Chapter Nine

-Gumi-

What was Rin just doing, trying to take off her makeup like that? Everyone knows you don't yank mascara off of your lashes like that- It's dangerous! I bite my lip. Why did I send her in here anyway, alone? She'll have absolutely no idea how to do it even if she had the instructions written on the mirror with my cherry pink lipstick! I take my headphones off, stick them into the seat pocket in front of me, and get up to help her.

Once I reach the bathroom, I bite my lip in realization that it's locked. "Rin, it's Gumi. You doing okay in there?" I call, leaning my face toward the side of the door. I hear a muffled response, and the door clicks open enough for me to slide in without raising suspicion.

"How do you get this stuff off?" Rin cries. I gasp in horror as I look at her face. I guess the mascara might have been a bad idea. Rin's cheeks are stained with black lines running down, from water she shouldn't have used.

"Oh my gosh, Rin!" I shout. "This is not okay! How'd you even manage to mess it up like this?" I ask.

"Do you really think I know?!" Rin retorts crossly.

"You used water, didn't you?" I ask, furrowing my eyebrows. She nods. "Oh, Rin," I cry, "I'm so sorry. Is that what I told you to do?" I ask. She nods pointedly. My shoulders fall. "You never want to do this again unless it's for a Halloween costume, okay?" I ask her.

"Just help me out here," she sighs.

"Alright, go ahead and wash that stuff off of your face," I tell her, grabbing a bunch of toilet paper and folding it into a reasonable excuse for a cloth. I hand it to her for her to wet it in the sink. She begins rubbing it off her cheeks. I can't help but frown at her pained expression as she does so. "Rin, I'm so sorry," I say again.

"Don't be," she replies indifferently.

"Just, don't get any of the water on your eyelashes or anything," I advise.

"Thanks," she says limply, not even looking at me. I slip out of the door.

"Alright, bye," I reply, swallowing down my feelings of pity. "Good luck," I add, closing it behind me. Why did I tell her to do that?