CRACKS IN THE MIRROR
1832 Words
The next day Elara strode into school, her head up, her heart throbbing as whispers followed behind her.
“Did you see her at the café yesterday?”
“Why does River even looks her way?”
“Is he into the charity biz now?”
“Maybe she’s manipulating him, to think she’s something”
She thought as she walked, they would fade, but the further she went, the louder the voices became, so she walked faster. Once she got to her locker, she saw Clara standing there.
“What do you want now, Clara?” Elara asked about to open the locker
“What I want? I don’t get you… today you’re an outcast, tomorrow… you’re trending” Clara relied looking at her nails
“Why do you care?” Elara asked
“I don’t… I’m only here because, one wrong move from you and it’ll affect us”
‘Us? What us?’ Elara thought to herself “just leave me alone” she muttered
“I won’t let myself be found around you, we’ll deal with this at home” Clara replied, flaunted her hair and walked away
At the café Elara didn’t think River would come sit with her again, she just thought he was only using her to get attention for himself, but then again ‘why would someone like him be seeking attention for a campaign by defending me, if he wanted attention, he could just take off the cover that he claims he’s under’ the cling of a tray on the table snapped her out of thought immediately.
“Hello,” he waved and sat
“What the hell?” she blinked and turned “oh it’s you”
“Were you expecting someone else?” River asked
“I wasn’t expecting anyone” she replied blankly
“If you were this cold to the bullies, maybe they wouldn’t bully you” he muttered
“Excuse me?” she blinked for clarity
“Nothing” he forced a smile
“Why are you doing this River?” she asked “why are you by my side? Why are you playing the hero in my life, dude?” she yelled. The people in the café pulled out their phones and started videoing, they did that to make sure they caught him on camera losing his calm. But he noticed.
“Maybe because hating yourself because of what people says bothers me, like what the hell?! You let people dictate to you what you are or who you are and you expect me to sit around and watch? Aren’t you seeing them? Immediately you try to stand up for yourself they pull out their phones to video, and paint it like you’re the one at fault and you let them! Own yourself, Elara! You’re not their pawn!” he said, finally raising his voice above his usual calm “and you think I’m the bad person for loving you for who you are? You think I’m hiding something from you? Maybe I am but it’s not for you to know yet that’s why it’s still a secret! I guess I should know you’re the one who’s masking something! How would somebody be comfortable being bullied by her peers! Wake up Elara! You’re not a pawn, you’re a queen!” he swept the food off the table and walked away. The sound of the iron tray on the floor made her heart drop.
The group of bullies were back again, and this time they bullied her on camera.
“How could you do that to River? He was just trying to help you” one began like she cared
“You should actually be grateful he even treats you like charity” another said
“Be grateful?” she laughed bitterly “If you were the one being treated like a charity case, how’d you feel?”
“How dare you talk back at her, shut the hell up Elara, you’re ruining my image by just existing” Clara said
“You? Perfect? You’re not any better than my shoes. Stealing my spotlight? Why are you even here? You don’t deserve to be here” Elara replied tears rolling down her eyes “you are here under my scholarship; you are here under my certificate not yours. Or should I mention that you were kicked out of school on your 5th year? Should I mention that your clothes are all second handed? Should I mention that you stole what was mine? My life, my childhood sweetheart, my love, all the attention that was mine? You took them all and you dare stand before me to lie through your teeth?! How dare you?” Elara laughed bitterly once again
“How dare you lie about our Clara?” a guy yelled about to hit Elara then river appeared from no where and held it away, throwing it back with force
“Don’t you ever think of doing that again! Where’s your dignity as a man? How can you raise your hand to hit a lady, are you nuts?” he yelled, now clearly angry “I dare one of you, to pull this stunt again… you won’t like that part of me when you see it” he took her hand once again and pulled her away from the scene.
After school, she walked home, alone. While walking she started thinking.
‘What did I ever do to deserve this. First some mysterious boy comes to my class and defends me, now he’s yelling at me, what next is he going to do, betray me? Why am I the only one being bullied? Am I the only poor one in the school? Why does Clara treat me like a stranger?’
