Susan peered closely into her bedroom mirror, pursed her lips and then carefully applied the bright magenta lipstick. Taking a step back she took in her whole appearance. Her long, blond hair hung shiny smooth about her shoulders. She swung her head slowly, from side to side, imagining that she was one of those models in a shampoo advert. Her cheeks shimmered; the glitter gel that she had generously applied earlier, caught and bounced the light back from the bulbs that surrounded the mirror. She smiled, popped the lid back on the lipstick’s gold casing and shoved it deep into the pocket of her denim jacket.

Half an hour later, sitting on the bus next to her best friend Katie, she felt for the small, smooth cylinder. It fitted snug into the cup of her palm, its presence reassured her. They would soon be at the cinema; a birthday treat organised for Katie by her parents, and Susan wanted to be sure that she looked her best. She took the lipstick out, turned to face her reflection in the grime of the bus window and started reapplying it to her still vivid lips.
“Cool!” Katie breathed out the word in an awed whisper. “Can I have a go?” Susan turned to look down the bus.
“OK, but don’t let your Mum see.” She surreptitiously passed the lipstick to Katie, who ducked down, put the colour to her lips whilst trying to see herself in the mirrored surface of the silver grab pole next to her.
“How do I look?” Katie puckered her lips at Susan.
“Really cool.”
Susan grinned and put her hand out to take the lipstick back from her friend. At that moment the bus screeched to sudden halt, and the small gold tube flew away from her, disappearing under the seat in front. She bent down but it was nowhere to be seen.
“Oh no! What am I going to do?”
“Girls, we’re nearly at our stop. Time to get off.”
Katie’s mum was standing by their seat. As she caught sight of the girls’ lips she tried hard to suppress a laugh, but then realised that something was wrong.
“What’s the matter Susie?”
“It’s the lipstick. I’ve lost Mum’s best lipstick. It’s her favourite colour. She doesn’t know that I took it. She’ll kill me.”
Tears were flowing across Susan’s glittered cheeks. All the grown up composure that she had mustered earlier had disappeared to reveal the sobbing nine-year-old that she really was.