Mirror in the Forest: Book One (13 page)

Mary shrugged. “Money talks, sweetie, and you will learn that as soon as you enter the real world. Dale knows he can easily replace everything, that is why Mandy gets away with a lot of things.”

Jessica could only shake her head in disgust. That means Mandy Cooper will never grow up, she will always be the spoiled rich girl who gets everything she ever wanted.

Jessica was starting to re-think that offer, but tried to shake it off.

“Is that all?” Jessica asked, want the conversation to just be over. “I have homework.”

Mary nodded and Jessica went up to her room being reminded that dinner would be ready soon.

Jessica went upstairs, turned on her music from her small stereo system, and tried to concentrate on her homework, but she was having a hard time.

She learned from her mother that Tessa had tried to call a few times, and then Danny had tried to call her. She knew she needed to give them the courtesy of a call back even though she still wasn’t in the mood to talk.

Jessica finally threw her book to the side, and picked up the phone to call Tessa.

Jessica sat down in her seat, but tried really hard not to run from the school screaming. From the moment she walked into her first class, her classmates were making gagging noises, putting their fingers down their throats, among other jokes at her expense.

She tried, and tried some more to hold her head up high like the spirit said to. She kept trying to replay his words in her head, as the torment persisted.

She wouldn’t be meeting up with Tessa or Alex till later in the day.

It wasn’t the whole school, no, that was impossible, but just those who had been there, and there were those that heard about it, and decided to be cruel.

All of it was enough to bring Jessica to tears several times, making her run to the bathroom and clean up so no one would see she had been crying. Her guidance counselors were some of the most useless people in the world (they were always trying to talk her out of applying to NYU for some reason), so she wouldn’t turn to them for help. She was on her own.

She knew she had to face up to everything that was done to her.

Tessa was finally by her side after a while, and then Alex was there. Jessica felt so horrible, because her friends were getting teased about something or another from what transpired over the weekend. Alex was gay, and today he was getting bullied about it even worse than usual. In fact, he had been in a small fight, and gotten suspended for a day.  

Jessica had not seen Danny all day, and was kind of glad for it. She really couldn’t face him today.

He was probably avoiding her anyway, and after a while she didn’t care, she just wanted the day to be over with.

Jessica, Alex, and Tessa stood at Jessica’s locker when Mandy and her group approached.

“Oh God,” Alex muttered.

Jessica looked up at him and said, “I can handle it.”

Mandy pushed back her dark hair, and adjusted her cheerleading outfit with her little entourage right behind her.

The homecoming game was Friday night, and all the players from the football team, and cheerleaders would be in their outfits all week to show their school spirit.

The dance would be Saturday, and Jessica had no plans on going.

Jessica had found out that she wasn’t the only one who was facing Mandy’s contempt. There were a few others who did some things that the intoxicated Mandy did not like, and were facing her wrath.

Jessica didn’t like it at all, and was starting to re-think the necklace.

Alex didn’t listen to Jessica and stood in front of her and Tessa.

“What do you want Mandy?” He asked with a slight growl.

The other girls giggled, and her friend Kelly said, “Who are you to ask?”

“When it involves my friend, I can ask,” he answered turning his glare to Kelly.

Mandy cocked her head and said, “Don’t you have pictures of half-naked men to stare at? I have some in my locker if you need more.”

Alex lowered his head when the other girls laughed, and Tessa angrily stepped in between them to say something.  

“Just go away, Mandy. You don’t have anything further to say to my friends,” Tessa demanded.

Jessica noticed she had made a fist. For as sick as she was, Tessa never stood down from a fight.

Mandy ignored her, and stared at Jessica.

“I still think you should repay for the damage you did, but my dad talked to your Mom and he let things go,” she said, shaking her head.

“Or maybe you’re just jealous because Danny wasn’t kissing your ass all night like he used to do,” Alex said.

Mandy laughed lightly. “What the hell do I care about him for? A guy who doesn’t know who his father is…please.”

“You won’t talk about my family like that Mandy,” Danny suddenly said from Jessica’s right.

Jessica almost gasped as she spotted him. He looked tired, but still was very cute. Even though, she was kind of wishing the Sheriff was there right now.

“You just lost your sponsorship from my Dad, hope you’re happy,” Mandy smirked at him.

“I don’t need your Dad to buy my scholarship, and I love how you call it a sponsorship when it’s not. I can do it on my own,” Danny retorted.  

To Jessica’s shock the rest of the baseball team stood behind Danny, and Mandy knew she was outnumbered.

Mandy looked at each member of the baseball team with wide eyes, but then her facial expression changed to a sneer.

She turned and suddenly pointed to Jessica and said, “I invited you to my party because I pitied you, but now I do see you really are a pathetic fat-ass whore.”

“Hey!” Danny yelled, glaring at Mandy.

“You didn’t do me any favors,” Jessica shot back finally growing some backbone. Jessica began to move forward, but Tessa held her arm.

