What does Casey do when she looks in the mirror?
Well, first she smiles for a few minutes. She runs her fingers through her hair in brief admiration, and stares into her eyes. They peer back at her, focused, expectant. Her reflection is waiting, biding its time ever so patiently. It knows what she wants, just as well as she does.
That’s when Casey starts it. She smiles, and closes her eyes, and thinks hard, real hard.
When she opens them, she’s a beauty queen. Her long blond hair billows behind her from some source of wind, perfect against her silk, pink dress. The glitter sheens in the light, from her dress and from her makeup, and demure blue eyes peak out from long, ivory lashes. Her lithe frame holds the bright bouquet, fresh roses wafting to a fake nose. She smiles, black mascara running down her eyes in tears. Her face wrinkles as she cries, and distorts.
Casey closes her eyes again. She can’t remember what she looks like anymore, still lost in the bawling beauty queen’s intense stare. In her mind she’s a princess, a warrior, a magician, anything but the truth. The truth hurts too much to think about, and makes her crash back on earth with a mighty roar. It all hurts, and it’s all true.
So Casey doesn’t open her eyes, not until she looks away from the Mirror. In her own way, she’s still the beauty queen. Maybe not to everyone else, but to herself she’s a might amazon. Hopefully, tonight, she’ll dream what it’s like to feel great. For now, she walks away and out the door.
Poor Poor Casey. So lost in the blue-eyed dream, her good deeds are behind blinders. She works hard, gets good grades, and has several friends who believe she’s amazing. She’s stuck in the mirror, forever pressed to the glass. Someday she’ll pull away, and maybe we’ll know what the real Casey looks like. Maybe we’ll see her sweet little eyes, cute nose, and pouty smile.
So, what does Casey do in the mirror?
She hurts herself so no one else can. Then she lives another day.