Dusk of the Realm

11

Serena had gotten better at recognizing her reflection over the years.

When she had first entered the foster care system, she had trouble remembering what she looked like from day to day. Even when she stared at herself in a mirror now, she would feel as though she was not seeing everything; as if some part of her was hidden beneath the surface of the glass.

However, her life turned around for the better once she got to know Lyla. By the time they reached high school, Serena had been spending so much time with the Murphy family, and they cared for each other so much, that Lyla's parents decided to get their fostering license in order to keep her in their home. Serena had cried when she heard, and could hardly believe that she had lived in the same house for over three years.

There was a knock on her door, and she turned towards it with a smile, relieved to glance away from her reflection. She had gotten better at recognizing herself, sure - but there was still something about the blankness that occasionally seeped into her eyes that she could not stand to see.

"You can come in," she stated, and no sooner had she than Lyla flung the door open.

Lyla was pretty, though she always argued with Serena to the contrary. Serena had a suspicion that Lyla's lack of confidence stemmed from her friendship with her; Lyla felt envious of Serena's natural appearance, and it broke Serena's heart. She loved Lyla, and she wished that her friend would realize how lovely she was. She wished that she could explain how little her appearance mattered to her, and how much she would rather have her lost memories returned to her. Perhaps then she would be able to piece together the rest of her heart; it had been shattered for so long, however, that she did not have much hope of it being entirely healed anytime soon.

Lyla's dark eyes widened as she looked at Serena. "You look gorgeous."

Serena rolled her eyes playfully. "So do you," she responded sincerely. It was true, after all. Lyla was wearing a strapless gown of rich violet, with a simple yet intricate embellishment along the cinch of the waistline. It was elegant without trying too hard, and it set off a very nice balance with the cocoa shade of her hair and tanned skin, so different from Serena's own.

"Thank you!" Lyla chimed, a smile extending over her thin face. She strolled over to Serena and tapped the necklace that sat nestled against her collarbone. "This all goes so well together. You've definitely outdone everyone, Serena. Prepare for the army of jealous girls to be giving you dirty looks all night."

Serena brushed her hands over her gown and tucked a stray hair behind her ear, turning to squint into the mirror to make sure her updo was still in place. "I don't really care about them," she replied to her friend, to which Lyla snorted.

"Right," Lyla said, wiggling her eyebrows. "You're only interested in impressing Gabe."

Serena was going to respond that no, actually, she was not interested in Gabe like that; but that was when the door flew open again, and Mrs. Murphy skipped into the room, a big camera in her hands. Lyla started whining and groaning at her mom, complaining that either one of them could have been getting dressed, but soon enough was posing for the pictures without too much reluctance. Serena smiled into the lens, but tried to avoid paying too much attention to her face staring back at her from the little shard of glass.

Mr. Murphy came in not too much longer, though he actually knocked. He complimented both of the girls on their attire, though it was clear that, like most fathers, he was out of his element there. Serena smiled warmly in his direction; he had been so welcoming to her, so kind and generous. She would never be able to repay either of the Murphys - or Lyla, for that matter - for what they had done for her. They could quite possibly have saved her life.