Shadow (ONC Entry)

XXV

A/N:- I feel way too excited to write this chapter. While planning how it would turn out, I've waited for the reunion, for so long. And now, here it is...Yee!!

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++Unedited++

Chapter 25 / Reunion (Part 1)

“The day is, finally, here.”

........

"As beautiful as the morning sun." Rhoda smiled, cupping Melissa's round face in her hands, as they both stared at their reflection, in the mirror before them.

Melissa was also forced to smile at her 'mirror self'.

For once, she felt and - truly - looked beautiful.

Sat on a chair adjacent to the mirror that showed her appearance, she scanned her image.

Rhoda who was positioned right by her side, also couldn't help but beam at the confidence with which she saw Melissa do this. She could see that, after so long, Melissa did feel gorgeous, and (the best part), at peace too.

Melissa's eyes first ran all over her dark hair that was packed into a perfect ponytail. Its strands had been splattered all over the back of her neck. Rhoda didn't fail to smear the smoother front part of Melissa's hair with dark gel, all round. Thus making it look all caked up.

It was also obvious that, dark powder had been carefully spread over her entire face and neck. Her eyebrows had been shaped into a perfect curve. And a shade of dark gold eye shadow was dabbed above her eyes.

Dark mascara also wasn't missing from the lining of Melissa's eyelids.

Even the exquisiteness of the dark red lipstick resting on her lips, made her look more bold.

Melissa didn't just feel beautiful because of the makeup applied. It was something else. Maybe she had contracted Rhoda's positivity and confidence.

Whatever it was, she was sure loving it.

But, then again, she would be lying if she failed to admit the fact, that the - previous - negative aura still lingered somewhere inside of her.

"I did a good job, didn't I?" Rhoda chirped, taking another glance at her model's (Melissa) reflection.

"You sure, did." Melissa's grin widened. It was at that moment, a familiar inquiry she'd stored to deliver to Rhoda, arose.

Her lip turning from smile to a bit of a pout, Melissa called. "Uhm..... Rho?"

Amidst simpers, Rhoda had busied her hands with rearranging the makeup items laying roughly, on the table the mirror was attached to. If one would confess, Rhoda still looked so good in that knee-length casual black gown she was clothed in, that morning.

"Yess." Rhoda excitedly answered, lifting up her head from what she'd been so focused on.

"You know that evening after we arrived from the Town Mall?"

"Yeahh." Rhoda's forehead creased. "What about that?"

"Well, where did you fly off to, as soon as we'd returned?" Melissa now turned her pretty face toward Rhoda. "I'd wondered where you were at, throughout the rest of the day."