Long Road - Chapter 10 - Avoidance
Gimmi flew around Marinette’s room. She was careful to avoid the windows, screens, and vanity mirror while she looked for a place to nap. She figured she’d have time for a short rest before Marinette returned. She ducked down under a window with the door to Marinette’s room slammed against the floor. She was startled and flew up into the window’s reflection. She glanced at it briefly before she ducked back down as Marinette danced around.
“Oh, Gimmi, I had a wonderful time! You should have heard Kitty Section. They’re getting so amazingly good. Especially Luka,” Marinette added with a sigh.
“Uh-huh. You said that the last time too. And the time before that.”
“That’s because it’s true. You know, you should join me sometime. I’m sure you’d love them, and Luka.”
“Right. Would the girl with Longg be there?”
“Mylene. She used to before she and Ivan broke up. She tries to attend for Juleka and Rose but doesn’t feel too comfortable with Ivan there.”
“Well, maybe. Not likely, but maybe.”
“I wish you would though. You just have to see them. And Luka, too.”
Gimmi deadpanned and hung her head in defeat. “Ok, I’ll bite. This Luka is the same you dated before, right?”
“Well, I mean, yeah. It was a little bit of a mess with me being Ladybug and you know I couldn’t tell anyone, so I was always lying to him. I felt bad and broke up with him because I couldn’t be honest with him. But this isn’t like that. We’re just really good friends.”
“Really? Just a really good friend? Is that why I have to sit here and listen to you prattle on about all the little things he does? Is that why even when I’m lingering in the Unseen, I hear you sigh and whisper his name with a dreamy look in your eye? Is that why every one of your male models for your designs look exactly like him?”
“They do not! And I don’t do any of those things.”
Gimmi flew to Marinette’s bulletin board, careful to avoid reflective surfaces on her way. She pulled a photo with Luka in it and turned to one of Marinette’s latest designs. She held the photo up next to the drawing and stared at Marinette.
“You can’t tell me there’s a very striking similarity,” Gimmi remarked.
“It’s a coincidence. Nothing more.”
Gimmi flipped through the sketchbook. She stopped at each male model and held the photo next to it.
“Uh, well, coincidence?” Marinette attempted.
“What? There’s nothing there. I mean, he’s got to have moved on from me, right? I mean, I’m nothing special. Sure, he said I was an extraordinary girl, clear as a music note, and sincere as a melody. And that I was the music that had been playing in his head since the day we met, but I’m sure he’s completely moved on some me. We’re just… friends.”
“And have you, I don’t know, talked to him about it?”
Gimmi’s eye twitched as she put the photo down. She shifted into her human form and smacked the back of Marinette’s head.
“Ow! That hurt! Why’d you do that?”
“Do you not hear yourself? You clearly have a crush on Luka again.”
“What? No! I just really appreciate him.”
“Lies! What I’ve seen and heard tells me otherwise. Now to hear that you cling to his original love confession just seals it. How can you be so willfully ignorant?”
“I am not. I had a crush on him once, but I don’t now. I just appreciate him as a friend. Besides, I don’t have time for romance right now anyway. I have to focus on preparing for high school and working on my blog. Oh! Do you think I can get Luka to help with being a model for my blog? And what if I go to the same high school as him? Wouldn’t that be crazy?”
Gimmi took a sharp breath. She phased up to Marinette’s bed, grabbed a pillow, and screamed into it.
“What’s wrong with you?” Marinette asked.
“You! You and all mortals! How can you be so blind to reality?”
Marinette took a step back. “What do you mean?”
Gimmi phased down and stood in front of Marinette. “Do you think I just speak to speak? That I don’t have a point to make? Do you think me like anyone else in your finite life, or like the other kwamis that would live in their own delusions as any mortal would?”
“I am reality, Marinette. Cold, harsh reality. I won’t play into any make-believe or fantasies you’ve made for yourself. You can push me away, refuse me, but one thing will remain and that is I am what you and everyone else refuses to acknowledge. You’ve fallen for Luka again and you don’t want to admit it because you hurt him. You’re afraid he’ll hold that against you. You’d rather convince yourself with false logic to spare yourself the possible rejection. Say what you want, but I know I’m right.”
Marinette took a shaky breath as tears rimmed her eyes. “Yeah, you are right. Maybe instead of boasting about being reality, you could help.”
“You’re right. I’m terrified that Luka will hold that against me. I’m scared that he has moved on, and I’ll be left with these feelings. Knowing that I messed up and ruined things. To always carry that regret because I ruined something that could have been great just by being me. I just… I don’t want to take that chance without knowing, you know?”
“Maybe if you stopped to pay attention instead of hiding in your delusions, you’d see. You don’t need magic to read a person’s face, body language, or actions. You just need to not be stupid.”
“I have yet to see otherwise, Marinette.”
“Fine. You want to see, I’ll show you. I’ll figure out if Luka feels the same about me, then I’ll confess. But I only will if I know for sure.”
Gimmi met Marinette’s glare, then smiled. “Good. Look in the eyes. They are the windows to you mortals’ souls. If you ever doubt a mortal’s face, look to the eyes and you’ll see their soul laid bare for all to see.”
“Yes. Like you. Your face matches your eyes. Fierce, angry, and determined, but beyond the surface, I can see the shroud of fear.”
Marinette’s eyes widened. “Woah.”
Marinette pursed her lips as Gimmi’s face went stoic. She gulped as she looked for any emotion to point out, but Gimmi’s face held none. She looked into Gimmi’s eyes but struggled to place any emotion they held. She mulled over what she could identify when Gimmi’s eyes darkened with intense fear. She opened her mouth when Gimmi broke her stare and turned away.
“Gimmi? Are you ok? You looked… scared.”
“I’m fine. I just… don’t like looking into reflective surfaces.”
“Reflective surfaces? You know, now that you mention it, I’ve noticed you’ve been avoiding windows and mirrors for a couple weeks now. Is everything alright?”
“Yeah. I just… I don’t like looking at my reflection.”
Marinette tilted her head. She grabbed a hand mirror and held it up. She smiled at her reflection next to Gimmi’s.
“See? You look good. Just like you always do.”
Gimmi’s face paled. “I don’t see what you do.”
“A reality I’ve yet to understand.”
Gimmi vanished, cutting off Marinette.
Marinette hummed and looked back at her reflection. She wondered what Gimmi really saw but put a pin in it. She sat down and propped the mirror up before she grabbed her sketchbook. She took a deep breath as she settled in to draw and watch her eyes. She would figure out how to read people. She’d prove to Gimmi that she wasn’t stupid. She’d make sure to use the help she was given.