Chapter 2. Makeup

Sabrina hates makeup. She hates it because it reminds her of what she doesn't have. Most eleven year old girls like makeup, she knows, but she knows they like it because they get to practice putting it on with their mothers. She can't.

Sabrina hates knowing that she may never be able to wake up her family, and that she may never get the chance to practice putting on makeup with her mother. Snow White offered once to help her figure it out, but Sabrina refused. She couldn't tell her that it wasn't because she doesn't use makeup, but that she couldn't stand the idea of letting go of that idea that this was a sacred moment between mother and daughter.

So Sabrina practices. Early in the morning, late at night, whenever she gets a chance. She tells herself that she does it at these odd times so that no one can see how bad she is at it. But that's not it. She does it because she doesn't want anyone to find out and realize what she's missing out on. She doesn't need their pity. Doesn't want it either.

Over time, Sabrina gets better at putting on makeup. She practices because she knows from the older girls at school that it's handy to know how to use a little of it to cover up pimples, and she knows that those are coming soon. Just like she knows that her mother will probably not be awake for most of her teen years, and that eventually Sabrina will have to go to Snow White, and Granny, and Briar Rose. Even if she doesn't want to admit it.

Sometimes Sabrina wonders if Snow White actually understands, because sometimes Snow White seems about to ask something, and then she stops, and looks sad. Sabrina knows Snow White wants to be a good friend, maybe even a surrogate aunt or big sister. But even Snow White knows that there are some things you don't say because you know that it will only hurt in the end. So Snow White doesn't offer anymore. Sabrina knows that Snow White, in some shape or form, gets it.

It's when Puck outright tells her that she doesn't need makeup, that Sabrina thinks about why she does it. He tells her that she looks pretty anyway. Sabrina is horrified at first, realizing that Puck has watched her during those late night sessions, when sometimes she's only been wearing a T-shirt, and then she gets what maybe he's actually trying to say.

"It's okay."

"They'll wake up."

"You can wait, or you can move on, because no matter what happens the past is the past, and now you can't do anything about it."

Sabrina stops feeling humiliated, and long after Puck has gone to sleep, and their hands are almost touching because of the stupid handcuffs, Sabrina whispers, "Thank you."

Because now Sabrina doesn't feel left behind.

After Sabrina is freed from the handcuffs, Sabrina asks Snow White for some advice. About makeup. About girly things that Sabrina really can't ask Granny about. And Sabrina asks about love. Because, after all, Snow White has loved the same man for two hundred years, even though he's an idiot. Maybe she can give some advice on how to deal with loving an annoying, but well-meaning, prankster.

Sabrina never realizes that Puck wasn't asleep when she said thank you, and that he waited until she really was asleep to say, "You're welcome." And that while Sabrina went to Snow White, Puck sneaked into her stash of makeup and picked out all of the bright colors and red lipsticks, and left only the things he knew would be useful. Because, after all, in order to be an efficient prankster, one has to know what will do the most damage and what won't do anything at all. But he hopes that what he left does everything she needs it to.

And that night, when Sabrina enters the dining room with a light dusting of cover up over her first pimple, because she knows she'll feel better with it, Puck notices, but doesn't say a word. After dinner is over, and Daphne is helping Granny with the dishes and Uncle Jake has sneaked off to go see Briar Rose, and Sabrina is wiping down the table, Puck leans his head around the doorframe, and quietly tells Sabrina that she looks good.

He tells himself later that the look of pure delight spreading over Sabrina's face was worth all the manly man points he lost by telling her so.