The Broken Mirror

by Tshombe

  “Honey, is everything alright?”

  “Everything is fine, honey. Why do you ask?” Her voice was almost begging for help. Her eyes teetered in transition.

  “I – I don’t know. I guess I’m still woozy from the medication or something. Never mind.”

  Looking inquisitively, her smile softened. “Ethan, why do you have to be so amazing?”

  “Huh? I don’t understand, Rio. What did I do that was so amazing?”

  She leaned over to kiss him on the cheek. “You’re so silly. You know what you did.”

  Ethan felt more lost than before. He didn’t want to offend her, but he had to know. “Honey, I really don’t know what you mean.”

  She smiled disarmingly at him then looked up into the sky. “You know what’s funny, my love? Most people are afraid to admit certain things because they don’t want to look or sound stupid to others. It’s a phobia that paralyzes some people, trapping them in their own way of thinking. A world protected by walls of fear which imprisons rather than protects their thoughts. Once your thoughts are imprisoned, Ethan, you’re as good as dead because your thoughts are what you are. So why be afraid of sharing your perception? Are your thoughts not good enough? Is it peer pressure? Or is it that you don’t want to face the reality of what’s on your mind?”

  He was beginning to comprehend what she was saying but was still afraid to admit what he’d seen.

  “Ethan,” she said softly. “I’m asking you a question. What makes you afraid to speak your mind?”

  The moment had become tense and challenging. Ethan searched his mind for the proper thing to say but was unable to find anything to satisfy her question. It was then that he realized his problem. “The thing that makes me not speak my mind freely is that, like most people, I’m considering other people’s reactions and I’m constantly tailoring my words to fit that. My silence is not fear as much as trying to say the right thing.”

  Her laugh only served to increase the tension he felt.

  “What’s so funny? I was serious about what I said.”

  “Ethan, I’m not sure I was clear when I asked you that question. I do understand the need to consider other people’s feelings when using your words, but what I meant was in regard to speaking your mind without fear of looking like a fool. You looked into my eyes a moment ago and saw my soul, but you denied what you saw. Did you think I would judge you for what you thought you saw?”

  His heart skipped a beat. How did she know? “You… you know what I saw?”

  “Of course I know, Ethan. I’m the one that showed you. One day you’ll understand me better, but today is not that day. I love you.”

  She kissed him passionately and his mind was so engulfed by her that he didn’t notice the car pull in front of the house. Before he knew what was happening, she was gone.

  Beep, beep, beep… The alarm clock alerted Ethan that the morning had finally come after a long night spent tossing and turning, thinking about what Rio had shown him.

  “Ethan, are you up yet? Honey?” The door opened, revealing his mother standing there, glowing. He had barely seen her smile recently, this was a welcome sight. “Ethan, is everything alright? You’re looking at me as if you’ve seen a ghost.”

  “No, Mom, everything is fine. You just look happier than you have in the past few weeks.”

  Smiling she walked over and sat next to him on the bed. “Well, honey, things are getting better for me. I love your father very much and, believe it or not, he loves me too. We have a few problems that need to be worked out and we are working through them, but we need time.”

  Ethan’s face soured at the mention of his father. The pain from his father’s betrayal resurfaced. “Mom, Dad left us for his whore, and now we’re supposed to accept him back as if he’s done nothing wrong? That’s not something I’m willing to do right now. You can let him back, but as far as I’m concerned, he’s still gone.”

  “Ethan, he is your father and you will respect him as such! He loves you and what happens in my relationship with him should not interfere with the love you two have for each other. Is that understood?”

  Ethan felt his mother’s need for hope and he didn’t want to take away her glow. He would not bring her pain like his father. “I’m sorry, Mom. I – I know that he is my father and I do love him, but what he did was not just directed toward you; it was directed toward us. He hurt me too, Mom.”

  Ethan’s eyes burned with unexpressed pain, his tears boiling up from deep within. Unwilling to suppress them any longer, he let them pour down his cheeks. He was speaking his mind without fear of being a fool. It was a freedom he had not experienced in a long time.

  “Come on, honey,” his mom stood up, “you have to get ready for school. We’ll talk more about this when you come home.” She kissed him on the forehead before leaving the room.

  Ethan dressed quickly and in moments was standing before his white horse. He and his beloved car had been apart for so long. He’d been pining for this moment; he savored opening the door. Ethan thought about how lucky he was to have such a car. Firing up the car’s engine, he settled in his seat and grasped the wheel as the powerful machine roared to life.

  At Barry’s house with the car’s top down and music blaring there was no need to honk the horn for, as always, Barry ran out and hopped into the passenger seat.

  “What’s up, E?”

  “What’s up?” Ethan greeted his friend as he put the car in gear and pressed the gas pedal, the force of horses pushing them back in their seats.

  “Man, E, I have got to tell you something. That chick Denise is flipping out, man. She’s bad mouthing you to anyone who will listen. She told Tiffany that she saw you shooting dope last summer with that dude, Jake, and that’s probably the reason he stabbed you. Can you believe that? Why is she talking like that, dog? I thought you guys were cool!”

