The one-story home on Pinewood Lane is such a quiet place. The garden was in beautiful shape, the front lawn always clean and free of long grass and unkept weeds. The large oak tree hung over the house, the leaves falling as the wind blew past. Truly a relaxing sight to behold. Although this is where the teenager lived, it never quite felt like home. Nothing felt like home. In spite of flawless communication, no one understood what the teenager was struggling with every day.
The curtains were open, the bright sun illuminating the dimly-lit house. It was quiet, too quiet, and it almost appeared as if nobody was home or had been for quite a while. In the room farthest from the front lawn, the teenager lay on the mattress, staring up at the ceiling. Her eyes could barely stay open, but she couldn't close them. Her ears were ringing loudly and she couldn't focus on her surroundings. She managed to take a deep breath before trying to clear her mind. A sudden feeling of dread washed over her, and she regretted trying to think. As she kept her gaze straight upward, her chest rose and fell. She knew she had to get up, to face her problems like she always did. She didn't feel like herself today. It was different. She felt like she was trapped. There wasn't an escape from how her emotions constantly swirled around in her mind. She stood up and looked in the mirror.
Maybe there's not a way to help her. But there was a way to help him. The boy with short brown hair, the boy with captivating dark blue eyes, and a heart of pure gold. Strangely enough, the boy was staring in the mirror back at her. He gave her a warm smile, and she set her hand on the glass of the small mirror. Although, he did the same. It seemed that whatever she did, he would follow. She didn't feel like she was herself, no. She wasn't herself, but he was himself. The boy who always turned in his work late, the boy who constantly was teased and humiliated at school. He was called strange and thought of as an outcast.
When he looked in the mirror, he didn't notice a girl 'who dressed like a boy' or a girl who was simply experiencing a phase. He saw himself. He'd always seen this boy in the mirror, because this boy was him. Despite the fact that he felt confident, he was anxious about what others would think of him. The people around him weren't always the kindest, especially to a young boy like himself. He chose to ignore them, well he tried to. It wasn't easy to just ignore people. They'd do anything to get into his head.
He wouldn't listen. He knows himself better than others know him.
