Chapter 2 - Bad Day

ALIZA

SHE had risen from the steady ripples of her blanket, stood up, and hoisted up her arms. Morning breath quickly billowed from her mouth, blocked by her palm as she tried to smell it. "Yuck!" Aliza said rather quietly, her eyelids still a bit heavy and her wavy hair straggly like sea storms.

Her feet dragging her toward the bathroom, she grabbed her toothbrush inside one of the cabinets of her vanity sink and began brushing her teeth. Gurgling once she finished, she almost choked, and she had to cough out loud, gripping the sink forcefully.

Relieved, she placed those two items from where they belonged, now staring at the bags embedding underneath her eyes through the mirror. Bulbous as it was, she didn't care. It's not like people would like her even if she didn't have that. And just thinking about that made a sigh escape through the two chapped lips of her mouth.

She gazed at the girl in the mirror, the girl whom she despised, the girl whom she didn't want to be, the girl whom she unfortunately was and would always be. Those black locks on her wavy hair, that skinny body, that pale complexion she had—those were the things she didn't want to have.

She wanted to be blonde, but her friends wouldn't recommend it, she wanted to be fitter, but she'd always lose appetite, she wanted her skin to be tanned, but she just couldn't see herself that way.

Rubbing her temples from the sudden ache of her head, she cursed, "Damn it!"

Gazing at the girl again, she looked at those purple eyes staring right back at her—those two being the sole reason why her life was so miserable. If only her eyes were just . . . normal. There was one time when someone had mistaken her as someone who liked to wear contact lenses all the time. Not only that, but they said her eyes were unnatural, some sort of source from her "supernatural powers."

No, that was just there accusations, an alleged statement not worthy to be taken seriously. But rumors had spread.

And she wished those rumors were untrue. (At least her friends didn't believe in those; if they did . . .)

"Freak," one reminiscent word managed to dig deep inside her head, echoing, making her remember the cold shoulder, the stares, and all the judgements around her.

Watching the girl ferociously, the girl that had those eyes too, she began to get trapped in a trance. She gritted her teeth, hands against the white edges of the sink. She continued to lock her gaze at her, still stuck at the same trance, as her breath became deeper. "Why me?!" she said, her voice more of a harsh whisper.

But she knew the girl would just mimic her. That's what she'd always do, and she'd had enough of it. Her face, her face that she was so sick of, was teasing her! Delusional as she was, she knew she was teasing her! The way that girl still mimicked Aliza, and the way she reminded her of her looks that she would never learn to appreciate! Her knuckles turned white at that as she now shut her damn eyes closed!

The inescapable trance—that prison—seemed to have stirred her mind from logic to delusion! "Stop it!"

And along that shriek came the crack of the mirror, breaking her trance completely, and disorienting the reflection in the mirror. Sighing, she slid her palm against her scalp, looking at the now broken mirror before her.

How did that happen? Her tears now slid down the thin bridge of her nose. She wiped it off, trying to call her sister to deal with this matter. "Marge!" she screamed, enough for her sister in the living room below to hear.

"What?!" Margaret yelled, her voice laced with annoyance.

Sparing the cracked mirror a glance, she replied, "J-j-just come here! Quick!"

"'Kay, just wait up!" And the halls that lead to the upper floor of her house hummed with the trudging of her footsteps.

Aliza kept her eyes at the mirror again, her hands wrapped around her chest barely, as she waited for her sister to come. *Oh geez . . .*

She locked her gaze at the shards, its group of pieces an unfinished jigsaw puzzle. One shard of glass fell onto the matted floor, and Aliza sighed in relief when it didn't shatter or prick one of her feet.

Picking it up, she stared at the gaping irregular hole that seemed to be the part that would show the purple of one of her eyes. As if assembling the final piece of a puzzle, she placed it, and before she could even take a look on the full image of her hideous face, every in-between of the cracks lit up, startling her and making her lose hold of the shard she had held. Yet, instead of it falling onto the floor again, it stayed there as the cracks began to disappear, ever so slowly. And once the mirror reformed into one piece again, the light faded out. Her mouth opening wide, she'd gone stiff, momentarily.

"What is it?" Blonde locks swayed in the mirror.

Aliza's head spun and faced her, her words trembling to even contain a logical thought.

"What?!"

"D-d-did you see that?" She pointed out the mirror.

