Poor Reflections

ALLISON

Allison scrubbed at the stubborn smear of engine grease on her chin that she hadn’t realized had been there all morning, cursing her brother, the sprayer, the farm, and Rebecca in turn. Eventually it faded, and she considered her reflection in the bathroom mirror. She scanned herself for any further smudges, and finding none, grunted with satisfaction.

As she leaned back from the mirror she locked eyes with herself. Her emerald irises were so like her brother's.

So like her mother's.

She turned away from herself, her lips pressed into a thin line. Ain’t got time for any of that. She grabbed a handful of paper towels and dried the rest of her face as it hardened to an impassive mask, then turned to leave. She heaved open the door to the girls bathroom, only to be startled by Penny. “Oh, hey Penny.”

Penny’s eyes flew wide as she recoiled from her, then froze. Allison rocked back on her heels as she considered her unexpected reaction. “Jeezus, are you alright, cuz?”

Penny didn’t reply as her eyes slid out of focus. Allison took a step back as Penny’s breathing became ragged and her eyes filled with tears. In a low voice, Allison asked, “Penny?”

Suddenly, Penny blinked, and any trace of tears vanished as her gaze snapped back to Allison. Her face lit up with a manic grin as she chirped, “Oh, hey Allison! What's up?”

Allison blinked back at her. “Ah could ask you the same thing.”

Penny’s eyes started to slowly drift out of focus again. “Yeah, yep. Me too.” She listed a bit to her left, then shook her head and blinked a few times. “I mean, um, things. And… stuff.” Her wide grin melted a bit into a dreamy sort of smile. “I’m fine though, thanks.”

Ah somehow doubt that. “Y’sure?”

“Yeah, I just gotta… just gotta, um.” Penny shut one eye and squinted at – well, near – Allison with the other. “... butt rabbits.”

Allison raised an eyebrow. “Say what now?”

“Uh-huh. Wild hares? Or something.” Penny sidled past her and weaved her way to a sink, where she splashed some water on her face. A flimsy half-smile shifted from one corner of her mouth to the other as she stared at her own reflection, now seemingly oblivious to Allison’s presence.

Uh-huh. “Welp, Ah’ll let you... wrassle them varmints, and Ah’m…” Allison sighed as her gaze fell to the floor, “Ah’m just gonna pretend Ah didn’t see you.”

“That’s probably for the best,” Penny called after Allison as she left, the bathroom door banging shut behind her as she slowly shook her head. That girl’s on drugs, Ah swear.

Allison started towards her locker, then stopped and turned to stare back at the bathroom entrance. That was the most we’ve spoken to one-another in, what, three years now? The realization shook her, as Penny had once been her best friend, long ago. Nowadays it’s like she avoids me on purpose. It seemed almost fitting that Penny’s parting advice had been to forget her. Times change, Ah guess.

She swallowed past the thickness in her throat, irritated at her brief brush with useless sentimentality, and she resumed her trudge back to her locker. She arrived in time to catch the tail end of a conversation that only one party was keen on having.

“Uh, no, I can’t. I gotta work tonight.” Rachel was paying particularly close attention to swapping the order of her books as Twilight hovered over her shoulder.

Twilight was unphased. “Oh, really? Where do you work?”

“Why do you care?”

Twilight seemed taken aback by the question. “I’m just… showing an interest, aheh.”

Rachel sighed. “Sullivan’s Gym, downtown. Off Adams and 27th Avenue.”

“Well, maybe we can meet up afterwards?”

“Afterwards I’ve got an appointment I need to keep.” She slammed her locker shut. “Look, I gotta get to class. Later.” She spun the lock and vanished into the shifting mass of teenagers flowing down the hallway.

Twilight raised the side of her hand to her mouth, brow furrowed. “Hmm.” Then she turned and caught Allison’s eyes, and instantly brightened. “Oh, hello Allison! How is the morning treating you so far?”

Crud. “Peachy.” Allison opened her locker and turned her back to Twilight – much as Rachel had ineffectually done, she realized, and so turned to face her once she had her books in hand. “Listen, pesterin’ folk about their personal business ain’t a good way to make friends around here, y’feel me?”

Twilight had the good sense to look sheepish. “I’m gathering that. I can’t help it, I guess – I just want to get to know... everyone.”

Allison narrowed her eyes at Twilight’s hesitation, but said nothing.

Twilight hurriedly continued, “Meeting new people is fascinating, and I love learning all I can about them.”

Allison snorted. That ain’t quite it. “Well, ain’t you just a pile of sunshine an’ daisies.”

“Oh, why thank you!” Twilight beamed.

Allison lowered her eyelids as she closed her locker. “That wasn’t a compliment.”

Twilight tilted her head. “How is comparing me to ‘sunshine and daisies’ not a compliment?”

“No, Ah meant–” Allison stopped herself short as she rubbed her eyes. Her breath hissed through her nose before she continued. “Look. Ah appreciate the effort you’re trying to make here. Ah truly do. But Rachel has her own thing goin’ on. An’ before you ask, so do Ah. We ain’t exactly got the time nor the inclination to go around makin’ friends.”

Twilight’s shoulders slumped. “Rebecca said pretty much the same thing.”

Allison rolled her eyes. “Well, she’s kind of a bitch, but yeah, runnin’ her own business an’ bein’ snooty about it takes a lotta her time. You’re barking up the wrong tree there, too.”

She twisted towards her locker and yanked on the lock to make sure it was latched, then turned to go. She glanced at Twilight one last time, but hesitated as she caught the defeated look on her face.

Allison sighed. “Look, if you really wanna make a friend, you should go talk to Felicity. That poor girl’s… she could use a friend.”

Twilight perked up a bit at this. “Well, she and I are hanging out on Saturday.”

“See, there ya go.” Allison paused. “Penny could use a friend too, Ah think, but, uh... she’s likely gonna do you more harm than good.”

“What do you mean?”

“Just a feelin’. Girl’s off her nut, is all.” Speaking ill of Penny, however deservedly, left a sour taste in her mouth. “Anyways, best o’ luck to ya.”

Before Twilight could respond, Allison turned away and merged with the surging human tide, leaving the new girl in her wake.