  Ethan kept his cool, seeming unfazed as he processed the information. He knew it was his own error that caused this. He had driven Denise to this point by turning her into a cornered animal hissing and scratching at anything that came near.

  “Aye, Bear, we’re going to be a little late for school man. Got to make a stop somewhere first.”

  They arrived while class was in session. The campus was still, with only a few students wandering around. It was not the welcome Ethan had dreamed for his first day back in the kingdom, but he had to adjust his plan for his return. Some of his subjects had become unruly during his absence, so a silent arrival was required.

  “Barry, I want you to meet me in front of the cafeteria at lunch. Round up all the guys and have them with you. Don’t tell anyone I’m here.”

  Barry smiled at his friend. “It’s amazing how your mind works, E. Like a mad genius or something. It’s good to have you back, dog. See you at lunch.”

  Ethan watched his friend head off to class before getting out of the car and heading to the principal’s office.

  “Dominic,” Ethan said quietly, surprising the awkward young man before him.

  “Mr. Smith!” Befuddled, Dominic abandoned his task of fixing papers for the principle’s secretary and turned to acknowledge his king. “How are you doing, sir?”

  “I’m doing fine, Dom. I’m fine. I’m in a hurry right now, I need to talk to you about something.”

  “Anything you want, sir! What do you need?”

  “I need you to clear me for all my classes today.”

  “All of your classes today, sir?”

  “Yeah, Dom, I don’t have time to explain. Just make sure I’m cleared for my absences.”

  “Alright, Mr. Smith, is there anything else I can do?”

  “Yeah, there is something else you can do. I need you to call Rio out of class and excuse her for her absences too.”

  “Alright, Mr. Smith, I hope you’re feeling better.”

  “Thanks Dom! I’m feeling better than ever right now. Tell Rio to meet me at my car.”
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  “Alright Mr. Smith, sure thing.” Without another word, Ethan walked off, feeling good to be back in his kingdom.

  Rio appeared in his rear-view mirror like an apparition, floating toward him and his horse. Ethan found himself frozen in place, his breath caught in his throat, while his heart seemed ready to beat out of his chest. She opened the passenger door.

  “Ethan, what are you up to? Dominic said to meet you out here and that I’m cleared for all my absences today.”

  He kissed her softly on the lips. “I was thinking about you, as I always do, when I realized that you’ve never rode in my white horse before.”

  She gave him a quizzical look. “What are you talking about, Ethan? What’s your white horse?”

  “My car!” He said with a laugh. “You’ve never ridden in my car before.”

  Now it was Rio’s turn to laugh. “You named your car?”

  “Yeah. What’s wrong with that?”

  “Nothing is wrong with it if you’re a nerd. I never thought that a cool guy like you would name his own car.” She laughed a little harder. Ethan tried to look serious, but her energy was infectious.

  “That’s it,” he said, unable to continue the fight against his grin, “I’m going to show you what happens to people who laugh at the king!”

  He grabbed her firmly by the waist as she tried to pull away, and with that they began to wrestle playfully. Always aware of his surroundings, Ethan gave a quick glance around the car to make sure their playing went unnoticed. Their bodies pulsed against each other, stimulating the chemistry of arousal. Two lovers laughing and giggling, wrestling for the dominant position. Catching each other’s eyes, their laughter stopped and turned into hungry kisses. Ethan savored the sweet taste of her mouth, wishing he could become part of her.

  His kisses brushed along her skin from her lips to her neck. He whispered in her ear, “Let’s get more comfortable.” They moved to the back seat. Slowly and gently he lifted her shirt moving down to kiss her beautiful stomach. Her soft flesh stimulated him in ways he had never experienced. Removing her bra, he exposed her breasts. They were more beautiful than he had imagined, as perfect as a painting. In her eyes, the innocence of a child gazed up at him, begging him to be gentle. He took his time removing his shirt to reveal his muscular build. She was his. He lowered himself down on top of her, the warmth of her body sending goosebumps up his spine. From her breasts he laid trails of soft bites and kisses back down to her stomach. Stopped by her pants, he pulled down her zipper and unbuttoned the waist revealing white, cotton panties with little black cat paws printed all over. He couldn’t help smiling, thinking how cute it was that a woman with such a mature sense of self could wear such adorably youthful panties. Meeting eyes, she smiles knowing exactly what he’s thinking. He tugged on the waist of her jeans and she lifted her body to help. With her legs exposed he admired her thighs, soft and plump, curving at the right points to stimulate his delight. A few more kisses on a new part of her body as he moved his hand toward her panties. Again, she lifted her body to aid his efforts. The sight of her pubic hair tantalized him as her sweet aroma filled him with an overpowering desire. He kissed his way up her inner thigh, drawn to this new destination. His tongue met her sweetness first. She let out a soft moan as she moved, pressing into him in a rhythm all her own. Her warm juice flowed into his mouth; and all he wanted was more. Using his lips, tongue, and fingers as the instruments to produce sounds of pleasure he searched for different notes to compose their unifying song.

