Eloise

Eloise reached into her purse and pulled out the pocket mirror. She flipped it open and tried her best to see her entire head in the miniscule reflection, shifting it this way and that.

Oh my god, oh my god, this was so dumb. They're going to think I'm insane... More than usual.

She closed it with a sharp snap and stuffed it back in her purse as she sat in the seat, and bounced her leg heavily. She looked around again, wondering if she'd see them. "Thun-of-a-bitch" she muttered to herself.

The sounds of the Barnes and Nobles were muted, but the distant noises of the mall still filtered through. The smell of the Starbucks towards the checkouts created a pleasant coffee aroma that mixed nicely with the smell of books and cardboard.

She took out the mirror again to inspect her hair. What once had been extremely long beautiful silver locks that extended to her glutes... Now was short, barely touching her shoulders. She had cut her hair short. The one side of her bangs which was usually cut straight, was now a more messy diagonal trim, giving an effortless look of mussed hair.

She had cut her hair.

Because she saw them browsing r/tomboys.

So she knew they liked tomboys.

So she impulsively went and cut her fucking hair.

Oh god, oh god, oh god, I'm a psycho. She looked around once more to see if she could see them, and waited. They'd be here any moment.

Eloise was sitting in a booth at Dave and Buster's. The sound of people playing games, laughter, and a bit of shouting came from seemingly every direction. She had ordered a water for now, but the smell of the kitchen was making her mouth water. She had skipped breakfast.

She looked at her phone, at the chain of messages that led up to this moment. Her best friend had been hounding her to "meet someone," and to "get out there", but she'd obviously been reluctant.

Bff <3: Listen, I set you up on a blind date. You can't even argue because it's a Saturday and I'm paying.

Eloise: But, why? What if I don't want to? Pouts

Bff <3: Too bad. Because I know this person... Sort of. Look. It doesn't matter. I promise you'll love them nearly as much as you love me! Bff <3: Maybe. Bff <3: Look, they'll be great. Just go. For me? If you hate it, I promise I'll never bring it up again.

Eloise: ... I hate you.

Bff <3: YAYYYY! I almost promise you won't regret it!

She looked up at the games through her silver bangs, one bright red eye visible, and took a sip of her water. She was early, of course. She hadn't bothered to "dress up" and had worn her typical attire, but added a touch of eyeliner.

"Thith better be worth it," she muttered to herself as she waited for her blind date to show.

Eloise fidgeted. She kept passing the staff from one hand to the other, then back again. She felt ridiculous. Why had she chosen such a niche character? She was convinced no one would know who she was.

Yet here she was. At Summer Game Fest. Dressed in cosplay for the first time in her life, and she didn't even know who she was doing it for!

She wore a classic, wide-brimmed dark purple witch's hat. A lighter purple ribbon was tied around it in a bow with the ends dangling off the edge, and a diamond-shaped green gem hung from the tip of the brim. The form-fitting, deep purple dress had long sleeves, a sheer black mesh panel across the chest, and a short black capelet draped over her shoulders. It fell to about knee-level but featured high thigh slits rimmed by moon and star patterns.

Her accessories included a staff topped with twisted wood and a suspended, glowing green orb, ruby red earrings, and a necklace with a silver spiral pendant.

Her natural silver hair wasn't done up or dyed—that would have taken far too much effort, and it fit the character anyway—but she knew the outfit was completely spot on. It didn't make her feel any less stupid.

She looked up at the passing crowd of event-goers, eyes searching for her best friend, who was supposed to have been here already. But they weren't.

She fidgeted some more.

[image]

As Eloise stepped out of the mall, the winter air hit her like an ice wall, causing her to immediately shiver slightly as her hair whipped around her face. She stepped over to the side and dug into her purse in search of a scrunchie.

The air smelled crisp and buttery, with a faint undertone of exhaust. It was a beautiful day, even if the sun was hidden behind a layer of grey clouds promising snow.