She finally arrived home. She wiped her tears off before entering the house. Clara was sitting on the couch, her eyes on her phone, scrolling and the first thing she received as a welcome home gift was a slap hard across the face.
“You’re late” her mom said
“I walked” she replied
“You could have asked Clara for a ride instead of being so stupid at school” her mother continued
She didn’t look up from the phone “I’m not a chauffeur”
“Is it still a crime to give your sister a ride?” Elara asked
“Who said we were sisters?” Clara asked back then she tried to walk out, but her mom stopped her
“You don’t get to leave till you apologise properly” her mom said
She turned to Clara “I’m sorry” she bowed and walked away
In her room, she sat at the edge of the bed thinking about what River said. Not like he was wrong, he was saying the truth. Maybe because he genuinely cared, the bang of the door interrupted her thoughts.
“Hey, little miss perfect… I don’t care about who you think you are, or what you think you can become under this roof, by using my fame, but I won’t let you drag my River into your mess, so stay away from him” Clara said and tried to walk away
“I don’t think I’m anything Clara, you made sure of that, but what I won’t let you do, is think I have something with River. You can have him to yourself, I don’t give a damn, you can claim him, I don’t give a hoot, but if you paint my picture black because of how you hate me? I will not take it likely… now get out” Elara replied, her expression finally visible that she was angry.
“How dare you raise your voice at me?”
“Want me to raise it higher? Get the f**k out!”
Clara turned around and walked out angrily, she collapsed to the bed crying then her phone rang
Unknown number….
‘Hello?’
‘Hi, it’s me, River.’
‘How’d you get my number?’
‘The teacher?’
‘Oh…’
‘Your voice is shaky and I can hear you sob over the call, you good?’
‘I’m sorry River, I didn’t mean to raise my voice at you. I thought you were just another guy here to humiliate me’
‘I understand, I’m not mad though’
‘You’re not?’
‘Yup, you were just expressing your insecurities’
‘So, we’re good’
‘Yes, we are’
Then Clara walked in and snatched the phone
“Give it back Clara!”
‘Hello?’
‘Oh my gosh, River, it’s you’
‘Uhm… who are you please, and can you hand over the phone to Elara, she’s way more important than you are’
‘Come on River, don’t be mean’
‘Who are you really?’
‘It’s me, Clara’
Immediately she said her name, he ended the call
“He hanged up on me”
“Okay, now that he’s done that, can you hand the phone over?”
Clara threw the phone at Elara and left angrily once again, while Elara sighed in relief that she didn’t do more than that.
Elara picked up her phone and called River back and he picked up.
‘Is that you Elara?’
‘Yeah, it is. I’m sorry for the interruption’
‘No probs, you’re back now’
‘I may have overreacted a little today’
‘A little?’
‘Yes, a little, if it wasn’t a little maybe I would have slapped you’
‘So, you’d raise your hand at me?’
‘Nah, I’m just kidding’
‘Sure?’
‘Yup!’
‘So, what’re you doing?’
‘Talking with you, I guess…’
‘Remember when I said, I wasn’t standing up for you?’
‘Yeah?’
‘Uhm, the truth is I was standing up for you’
‘Was there ever a lie?’
‘Well, I did say I was going to run for student council Chairboy, and was trying to make an impression.’
‘Okay?’
‘That basically meant I was using you to attract attention’
‘So, you’re not running for student council?’
‘Nope!’
‘Well, I’ve never actually believed anything you said you’d do for me or what you said you are’
‘That hurt deep… so, you’re saying you’ve never trusted me’
‘Yup… I’ve never trusted anyone’
‘Why?’
‘Because they always betray me and I’m tired of that, I’m tired but, no matter how hard I try to defend myself, I only make it worse, so I let them say what they have to say about me and at some point, I started to forget who I really am.’ she paused for a while‘You said you loved me?’
‘For who you are’
‘Thanks’
‘Don’t mention it. I’m sorry, I gotta go’
‘Sure, good night’
‘Good night’
The call ends.
Elara stared at the dark screen, her heart still racing. Maybe, just maybe, she wasn’t as alone as she thought.
- Writer
