A hand presses into my back, and before I realize it all of my books are thrown into the air as the ground rises to meet my face. I feel my glasses crunch onto the concrete floor. For a moment, everything is still. But as quickly as everyone stopped, they resumed what they were doing. Most of them didn’t even look down at me. As I scrambled to gather the fragments of my glasses, someone steps on my hand with their black sneakers. They don’t acknowledge my presence.
I dash into a nearby bathroom with my reclaimed books in one hand and what’s left of my glasses in the other. I glance toward the mirror, and I see blood creeping down the bridge of my nose. I splash cool water over my face. My hands squeeze around the sides of the sink. Tension flows from my fingers up through my arms. A fire burns from my shoulders into my lungs. The anger seethes through my neck and into my tongue. I open my mouth to shout, but the bell drowns me out. Every muscle in my body in tense. Slowly, I look up at the mirror to see a monster in my place. Its black paws clutch the sink. I lean away, but I can’t avert my eyes from it. Its fur almost shakes with hate. It looks up, and its deep red eyes meet mine. I dart my eyes down, only to see its claws where my fingers were.
Its snout opens up to show its fangs. It takes deep breaths. Each exhale has power behind it. It looks back into the mirror. Its eyes are now a more vibrant red. Its paw was raised into the air only briefly before it is slammed into the mirror.
I pull back my hand quickly. Pain shoots up my knuckles and wrist. I step back from the mirror. I stare into the mirror to make sure my reflection is mine. I see myself staring back. There are no claws, no fur, no paws, and no snout. I pace away from the bathroom.
I shove my books in my locker. I look down at the fragments of glasses in my hand. I put them into the locker, and slam it shut. I walk on. At least I would be alone now. As I open the school door, the sun warms my skin. I lift my face up to the sky. The breeze blows through my hair. I climb in my small navy blue car. Everyone has already left me with a barren parking lot.
As I drive, I roll the windows down and turn of the radio. The howl of the wind fills my ears. The roar slowly gets louder until I can’t hear myself.
The wind rushes through its fur. It extends its left paw out the window. It smiles. It takes a deep breath and releases all of its tension. It glances up to its rear view mirror to see that its eyes have returned to their deep red. Nothing seems to exist besides a beast and the wind.
The warmth disappears as I pull into the shadow of my house. The wind fades as I roll up the windows. In the reflection of the window I can see its reflection. I see it takes the same relaxed breaths I do. It has the same wistful eyes. I don’t lean away, and I don’t look anywhere else. We smile because maybe we’re not alone after all.