The Other Mavis

For Mikeydred's June prompt --Pride

Being someone else is a part-time job, but being yourself is a forever career.

Take pride in yourself.

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Mavis was a loner, but never lonely. Her reflection accompanied her -- it was her ever-faithful guide.

"Make eye contact," it would say. "You'll look kind and real."

The reflection's words were her gospel. She made that eye contact. Smiled warmly at parties. Laughed when she was supposed to. She drew people because of it.

On a fateful afternoon, after a disastrous cocktail party full of wrong names and mistaken identities, Mavis looked at herself in the mirror. "Why do people call me Mildred?"

Her reflection laughed her concerns off, flippant. "Mavis, Mildred, Melissa... big deal. They like you... that's what counts."

Mavis frowned, puzzled. "But... I dislike myself."

The glass mirror shimmered. Her reflection leaned in.

"You asked me to drive, remember? You said you were tired of being the oddball."

"I didn't say take my place."

"Well, I did as you asked. Now enjoy."

Mavis took a step back, but her reflection didn't follow her. It stayed. Smiled. Nodded.

She didn't get up the next morning. But she did manage to get to work, in her blood-red lipstick. Ordered breakfast for her team. Wished HR Tom a happy birthday.

But the mirror knew the truth.

Mavis knocked the stand behind it.

"Guess it's never easy to be you," Mavis' voice was thoughtful. "But faking yourself? No reflection's good enough for that."

A crack appeared, just where Reflection Mavis' heart was.

Mavis the human looked at it one last time, then turned to the door.

"Being someone else is a part-time job, but being me is a forever career."

The mirror continued to crack.

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Original story by Michelle Liew. AI tags are coincidental.