“I’m really sorry, but my mom wants me home tonight,” Alex told the girls. He hadn’t really asked his mom, but he was starting to feel really uncomfortable again and wanted to leave this life behind like he had tried to do earlier. And after all, it was a Monday so it wasn’t too unreasonable. The girl inside him was disappointed and worried about friendships, but he pushed it down and walked to the car.
“So, how’d it go?” asked his mom.
“It was okay…” Alex replied, looking down at his lap.
“Did you meet any nice girls?” she asked.
“Some,” was all Alex said, and she shifted the conversation. When he got home, he went back up the stairs and to his room. Closing the door behind him, he walked over to stand in front the mirror once more. Only, the mirror wasn’t in the spot he had left it in his room earlier. Frantically he glanced around, but he was unable to find it anywhere. He ran back down the stairs.
“Honey aren’t you going to get changed?” his mom asked.
“Mom have you seen my mirror?” Alex responded.
“Yes, if I remember correctly it was right where it always is when I went to get you earlier. You were staring into it,” she said with a laugh. Alex led her up the stairs. “See, right where it always is,” she said, pointing at the vanity in the corner.
“No mom, I mean my full body mirror, what happened to it?” he asked annoyed. She gave him a look of genuine confusion.
“There’s never been a full body mirror in here, sweetie. Are you feeling okay? The only full body mirror in the house is your sister’s, remember? We got you the vanity because that’s what you said you wanted.”
Shaking his head, Alex considered checking Kate’s room. Then it hit him, the words of the old lady from the shop. She had said something about the mirror wandering off hadn’t she?
“Ally, honey? Are you alright? You don’t look so good,” his mom said as she walked over to him. “You must be really tired after practice. Why don’t you get changed and come downstairs, then we’ll have dinner. Okay?” she turned and walked down the hall.
The weight of the situation crashed down on him, and this time he did start to cry. He had lost his previous life, his family, his everything, and he was stuck in this young, fragile, and emotional girl. There had to be a way to fix this he told himself, but he continued to sob. There was a sudden knock at the door. Before he could answer, Kate walked in.
“Hey, what’s wrong?” she asked. When he did not respond, she walked over and sat on the bed with him. “Did something happen at practice or is it something else?”
“I really don’t want to talk about it,” Alex replied.
“Its not good to keep things in, I never hide from you,” she grabbed his hand and squeezed it.
Her presence helped to put him at ease, but he didn’t know where to begin with anything. Should he tell her? How much? What happens when she goes to their parents claiming he’s insane? Or should he just make something up?