Rock climbing, but first some dinner

Mercy's group of friends was meeting up at an indoor rock climbing arena and then maybe going for drinks after. On her way through the parking garage, she tapped replies into her phone to let her friends know she was up for it, and added a few complaints about her day. The weird moment with the bizarre app had already completely slipped her mind.

At her car, she checked the time. There was a little under an hour before the appointed time, and she was hungry. With limited time and the promise of a moderate workout climbing rock in the immediate future, it was going to have to be something light. There was a nice little soup and salad shop not far from the rock climbing place.

As she drove, she turned up her pop music radio station and lost herself in the upbeat melodies, doing her best to unwind from her irritating workday so she could meet up with her friends in good spirits. But after about ten minutes, she couldn't stop glancing at herself in the rear view mirror. She was growing increasingly dissatisfied with her makeup. She just looked... bland. It was a clean, professional look, and she'd done a good job of it. It was her standard look; it had taken a lot of trial and error to work out exactly how to best apply it.

But now... she hated how it looked. It was basic bitch face. Gross.

As she pulled into the restaurant's parking lot, she spotted a franchise **** store right next door. Mercy shook her head, feeling silly for caring so much about something so stupid. Maybe she was just feeling impulsive; work had been a real grind lately. 'Whatever, it's not like it's a big deal.' Killing the engine, she stepped out and entered the **** store to see what sort of makeup they had in stock.

Fifteen minutes later, she returned to her car with a small pile of cheap, brightly colored makeup. She was still shaking her head. She'd felt silly when she dumped the borderline-gaudy selection of palettes. She didn't know why the bold colors called to her, but she was really excited to put them on her face; she needed it. She didn't even wait until she reached a more convenient place to apply it. Right there in the car, she cracked open the eyeshadow and went to work. The more color she used, the more her anxiety melted away. This was the right decision.

She looked at her reflection with a smile. Yes, finally. It was like a huge weight had been lifted off her chest she hadn't even known she was carrying. She stepped out of her car again, walking confidently into the little soup and salad place. Each head that turned her way validated her decision, and she got several compliments. She felt pretty, and that was just with some eyeshadow. She couldn't wait to see what she could do with some blush and lipstick.