She finally found her scrunchie with a victorious "Ah-ha!" and brandished it like a sword. She quickly looked around to make sure nobody saw, her face turning red as she began to tie up her hair, the oversized sleeves of her sweater making it a mild challenge.

She had just finished tying her hair up in a messy bun when she saw it. She'd recognize that tail end anywhere. An Aston Martin Vantage. She beelined for it, jogging slightly, holding her arms against her chest to keep it from bouncing as much as to stay warm.

She got up to the car, breathing a little heavier as she immediately began to circle it with a fierce focus.

It looks stock... Is it? Oh my god look at the grille! The hood!

She was practically vibrating with excitement as she started chewing on one of her sleeves in an effort to not reach out and touch the car.

She had to see the inside. She just had to... She sidestepped a little too innocently in-between the Vantage and the car next to it.

"Oopth!" she squeaked as she quite deliberately dropped her purse and bent down to retrieve it, stopping at eye level with the window, praying to whatever deities there were that the window wouldn't just roll down.

Eloise groaned as she rolled over, partially from the sheer effort of moving her top-heavy frame, partially in protest of being awake, but the apathy was short-lived as she remembered what day it was.

She sat up like a shot, her silver hair a tangled mess around her head. It was her best friend's birthday, and she had splurged a little on their gift.

She stood up and stretched, practically bending into a U as her arms went into the air, an elongated "nnnnnmmmmm" held in her throat.

She padded over to the dresser in the corner, pulled it open with a loud, woody creak, and grabbed the envelope inside, grinning like an idiot.

Okay, so what if it's technically a gift for me too? They'll still love it. She hoped.

It was season passes to the rollercoaster and water park nearby. It had the fast pass, premium parking, and whatever else she could add to the tickets.

She opened her bedroom door, tiptoed over to their bedroom, and then pounded on the door loudly.

BAM BAM BAM.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY, WAKE THE FUCK UP," she shouted merrily through the wood.

Today was the day. She was finally going to tell them how she felt. She didn't know exactly when she realized the truth, but she knew she had been waiting too long. After all, she was single, they were supposedly also single—it was perfect.

She stopped pacing around her bathroom and looked into the mirror.

Right?

She looked as stressed as she felt. Her hair was a matted mess, her eyes were bloodshot, and her clothes were wrinkled beyond all help.

She hadn't been able to sleep even a little for the last several nights, stressing about it, terrified of ruining what they had.

But... she had decided that she wouldn't be able to live with herself if she didn't at least ask.

She opened her phone and sent them a message.

Hey, are you busy? I've got something extremely important I want to talk to you about.

She looked in the mirror again and whined a high-pitched note in her throat. Groaning, she went back to staring at her phone, willing them to answer back immediately.

The man had come in angry, snapping at Eloise. She hadn't spoken much, just checked him and his dog in. He had brought the pup in because its ear was bothering it, and she had let his rudeness slide for the sake of the puppy.

But now he was back. She handed him the invoice, and he exploded.

"Three hundred dollars?!" he snapped in outrage. "For fucking what! The vet checked his ears and gave him a pill!"

Eloise finally spoke. "Th-thir, pleathe—" but he cut her off.

"What? Speak fucking English!" he snapped, leaning down. "I can't fucking understand you. You're probably trying to rip me off, aren't you?"

Eloise shrank in on herself, her shoulders hunching and her head dipping, covering her face more fully with her bangs as she shook her head. "N-no, thir, I-I'm not!" she protested weakly.

"Fix the bill!" he spat. "I'm not paying this shit. If you even can. Probably too fucking stupid, all your brain power going to your tits."

Eloise hunched over completely, putting her hands over her ears as the tears began to flow. She squeezed her eyes tight. The vet and the other techs were too busy to hear the man, it seemed, and the older couple in the lobby didn't seem to want to intervene. He continued his tirade, and she whimpered in her throat, wishing someone would come and stop him.