The first one

She’s really thin. That was the first thought I had when I met her.

She was standing with her legs slightly apart and her head cocked in a way that made it look like she was assessing my soul. Her yellow shorts showed off her impossibly long legs and her white shirt was tied just below her golf ball sized breasts.

There was something about her utter stillness that oozed sexuality.

“ça va ?” She said “je ma pelle Sofia, comment t’appelle tu ?”

I had studied French for 13 years at that time — since I was born— and I spoke fluently. But her accent had a ringing quality that I could never hope to imitate. Her body moved with every syllable, and her voice was husky and melodious at the same time.

“je ma pelle Stella, pouvez vous parlez anglais ? ” I asked.

“I do, in fact I lived in England for 3 years when I was your age”

I immediately decided that English should only be spoken with a French accent.

“I’ve always wanted to go to England, but my dad will never let me”

She floated closer. Even the way she walked was ethereal, her feet barely touched the ground and her tiny waist swayed like a leaf in the wind“you are missing nothing chérie, I couldn’t have been happier when I left”

Her caramel coloured skin looked like it was dusted with gold, and her dark corkscrew curls formed a halo around her head.

“this is probably rude, but were you born with hair like that?” I asked

She brushed a hand over her hair “no, I have kinky hair like you”

“then how….?”

She smiled at me conspiratorially “hair gel”

“will you teach me?” I asked “my dad says no boy will ever want me because I don’t have big breasts and I’m not beautiful”

“that is a lie. Your papa is full of merdé” she pushed her face so close to me I could count her long, dark eyelashes“am I beautiful Stella? “

“you’re the most beautiful person I’ve ever met” I replied

“then how can you be ugly?”

I shook my head “I don’t understand”

She smiled and pressed her face to mine“look closer Stella”

Her incisors were chipped like mine and her eyes were awfully familiar.

“if I am you, and I am beautiful, then how can you be ugly?” she said.

I realise with a start that her eyes are my eyes, and I am standing with my face pressed up to the mirror.

“see?” she starts laughing and then she’s gone.