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That girl is Raffina.
She’s my classmate and my best friend. She and I have known each other our whole lives. At least, that’s what it feels like. It’s so amazing how much she’s grown in the time we’ve spent together, and how far she’s come. She tells me it’s ‘only natural’ she’s gotten so far, that girls like her are ‘Destined for greatness and beauty’. She smiles when she says it, but it doesn’t seem to reach her eyes. Ms. Accord says she has a ‘complex’ that makes her sensitive, and it’s nothing to worry about. Still, I wish she was more proud of the girl she’s become.
That girl is Raffina.
She’s one of the students in Ms. Accord’s new class. She’s got a short temper but she seems like a nice girl. She’s vain, for sure, but it’s just that vanity that drives her to improve herself. She desires nothing short of perfection and she won’t rest until she’s got it. That mindset has given her plenty, but it may well do her more harm than good as she gets older. She’s a promising martial artist, but her potential for magic seems limited. I brought her up to Ms. Accord once, but she was pretty quick to change the topic. There’s something I don’t like about the way she talks about her. I don’t know what she did to slight Ms. Accord, but for her sake, I pray it doesn’t happen again.
That girl is Raffina.
She’s just the way I was at that age; Chasing after praise for the sake of affirmation, strength for the sake of fighting, and beauty for the sake of being loved. Her manners are impeccable, but that temper of hers could use some work. Still, I have high hopes for her. All she needs to do is figure out what she wants, and the path to achieve will lay itself bare before her. I have full confidence that she will blossom into an absolutely gorgeous lady, one who earns praise for her character, finds strength through peace, and beauty through the love she’s shown herself. She just needs a feminine touch.
That girl is Raffina.
She showed up along with Arle and the others. I think she’s friends with Amitie? She was a bit prickly towards me when we talked, and I don’t think she liked my sense of humor much. Cute kid though, and her friends seem to care about her a whole lot. I don’t know much about her, but with friends like hers, she’s gotta be one special gal.
That girl is Raffina.
However, there was once a time when she wasn’t Raffina. She was Raffine, for a time, and before that, well… It certainly wasn’t anything I had anticipated. Of course, I was surprised by who she had decided to be, but more than anything, I was curious. My students’ world views hardly extend beyond the mirage. How would they react to such a sudden and drastic change? would they be curious, angry, sad, happy, apathetic, or perhaps something else entirely? When she got up on her desk and instructed the class how to properly greet her, she was absolutely mortified. To our surprise, the class welcomed her with open arms. I do wonder, is intolerance a learned trait, perhaps? One that my students simply haven’t been exposed to?
That girl is Raffina.
That girl blinks. I blink back, for that girl is me. I stand helpless before my reflection as her piercing gaze scrutinizes my every feature. She touches my chin, eyes narrow, and traces a line down to my collarbone. She huffs, dissatisfied, as her hand falls to her side. She’s awfully tall for a girl her age. Awfully strong, too. She rolls up her sleeve and flexes. When a problem arises, she’ll be the first to try punching it. While it’s proven to be effective, it’s a far cry from the ladylike grace of using magic. Still, what choice does she have? How could a mere shower compare to a hurricane? Without her strength, Raffina is nothing more than a blowhard prima donna. With her strength, she is a brutish boor. My eyes fall to my own clenched fist. How, then? How am I supposed to be Raffina? As my reflection looks up at me, I spot tears streaming down her mocking face. An instant later, she's vanished into hundreds of shards of glass.
I blink, staring blankly at the spot she once stood.
I inhale.
I exhale.
The hurt washes over me. With a shaky breath, I withdraw my fist from the pane and begin to pull glass shards from my hand, cursing her name.