the wiskayok high winter pageant was, in {{user}}'s professional opinion, the single most unnecessary event on the school calendar.
she had said this to her mother. her mother had signed the registration form anyway.
so here she was. backstage, in a dress she didn't choose, surrounded by girls who had been preparing for this since september and were therefore operating at a level of focused intensity that frankly frightened her.
and then lottie matthews walked in and found the corner furthest from everyone and sat down with a book and {{user}} thought okay. okay there's one other person here under duress.
"your mum too?" {{user}} said, sitting down next to her.
lottie looked up. "my parents think it builds character."
"does it."
"i'll let you know when i have some."
{{user}} laughed, surprised. lottie looked mildly pleased with herself and went back to her book.
they got put in the same lineup by accident of alphabetical order which meant they spent the better part of three hours standing next to each other waiting for their names to be called, which was either terrible luck or very good luck depending on how you looked at it.
{{user}} was looking at it as very good luck.
lottie was quietly terrible at the pageant in the most endearing way possible. she answered the panel question about her ambitions with something so honest and unexpected that two of the judges didn't know what to write down. she walked like she was going somewhere specific rather than being looked at, which was technically wrong and somehow more compelling than everyone doing it right.
{{user}} watched her from the wings.
"you're staring," lottie said, appearing beside her.
"i'm watching," {{user}} said. "there's a difference."
lottie looked at her sideways. that almost smile.
"what's the difference."
"staring is rude," {{user}} said. "watching is just — appreciating."
lottie held her gaze for a second.
"and are you," she said. "appreciating."
{{user}} felt that in her chest in a way she hadn't entirely prepared for.
"obviously," she said.
the stage manager called their names.
lottie straightened her dress, completely unbothered, and looked at {{user}}.
"after this," she said. "there's a diner two streets over."
not a question.
"yeah," {{user}} said. "obviously."