Two Faces In The Mirror

CHAPTER 2

I spin around, my eyes locking onto the chief of police's daughter, who stands a few feet away. The fluorescent lights overhead cast an unforgiving glare, making her smile seem almost cruel. The noise of the cafeteria created a dizzying backdrop, as the murmur of conversations and the clinking of trays swirled around me. Her words hang in the air like a challenge: "Did you hear? Alex is missing. His parents reported him missing yesterday."

My legs turn to lead, refusing to budge. Move, damn it! But they won't obey. She can't possibly know what she's talking about, can she? Just because her dad is chief of police doesn't mean she's not making it up to impress her friends.

My heart is winning again, making it hard to breathe. What does she mean Alex is missing? But... the notebook. The one on my desk. Why is it in my room? Did something happen to him in my room? No, no, NO!

I feel a scream building in my throat, and before I can stop it, it erupts: “NOOOOOOO!!” The sound echoes through the cafeteria. That dream can’t be real, can it? You have to keep it together Eli. You have to keep it together, you can’t fall apart like this.

I become aware of the stares, the whispers, giggles. Everyone is watching me, their faces a blur. They’re pointing at me, fingers jabbing the air like I’m some kind of spectacle- a monkey doing a trick in the zoo. Do they know I have Alex's notebook? Can they see the panic spiraling out of control inside me?

"Eli, what's going on? You're freaking out, man," Harry says, his voice laced with concern. He steps closer, a smirk playing on his lips. I feel a flush rise to my cheeks. I’m standing in the middle of the cafeteria during lunch with my shirt clinging to my back and forehead slick with sweat.

Why does this always happen to me? Why can't I just be normal for once? "Harry, please... help me," I stutter, my voice barely audible. He throws an arm over my shoulder and pulls me close.

"Come on, Eli. Let's get you out of here." My legs still refuse to cooperate, but Harry's grip keeps me upright.

He steers us out of the cafeteria and into the nearest bathroom. He releases me and I slump against the wall. I slide down to the floor, my legs still unable to hold up my weight.

Sitting on the cold, grimy floor of the high school toilet, surrounded by the stench of human waste, I feel a sense of numbness wash over me. The fluorescent light above flickers, casting eerie shadows on the walls. I'm forced to confront the fact that I'm losing my grip on reality, and the thought sends a creeping sense of dread seeping into my chest. Harry's smile held a knowing glint, as if he harbored a secret I was desperate to uncover.

A flurry of questions swirls in my mind. What was Alex's book doing on my desk? Is this some twisted prank Alex and Jasper are playing on me? They've always taken pleasure in tormenting me, but this seems too extreme even for them. Maybe the whole school is in on it? No, that's impossible.

I try to shake off the creeping sense of paranoia. Eli, snap out of this. This is ridiculous. You can't possibly think you had anything to do with....

A stinging sensation on my cheek jerks me back to reality. I spin around, glaring at Harry, who's standing behind me with that same smirk. "Harry!!! What the hell was that for?" I yell, my face burning with anger and confusion.

Harry's expression doesn't waver. "I've told you, Eli. I'm tired of you acting like this. You can't let these people push you around. Alex is gone, and that's a good thing for you. Why are you in here acting like the wimp they think you are, when you should be out there celebrating?" His voice is laced with frustration, his eyes blazing with a mix of anger and disappointment.

He's right, of course. Alex is gone, and school just got a whole lot safer for me. So why am I not relieved? Why can't I shake off the feeling that something's off?

Harry's smirk grows wider as he says, "Come on, man, let's get to class where Alex isn't there to bother you anymore."

I nod, still reeling from the slap, and check my face in the mirror to make sure there are no handprints. Something about his attitude isn't sitting right with me. I trail behind Harry, my eyes fixed on his back as we head to our next class.

But I don't want to go to class. I want to uncover the truth about Alex's disappearance. I want to know why his notebook is in my room. And I want to know who's behind this.

******

Miss Peach’s enthusiastic voice as she tries to tell us about the wonders of cellular respiration keeps cutting through my thoughts, breaking them apart like knife through paper. I can’t focus. All my mind can think of is finding the answer to the question “What happened to Alex?”.

The locker room incident still plays in my mind. The smell of sweat and mildew still makes my stomach turn. Alex, with his charming smile, and Jasper, with his menacing glare, made a formidable team. They knew exactly which buttons to press to make me crumble.

"Hey, Eli, what's with the stupid haircut?" Alex sneered, his voice echoing off the metal lockers. "You look like a failed science experiment."

Jasper chuckled, his massive frame looming over me like a specter. "Yeah, or a reject from a bad 80s music video."

I tried to shrink away, but my back was against the lockers. I was trapped. Alex and Jasper closed in their faces inches from mine. I could feel their hot breath on my skin, making my heart racing with fear.

Just as I thought things were about to escalate, Harry appeared out of nowhere, his eyes flashing angrily. "Leave him alone, guys," he growled, his voice low and even.

Alex and Jasper exchanged a look, then backed off, sneering. Harry stepped between them and me, his eyes never leaving theirs. "You okay, Eli?" he asked, his voice softening.

I nodded, still shaken. Harry clapped me on the back and said, "Let's get out of here."

I followed him, grateful for his intervention. It wasn't the first time Harry had come to my rescue, and I wondered why he always seemed to show up at the right moment. He’s always there when I need him. But lately, I can’t shake the feeling that he knows more than he’s letting on.

With Alex missing and Harry acting so strangely, I'm starting to wonder if I ever really knew him at all.