Narcissa - Dark Reflections

Trust

For being a month with only twenty-eight days, February passed slowly. Narcissa tried to go to as many swim practices as she could, but when she received two B's on both an English and a chemistry quiz, she reluctantly stopped going.

Bobby won third place at the state championships – the highest of any of his teammates. As soon as the month passed into March, he asked Narcissa on a proper date. It was just the two of them. They went to the movies, shared a tub of popcorn that was slathered in butter, and after the movie finished, Bobby leaned in close and kissed Narcissa on the lips. They kept at it until the credits were finished.

It wasn't Narcissa's first kiss, but it was the best. A warm feeling spread between her legs. She wanted to change positions, like straddle him the way she had seen some of her classmates do to their boyfriends, but couldn't do much more than lean in closer.

Bobby's hand rubbed up and down her thigh and the warm feeling between her legs spread throughout her whole body.

She had had a boyfriend when she was fourteen. Lucas went to another school. They'd made out a few times, but kissing Lucas hadn't been nearly as amazing as kissing Bobby.

An attendee had to ask them to leave. Thankfully, it hadn't been a classmate. Once outside the theater, where the night air was crisp but fresh, Bobby started laughing.

"What?" she asked. Her lips felt swollen.

"Nothing," said Bobby. He was still grinning. "That was very high-schoolish of us, wasn't it?"

Narcissa wrapped her arm around his waist. "Is that bad?"

"No," Bobby said quickly. "I just feel like a walking cliché."

They made out some more in Bobby's car and then he took her home. They were at her front door, leaning in to kiss with a sense of deja vu creeping over them before the door was wrenched open.

"Oh! There you are, Cissy!" Keys dangling from her hand, Rose appeared between Bobby and Narcissa like an anti-mistletoe decoration. "Hi, there, Bobby. How's your mom? Haven't seen her in a while."

Bobby had the grace to look slightly embarrassed. He stepped away from Narcissa with a genuine, "She's well."

Narcissa cringed when her mother gestured inside and asked, "Do you want to come in?"

"Thank you, no. I need to get home." Bobby may have been embarrassed at the sudden appearance of Rose but he was also brave. He leaned in and kissed Narcissa on the cheek, whispered, "Goodnight," and left.

"That one's a keeper," was all her mother said.

That night before Narcissa showered, her reflection wanted to make a drastic change.

Narcissa wasn't having any of it. She'd found the line. No amount of persuasion was going to change her mind.

"I'm not cutting my hair," she told the mirror.

Her reflection gave her a withering look and again made the sign for scissors with her fingers.

"No."

Her reflection's expression changed to something that could easily be interpreted as, "Don't you trust me?"

"I trust you, but that doesn't mean I'm going to cut my hair because you tell me to. Bobby likes how I look. I like how I look."

Her reflection would not be deterred. It crossed its arms and waited.

"No," Narcissa said firmly.

Ignoring the mirror, she went about getting ready for bed. She grabbed a pair of newly washed pajamas and marched to the door. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw her reflection was holding her head in her hand. It looked sad.

It was only trying to help.

"Fine," Narcissa grumbled. She went to the kitchen, grabbed the sharpest pair of scissors they owned, and brought it to her bedroom. A mirrored image of it immediately appeared on the other side. She watched, transfixed, as her reflection cut herself some bangs.

At the raised eyebrow she was given, Narcissa had to concede. "Yeah. Okay. It actually looks good."

The following day, Narcissa went to school with bangs. Like that first time she wore the red blazer, the compliments poured in. Compliments from everyone save for Zoe.

"Please tell me you didn't cut your hair just for a date."

Narcissa flushed. "I didn't! It was after!"

Anger flashed across Zoe's face. "So Bobby told you to cut it?"

"No! The–"

Narcissa cut herself off, but not soon enough. She had stopped telling Zoe about the mirror. Something about her friend's tone had worried Narcissa that Zoe was going to tell someone about it. If that happened, she'd be carted off to a loony bin in seconds.

"The reflection again?" Zoe had lowered her voice and schooled her features, but Narcissa saw through it. Zoe was concerned – alarmed, even – and it was the reflection's fault.

"Casper," Narcissa said. "It's friendly."

Zoe's lips pinched together and formed a thin line. It wasn't a good sign.

"Are you angry?" Narcissa asked. She stepped closer. "Please don't tell anyone about this. I'm not crazy. It really is alive."

There was a pregnant pause full of tension, and then Zoe wrapped her arms around Narcissa and whispered, "I don't want you to ever be afraid to tell me things, Cissy. It's true that I may not like what you have to say, especially about this...this...entity, but that doesn't mean I don't want to hear it. Just remember – you've known me longer. If it comes to it, trust me over your reflection. Got it?"

"Got it."

A week passed. Narcissa spent more time with Bobby than she did with Zoe or her mother. By Sunday night, her reflection wanted to make another drastic change. It picked up the mirrored scissors and cut off long locks of lifeless brown hair until all that was left was a cute pixie cut that made its eyes pop.

Narcissa had read somewhere that Emma Watson had done the same when Harry Potter finished filming. Other actresses and models pulled it off all the time. Why couldn't she?

She didn't question her reflection this time. She picked up the scissors and went to work.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Preview for next chapter: Narcissa is faced with an ultimatum. Choose the reflection or her lifelong friend.

bringreaner and gertyb are the best beta readers in the world!