The Broken Mirror {COMPLETED}

Feeling Good

I stand in a naked dorm room, trying to figure out where to put the box I am carrying. Nowhere looks good. Apollo follows in behind me with his box in his arms. His face covered in hair. My little brother, looking like puberty is officially over, and he looks like a younger version of my father. "What is growing out of your face?"

"I decided it was time for a change," he tells me putting down this box. "I couldn't come to college looking like a high schooler." No one would assume he was in high school. He looked like a grown man. His hair a sandy-brown color and skin that is a couple of shades darker than me. His voice is deep, and he towers over me.

"I don't know if I like this," I say to him. Gabrielle walks in with another box placing it down. She looks at him with appreciative eyes, obviously hearing some of our conversation.

"Puberty has been really good to him," she says out loud. She winks at him and I must hold back from fighting her. Not my little brother.

"Down girl!" I yell at her. She laughs at me.

"I quite like the look. You look dignified, baby," Cookie says entering the room. The only one not holding a box. Apollo blushes at her compliment. Ethan and Xavier struggle to come in with the massive boxes they carry.

"Dude! What do you have in here?" Ethan cries out.

"He's like his sister," Xavier responds. Gabrielle laughs at the two of them.

"High maintenance?" She adds to their verbal jabs of us.

Glaring at Xavier for betraying me, I expect this from Ethan and Gabrielle. "Et Tu, Xavier?" They place down the boxes and Xavier comes over and kisses my cheek.

"Now are you sure you don't want to stay with me?" Cookie offers for the hundredth time. Apollo shakes his head no.

"I'm quite sure, Cookie," he tells her.

"Can't bring girls over with his grandma down the hall," my father says with my mother trailing behind him. She looks healthy and happy. She's been home for a few days now, and I could not be prouder of her.

"Exactly why he needs to stay with me," Cookie argues.

"Or you could end up catching him between some girl's legs," I tell her. She gives me a horrified look.

"Si! You aren't helping!" Apollo yells at me. My friends and I laugh. Ethan walks over to Apollo and places his hand on his shoulder.

"It's good to have you here, bro!" Ethan tells him. I look around the room, even though a couple of people are missing. I am looking at my support system, the people I have chosen to do life with. I cannot help but smile.

"So, I have something to show you all," I announce to everyone. They all look to me. My father walks over and goes into a bag he was carrying. He takes out a massive rolled-up poster. He opens it up and presents them with the cover to my demo. It's Xavier's portrait of me sleeping. "Introducing, From Nike With Love."

Xavier steps forward to admire what I've done with his artwork. His face is expressionless as he reaches out to touch it. He slowly begins to smile. "You chose my sketch?" I smile nodding my head.

"This demo was all about everything I went through this year, and you were a major part of that. You had to be a part of it," I explain to him. I take his hand. "This represents what we both went through." He pulls me into him, kissing my forehead. My family, and that's what I'm going to call all of them, come closer to admire the poster. "We have more back at the house!" I announce to them.