Mirror Mirror

There used to be a mirror situated in the middle of a huge castle. It was abandoned and the place was run down. The little buildings beside it housed the homeless that had no home left after The Burning. I was just a child when I ran into the old dusty home of a princess. I was curious at the age of ten. So, as any immature, impulsive child would do, I explored a bit. What I found was so fascinating to me I went back the next day. And so on. I must have explored much of the "East Palace" before I stumbled upon a huge mirror. The mirror was so great that I froze for a second, marveling at its pristine beauty. I didn't notice the angry cracks at the edges of it. Nor did I see the attempts of destruction upon the clear glass surface. I was only ten, after all. And so, every day, I would run back to that same room and look at myself. My brown eyes that I got from dad, or, according to my mom anyway. My dad had run away as soon as the news of my birth was passed down. Of course, I email my dad but I've never actually seen his face. My dirty blond hair seemed to be an exact replica of mom's. My little cute button nose always looked shiny.

Time passed quickly and before I knew it, high school slapped me in the face. At first, I was still popular. After all, I had the right looks and my mother had the right economical background. But I should have known high school was different. No one really knew me after a while. The boys moved on to the girls that owned the most makeup. The girls formed their own little cliques. I was left alone. It was the first time I was not seen. I felt...odd. Left out. Different. And worst of all, lonely. I wasn't bright or overly enthusiastic but I knew how to fit in. I knew what I had to do to have people fawn over me. And so, I hosted a party. I got drunk. I begged mom for makeup. Everything a girl wanted, I had it. I even bought a pink car for my sweet sixteen (mom was out shopping for my cake). As time passed on, the other snobs were left in the dust. I was the queen. I was the one every boy wanted. I was the best. Or, so I thought.

My mother called for a meeting one day. A family one. This was funny at first because it was just me and mom anyway. As I reluctantly stomped down the steps, I pondered what mom was going to say. Her voice was solemn and her eyes looked sad.

"Honey, we're broke. I checked and we're officially bankrupt." She sobbed as she was forcing the words to come out.

As I paused, my fork hovering in the air and pasta mid-way to my mouth, I looked up at mom and laughed. It was funny.

"Mom, what do you mean we're broke?" I asked while laughing. "We've got millions stocked up in the bank!"

I chewed my pasta happily and was about to take a bite of a meatball when I looked back at her. She didn't touch her food yet.

"Mom?"

She didn't laugh. Nor did she smile. I saw a hint of a tear slipping down her cheek. That was the say my life went downhill. Everything went wrong from that very statement. It turned out, mom had hidden her gambling addiction from the frivolous gifts and crazy amounts of mother-daughter time. That one mistake cost our fortune. My self-image deteriorated and I was forced to revisit what I had before. Natural beauty. It was simply impossible to force smiles at boys while they were staring at a blonde beauty wearing makeup from Sephora. It was also painful to see the clique I once owned be walking around, spilling my drinks. I was lost in despair and darkness.

My mom eventually died from the burden of trying to keep us alive. I ended up poor and my ego was no longer a thing. I couldn't look at a mirror without retching at the sight. I wasn't able to see beauty in others without criticizing myself. There was nothing that helped me feel better. My life was over. High school was no longer my strong suit. I couldn't be seen next to cool people. I was seen as a dead prom queen. People laughed at my disheveled appearance. I was as good as dead to my dad that never replied to my emails. I gave up.

I eventually found the courage to revisit my childhood three years after graduating with honors from my old high school. I still couldn't bring myself to join class reunions or call my old friends. I couldn't even look at my family photos or the picture of my dad that must have been a hundred years old. But I did go back to the town I used to live in. And there, I saw the castle. In it, the mirror was still there, perfectly intact. I looked at myself. My eyes were still there. My hair was still there. And my nose was still there. I noticed the light rosy pink blush on my cheeks from the cold. My lips looked full and red. I raised my hammer and smashed it. The mirror that a princess must have gone crazy with. The mirror that a princess so desperately hated. The mirror that a princess must have cried at. The mirror that heard "Mirror mirror" so many times a day it almost broke from the sound waves. I closed my eyes and heard it shatter. My smile was bright as I walked out. I'm beautiful just the way I am.

*Please note that this is purely fiction and any content that seems similar is just a coincidence. Thanks so much for reading and have a great day!