Margaret's gaze followed her sister's direction, squinting her eyes when she wasn't quite sure was her little sister was talking about. "I don't get it."

"Oh, I see." Her old sister didn't see it. So she just held her gaze down, maintaining her composure to not let her see the dread beneath her eyes. *I must be crazy . . .*

"Ah, are you talking about your looks? Yeah, I see it. It's hideous." She joked, laughing quite casually in spite of her, her fluid lips masked with deep red.

Aliza didn't say any retort, her mouth now a locked room of imprisoned words that she wished to utter. She inclined her gaze at her. When it unlocked, those words were gone, replacing it with, "I'm gonna prepare for school now."

She walked past her, not saying another word. Her eyes were a mirror of gloom, one of them glistening with a single tear. Before she could climb down the staircase, a hand had already clamped against her shoulder.

"Look, Lizzie, don't take it . . . as a joke, alright?" She stooped, her fingers now caressing her tear-soaked eyelids. "Just, please don't cry . . . I didn't know you would take this too personally—Okay, I did, I'll admit. But—I mean, the rumors and all. Don't let them get you.

"You're special, and you should be thankful for that." Her sigh escaping her lips, she slowly looked at Aliza's eyes. "And if ever someone bullies you, if ever someone calls you a freak, a loser, or whatever name they could think of, you know who to go to. Just . . . don't keep things from me, alright?"

"Okay, Marge." At least she attempted to make her feel better, and she did. Somehow.

Thoughts about the mirror circulated within her mind. Was she going crazy? Was she starting to see things that weren't real?

She remembered something she did when she was a freshman, but she didn't want to reminisce it. Well, she did have extraordinary skills . . .

No, she should never think of it again; it's not healthy! And . . . she shouldn't let the others know, even to her friends. Her family knowing was enough.

Once she reached the bottom of the staircase, she gazed at the clock hanging against the wall overhead. She was five minutes late. Just below it was the door. She didn't want to go to school, not just yet at least.

Her stomach grumbled, ushering her toward the kitchen. As the usual, the bowl of her favorite cereal was already set by her beloved sister, but she didn't want to eat it. Even her concern wasn't enough for her to eat. Nor the feeling of hunger. Ironic, really, but that cereal was already inhabited with a floating fly.

*Just great . . .*

"What are you staring at? Eat!" She asked, blue eyes in front of hers.

"But there's a fly," she mumbled.

"I'm sorry, what?" Margaret drew closer to her, her hands gripping the straps of her satchel as she was ready for school.

Heaving, she just sprinted past her, leaving her cereal as she said, "I'm not hungry!"

"You haven't taken a bath yet! You stink!"

The door just slammed shut as she finally left, and she was now in the halls of her school, her own personal hell.

Hours went by like a candle melting beneath a flame, yet before she knew it, the fire of time already burned out. It was 2 PM, and people were now scattering outside the campus.

A yell of her name ringed her ears when she walked through the hellhole, making her eyes blaze with a fire of bliss. There she was, running toward her. It was such a shame that they weren't in the same class.

"Colleen!" She spread her arms, encasing her blonde friend a hug.

"Aliza, you have to take a bath, you know!" She complained.

"I know; It's just . . . I was already late!" She scrunched her brows.

"Never mind that, 'cause I have great news!"

"What is it?" Her eyes grew wide at that.

"This Friday night, I am gonna have a party. My house! And you're definitely invited!"

"But—"

"And you can just shower there at my house!" She jumped, squealing. "Ooh, this will be so exciting!"

She knew she's not.

"Wait," she said, stopping as she tried to process her words, "you're inviting me, tonight? Bitch, I'm sure you know that's a bad idea, right?"

"But, Bitch, I am here! It's my party! Trust me, nothing bad will happen to you."

"But—"

"But nothing!"

Then silence . . .

"Freak," someone said, breaking the silence as the girl walked past near them. But once she saw the face of Colleen, her eyes dilated as she grasped for words. "I-i-i-i mean, I'm a freak! Yes, I'm the freak! 'Kay, bye!"

"See what I mean?" She smirked, looking at that redhead run off. "Nothing will hurt you since I'll be the one holding the party."

"I know, but—"

She cut her words, again: "But why? 'Cause you're insecure?"

Hanging her head low, Aliza slowly made a nod.

