REFLECTIONS AND ACTS
Ever since the start of this miserable existence I have mimicked others. Their faces, body language, movements, smiles, dresses and so much more. I knew everything they were on the outside and I was them but nothing is everlasting. When they left I was what I always was. A mirror.
Ever since I was a little girl I wanted to be an actress. Their ability to mimic emotions, lying and so much more. They could have more lives even if only for a few days. Like a mirror. I would love to learn but every time I go for tryouts, it is a fiasco. I simply cannot be anyone else. But maybe being a mirror would help. I lift from my bed thinking: "If I could be mirror even for a day. "
I see the girl who owns me stand in front of me. Suddenly she looks like she is crying, then laughing. I can tell these are not real, but they are believable. I try to smile but nothing happens. Then she touches my surface. I feel her hand, and a strong sense that I am warming up. It vanishes as soon as it came. I feel the mirror underneath my soft fingers. Wait a second. I can feel the mirror. I am the girl.
A strong sense of cold washes over me. That is when I try to move. I cannot. I try to smile. I cannot. All I am is me in front of me. Wait, am I mimicking myself. I am the MIRROR!
I look at the mirror. What just happened? I do not know but it's like a dream come true. I know I should return the body to the girl. But just for a day to see how a sole person, not different people be over and over again. And so I pick up and interesting object I saw the girl come with. A bag I remember she called it. Picking it up I feel it is heavy but I know the girl can manage. Aria that is her name. Mine is just mirror. I try to make a movement to the door but I fall. Gosh, and it looked so easy. I remember how I mimicked how they walked away. Making a small step, I smile. I am a great actor after all.
Oh my god! What will I do? Who is that in my body walking, talking like me? How will I get out? These questions are rushing through my head. Wait it is leaving. But, WAIT! You cannot go to school! You do not know anything! It turns around and walks away.
When I step outside, I feel a sensation of cold. What is this? I pick up a little of the new thing and drop it immediately. It is freezing. I look around. Today it looks like those little drops will fall from the sky. I see them sometimes when my owner takes me for cleaning. "Hey Aria going to school? ", a voice says behind me. I spin and see a person, a boy stand behind me. He is tall, with jet black hair and piercing blue eyes. "Aria?" he asks. Suddenly a flood of memories spills in my head. A boy and Aria playing in the snow (so that is the substance), a boy pressing his lips against mine.... I close my eyes. Too much memories, I am getting a headache. I find my voice and say: "Yeah, how? " I am driving girlfriend." he says, a smile playing on his lips. I twirl my black hair and thank him. When we head to his car, he holds me hand. When I reach for the door handle, he catches my shoulders and presses his lips to mine. I love the feeling. So much stuff has been happening. I smile and he runs around the car opening the door, a smile playing over my lips as we ride off.
What am I going to do? Uh that thing stole my body and now plays me?! What will she do in school? And what about Dale? I try everything but I am stuck. I wait and wait but nothing happens. I feel a little sympathy for the thing. Wait like this all day? Must be terrible.....
When I and Dave (the name came to me about halfway through the ride) he kisses me and tells me: "See you after lunch as he is a grade older. I just smile and kiss him, the feeling rushing through me. Lucky girl Aria. I see the school entrance so I head over. When I check my timetable (another memory) I see I am in class 789 on the 7th floor. Okay. I try to remember what a floor is. I see a staircase and panting and so much. I see the same staircase so I head over. Thanks to a map I know where to go. When I enter my class it is filled with people and I see a guy and I mimic him. No, I tell myself, you cannot copy others you are a separate human now. I sit on one of the tables. "You cannot sit there", says a guy. I remember his name is Sam. I ask where I should sit. He points to a table in the third row in the corner by the window. I thank and ask what we are doing here. He says: „We have acting class remember?" I pull out my schedule. I see an acting class, then math and so on. A sound pierces my ears and I remember it is a bell. He looks at me weird and points to my seat. Dropping my bag I sit down. A tall, lanky woman comes inside. She sits behind the first desk and looks on us. Eyes settling on me, she says: "Huggins come" I stand and walk over. She reminds me of my bad mark in mimicking and I look at her like "WHAT? " But then I realize I am not myself. Then she says if I want to try again. If Aria is failing in acting class maybe I can help. I smile and nod. Opening her computer, she points to a woman saying some stuff and gesticulating. She points and says: "Aria become this woman and act out her as a character." I smile and think: Aria an A plus is heading your way.
Mom comes home at 8:30, she has a pause I think. She stands in front of the mirror, changing her shoes. I mimic her. Everything she does I mimic. I begin to get a hang of it. Well I am kind of forced to do it, but sure. Being a conscious mirror has its privileges.
I mimic perfectly. After all 17 years of practice is great. When I am done, the teacher is bewildered. She smiles and says: "Aria that would be an A+" I smile and thank her more memories entering my mind. That is when I realize. No. I am taking her over, but I am not her. I love being human but that is not my fate. And really, all this walking is tiring. I spin around, grasp my bag and run out of the classroom calling: "Sorry I will come back "When I run out of the school I see a bus. I run to it remembering that that bus stops on my street. I run on and wait.
I miss my own body. How could that thing stand it for 17 years? I have got it for my 1st birthday. I smile at the memory, and realize that being someone else is great, but being me is the one act I need to be perfect at. It is not who I can be. It is who I am. And that is when the door flies open, my body running in. It says: "Aria I am so sorry. I never should have taken your body even for a day. It is your body and I hope I can made it up to you. Thanks even for the little time I could spend as you and I hope you and Dale stay together he is a great guy and trust me being a mirror is not great but it is a life and it is mine and this is yours and again thank you." Tears rolling down my cheeks she reaches for the mirror. I feel warmth out of a sudden and smile as I feel my body back. I touch the frame and say: "Thanks to you I have learned so much. I know how I love my life and how I love being me. Thank you."
A few years past, when Aria graduated. She and Dale are still together. I know it is sappy but true, because I saw it all. Their children running around. Aria and her acting carrier. Dale and his sportsmanship. But I will always be there. For I live forever until I break. For I am the MIRROR!
