Wendy's Mirror

Chapter Twenty-One

I SLOWLY WALKED down the alley that led to my apartment building, taking one step at a time. I was certain that whoever saw me at the moment would believe that I was about to begin a zombie apocalypse.

"Thomas and Adrian know each other," I said to no one in particular as I put my right leg forward.

I paused and squeezed my face, "Thomas and Adrian know each other?"

I rested on the wall and folded my arms across my chest, staring up at the bright sky. How was I to feel about this new piece of information? Something was off, I could feel it in the deepest part of my bones yet I couldn't quite wrap my fingers around what it was. I knew all of Thomas's friends. I hadn't seen each one of them physically but Thomas had always mentioned their names whenever he told me about them, so why had I not come across Adrian before?

"Adrian Everhart," I softly mumbled, "Adrian."

That name sounded so familiar, yet so distant like a smear of his life was on my fingertips. Who exactly was he and why did he know Thomas? Just why was he so close to Thomas for them to treat themselves so casually? This newly uncovered friendship between them seemed too weird to be normal.

I stood upright from the wall and walked into my apartment building.

"Adrian Everhart. Adrian Everhart," I continuously mumbled to myself, hoping that it would strike a chord in my memory.

Climbing up the stairs and arriving at my apartment door, I was about to insert my key into the keyhole when I realised that the door was slightly open.

"Did someone break in?" I softly asked the air, "What's there to steal?"

I opened the door fully and slowly walked into the apartment. There she was, the thief, sitting on my precious couch as she watched a movie on her phone. Her subtle gaze slid over to the door as she noticed rays of natural light emit into the room.

"Samantha?" I widened my eyes in glee.

She smiled, taking out her earpods, "Look who's back!"

I flung my tote bag away and ran towards her, pulling her into a tight hug on the couch, "I've missed you so fucking much."

She coughed, "Same, but could you get your hands off my neck? You're about to give me asthma."

I laughed, letting go of her. A few strands of her installed hair were haywire and she had a little smile on her face as she let out her last few coughs. I stretched out my hand and smoothened her hair down. Dirty blonde was definitely her colour.

She gently slapped my hand off her face, laughing, "You're acting like a mother."

Suddenly, her smile dropped, "Your eyes, why are they so puffy?"

There was so much difference between what I thought of her at first sight and what she thought of me when she looked at me. It was similar but different. I noticed what made her shine brightly and she noticed what was wrong with me. But today, I didn't want to be reminded of what was wrong. I wanted it to wash into the air and go along with the wind to a place I couldn't reach.

I smiled, getting up from the couch, "I was up all night, studying."

I walked over to the mirror and gently poked my eye bags. Wait, did that mean that everyone at college saw my eyes in this state? Oh, darn you, Thomas!

I stared at Samantha through the mirror and saw her staring at me. Her gaze trailed from my shoulders to my waist and her expression wasn't as bright as it was earlier.