[ WP ] You have had an imaginary friend . One day you find that your friend is no longer invisible to everyone , but you are .

“ Alex*andria*, if you don ’ t get out of bed in ten minutes, I ’ m *leaving* you today. ” 
 
 It ’ s my mom. Always dramatic. I know she ’ s already tried a few times because she pulled out the nuclear option - the full name. As if ten more minutes has ever made the difference between anything important in my existence. I pinch my eyes harder against the light, but it ’ s no use. If I go back to sleep she probably *will* leave me. 
 
 I manage to open my eyes and I don ’ t see anyone there... which is weird. I don ’ t even see Lexi. 
 
 Which I should mention... Lexi is my imaginary friend. I know I know... high school, imaginary friends, the whole thing - you ’ ll just have to trust me when I say I ’ m a normal person with normal friends and a normal life - not some weirdo that eats alone in like the gym-matt room or something... gross. 
 
 Anyways, Lexi isn ’ t there, and that ’ s strange because Lexi is always there when I wake up. We usually talk about my dreams - she sees them too obviously. 
 
 Up, semi-dressed and down the stairs, I ’ m still rubbing sleep out of my eyes and then I see it - Lexi is at the table. Lexi is shoveling cereal into her mouth. Lexi is wearing *my* favorite cardigan and... yup, talking to my mom. 
 
 “ I don ’ t know, ” she ’ s saying, “ there ’ s a test in trig but Mr Brooker is a pushover. He ’ ll feed us the answers. ” I ’ m fucked up about this for so many reasons - what she ’ s saying about Brooker is true, the test is real, and I really had been stressing about it since yesterday, and that ’ s the outfit that I had picked out to wear. Also imaginary friends don ’ t eat, and they don ’ t talk to your parents... I mean *ideally*. 
 
 “ Um... ” I say loudly, and nobody looks over. * “ UM! ” * And my mom still doesn ’ t look over. 
 
 But Lexi does. She looks at me. She sees me - I know she fucking does. Then she just looks back at my mom and keeps talking about the test. 
 
 *** “ Ugh! ” *** I say, really high pitched and offended. 
 
 And I stomp into the kitchen. I go to push the cereal bowl off the table onto Lexi in her/my cardi but it doesn ’ t move. Mom ’ s still not looking at me, and I guess she might not be ignoring me. The bowl... the clothes... it dawns on me. I am Lexi. I mean - I ’ m Alex, but I ’ m Lexi ’ s Alex now, I ’ m... ugh let me start over. I AM THE IMAGINARY FRIEND NOW. 
 
 I ’ m realizing this, but then the ’ re getting up to go. They can ’ t go! I ’ m still trying to figure this out! Mom looks at her watch. “ Shit, load up girl, ” and they ’ re going for the door, mom swiping her keys up off the counter, and Lexi giggling and being playful about being late. They ’ re smiling at each other. That bitch. 
 
 I ’ m chasing after them, and Lexi is closing the door to mom ’ s car. “ Lexi, what the fuck is this? You *get* out of that car and fix this. You can ’ t just - ” but she closes the door. I go for the handle but I can ’ t move it... I can feel it, but I can ’ t manipulate it. I don ’ t understand, but I also don ’ t have time to figure it out because mom ’ s starting the car. “ Wait! ” I say, banging on the window, but there ’ s no thud sound and the car is moving. So I panic. I jump on the back. 
 
 Down the road, no big deal. Out of the neighborhood, and my hearts beating faster because I know the route. Aaaand yup, turning onto the highway now. Fuck fuck fuck *fuck*! 
 
 On the single sliver of bright side, I suspect I might not die if I fall off. I hold on for dear life anyways, being cautious you know, and I start to focus on anything but the pavement racing by so I look through the back window and there ’ s Lexi, staring at me. Now waving at me. That bitch. 
 
 We ’ re at the school and I tumble off the back. I hit the ground but it doesn ’ t hurt. Probably would have survived the highway. Lexi is bounding out though, bubbly, happy, and my mom is saying bye to her. The car leaves, Lexy is heading in school and I ’ m there on the ground like an idiot. I ’ m still in half-way nightclothes and there ’ s this moment of panic as I realize all my friends are going to see me all unkempt like this but nobody is staring. Fuck - I really *am* not here. 
 
 “ Lexi, wait - get back here! ” Stumbling up to my feet, following her in, and the warning bell is ringing. Five minutes to class. I go inside and Lexi is standing with *my* friends telling *my* story of my mom ’ s ridiculous yelling this morning. 
 
 They ’ re heading to class now, and I follow her in but I don ’ t know what I was expecting. Nobody sees me. The second bell rings and the class starts. I try again, getting in front of the teacher and saying “ Excuse me! ” and waving my arms around, but she just keeps on teaching. On my way out, I look back at Lexi and she looks at me and I shake my head at her and that bitch waves at me again. 
 
 *** “ Ugh! ” *** 
 
 I say, and storm out again. Down the hall, out the door, into the bathroom and I ’ m fuming, close to tears I guess, and then I realize I don ’ t see myself in the mirror and I do finally lose it. Is this it? Is this my life now? Am I a ghost or something. I ’ m crying, and some girl comes out of the stall and I ’ m almost embarrassed but then she says. “ What ’ s wrong? ” 
 
 I turn to her. “ You can see me? ” 
 
 “ Sure I can, ” she said, smiling. She ’ s kindof weird... dorky. I think I might recognize her but then she does look sort of fundamentally unmemorable. It ’ s a big school, I mean I ’ m not a snoot or anything but, well shit I don ’ t go out of my way to meet everyone. 
 
 Anyways, so I sort of remember this girl, but not well enough to tell her the whole shiny truth. I think that maybe... I don ’ t know - me and Lexi aren ’ t friends anymore *apparently*! If this girl can see me, and wants to be my friend... then I think I ’ m her imaginary friend now. 
 
 Then I remember, the last thing I said last night to Lexi was I didn ’ t wan na take this math test. I was complaining, and I remember mumbling to her as I fell asleep: * ‘ I wish I could be you tomorrow and YOU could take this test. ’ * And that bitch took advantage to whatever loophole imaginary friends have access to and screwed me on this whole thing. 
 
 I remember this, and it ’ s a very opportune time... because I may be able to play this. 
 
 “ Listen, ” I say to the girl in the bathroom, “ I ’ m you ’ re imaginary friend, ” and she ’ s nodding like she knows it. “ do you want to be like me? ” 
 
 “ I guess so, ” she says, and I giver her a look like *I need more than that! * and she ’ s saying, “ yeah sure, you ’ re pretty, popular, everything I ’ d sort of like to be - friends and all that, ” and my Gooood she ’ s grinning at me so goofily. 
 
 “ Aaaaand, ” I say, and I can tell she ’ s confused. 
 
 “ Yeah, okay, I wish I was more like you. ” and I ’ m waving my hands like *give me more! * and she says, kindof offended like she feels forced into it, “ I wish I was you! ” 
 
 Nice! I look at the mirror - *Fuck yeah! I ’ m therein the mirror! * That other girl isn ’ t anymore, but what can you do right? 
 
 I run out, bust into Lexi ’ s classroom and they ’ re all staring at me like ‘ literally wut is this girl in her pjs... ’ and I ’ m like “ Lexi. Literally what the actual fuck. You ’ re being such a bitch. ” and everyone ’ s looking from Lexi to me to Lexi to me, and she ’ s looking around, and then finally she speaks: 
 
 *** “ Ugh! ” *** 
 

