𝑨 𝑫𝑹𝑬𝑨𝑴 𝑰𝑺 𝑨 𝑾𝑰𝑺𝑯 𝒀𝑶𝑼𝑹 𝑯𝑬𝑨𝑹𝑻 𝑴𝑨𝑲𝑬𝑺

𝑪𝑯𝑨𝑷𝑻𝑬𝑹 𝟏𝟕

When Delphina was six, her grandmother had hauled her from watching Dizzy and Bella in the basement and pulled her upstairs into the salon, sitting her down in one of the chairs.

"Grandma, what are–"

"Quiet." Lady Tremaine had snapped at her so suddenly that Delphina jumped slightly, shutting her mouth immediately. Delphina heard the familiar sound of gloves snapping before her grandmother began parting her hair. "Our clients are asking us to start giving treatments to strengthen their hair, and I'd rather not test them on paying customers." She explained briskly, beginning to apply product to sections of Delphina's hair. At six years old, Delphina didn't think much of it. Her grandmother had always used her and her siblings as test runs for anything she needed.

It took Delphina 10 years to realize that her grandmother was, once again, full of shit.

"'Treatments to strengthen hair'." Delphina scoffed, shaking her head as she glared out the window. "I can't believe I actually bought that." She groaned, pressing her forehead against the glass of the window.

"You were six, Fina." Audrey sighed from next to her. The weekend had arrived and Audrey had managed to get them into one of the cars that took students into town on the weekends.

"Yeah, six and stupid," Delphina muttered, gazing at her roots in her reflection. "It just doesn't make sense. I know she hated my natural hair color, but why? What made her despise it so much that she spent ten years trying to get rid of it?" Delphina finally stopped staring out the window, leaning her head against the headrest. The more she thought about it, the more she cursed herself for not realizing it sooner. For ten years, every few months, her grandmother would force her into a salon chair and give her some excuse about a hair treatment or how her hair needed to be replenished because 'Tremaine's shall not have brittle, dead hair'.

Delphina just went along with it because she always considered it preferable to getting beat with a cane.

"Look, don't waste time trying to comprehend her logic." Audrey dismissed, nudging Delphina with her shoulder. "We are going to get you what you need, then spend a nice day in town. It'll be great." She insisted as the car pulled to a stop in a town square full of students milling around. "Now, it is time for your first outing in Auradon Square, and we are going to make the most of it." Leaving no room for discussion, Audrey slipped out of the car and Delphina had no choice but to follow her.

Auradon Square was bustling with students, many of them traveling in clumps and chatting animatedly as they looked through the store windows, admiring all of the trinkets in the shops. Delphina slipped between the crowds of people with ease until she and Audrey were out of the traffic of the streets, standing on the sidewalk near one of the boutiques.

"Alright, the hair salon is a few blocks down the street. We can check that box off right away, or we can hit a few boutiques beforehand." Audrey sighed, turning to Delphina, waiting for her decision.

Delphina grimaced at the idea, glancing at all the designer, brightly colored clothes in a boutique window. Shopping was hard enough on the Isle, when Delphina had to steal whatever she could from different, run-down kiosks. But in a kingdom of silk, satin, and designer?

Just...no.

Audrey chuckled softly at the look on Delphina's face. "Come on, shopping isn't that bad." She teased the girl, shaking her arm. Delphina rolled her eyes, giving Audrey an unamused look.

"It is when you just want to be comfortable and you have two pre-teens scolding you about the 'laws of fashion' and saying 'you wear so much green, you could be a bush.'" Delphina's voice raised a few octaves, mocking her sisters.