"Don't be! You're eyes are gorgeous! There's no reason for you to get depressed. Please, Aliza, I don't wanna make you feel like an outcast.

"You know the rumors aren't true, and you know that!" she added.

"I know . . ." Aliza gazed at the grass below her, frowning for lie she believed.

When would she tell her?

"I have an idea! During the party, I will try to convince all of them that you're just another human being," she said, smiling, "and not some freaking demon that's about to terrorize the whole town."

And the two of them chuckled, but Aliza's was of falsity. Luckily, she didn't notice. She felt the closeness between them, but she could also feel the gap separating them.

Only she could feel it, and that was good.

Colleen held Aliza's hands, staring at her lips. "Idiot, didn't you use any lip balm!"

Broken away from the memory, she stammered, "Oh, er, I always tend to forget."

Looking at her hands, she said, "Liz, I'm worried about you. Look at your hands! Look at yourself! All scrawny and weak!"

Before she could utter a reply, the two twins already joined in. "Colleen, Aliza, wanna have a sleepover at my house?" Mandy chimed.

"Cease! You have gone far enough! Let my friends go to my house for a change!" Andy, Mandy's twin brother, said.

And there her other friends were. In their eyes, they were close. When would she tell them, too?

"Nuh-uh! Won't let that happen," Mandy retorted, her palm now against her chubby hips.

"Uhmm, excuse me, but you two are coming in my house!"

Three hours had passed, and slowly people had been entering Colleen's house. She had already bathed, and was now wearing some white off-shoulder top with black jeans, something that she was mildly comfortable with. Well, it was something she could blend into, she supposed.

But when she entered, she got noticed as if she was some celebrity. A comedy celebrity. Some of them had stopped in their tracks. Whispers invaded the whole room, slowly growing.

"Don't worry about them, Liz. I'll make sure they'll learn how good you are when the party ends." With a smile, she called her two other friends. "Hey, Mandy, Andy, get yo' asses in here!"

"Yes?" Mandy questioned, obviously pissed by the sudden interruption from her dance.

"I want you to accompany Aliza while I'll get a glass of wine."

"Guys, haven't your stomach growled? It's half past five already!" Andy said. "And besides, I'm sure Mandy here is internally screaming for pizza!"

"No, I am not! If you don't have good to say, Andy, then just fuck off!"

Shrugging in terse surrender, he protruded his middle finger, making Mandy fume her nose. "That I won't let you."

"Get back here, Andy!" And she chased Andy, leaving her in the middle of Colleen's crowded living room, leaving Aliza by herself.

"Psssstt!" A sound ringed among the cacophony of chatters.

No one seemed to hear it but her. She perked her head at the direction of the sound, but there was no one there except for the three girls whispering at each other.

She turned around and saw a tall, muscular boy her age. "Hey, freak."

"What are you trying to do, Cole?" she hissed.

"Just playing with my favorite girl in the world." Cole snaked his arms against her neck and ruffled her hair like a child, making her squirm for freedom.

"Let go of me!" Her scream seemed to gather attention, murmurs and snickers around the room now more audible.

"You know what?" Cole questioned, his words starting to drip with sarcasm. "You smell really good!"

And the students near them laughed at the sarcastic comment, gaining more attention

"Please let me go." The shame was a hundredfold worse than the others before. She didn't want be such a clown in front of everyone. Not in here. Not right now. She squirmed some more but he was too strong!

She couldn't help it. The laughter. The stares. Everything around her. That made her snap.

"Let me go!" And Cole got thrown away into the wall, gasps piercing through the silenced air. Heaving huge breaths, she looked at Cole who had his eyes closed. She didn't do anything. No—no, she didn't do anything. She just wanted him to—

She couldn't stop the others from staring at her as if she was an unknown creature—a monster. Not at this rate, not anymore.

"You are a freak!" a girl shouted.

Stares still seemed to occupy the whole room, coming directly at her, beleaguering her vision. She couldn't help but walk back, tears crawling down.

"No . . ." Then she felt something. Every particle of herself seemed to get away from her, lighting up. Her heartbeat rose and hammered against her chest before it died.

Glass shattered.

***

The violet sky was the first thing Aliza saw, and she soon found out she was at the precipice of a cliff. She stiffened, her breathing the only movement. This couldn't be . . .

"Wh-where am I?"