A Mirror Too Honest

HE ASSIGNMENT

sources, last-minute rewrites, and the occasional editor meltdown-but noth

Collaboration Assig

one of the rising social dilemmas she'd been pitching all month. Something big. Something wo

the words that should hav

h Dean Mercer for our upcom

tared at

Mer

eaking

e, the way people did secon

d chaotic comic art series had somehow become the magazine's viral golden child. His online fanbase worshipped him. Management ado

him like a wa

had warned herself not to get dragged into the orbit of someone who func

the ema

ture blending narrative journali

ive structu

ine: 6

nt kickoff meet

in

abor

diat

n short-

op before she threw

n't matter that she had pitched three fully-researched features this q

her big a

h an artist who didn't

rf

per

A message from her

il? Stop making the f

d for me ho

p. He needs to tighten up. Mee

: Or m

ve in you. And in

ur faith i

her forehead

gi

gh

d spilled coffee onto her notes while waving his hands around

er tha

ted to write-together-a

er was mo

ard the bullpen with the dignity of someone who abs

ndency. Phones rang. Keyboards clacked. Someone somewhere s

reached

ched pens. Sticky notes with half-ideas. Three empty energy drink cans. A tablet

was nowhere

pi

wandered in at whatever time suited his artistic flow. Something professional.

here, his sketchbo

ouldn'

lutely s

ly, she le

d precise with clean lines, the other loose and free, drawn in warm messy strokes. Between them, a

frow

his..

his..

be irritated or weirdly thrown of

characters in

pun a

d there for dramatic effect. Tousled dark curls. Hoodie

with a neon straw like it

been standing the

u almost snoop." He grin

n't sn

ot. You were... app

inhaled

e snapped. "We have

ed. "I w

ou wer

hind his desk she hadn't noticed. "I was lying down

e napping,

smoothie. "W

ye tw

gnment is import

's the first meaningful piece they've trusted

startled by t

he added

ly, you're

wha

The queen of outlines." He bowed drama

m, caught between r

d slowly. "Then

in. "I have

ief eva

ea

sing a finger. "We do this t

t's

. I don't get to float around ai

reaso

ngly rea

d her arms. "

like a child han

uld start by g

dpanned

ns. Because modern love is literally happening every

ns, sketchbook, tablet, and his smoothie with the efficiency o

ter judgment, s

started i

enger hunt for life's hidden jokes. He stopped to watch a dog wearing a tiny raincoat. He paused to s

annoyed but... gru

e him. Everything had meani

k love looks like no

repared for

oed. "Love is..

s a co

a su

er a know

n't tru

n't sa

dn't ha

ught off guard by ho

countered. "What does

y. Chaotic. Unpredic

gur

oes tha

disorder," she said.

er for a mom

ybe this assignment is supp

e tightening i

eze was cool, the city glowing beyond the river. Dean sat on a bench an

strangely

re you

ng imp

me

op

ea

book against his c

not

ou look at me w

fro

second-the playf

h an expression she di

ing quieter. Something t

eels real," he

she asked before sh

wall

sharper than most people. Harder to

re what to do with the h

s too

ea

inti

htness back into his voice, "how do y

he said. "We design a time

d t

g in segments, merging nar

odded

. makes

nk y

, "you're forge

ha

ook, revealing just e

t she was in now, hair tousled by the wind, gaze

page, written

ollow structure

eath h

an.

expression had shifted-darker, heavier, li

is today," he sai

d. "What d

d it... w

ia f

she whi

sketchbook slo

e said, standing before

nt of him. "Dean, why did you draw

esit

th

buzzed

ked at t

drained o

er seen him lo

on

rong?" sh

dn't

t whis

can't be

ea

slowly, eyes wide

we have a

didn'

dn't

n't br

nd he was seconds away from blowing up everything he'd ever built-in

stepped

voice steady even as her pulse

b hovering over the scr

is hair. Exhaled shakily. "It's someone

ows ti

ho

cket and took a shaky step away from her. The movem

s gut t

is was, it

carefully, "you

sarming laugh he was known

ered, "I'm scar

tinctively, fingers

fro

idn't pu

ng on?" she

ned hi

sed

ened it

t," he finally said. "Someone who

s pulse

relati

jaw f

." He rubbed his forehe

ned. "Th

t her off

ow." He forced a smile that didn't r

ng happened," she argued. "Yo

out a

.I

p, brushing cold

lowered. "Dean.

tion hun

ed out the phone hesitantly, as

reen l

mess

se

li

st any con

ith no name at al

M

of something she d

k anything, Dean's

messag

fli

hide it, she read the previ

finished.

t dropped int

like someone harml

phone like he wa

d, voice tight. "W

hia did

ea

e said. "Ju

ly affects you. And not when we're supposed t

a stead

tell me wha

ulders

staring at the ground, twisting the stra

h

lean," he admitted. "And

chest t

rt them?" she

yes. His were

ean to," he

he said it-so quiet, so

p closer. She wan

exactly whe

ment?" she asked softly. "Because you knew

ked, st

face. "That part has no

oes it have

hat afternoon, Dean s

slowly... but stopped sho

e said, voice almost fragile. "

rt of this story too. And whatever is

aled s

to think I'm

y m

finally flipped op

looke

was

shed, no

so

rmo

ma

erself she did

eath c

utiful," she

eks flushe

t usually draw people I barely know. But that day

roke

she whi

oked...

chest con

ybe I should capture that before t

allowe

an.

ssional. And probably invasive. I wasn't plann

the sketc

appened and I thought maybe

's min

ifying that Dean had seen her with that much

e could decid

hone buz

he didn't

n't ha

second

ne buzz

and pulled it f

wn nu

con

single

ood we

er me. You're with

fr

her exp

in wen

it say?" he

the screen

d at it

"No. No, no-this isn't

r body responding before her mind fully

wly, "how does this

dn't

louder now, "how do th

es like he was b

's something I need to tell you. Something I shoul

back, adrena

you do?" s

e-haunted, gui

ot about the past. Not about 'M.' Not abou

ntire body

care, Dean?"

ned hi

e he coul

ne buzz

er me

her

nocked the air

answer, may

breath

ined of every s

oarsely, "we need t

ered, shaking, "w

d the words that c

nk you're in dang