Mirroring

Crystal

Ding dong, ding dong, ding dong.

Crystal grimaced. The electric school bell rang, and she was still a street away from school. She'd probably be in the principal's office before she could have any fun with her friends.

Crystal quickened her pace. The first bell was meant for people to start putting away things into their lockers and get ready for class. The second bell meant going to classes. If Crystal arrived after the third bell (which meant classes to start), she'd have detention. She shuddered, and quickened her pace. A flash of light caught her attention, and she couldn't resist checking her reflection in the puddle below her. She blinked, peering down but for some reason-

The reflection wasn't there. Just a pool of half-transparent blue grey puddle water.

Crystal gulped, and blinked quickly, wondering if something was wrong with herself. But, to her immense relief, this time as she opened her eyes, she found her reflection again, with the same relief shining in her eyes and the same pink lipped smile. She relaxed and shook her head. She was becoming far too paranoid and childish. Had she really thought she was like a vampire or something - without her own reflection? She chuckled at the thought and continued forward, her slow footsteps starting to hammer on the ground as she realised how close she was to being late. She patted her long hair, wishing she'd checked to see if her hair was a frizzy mess. She'd be the laughingstock for sure if that happened. But... even being a laughingstock was better than dealing with three long lectures from her teacher, principal and mother, all of which would be very unpleasant if she was late. Again.

Ding Dong, Ding Dong!

Crystal ran the rest of the way to school, hearing the second electric "ding" echoing in her ears, louder and louder. She ran into the hall (ignoring the hall monitor, screaming at her to not run), forcefully opened her locker, hurriedly stuffed her bag inside, pushed the locker door shut...

DI—

"No!" Crystal screeched, and bolted into the classroom, threw herself into her seat, where her best friend, Kimberly, was relaxing, applying lip gloss - it was so sparkly - and checking how she looked through her brand new vanity mirror.

—NG!

Crystal breathed a sigh of relief, leaning back in her chair.

"Are you okay?" Crystal turned to see Kimberly glancing at her with a slightly amused and exasperated look. "I'm glad you're not late again. But seriously. You look like a disaster. Here," She fumbled around in her purse. "Take my brush," She handed Crystal her purple hairbrush with enough flourish and delicacy to make it seem like she was handing Crystal a precious five carat gold crown.

"Thanks," Crystal muttered, not daring to glance at her reflection in Kimberly's mirror. Oh, it was so unfair. Why could Kimberly always arrive early in her parent's fancy car while also looking like a supermodel? Whereas she nearly always arrived late and usually looked like she'd just got up from bed.

"No problem, mate," Kimberly replied, sweeping her short, bouncy brown curls away from her face.

Crystal wrinkled her nose. Kimberly was from Australia, though she'd grown up in the U.S., so sometimes her accent dropped, which always made her seem much older and sophisticated.

Crystal sighed.

Kimberly turned. Narrowing her almond shaped eyes as her, which were a gorgeous emerald green. "Seriously, though. Are you okay?"

"Fine," Crystal shook her head a few times when she was fully awake, before turning to Kimberly with a fake wide, glittering smile. "I'm perfectly fine." Though Crystal had to bite down her jealousy.