Mandy sniffed, and then she and her entourage turned and walked away.  

“Are you alright?” Tessa asked, turning to Jessica.

“Yeah, I’m good,” Jessica answered, blushing at the attention.

The gift of the necklace was still looking better and better. Jessica was starting to talk herself into bringing it to the spirit.

Alex and Tessa took the hint as Danny stood there, and walked away along with the rest of the baseball team.

Danny walked up to her, but Jessica could not look him in the eye.

“You didn’t answer my phone calls all Sunday,” he said sounding disappointed.

Jessica looked around and said, “Maybe I just didn’t want to hear what you had to say.”

Danny looked a little upset at Jessica’s answer.

“Maybe it wasn’t anything bad,” he replied, trying to get eye contact with her.  

Jessica almost snorted. “Oh yeah, I puked all over us. That is a great first impression.”

“Well, maybe we need a do over. I take full blame for what happened. I pushed you too hard. My mother may be single, and yes, I don’t know who my father is, but I was raised to have more respect,” he said to her.

Suddenly, Jessica smiled. She could not believe what she was hearing. She knew she had been right about him all along. Still, she was not as excited as she used to be.

“I don’t care if you don’t know who your father is,” she answered sincerely.

Danny smiled. “I’m glad.”

“I hate snobs,” Jessica said.

“Me too,” he answered smiling.

“I’m sorry for not answering your calls,” she said.

“Apology accepted,” he said smiling. “Do you want to go to the dance?”

Jessica shrugged. She was still not in the mood for the homecoming dance.

Danny took the hint of Jessica’s non-answer. “Me neither. How about we do something else?”

Jessica lit up and said, “I would like that.”

“I do have to go to the homecoming game Friday night. I have to be with my team to show school spirit, but did you want to meet me later?” He held up his fingers in the “quote” sign.

Jessica giggled at his sarcasm with the school spirit, and said, “Sure. I can do that.”

“How about if I give you call tonight too?” He asked, hopefully.

Jessica thought for a moment, and said, “I have to a favor for my Mom tonight, but how about I see you tomorrow?”

“Okay, just don’t avoid me again, alright?”

Jessica cocked her head in guilt. “I won’t, I promise.”

After Danny walked away, Alex walked up to Jessica and said, “Score!”

Jessica was glad when school was finally over for the day. It had been an emotional roller coaster, and she was exhausted. She walked into the door of her house, after taking the bus home today, and couldn’t believe her luck.

Her mother left her a note that she was called into work at the last minute again, and would be gone for the night. Her father wouldn’t be home till Friday.

Jessica waited around for a little bit to make sure her mother didn’t call her to tell her that she wasn’t needed after all, and would be home soon.

Her heart pounded, and her breathing quickened as she asked her great-grandmother for forgiveness for what she was about to do. “I hope you understand, Grandma,” Jessica muttered, looking at a picture of her.

She went into her parent’s room, and into her mother’s dresser drawer. The necklace was in a small jewelry box that her mother kept in a safe place.

She had never questioned how the spirit knew about the necklace, but hey, he was spirit so he could see all.

She still questioned her sanity about The Spirit of the Mirror, but then she looked at her hair in the dresser mirror, and knew it was real.

Her mother didn’t wear the necklace often, but for special occasions, so it might be a while before she noticed it was gone.

Her hands shook as she rummaged through the drawer and found it.

It glinted slightly in the light and Jessica stuffed it into the pocket of her jeans.  

She grabbed her jacket, and cursed the wet, damp weather as she left the house, and made her way into the woods.

The Spirit of the Mirror was exactly where she thought he would be and seemed to be waiting for her.

The guilt started to fade, as she thought about Mandy being humiliated like she was, and she smiled at the thought.

The necklace was a small price to pay. She would think of some kind of lie to tell her mother if it came to that.

“I knew you would come back with my gift,” he said smiling.

Jessica hesitated and took a deep breath, and then handed the necklace over to The Spirit of the Mirror.

“I did as you asked, but how will I know when something happens?” She asked.

Jessica gasped as the necklace faded out of sight in the spirit’s reflective palm.

“You will know when the time comes, Jessica,” he said. “There will be no doubt in your mind that Mandy Cooper will pay for her wrongs against you and others.”

Jessica nodded, and said, “This really means a lot to me.”

“This will be our little secret forever, “ he insisted.

“Always,” she replied with a smile.  

“How can I trust you to keep your promise and give me my gift?” She asked still having doubts.

The Spirit looked at Jessica’s old reflection in the mirror, and then turned back to her.

“You don’t, but you will know when it happens,” he answered.

Jessica could tell by the glance at the mirror that he was telling her to trust him. She gazed over at her old reflection for a moment, and fingered her hair. All doubt left her then.

“I think I want to change something for me next time,” she said to him.

“Whatever you wish,” he said.

She smiled and said goodbye to The Spirit of the Mirror still doubting his fulfillment of her wish, but knew she had to hope.