Two lives.

34. before the night begins

June 3rd
6:24 PM

I was sprawled out on Ophelia's bed, aimlessly scrolling through my phone. The soft hum of Kendrick Lamar's voice floated through the room, playing from her iPad propped against the mirror on her vanity. It was one of those chill, grounding moments where time felt slower, like the world outside didn't exist.

Ophelia sat at her vanity in the corner, leaning in close to the mirror as she carefully fixed her eyeliner. The warm glow of her desk lamp framed her in golden light, making her look effortlessly stunning. She always did.

I clicked my phone off and let it drop onto the blanket beside me, turning my attention fully to her. "You know, you really don't need to bother with all that," I said, propping myself up on my elbows.

She glanced at me through the mirror, raising an eyebrow. "What, the eyeliner?"

"Yeah, the makeup. I mean, you're literally gorgeous without it," I said with a shrug. "You could roll out of bed and look better than half the people on this campus."

Ophelia smirked, setting her eyeliner down and tilting her head playfully. "Flattery will get you everywhere, you know." She grabbed a lip gloss from the edge of the vanity and turned back to the mirror, applying it with a kind of confidence that I could only envy.

"No, I'm serious," I continued, sitting up fully now. "You've got that, like... natural beauty thing. The kind where people just stop and stare when you walk into a room."

She laughed softly, shaking her head. "You're exaggerating."

"I'm not," I insisted. "It's not just how you look, though. It's the way you carry yourself. You walk into a room, and everyone knows you're there. It's like... I don't know, like you've got this magic about you."

Ophelia turned to face me, her eyes softening as she leaned back in her chair. "You're so dramatic sometimes," she teased, but there was warmth in her voice, like she appreciated it more than she let on.

I shrugged, a small smile tugging at my lips. "Well, someone's gotta hype you up."
She smiled back, her expression shifting into something gentler. "You know, you're pretty great at making people feel good about themselves," she said. "It's one of the things I love about you."
I rolled my eyes but felt a warmth bloom in my chest. "Don't get all mushy on me now."

She laughed, turning back to her mirror. "Fine, fine. I'll save the heartfelt speeches for later."

As I watched her, I couldn't help but feel grateful. Ophelia wasn't just beautiful-she was the kind of person who made you feel seen, understood, even when she didn't entirely get what you were going through. She had this older-sister energy that made everything feel a little less scary, like she'd always have your back no matter what.

And honestly, everyone needs an Ophelia in their life.

We sat in a comfortable silence, letting the music from Ophelia's iPad fill the room. There was something calming about just being in each other's presence without the need for words.

Of course, the peace didn't last long. The door suddenly swung open with a loud thud, and Caylus came barging in like a storm.

"Woah there!" Ophelia spun around in her chair, eyebrows raised in surprise. "Ever heard of knocking?"

"Hi, girlies!" Caylus sang in an exaggeratedly high-pitched tone, fluttering his hands like he was showing off freshly painted nails. His dramatic entrance was so over the top, I couldn't help but laugh.

Ophelia, however, wasn't as amused. She gave him her signature deadpan glare, then glanced at me as if to say, Can you believe this guy? before rolling her eyes and turning back to the mirror.