The Face in the Mirror

Chapter Two: An Ant in the Shadow

Edited

Breathe too close, too hard,

I’ll just come crashing down.

Like a mountain that can destroy a whole town,

I’ll fall.

It’s harder when they’re tall.

Good for me, I’m an ant to your pedestal.

You’re shiny; I’m dull.

(You) Glitter in the night, the moonlight,

I don’t even have the will to fight.

It wouldn’t to me any good.

You prance daintily, while I fall in the mud.

(I)Could be a slimy monster, nothing would be amiss.

At least, maybe then, someone would notice,

While you in the spotlight shimmer,

I’ll just stay behind and shiver,

Hope someone might be kind enough to see.

It won’t happen.

My life has sunk so low.

For once, I wish the tables would turn me on top.

Even then, I’d flop.

Don’t worry about me, just carry on.

At least you will live to see another dawn.

I’d be left alone,

Withering to bone…

Still in your shadow,

Watching it grow,

Slowly as I wither to bone

“Charlotte, when will you take your rightful place? You have given Alex too much time. Now is the best time to strike.”

“I will decide when it is time to strike. Besides, I can’t make anything look suspicious, can I? The less Alex suspects for now, the easier things will be for when I have to take over.”

I was trying to be invisible. Clearly, it had not worked, as everyone in the class had turned to stare at me. Charlotte…Help, I pleaded to Charlotte, who was residing just beyond the fringe that separated my brain from hers. I felt her gladness when she first inhabited my body.

Instantly, my shoulders straightened from their previously slumped position, and I sat up tall in my seat. I shot the people who had been looking at me a cool look which clearly said I don’t care what you think. Then, I bent down to pick up my pencil. By the time I looked back up, everyone had returned to their work, and were furiously writing.

I knew it then, just as I know it now. Charlotte came make me feel power- over myself, over anyone that I alone would never be able to conjure. That day was the first day that I felt like I could truly control the way people looked at me. It made me feel powerful, good. Having Charlotte in my body, controlling me made me feel like I could do anything. And with her, I could.

That was also the first day that I let Charlotte fully inhabit my mind. And she did such a good job at it. She did so much better than I could ever do. Charlotte was confident; confidence that I could never show, even if I had it. I didn’t.

“Just keep doing what you’re doing. It’s pretty convincing…”

~*~

I met Charlotte’s eyes in the mirror, after making sure that nobody else was around. I took a few deep breaths before opening my mouth to speak to her.

“Alex?”

At the mention of my name, my hands immediately shot up to my hair, to make it seem like I had been doing something, and not just staring in the mirror. Well, Charlotte did. I could only look through my eyes, the only part of me that had remained the same. It was Olivia, my new best friend, as chosen for me by Charlotte. I didn’t really care; I didn’t know Olivia all that well.

“Are you alright?” She gave me a concerned look which Charlotte brushed off with a smile. I brushed off with a smile. Charlotte was me. I had to remember that, but even after three years, it was hard for me to remember that. At the beginning we were different people; still are.

“Yeah, I’m fine. What’s up?”

There were some advantages to having Charlotte speak for me. I didn’t need to think about all the right things to say. But at the same time, Charlotte didn’t invade my mind, which meant I could think about a lot of things that I didn’t want her to question. Things that I just wanted to keep to myself, like the time I wondered what would happen if I’d never invited Charlotte into my life. It was a stupid thought; my life is so much better right now. But still, I couldn’t quell the thoughts that I had…

“-guy,” I heard Olivia finish. My thoughts whirled for a moment before realizing what she was talking about. There was a new guy, one that everyone seemed to be freaking out about. Personally, I neither saw nor understood the appeal that everyone found about him. He was just an average person. But Charlotte saw it, and was completely sold on the idea of using it to her advantage.

“Yeah, I’ll be out in a minute!” Charlotte chirped cheerfully, waiting for her to leave the bathroom before turning back around to look at herself in the mirror.

“God, what are you planning on doing?” I demanded glaring at her. She grinned slightly back at me. I fought to not look away.

Whenever I looked at a mirror, Charlotte was instantly transferred back to her own world, but because I had given her complete control over me, she could easily inhabit my body again. At first, though, she was required to go back to the mirror. It was a pull that she couldn’t resist.

Charlotte still hadn’t answered me. “Seriously. What. Are. You. Planning. On. Doing?” Charlotte’s grin dropped, and she glared back at me.

“I just want to meet the new guy,” She told me flatly. I didn’t respond. I was fairly sure that Charlotte knew how much that I did not want to see him, but I guess I had no choice.

Besides, it’s not like what I think matters much, right? Because, whatever I think always ends up being wrong.

A/N: As always, I hope you like this story enough to comment/vote/fan. If not, please tell me why, and I'll try to see if I can fix it! I'm always open to criticism.

Thanks for reading!

XxTheDarkAngelxX