DARK CRESCENT

Mirrors

"So, how much trouble did you get into?" Maggi asked.

We were sitting out on the patio of the coffee shop. It was Monday after school and I was on break.

"My mom actually saved my bacon, but not without saying a few words herself" I explained, sipping my caramel macchiato.

"What did she say?" Maggi probed, drinking some of her white chocolate frappe and fiddling with her fancy, expensive, Cannon camera.

"I don't know, it's all kinda hazy now" I shrugged.

"Well, four days until graduation, are you ready?" Maggi grinned, taking a quick picture of me.

"Don't do that" I smirked, raising my hand to the camera lense.

"What, Candid's are the best pictures" Maggi smiled, snapping another picture.

"Where did you even get this thing?" I questioned, grabbing the camera by its huge lense, and taking it from her.

"My dad just moved back here, well he moved to Nome, but still here pretty much. Anyway, he bought me this because he knows how artistic I am" Maggi smiled.

"Being able to take pictures is not artistic, anybody can take pictures" I informed.

"Not true, you have to have an artistic eye" Maggi frowned, taking the camera back.

Just then my phone vibrated. I pulled it out my apron and looked at it; it was a text from Olivia.

OLIVIA: I'm sorry, you're really cute and a good kisser, but I don't think this is working.

I sighed deeply. Not to say I didn't agree, I just figured I would've pulled the trigger first.

"Hey, you, okay?" Maggi asked.

"Yea, I'm just great" I exhaled getting up from the table. "My break is over; I should head back in."

"Alright, but hey mall tomorrow?" Maggi insisted.

"Mall?" I questioned with one eyebrow raised.

"Graduation party Friday night, duh. I need a kickass grunge fit to better show my protest to conform to party norms" Maggi said rolling her eyes, as she chewed on her straw.

"But doesn't going to a party sort of defeat the purpose?" I asked.

"Not necessarily, especially not if you're the protagonist and main character of the story" Maggi smiled.

Are we really doing this?

"But you're not even graduating" I smiled.

"True, neither is half the student body, but that doesn't stop them from showing up to the biggest party of the school year" Maggi explained.

"End of the school year" I corrected.

"Tomato, tomahto, whatever" She shrugged, getting up from the table.

"Fine, I work in the morning anyway since I don't have a class" I exhaled.

"Cool beans. Why are you working so hard anyway?" Maggi pondered.

I sighed.

"My dad...I mean I know he means well...my dad is...a lot" I admitted. "And we really don't see eye to eye."

"So, you're like two big bucks in the house, banging antlers all the time?" Maggi asked, with a slight giggle, sitting down on top of the patio table.

"Don't say 'banging' that sounds so wrong" I chuckled. "My dad and I just view the world differently and I see it more as I get older."

"Or are you seeing it the same?"

"Say what now?" I applied, giving her a confused look.

"There are a lot of current studies that have proven that as children reach adolescent years they begin to develop and reflect the behaviors of the parent that had the most dominant chromosomes. You know how you look in the mirror some days and you're like bleh. Yea, that's you two with each other" Maggi explained.

"Alright you're about to lose your google privileges" I grimaced.

Maggi gasped and placed her phone into her chest with both hands.

"So, who was it?" Maggi queried, crossing her legs.

"Who was what?" I asked.

"Don't...you know what I mean" Maggi said pointing to my phone.

"No one important now" I muttered.

Maggi nodded and hopped down from the table and we both headed inside.

"I'll catch you later" she said and walked out the coffee shop.

I waved goodbye.