  Her moans sung higher and higher until he found it. The note of climax! Her warm flower pulsed, gushing sweet nectar into his mouth. Grabbing his head, she pressed his face into her vibrating pussy. Her entire body clinched and flexed uncontrollably, she finished with a trembling that resembled a seizure and with a final gush of nectar she screamed his name. Her grip on his head relaxed, followed by the rest of her body. He pulled his head away from this place she’d cum, admiring the beauty of this place now open like a flower in full bloom. He blew his cool breath from her stomach to her thighs as he pulled down his pants. Purring in pure ecstasy, she opened her eyes to see him putting a condom on. Biting down on her lip, she closed her eyes, and with a kiss he pressed himself into her. It was the moment they both had been waiting for.

  After their sensational experience, they dressed, lost in separate thoughts.

  “Ethan,” she purred while pulling on her pants, “do I make you happy?”

  Furrowing his brow in question he smiled.

  “Of course, you make me happy. Why would you ask me that?”

  “It seems like something’s on your mind. It’s the same thing I could feel when I first got into the car. I don’t know what it is, but I know it’s bothering you and I hope it’s not me.”

  Ethan sighed heavily, pausing to choose his words carefully in the wake of their intimate encounter. “Honey, you always make me happy. What’s bothering me is here at school, and that’s why I called you out.”

  “What is it, baby? Can I help you? You know I’ll do anything for you.”

  Taking her hand in his, the energy between them hummed. “I do need your help, babe. Denise has turned against me and has been attacking my reputation with lies that attempt to assassinate my character.”

  “What?”

  “Listen. I don’t want to fight with her. I want her to submit and admit to everyone that she lied because she was jealous and hurt. I want her to repent.”

  Burying her head into his chest, Rio agreed. “Yes, that is what needs to be done. We must make her honor your true power.”

  Her words lifted the weight Ethan had felt so heavily on his shoulders. He embraced her, inhaling her scent, and with her head against his chest Ethan felt a deep comfort in her agreement.

  “Rio look at me,” her beautiful eyes captured him. “I want you to talk to Denise. I want you to make her feel comfortable and bring her to me.

  “That’s all you need me to do?”

  “Yes… that’s it.”

  “Consider it done my love.”

  The sound of the lunch bell alerted him. The champion was ready to defend his title. The king and his queen exited their chariot and headed towards the arena.

  One Last Kiss

  Denise smiled smugly thinking about the rumors she’d started and how hungrily Ethan’s so-called subjects had gobbled them up. As she entered the cafeteria she was thinking more about what to say than what to eat when a man she had never seen before stopped her.

  “Miss,” the man said, holding a bouquet of flowers, “these are for you.”

  Denise looked at them, confused. “Sorry, sir you have the wrong girl. Those are for someone else.”

  “The name on here says Denise,” the man said. “I was told to find the prettiest girl on campus and deliver these to her. So here you go. There’s a card inside.” Denise took the flowers. “Enjoy your day,” the man said before turning to leave.

  “Who told you to deliver these to me? How did you know what I looked like?”

  “The card will explain everything. Enjoy your day.”

  Denise stood in disbelief looking down at the two-dozen beautiful long-stemmed roses in her arms. Who could have sent them?

  “Denise, you have a secret admirer?” Her friend Sheri asked, after witnessing the bizarre encounter.

  “Sheri, I have no idea. It might be that guy Jason who’s been asking me out lately. The delivery man said the card would explain everything.”

  “Well, what does the card say?”

  “I don’t know. I haven’t read it yet.”

  “Well, what are you waiting for? Read it.”

  Denise took the card off the flowers and stepped out of the cafeteria to avoid any more attention.

  “Well, what does it say?” Sheri asked impatiently.

  Denise couldn’t believe it.

  “Who is it from, Niecey?”

  “It’s – It’s from Et
han.”

  Denise’s shock spread to her friend, who knew how Denise felt about Ethan.

  “What did he say?”

  Denise looked away in a feeble attempt to hide the shame spreading across her face. All the arrogance she’d felt from the power of her words drained from her as her face became pale.

  “Sheri, I – I can’t read this again. Take it. Please.”

  Sheri took the card from her friend’s trembling hand it read, Niecey, I really miss you and want you to know I’m thinking of you. I hope these roses brighten your day as you always brighten mine. I can’t wait to see you. Sincerely, Ethan.

  Sheri put her arm around her friend who was now quietly sobbing with regret.

  “It’s gonna be alright, Niecey. Don’t cry. Everything is gonna be fine now. When you get home, give him a call, and explain how hurt you were. He’ll understand.”

  Sheri’s words didn’t ease Denise’s burden. She would have to explain to people that she was wrong before he returned to school.

  “Do you really think he’ll forgive me?”

  “I know he will, girl. He loves you.”

  “I have to fix this Sheri. Hold these flowers so I can fix my makeup.”

  Sheri took the flowers, admiring them in the light, when a shadow imposed darkness over them. Annoyed, the girls looked up to see Rio standing over them, smiling. Denise’s breath caught in her throat as her insides clenched tight, anxious with anticipation about the meaning of Rio’s presence in that moment.

  Ethan’s court gathered, having no idea he was approaching. His faithful court of merry men were enjoying another moment of simplicity, laughing and joking. Barry saw him first and shouted,