Makeover Comforts
The lump underneath the thin sheet shifted as Kitty entered the girls' cabin. She gripped the wooden door frame out of instinct, hitching her shoulders slightly only to exhale her held breath. Kitty felt Franke press against her back, nestling her chin on the older girl's shoulder. They watched the being shift under the sheets for a moment, stupefied until the soft whimpering hit them like a freight train.
The shuddering breathing peaked as quiet crying infiltrated the cabin's calm interior. The girls exchanged a quick glance, and Kitty stepped into the cabin. Her featherlight footsteps crept towards the lower bunk on the left side of the cabin. The child raised their elbows, and Kitty made out the shadows of round hands reaching for their eyes. Franke hobbled after Kitty, leaning into her out of habit, and Kitty cleared her throat.
A muffled yelp emerged. The blanket rapidly shifted, crashing like ocean waves, and Crystal ripped her gaze to the bemused girls. Crystal broke into a practiced smile, and Franke glanced again at Kitty. The older girl regarded Crystal with solemn interest, raising her hand as if to offer it.
"U-um, s-sorry! I hope I wasn't making too much noise," Crystal said, shooting her legs off the bunk and standing up. She smoothed her frazzled ponytail, quickly inserting stray locks of hair into her scrunchie. Crystal played with her forefinger, twisting the tip and offered a dry chuckle.
Franke's jaw was tight, and she quietly held onto Kitty's lithe arm. Kitty shifted her weight onto her right leg. She retracted her hand and set it to her hip.
"Are you doing okay, Crystal?" Franke asked, leaning away from Kitty and crossing her arms.
Crystal seemed to jump right out of her skin, and she laughed, splaying her fingers out like a shield. "Oh, totally! I'm doing a-okay! I was-" She glanced at her sheet. "-trying out a new sleep technique Phoebe taught me! She said sitting under a sheet can really help with sleep disorders like she told Milka that, too."
Off-key giggling punctuated her sudden lie. Crystal's body quaked as she chuckled, and she gripped her elbows as if to steady herself. Her cerulean eyes clashed with bloodshot sclera.
Kitty clicked her tongue against the roof of her mouth, and Crystal faltered, shivering and sucking down a shaky breath. Franke waited, wrapping her arms behind her back.
"You know, you have such pretty hair, Crystal," Kitty said, caressing the cheerleader's full ponytail. "It's thick, but if you keep it up all the time, you could pull out hair follicles and thin out your hair. That's really not good for the long run, like, you could even get some bald spots."
"R-really?" Crystal fidgeted with her scrunchie, pulling at her hair to remove it.
"Hold on. Sit down," Kitty said, taking Crystal's shoulders and ushering her onto her bunk. She spotted a sopping wet blanket resting on the floor near the legs of the cot. The seeping wetness spread along the wooden floor, and Kitty and Franke grimaced.
Kitty glanced over to her upper bunk, and Franke spotted her leather makeup bag. Franke fetched it, and Kitty plucked out a bristle brush. Franke set the bag next to Crystal, and she weaved her fingers underneath the scrunchie. She slowly tugged the scrunchie off, and Crystal's hair fell down her back. Her hair framed her face, spilling out to her , straight locks splayed along Crystal's back. Kitty hummed, letting Crystal's tresses slip through her slender fingers.
"Crystal, your hair is so nice, and you don't even use brand name shampoos," Kitty mused, shimmying onto the bed behind Crystal. Perching herself on her knees, Kitty raked through a few wispy snarls in Crystal's hair.
Catching Kitty's glance at Crystal's hands, Franke added, "Yeah! It's so nice. Maybe your nails should match your hair."
"R-really?" Crystal whispered, shaky lips trickling into a smile. She shot her gaze between the girls, bouncing in her cot as Kitty struggled to brush her hair. "O-M-G! Are you guys gonna do that for me?"
"Sure, sure," Kitty said, quickly steadying Crystal's shoulder. "Franke, look for a cool magenta color in my bag. It doesn't have to be the exact hue if you can't find it. Just something similar, okay?"
Franke nodded and searched for the nail polish. She shifted through teals, greens, and pinks before grasping the sleek magenta polish. Uncapping it, she inhaled the strong candied scent and asked Crystal to stick out her hand. She dipped the brush a few times before slowly applying a clean coat to her index finger. Crystal's cuticles, to Franke's bewilderment, were torn and uneven as if she had bitten them off.
Kitty tossed the brush on the pillow. Collecting Crystal's long hair, she carefully twisted the tresses into a gentle braid. The braid dragged down her back, and Kitty hummed, tilting her head to inspect Franke's handiwork.
Each finger was masterfully painted. A sheen of magenta gloss covered Crystal's pale fingernails. Franke heaved a relieved sigh. Even though she was accustomed to painting her nails, Crystal's hands were foreign. They were smaller with a bit of pudge. Her cuticles, as Franke noticed, seemed to have been chewed on and torn apart. Crystal's hands reminded Franke of her own misshapen nails before she met Kitty a couple years ago.
"There we go. I think we're all set," Kitty interjected, and she fished in her pocket. Retrieving a compact mirror as Crystal marveled over her nails, she flipped the lid up and held it in front of Crystal's face. "What do you think?"
Crystal gasped, clapping her hands to her cheeks. The freshly applied nail polish dropped off like raindrops and splattered onto her bed. She flipped her head to the side, allowing the braid to whip around and slump over her shoulder. Her hair was comfortably tucked and braided without a strand out of place.
"Thank you so much! It looks super duper great! I feel like a supermodel!" Crystal gushed, hopping off to the bed.
Franke collected the bag, stuffing Kitty's nail polish and brush inside. "No problem. We just thought you needed a little pick-me-up."
"Yeah. Besides, you look way better with your hair down," Kitty said.
Franke bobbed her head. "Totally. Braids are so in now."
"Really? I'll definitely keep it in a braid!" Crystal exclaimed, clapping. "Thank you! Thank you so, so, so much! I love when you guys did! I'm gonna show Clem!"
Crystal sprinted out of the cabin before they could reply. Franke reached out for her, but Kitty gently lowered her hand. Kitty shook her head, commenting they finally had the cabin for themselves. Settling on Franke's bunk, they proceeded to reapplied their nail polish and eagerly gossiped.
"So, you read her mind, right?" Franke asked, gingerly blowing on her nails. "Her mental defenses were pretty strong this time around. I could only get something about a blanket."
"Oh, yeah. Benny threw her baby blanket in the lake. We're gonna get him back," Kitty replied, waving her hand dismissively.
Franke gazed at the dripping wet blanket with a sewn yellow duck on the center resting by Crystal's bunk. She sensed Kitty's devious ideas swarming in her head, and Franke grinned, nodding along as Kitty announced their revenge plan on Crystal's behalf.
Crystal's smile was all the reward they needed, but revenge was just as nice. Formal consolation was out of their league. Offering sympathetic words meant nothing to moving forward with helpful actions solely for girls. Kitty and Franke knew Crystal had her own personal problems beyond their experience, but giving special moments of uplifting beauty created genuine joy for all three girls.