tneurviIs Reflection

It hadn’t really sunk in until the day before.

Not fully. Not truly.

Not until I caught my own reflection in the mirror, eyes wide with something I didn’t want to name.

“Girl, you need to chill,” Tana said, her voice light but laced with that unmistakable firmness she always used when I was spiraling. She leaned in behind me, our eyes locking through the mirror's surface like two strangers meeting in a parallel world.

“I’m fine,” I said, a little too quickly.

I wasn’t.

Not even close.

My gaze slipped past her reflection, drawn to Yoruko, who stood a little off to the side with her arms folded. Her expression was unreadable, but her eyes carried the quiet weight of someone who knew me too well.

“You don’t have to talk to her if you don’t want to,” Yoruko said gently. There was no pressure, no judgment, just a calm sort of certainty. Her gaze finally met mine, steady and unwavering.

“So, you want her to run?” Tana interjected, her tone sharp, but still wrapped in her signature teasing lilt.

“I want her to think for herself,” Yoruko shot back, not missing a beat.

They weren’t quite arguing, but the tension between them crackled like static. Their voices, even when calm, rubbed against each other like mismatched gears, grating at my already-frazzled nerves.

“I’m doing it,” I said, cutting through the tension. “I’m confronting Cloey.”

My voice was firm, more than I expected. It sounded bold, even to me.

“Do you have a game plan?” Yoruko asked, her brows drawing together in concern. Her eyes searched mine for a crack, something to pull me back if I faltered.

“No need for one.”

Tana beamed, stepping forward and wrapping her arms around my shoulders like a shield. “That’s the spirit,” she said brightly, though I caught the mischievous glint in her eyes. “Can’t go into battle without a fighter’s mindset.”

“She’s not getting into a fight,” I muttered under my breath, annoyance edging in.

“We don’t know that for sure,” Tana replied with a smirk. “Maybe Cloey’s got someone on standby. A whole backup squad.”

She turned me to face her fully. “You want us there? On the sidelines?”

It would make sense. Safer. Smarter. But…

“It’s Cloey,” I said softly.

Tana sighed, dramatic but understanding. “Fine, fine.” Her hands gripped my shoulders once more before giving me a nudge toward the door. “We believe in you, girl. Don’t forget that.”

⏣⏣⏣

“I believe in you!”

The words shot out of my mouth before I could stop them, echoing awkwardly in the hallway as students pushed past us toward the bulletin board where our class lists were finally posted.

Cloey blinked at me, halfway through scanning the sheets. “It’ll be fine,” I added, trying to sound casual. “I’m sure we’ll be together.”

We both leaned in closer, squinting at the tiny type as the crowd around us buzzed with chatter.

“What do you see?” I asked, standing on my toes, trying to get a glimpse.

“Uhm...” Cloey shifted uncomfortably, rising up to check... and then slowly dropping back down. Her face didn’t give much away, but her silence did.

“Well? Are we together?”

She let out a soft, dry laugh, the kind that made my stomach sink.

Then, without a word, she gently tugged my sleeve and led me away from the noise and bodies. We ducked into a quieter hallway, the hum of the crowd fading behind us. She didn’t need to say anything, I could already tell from the tight grip on my arm.

“So… we’re in different classes, huh?”

A small nod. Then her expression shifted, her eyes dimming with a wave of disappointment that hit harder than I expected.

“Don’t worry about it!” I said, trying to sound upbeat. “It’s just a year, right? We’ve got our whole lives. What’s one year in all that?”

“I guess...” she mumbled.

She still looked pretty down, so I reached out and grabbed her hand. “Come on. Let’s go to your place, take your mind off this.”

She didn’t fight me as I gently pulled her along, out of the school and down the familiar path to her house. The day was winding down, the sun spilling golden light through the trees. I knew the route by heart by now, each turn, each crack in the sidewalk, like a story we’d walked a hundred times before.

By the time we reached her house, the mood had lifted ever so slightly.

I stood proudly in front of the door and called out, “Coming in!” as if it were my own place.

“I don’t think my mom’s home,” Cloey said, stepping in behind me. “If she was, she’d probably have a heart attack from how you just barged in.”

“She loves me.” I grinned. “I’m the daughter she never had, besides, you.”

We made our way to her room, that safe little cave of hers filled with soft colors, books, and random plushies. I flopped dramatically onto the floor like I always did, arms splayed out as if I belonged there, which, honestly, I kind of did.

Cloey perched on the edge of her bed, peering down at me. “So what’s the plan?”

I stretched, then threw my hands up like a victorious hero. “Absolutely no idea.”

She gave me a look. You know the one.

“Seriously?”

“Yup. I just figured…it didn’t really matter what we did. We could put the TV on, play one of your games, or just vibe. Long as we’re together.”

“I don’t get you.”

“Neither do I,” I said with a grin.

Cloey rolled her eyes and grabbed the remote, flipping the TV on. Some random show flickered to life. We didn’t really watch it, we just kind of let it play while time drifted.

There was something comforting about that silence, the way we didn’t have to fill every second with words. Just being there was enough.

After a while, Cloey glanced at me. “Why did you come over? Really?”

I blinked, caught a little off guard. “Just thought...maybe a change of scenery would help. I’m not great with words, so I figured...showing up might say more.”

She stared at me for a long second. Then, quietly: “I really don’t get how your mind works.”

“I just follow the vibes,” I said simply. “We’re friends. That’s all that matters.”

A small smile tugged at her lips. “Yeah. We are.”

I sat up and reached out, wrapping my arms around her in a tight hug.

“Friends forever, am I right?”

She hugged me back, resting her head against mine.

“As long as we stick together.”

⏣⏣⏣

“As long as we stick together.”

I muttered the words under my breath, barely audible over the school bell ringing in the distance. The day had ended, but my mind was still spinning, stuck in a loop I couldn’t escape.

“Damn that Anon guy,” I hissed through clenched teeth, the bitterness rising like steam from a boiling pot. The more I thought about him, the tighter my fists clenched.

“Careful,” Tana said as she walked up beside me, her voice light, teasing as always. “Keep scowling like that and you’re gonna give yourself wrinkles.”

I shot her a look but didn’t bother arguing.

“Don’t worry about me, Tana,” I said, my voice sharper than I intended. “Tomorrow... I’m putting an end to everything between me and him.”

Tana blinked, then grinned wide, that mischievous glint in her eyes returning in full force. “That’s what I like to hear.”

Behind her, Yoruko trailed quietly, her arms folded and expression unreadable, though the slight sigh she let out said more than words ever could.

“Glad to hear it,” Tana added, nudging my shoulder with her own. “After all, what are friends for if not to cheer you on when you’re about to raise hell?”

I couldn’t help the small smirk that tugged at my lips.

With that, the three of us left the school grounds together, the late afternoon sun casting long shadows behind us as we walked into whatever tomorrow had been waiting.