Mark the Magic Mirror

(Day 131: Thursday Morning)

"Ugh," Evie complains. "I wish Doug were here. He's so good at this stuff." The mirror offers a questions mark. "Oh. Yeah, he's out at a student council meeting. He's the treasure, in charge of the finances and paperwork."

The mirror show the word, "Help?"

Evie lets out a huge breath, "Could you?" The mirror shows the answer. "Okay. Remember, I'm going to be tested on this, so—" He shows the work in smaller print. "I don't get it." He circles part of the work. "You're still not helping."

"I should say not," the Chemistry teacher interrupts, before he snatches the mirror from the table. "I told you cheating would not be tolerated."

"I wasn't cheating," Evie insists. "It was helping me."

"By giving you the answers?" the large man supplies.

"I was just asking how to get the answer," Evie defends. "I didn't understand."

"That's what I'm here for," the brown haired teacher points out, before he holds up the mirror. "I think I'll be holding onto this."

"No," Evie stresses as she stands from her seat. "You have to give it back to me."

"No. I don't think I do." His brown eyes stares into hers, "I already gave this back to you once. If you wanted to keep it, you should have kept it out of the classroom."

"Please," she pleads.

"Don't even try to pull the waterworks on me," he proclaims. "You villains think you're crafty, but I know better. You won't be tricking me again."

"I'm not trying to trick you," Evie stresses.

"I suggest that you take a seat," he calmly continues.

"But—"

"Take a seat," he says a bit louder, "unless you feel like having a little talk with the headmistress in her office."

Evie thinks, "Could I get the mirror back if I go there?"

"No," he answers. "It will be staying with me." She looks down before he says, "Now, sit." and she does as she's commanded.

The time seems to pass slowly, as she stares up at the wall clock and taps her pencil. She has to get him alone. She has to tell the truth. It's the only way. He's going to think you're just tricking him. You know how insecure he is. "I have to try," Evie whispers under her breath. You're stupid if you think he's going to give it back. You should just ask Mal to help you steal it back from him. She shakes her head. It's your best chance. You know it. Evie taps the pencil faster and louder. Just think about it. You know— The bell rings, and Evie breathes in relief; however, she waits for the crowd to disperse, before she walks up to the teacher's desk and takes a deep breath, "Mr. Deley."

He looks up from his papers, "Evie." She looks around and notices some blond girl is still gathering her materials. "If this is about the mirror," he tiredly begins.

"It's not just a mirror," she swiftly turns back to him.

"Yes," he accepts. "It's a magic mirror."

"No," Evie counters. "It's a witch's glass. There's a spirit in it."

"A spirit?" he narrows his eyes.

"A ghost," she shakes her head in hopelessness, before she stresses, "It's not magic. He's just really good at math and science, I needed the help, and you have to give it back."

He's quiet for a minute, "And why should I?"

Evie looks up, "Because." before she meets his eyes. "The spirit's my father."

Mr. Deley clasps his hands, "This is quite the story you've spun."

"It's not a story," Evie yells as she widens her eyes. "The spirit is my father." She grows quieter, "He's the only family I have left." before her eyes shift down. "The only one who actually cares about me, anyway." She gulps, feeling the tears fill her eyes, before she faces him again, "You have to give it back to me."

The teacher's silent for a minute, "I'm afraid I can't do that."

"Please," she feels the tears fall from her eyes.

"Not until you discuss this with Fairy Godmother," he continues. "I do not know nearly enough about magic to assess this situation." He nods, "But if she deems that you should have the mirror, then I will give it back to you."

"Thank you," Evie whispers, before she watches him pick up the landline and make the phone call.

When Evie sits down in the chair the headmistress comments, "So, I hear you claim the mirror that was confiscated has your father's spirit trapped in it.

"Yes," she softly answers.

Fairy Godmother nods, "If I remember correctly, this mirror was your mother's and she had it even before she was sent to the Isle of the Lost."

"Yes," Evie answers again.

"That would make you a lot older than you are now, if the spirit trapped in it really were your father," she examines. "You mind explaining that?"

Evie looks down, "Um, yeah." and she folds her hands before looking back up at her. "My mother used a potion to prolong the earlier stages of her pregnancy."

The headmistress gasps, "She did not."

"Yes?" she furrows her eyebrows.

"That is incredibly dangerous," Fairy Godmother stresses. "The longer a pregnancy is the more likely it is that the baby— or even mother— will fail to survive."

"No. Look." Evie defends, "It's fine."

"You can't honestly believe that?" she inquires. "Not now that I've told you the risk."

