

"I swear, Delphine, you missed your calling as a makeup artist," Eliza teased, her voice full of excitement.

"Trust me, if I ever gave up skating, I'd be a lot further from eyeliner and a lot closer to a deserted island," I shot back, though a faint smile tugged at my lips. "But hold still. You're going to look like a disaster if you keep moving."

She laughed softly, but her shoulders relaxed.

After years of practice, we both knew the drill.

The routine of getting ready before a competition was almost like a meditation, each stroke of makeup and every bobby pin settling our nerves.

This wasn't our first competition by any means, but today felt more intense—like the stakes had grown higher.

I finished blending the eyeshadow, adding a winged liner that extended just past the edge of her eye, drawing the perfect, sharp line. I handed her a tube of mascara. "Alright, your turn to hold still."

She tilted her chin up, blinking slowly as she applied the mascara with the precision we both shared. "You're next," she murmured, nodding at my own reflection in the mirror, where I looked more focused than excited.

I nodded, picking up my makeup brush and working on my own eyes in calculated motions. A cool, smoky blue with just a hint of shimmer, matching the colors of my leotard.

I blended the shadows across my eyelids, building up the color until it was intense but soft around the edges. A line of black eyeliner, a little thicker than usual, added to the drama.

Eliza watched me quietly, and I could feel her studying my expression, as if looking for something beneath the layers of foundation and eyeshadow. "Nervous?"

"Why would I be?" I murmured, carefully focusing on the liner.

She gave a soft, knowing hum. "You're always focused, but today, you're in a whole other zone."

I shrugged, reaching for the mascara and applying it with deliberate care. The truth was, my mind was tangled in the routine, thinking through every spin, jump, and step I would execute today.

Yesterday's stumble during practice was still fresh, an unwelcome memory I couldn't shake.

Eliza didn't press further, probably sensing I wasn't in the mood for deep conversations. Instead, she pulled out her lipstick—a bold, bright shade of rose—and applied it with the kind of confidence she brought to everything. "So," she said, her voice light, "when are we going to talk about how good we look?"

I glanced over, letting a genuine smile slip through. "Honestly, we're the only ones who could make all this glitter and makeup look halfway sane."

She laughed, handing me a more subtle, rosy-nude shade for my own lips. I twisted the cap open and applied it carefully, marveling at the way the makeup transformed my usually stern expression into something more striking, more fierce.

After a final glance in the mirror, I stood up, smoothing down my leotard and adjusting the sheer overlay at my waist. My hair was tight in its bun, not a strand out of place, a perfect frame for the makeup and sharpness of my expression.

Eliza was standing beside me, making small adjustments to her own leotard, the sequins glittering as she moved. She looked at me through the mirror, and for a moment, I saw the determination reflected in her own eyes.

"We've got this," she said, and even though she said it to both of us, I could tell it was mostly meant for me.

I took a deep breath, nodding.