The History Book of Mallory Price

Angelica, my beautiful, marvelous, flawless sister was born a main character, with her dark hair featuring a streak of pink, big blue eyes, and a tragic backstory. Her mother died when she was young, her father remarried, and then he died too. Boo-hoo. She despised my mother (her step-mom), despite all the attempts for her to join the family. When she turned thirteen, she got this whole quest thing where “the weight of the world” rested on her shoulders or whatever. And, of course, she completed it by sixteen, with the Earth still intact. At school, she acted shy, but everyone thought she was the coolest girl there. She got a crush on the hottest boy in town, and they started dating after a disgustically romantic meet-cute. She had everything I wanted.

I was born a side character. Brown hair. Brown eyes. Normal-ish life, minus the stuff that she brought into my world (that was fine before she came, by the way). I hated it. I didn’t get any attention, even from my own mom. She ruined everything. Everything.

But I didn’t have to be a side character anymore. Isn’t that how all the stories go? The main character is all normal and stuff until either something rocks their boat or they rock it themself. Well, meeting Angelica was certainly a push in the right direction, but I needed to take it into my own hands. First, I needed to look like a protagonist.

So I dyed my hair. A deep purple, if you were wondering. It was great! Mom recognized me as a rebel, and the kids at school actually talked to me, and said how much they “admired my style”. Even Angelica’s hot boyfriend, Collin, said he liked my hair. She was soooo jealous. It felt AMAZING!

But it only lasted that week. Then I was just some girl again. I realized how much matinence this whole protagonist thing required. But after dipping my toes in it, I realized how I didn’t just wish for it. I needed it. And so I decided I needed something tragic for people to remember about me. I couldn’t think of anything, until I thought about Angelica. Both her parents, dead.

I guess Mom just didn’t like arsenic.

This time it backfired. I got nothing. NOTHING. Everyone flocked to mourn with Angelica, forgetting that I was the legitimate child. I realized I couldn’t share anything with her. I needed to take it. Steal it.

And so I kissed Collin. Right there, in front of her. In front of everyone. I waited until after they had fought - it was a tiny disagreement, really, but it worked. She refused to accept his apology, and so I had a new boyfriend. And boy, did I get places with being the hot guy’s girlfriend.

But being popular wasn’t going to get me there, not all the way. I needed a story arc, a climax.

I needed a quest.

So I did some snooping, and caught up to her in the process. I just needed to get ahead, to complete the quest before her. Then, I would be a hero. I would win!

We were neck and neck for a while. As much as I tried to get ahead, sacrificing sleep and grades, she was right beside me, and still her usual, cheery self. I envied her more than ever.

One night, I had found the next location; a dark alleyway where a prophet lived. But she had gotten there before me! I hid in the shadows, just around the corner. I thought maybe I could hear the clue and leave, getting ahead once again.

"The next part of your quest will be bloody." Yes, I thought, She won't be able to do that. But I would. "And it will come very soon." I was ready. Ready for anything. "In fact... you could say... it's right... around..."

"The corner."

I was too late. She was on top of me before I knew what was going on, the back of my head bleeding from meing knocked on the sidewalk. When I tried to turn and get away, I felt a pain in my neck.

She had a knife to my throat.

"Alright, Angelica, let me up."

"No."

"What?"

"No! No, Mallory."

"You win, or... whatever."

"Mal, you don't get it. I don't want to win. I want my LIFE BACK!!"

The blade pressed deeper, drawing blood. "I'm sorry, Angie, I..."

"NO! You don't understand. You stole my boyfriend. You murdered my only parent! You went on MY quest!"

"Well, did you ever think about me? I never got any attention! Mom didn't care about me, her own child!"

"I would have given you attention! You would have been the best supporting character, the inspirational sister. But you chose THIS instead. And now, now I have to stop you! For my quest! It could have been different. But NO."

"You won't be a PROtagonist if you kill me!"

"You forgot the the winners write the history books. I WRITE THE HISTORY BOOKS. And for your sake, you won't be in them." Only then I realized she was crying, in anger, or in sadness, I didn't know. But I hope it was in sadness. "Goodbye, Mal."

There, as the knife slit deeper into my throat and the life left my body, I realized that I had never been a main character or even side character.

I was the villain.