Later that night, Mandy sat facing Logan Archer at his dining room table. She was having difficulty focusing on the science project while the intermittent image of Valerie's heinous expression tormented her mind.
"So the first step is coming up with a question and hypothesis. Here's a few I thought of. Can a black light detect invisible stains? Do vitamins effect the growth of flowers? Does music? Or would you rather do something else? What do you think?"
"Yeah, whatev," she said, not really paying attention to him.
Valerie had been her best friend since they'd joined the same team in Little League. After the games they would devour ice cream cones and go back to each other’s houses for sleepovers. Sometimes they would stay up all night, talking and laughing. Tears brimmed inside her eyes, and Logan's face blurred.
His forehead creased with worry and he leaned closer to his childhood friend. "Mandy, is everything okay? You can talk to me about anything. You know that." His tone was soft and gentle.
Her tears threatened to escape. Mandy knew she wouldn't look attractive with smeared makeup and puffy eyes. But with Logan, it didn't matter. He wouldn't mind if she didn't look beautiful. It was okay if she cried instead of smiled. In the past, he had always been there when she'd needed him. Even now, despite how she had distanced herself from him these past few years, he reached across the table and placed his hand on top of hers. Mandy let it all go. She broke down. Tears puddled on the oak surface of the table.
Logan moved his chair beside hers and hugged her. "What's wrong?"
"It's Valerie. She-she's not a good friend."
"I'm sorry, want to tell me what happened?"
Mandy shook her head. "I don't want to talk about it."
"I hate to see you hurting," Logan caressed her upper arm.
"I'm always hurting." The words spilled out.
"Always? Why?"
"I'm a fake." The confession felt cathartic, like a weight had been lifted off of her shoulders. "I don't know what's real or fake about me anymore. I don't know who my friends are, who cares about me, or who hates me. It seems like there are people that hate me enough they want me dead."
"Mandy, I care about you. You know that. If you need anyone, I'm always here."
Mandy nodded. "I know." And she did know…or was Logan only bewitched as well? "It's so hard sometimes. Never knowing who's real. I'm not even real."
Logan's eyebrows bunched together. "Why aren't you real?"
The tears flowed down her face like rushing rapids. "It's too hard to explain. Everyone always expects so much of me. I guess I just got used to being what they wanted me to be."
"Mandy, you don't have to live up to anyone's expectations other than your own."
Mandy shook her head. "Yes, I do. You don't understand."
"What don't I understand?"
"How much more it hurts to let them down."
"Forget them. Just be yourself and enjoy your life. You don't need their approval."
If only it were that simple. I'm nothing without their approval.
Soft fur pressed against Mandy's leg. Two pairs of yellow eyes stared up at her. "Rambo and Cheshire!" Mandy stroked Batman's brother and sister. "Remember when we found them in that old abandoned shed in the woods? They were so small. Brianna and Batman fell in love at first sight."
"Of course I remember. That was so much fun."
When Logan leaned over to pet the cats, his glasses slipped off his face and crashed onto the floor. Mandy laughed as she picked up the clunky frames. "These glasses were always too big for your face." She peered into his beautiful hazel eyes, so light that they were almost amber, surrounded by long, black lashes. "Wow! Your eyes are gorgeous. It's a shame you hide them."
Logan’s cheeks turned rosy pink. "Thanks." His happiness reflected in his eye color as it melded into a mixture of bronze and gold. Tiny green and copper flecks embedded within the irises sparkled. "It seems like it's been a tough day for you. Let's scrap the science project for tonight. Want to just hang out and rent some funny movies?"
Mandy's phone vibrated and Chad's picture appeared on the screen. She pressed the ignore button. "Sure, sounds great. How about some video games, too?"
"Only if you're okay with losing!" Logan's goofy grin was infectious.
"We'll see about that!"