Mabel sat at her vanity, staring blankly at the array of lip products in front of her.
"Coraline, I swear, you do not know the struggle. Do I want matte, sheer, nude, pale, pink, red, dark, liquid lipstick- there's simply too many options." Mabel spun in her chair and faced the blue haired girl sitting upon her bed.
"Well, if you didn't buy so many I doubt you would have such a tough decision." Mabel rolled her eyes and stood, beginning to prance around the room.
"See, but normally I would think of how I feel, what my eyeshadow looks like, and if I want to look soft or not, and then bam!" Mabel said this last word so loudly that Coraline jumped, "The right color just comes to me."
Coraline glanced up at her friend. "And why, praytell, is tonight any different?"
Mabel grinned. "I have a date! And a first date at a fancy restaurant, mind you. It's extremely important I look my best- first impressions and all that." Mabel voice became airy as she plopped back in her chair, still facing Coraline.
"Dating is impractical when we're so young."
"I'm 15. Almost 16. You are 16, we aren't exactly young children. Almost young adults in fact."
Coraline sighed, before standing up and stretching. "Yes, but what's the point? We are leaving for college soon, I doubt you'll ever see him again."
Mabel laughed, a light, happy and infectious sound. As a grin formed on Coraline's face, Mabel said "You sound like Dipper. Honestly, you two should team up with Lily to take over the world as stereotypical supervillians." Mabel quickly adapted a deep a smooth voice. "After years of not being able to find lover and friendship in the world, the three became the most feared super villains in the world. And who can stop them? Why, only the Radical Raz, Marvelous Mabel, Neat Norman and Not-so-plain Neil!" Coraline laughed.
"Had trouble with cool N words?" Mabel grinned in response before turning back to the mirror, picking up a black tube of lipstick and holding it up to her lips.
Mabel set the tube down, a frustrated sigh escaping her lips before picking up a large handful of lipsticks. "Quick question, Coraline. Why haven't you ever dated anyone? From what I hear you are fairly popular in Ashland."
Coraline grimaced. "I don't want to date the wrong person. I want to know that I'm really going to love this person, you know? I look at you, falling in love and dating all these guys, and, while that is totally great for you, I want to know that the person I date is someone I could see myself with, you know?" Mabel turned around, a slightly surprised expression on her face.
"I never knew that about you. But, now that I think about it, it makes sense. You are a person who likes commitment and trust and all that stuff."
"Yeah," Caroline huffed. "Only thing is, how does one know that this person is one that they love?" Mabel turned back to her makeup, thinking.
"I suppose you could say that you know when you feel so lost around that person. But like, the good kind of lost. Not the lost you feel when your stupid brother drags you out into the weird part of the woods and forgets the way back so now you're stuck without cell service kind of lost. I mean the lost in the stars kind of lost. The kind of lost that you never want to be brought out of. When all the bad stuff melts away and only the good stuff stays and all the colors in the world melt together but you don't notice because why look and care about all the hate and bad and terrible things in the world when you can stay in this perfect moment with this person who may not be perfect but is so perfect to you. And all the memories you shared come rushing back so fast you feel like you are drowning until they speak. Because their voice is your air. And you kinda get a dopey look on your face. And, hopefully, so will they. And it just kinda, happens, you know? It's like that, I suppose." Mabel glanced back at Coraline, but the girl was so lost in sudden thought about banana slugs and motorcycles that she didn't notice. Mabel smiled before turning back to her makeup.
Coraline stayed in her head, a light blush tinting her pale cheeks, until Mabel's shrill voice pierced through the mist.
"Yes! A beautiful brown! Why in the world didn't I think of this sooner?"