Evie takes a minute, "I'm just glad to be alive." and she watches as the headmistress takes a calming breath, clasping her hands onto the desk. "My mother wouldn't have kept me. I know that. She would not have risked her chance at prosperity just to have me." She thinks, "She made the smart choice by attempting to make a good life for herself before having a child. And in the end she did sacrifice her beauty so that I could be born." Evie faces her, "My father died by stepping in front of her when the soldiers aimed at her back, and she cared enough about him to keep me." She slightly shakes her head, "Isn't that all that matters?"

Fairy Godmother frowns, "It is because of your mother's illegal activities that your life was at risk even more than anyone else who uses the kind of potion. If she had been shot, you wouldn't have even been born."

Evie's quiet for a moment, "Like I said before, she wouldn't have kept me had there been no other option. Me being born was more likely by her using that potion." The headmistress stays quiet. "Am I getting my mirror back?"

"I think you will be able to," she answers, "but I have one more question first." Evie waits for it. "Who exactly was your father?"

"He was my mother's advisor," Evie frowns. "He was dedicated to her. He loved her… far more than she loved him." She meets her dark brown eyes, "His name is Mark. He is my father." before she glances down. "And he got taken when he helped me with my homework."

"Most parents do have a hand in their children's studies," the headmistress recognizes.

"Yeah." Evie folds her arms, "I know."

"I will tell Mr. Deley to return the mirror to you." She nods down, "However. Parents are not permitted to enter classrooms. That includes yours. You understand?"

Evie nods, eyeing down in thought, before she softly responds, "I understand." She faces her again, "It that is?"

"Not quite." Fairy Godmother carefully comments, "While I have you here, I would like to know how you've been doing."

"How I've been doing?"

"With your eating disorder," she elaborates. "I must say you look a little worse for wear. Are things going okay?"

It's fine. Evie's mouth hangs open, her eyes shifting in annoyance. The loud voice had interrupted her before she'd even said a syllable. "It's fine," she whispers.

"Are you sure?" the headmistress meets her eyes, and Evie looks away.

If you tell the truth, she's just going to shove another card in your face. Or force you to see the nurse again. Evie looks back up at her. Just look at her. All that flab. And her age. She doesn't even know how much looks matter nowadays. And remember all that talk about how beauty is within that she told Jane? She doesn't even want her own daughter to look beautiful.

"Evie," she addresses. "You can tell me what's wrong."

Nothing's wrong. "Nothing's wrong," Evie repeats. Just— "Just thinking, is all."

"What about?" she inquires.

When Evie fails to speak the voice offers a response, and she repeats it, "The school year is ending soon. What will happen to us?"

"That's up to King Ben to decide," Fairy Godmother informs.

She should have known that conversation would go nowhere. You're missing lunch. "I'm missing lunch," Evie recalls. "Shouldn't you be letting me leave?"

"I think you can spare five minutes," the headmistress replies. "I'd really like us to finish this conversation first."

"I don't know what to tell you," she slowly replies. You're doing fine. "I'm doing fine. My life is better now that I'm here."

"I'm sure it is," Fairy Godmother reassures, "but mental illness cannot be run from. An eating disorder is a disease of the mind."

Disease. Disease is her weight. Can you just imagine the health problems she must have. Evie shuts her eyes and shakes her head.

"You may not want to believe it," she frowns. "But that doesn't make it any less true. You are ill. You need help."

"The only help I need," Evie stares her down, "is to stop getting advice from some middle-aged hag." Her expression immediately falters, "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to say that."

It takes a minute for Fairy Godmother to ask, "What prompted you to?"

Evie's eyes shift down. Just stressed. She furrows he eyebrows, "She's not stupid."

"Sorry?"

Evie looks up at her in near horror, "I—" You have to leave. "I, uh." She looks down, feeling the tears sting her eyes.

"Evie," the headmistress quietly responds. "It's okay to admit you're not well. It's okay to ask for help."

You don't need help. Pretty soon you will have everything you've ever wanted. And more. "I'll get in trouble," she whispers.

"No, you won't. No one can hurt you here."

You can picture it, can't you? When you walk, you won't make a sound. You will fit in anything, and everyone will love you. Mal will love you, for real.

"Evie. You can tell me what's wrong."

She looks up at her, taking a shaky breath, as the tears fall and she quickly wipes them away. You won't have those things if you tell her. She will be your destruction. Evie stands, "It's been five minutes." before she turns and leaves.

- Does anyone else get thoughts in the third person as depicted in this chapter? Just curious... Obviously not. That is the most stupid thing to say.

- So, what do you get when you cross a fairy, a witch, and a vampire? I'm thinking a resurrection. Would anyone care if Audrey became a vampire? This would be several fics from now after she already had her own child... It would be interesting to see Mark alive. Don't you think? Not to even mention Audrey struggling between the transformation and her faith. It would be an interesting character arc, in my opinion.