Mirror Mirror (Mitch Marner)

Short Story

Sitting in front of the rinks change room mirror, I sit with my knees to my chest. This had become a routine of mine. Fridays after assistant teaching a skating class for 3-5 year olds, I sit in the change room staring in  the mirror with earbuds in, and the monster staring back at me.

    Yes, I have given my reflection the name "The Monster", more so for the fact that, that is what I see. There are plenty of other reasons, but those are all better left unsaid.

I established this routine one day during grade seven after my "friends" decided I wasn't pretty enough to be part of their "popular group". "Monster" quickly became my nickname from the girls.

    Friday, March 7, 2014.

Now every Friday after school, or skating lessons, I sit staring at the monster that ruined my life. I do this as a sort of 'self reflection', similar to what you do in school after working on a project. Except this is for my appearance, or well, life in general.

About forty-five minutes after the class ends, the city's hockey team has practice. That was fine, but there are only so many change rooms, and normally as I leave, some of the players are already showing up.

My brother, Jacob Graves, is on the team so I have to wait for his practice to end before I can go home. This normally isn't an issue. But recently, a boy that seems to hate my guts for no apparent reason, got traded to the team. He must have heard about the whole "monster" ordeal, because that's all he calls me.

    The door creaked open, oh lord please save me.

    "Oh the monster, is still here." The taunting voice echos through the room. I quickly grab my things about to exit the door, wiping tears from my eyes, when a strong grip pulls my arm, "woah why are you crying?" is he actually concerned? " Did you fall on the ice, you poor little monster." Nope. The menissing laugh followed me out the door.

    I sit in the bleachers with ear buds still in my ears, waiting for the practice to start. Foot steps come from behind me, expecting it to be a mom, dad, or girlfriend of one of the boys I stay focused on my phone, seeing as there is the whole stadium it is very unlikely they will sit super close to me. But, knowing my luck, they sit right beside me. As the moment is filling with awkward air I stay completely still, pretending to text a non-existent friend.

    "What's up?"

You have ear buds in, pretend you don't hear them.

The person rips the left bud out of my ear, "I asked, what's up."

    I turned to see Mitch staring at me.

   

    "What do you want Mitchell?"

    "Sky, I'm a jerk I admit, but you are my best friends sister so I feel the obligation to ask what's wrong."

    "You're not going to care, you are one of the things that wrong. Oh and thanks for really caring." I roll my eyes.

    "What did I do?" Defence evident in his voice.

    "You call me monster, you put me down, you don't help the fact that I already hate myself because of those girls! Why don't you just go to get ready, practice will start soon."

    "I didn't know! What do you mean you hate yourself? You're gorgeous! I mean, ew." He looked down at his shoes.

    "You didn't know that calling me a monster was gonna make me feel like a piece of trash?"

    "I just heard your friends call you that."

    "So you thought it was some cutsie tootsie name you could use when bullying me?"