My Living Nightmare

“The blouse is way too tight! And the skirt is way too short! It looks stupid! I look stupid!” I whined, groaning at the sight in front of me.

I was fitting on my school uniform in my closet. I didn’t like it. Tory did. I didn’t even know why she was here in the first place.

“Have you considered going in for an eye test?” Tory asked sarcastically.

As if this was really a time for sarcasm. And besides, that was my line.

“Wait! What are you doing with that phone? Hey!”

A flash went off.

She fiddled a bit with her bejeweled black phone.

“It’s nothing; I’m just sending the picture to Sapphire. Maybe she’ll have an easier time convincing you that you look fine.”

I moaned.

Two minutes later the phone rang. Tory put it on speaker.

“Alex, you need glasses,” Saph announced.

I threw up my arms in exasperation. What was with everyone picking on my optical vision?
And again, that was my line!

“My point exactly,” Tory said.

“Ergh, just shut up you two! I look stupid! There’s no way I’m going to school in this uniform,” I said, my mind already made up. I was going to be homeschooled. Somehow.

“We need reinforcement,” Sapphire said. “Any ideas?”

“I’ve got just the thing,” Tory said, before disappearing into my room. I heard the door open and close.

“What’s she going to do?” I asked Parker nervously.

“How should I know? I’m sitting here in my bedroom, on the other side of town.”

“Oh…yeah. I forgot.”

“For someone who gets straight A’s you sure don’t have much of a brain,” she said.

“I don’t get straight A’s! And don’t you come insult my brain; you should be more concerned about your non-existent one!”

“Who are you fooling exactly?”

Just as I was about to answer I got ambushed by three pairs of eyes and Tory.

“What the heck?” I shrieked.

“What? What?” Saph wanted to know.

“Ignore her Sapphire; I just got some back-up.”

“Why am I here?” Sean wanted to know.

“Yeah, what he said,” Skylar seconded.

Tory took a deep breath.

“Okay, let me explain this again! I need you guys to tell her she looks fine in her school uniform. Got it? Good.”

“You don’t just invite boys into a girl's dressing closet, Tory! Honestly, what do they teach you kids nowadays?” I said, exasperated. Children of today…

“Shh!” she replied.

What is up with these people?

“Tory’s right, it looks perfectly fine,” Jamie agreed.

“Yep, they’re right. I don’t know how you can’t see that you look damn sexy in that,” Skylar informed me.

I blushed.

“You see!” Sapphire spoke through the phone.

Sean had yet to answer. His gaze had me unnerved. He’s eyes roamed all over me, and if I hadn’t known better I would have thought he was checking me out.

“You look good,” Sean finally said.

A warm, fuzzy feeling ran through me, which was quickly suppressed by denial.
Tory took one look at my face and sighed.

“She’s frowning, isn’t she?” Saph asked.

“Yip, I’ve never met someone as stubborn as her,” Tory replied. “And here I thought Sean was bad.”

“I’m just going to pretend I didn’t hear that,” Sean said, bristling.

“I’m not stubborn! And it does look stupid!” I added in the exact same tone.

“No, it doesn’t!”

“Yes, it does!”

“No, it doesn’t!”

“Yes. It. Does!”

“Alexandria Saunders, I want you to look into that darn mirror and accept the truth! God damn it, why do you always fight it?” Sapphire blasted down the line.

Why do you fight it?

Everybody in the room stared in shock at the cell phone.

I just rolled my eyes.

“And don’t you roll you eyes at me!”

“Parker, you’re freaking everyone out,” I said.

“Don’t change the subject. Look into that damn mirror, or I swear to God I’ll have them lock you in that closet until you accept it.”

“Language,” I muttered.

“Alex!” she warned.

“Saph!”

Her reply could not be repeated due to most of it being censored.

“Fine,” I sighed.

I turned around and looked straight into the mirror. I stared at my reflection. Then I turned away from it.

“Everyone out of the closet,” Tory ordered. She was taking Sapphire’s words much too literally, if you ask me.

They filed out. All of them left, except Sean. Tory closed the door behind them, tossing Sean the key.
Just great.

“I’ve got to go. I’ll call you back in fifteen minutes,” Saph said. “I don’t see why we have to go through this every time…babe, you’re one complicated person,” she said lightly.

She disconnected.

Sean came up behind me. I could feel his breath blowing through my hair. Yeah, he was that tall.
It was silent for a moment.

“Sapphire was right, you are one complicated person.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment.”

“You don’t see yourself clearly, do you?”

No answer. What could you say to that?

“If that wasn’t your reflection, would you see her as stupid-looking?”

What was he talking about? Why, whenever we spoke, did I end up getting confused out of my mind?
He placed his hands on my shoulders. Bringing his mouth down to my ear he whispered, “Look through the denial, Alex, through the denial…”

He lingered there for a second.
“Come out when you’re ready, we’ve got more ice-cream downstairs,” he said, exiting through the door, leaving the key on the dressing table.

I smiled and turned back to the mirror. The girl in the mirror looked happy, gleeful. I definitely didn’t think she looked stupid in her uniform.
They were all right.

“And?” Saph asked.

“You were right.”

Sapphire had phoned back in precisely fifteen minutes.

“There was no doubt in my mind.”

“Conceited,” I shook my head.

“I’m not conceited, just confident.”