Being Pretty

Being Pretty

  Zee King

  Copyright 2013 Zee King

  * * *

  Chapter 1

  "You have a beautiful name Rose."

  I looked up to stare at Mandy in shock.

  Did she just compliment me?

  "It's actually pretty ironic you know," she continued. "Having a beautiful name, but being a butt ugly beast and all." She smiled a fake smile at me as her friend Eloise laughed at her joke.

  I looked down, hoping she'd maybe stop if I didn't argue with her.

  "Hey Chase, come over here!" She called.

  My eyes widened as she smiled evilly at me.

  She knew that I had the hugest crush ever on Chase Baxter.

  He is literally perfect.

  Quarterback of the football team, swim star and captain of the debate team?

  Oh yeah, and he’s the sexiest being to ever walk the earth with his dirty blond hair and sky blue eyes and chiseled jawline, I just wanted to lock him up in my room.

  “Hey Mandy.” He said walking over. “Hey Eloise.”

  Eloise smiled at him. “Hey Chase. Guys I’m gonna go, see you later Mand.” She said, before walking away from us.

  Mandy waved her goodbye, before turning to Chase, leaning forward as she planted a huge kiss right on his lips and she ran her hands through his hair, pulling him to her.

  I felt my eyes start to tear up at the sight.

  How could she be so evil?

  When Chase pulled her closer to him though, I broke.

  He wants her.

  Of course he wants her though, why the hell would he want an ugly thing like me?

  I ran away from them and I wanted to go straight into the bathroom, but my friend Shane saw me running and stopped me.

  Shane is my only friend in the world.

  We’ve only been friends since he moved here two years ago in our freshman year, but he’s stuck with me through everything, even though I am butt ugly, he didn’t leave me like the rest.

  He has shaggy brown hair and like Chase, he has blue eyes. But Shane’s eyes weren’t a sky blue, they were crystal blue, he had a very mysterious aura to him and he’s actually extremely attractive in that bad boy sort of way. He has a huge tattoo going from one of his toned arms to his chest, but I’ve only seen the part on his arm. He promised to let me see the rest of his tattoo one day though.

  Everyone’s always wondering why he still hangs around me, he could easily fit into the popular crowd if he wanted to, but instead he sticks with me, ruining his rep and he doesn’t seem to care.

  “Are you alright Rosebud?” He asked.

  That was his special nickname for me and it always made me happier to know that someone cared enough to give me a nickname.

  I wiped the tears out of my eyes and nodded. “I’m fine.”

  He raised his eyebrows at me and he held out his hand which I took and he pulled me out back behind the school building.

  This was our usual ‘spot’ where we just came to talk when we wanted to get away from everybody.

  We sat on the grass facing each other and he studied my face.

  My ugly face.

  “What’s wrong?” He asked.

  “Nothing, it’s just Mandy.” I muttered. “She was doing her usual dose of emotional damage and then added a bonus when she started sucking face with Chase right in front of me.”

  Shane clenched his jaw for a moment before he turned his expression soft. “You know I’m not one to hit a girl, but you just say the words Rose, I’ll knock her out.”

  I chuckled. “You don’t know how much I’d love that.” I told him.

  “So I can do it?”

  I shook my head. “That’d make things worse.”

  He shrugged. “Don’t let them get to you.” He said, looking me in the eye. “You’re amazing and beautiful, no matter what they say.”

  I felt giddy at that comment.

  Looking like how I do, I never get complimented on my looks

  “Thanks Shane, but why does he even want Mandy? He’s a senior and she’s a junior like us, he could at least go for another girl.” I complained.

  Shane sighed as he moved so that he was lying on the grass and looking up at the sky and I couldn’t help stare at his crystal blue eyes.

  “He’s stupid.” Shane said.

  “And captain of the debate team.” I retorted, defending Chase.

  “He’s a douche?” Shane tried.

  I shook my head. “He volunteers at homeless shelters. No way he’s a douche.”

  Shane rolled his eyes. “I highly doubt that he actually does that.”

  I shrugged and moved so that I was lying on my stomach, facing Shane. “You’re just jealous that Chase is perfect.” I teased.

  He scoffed. “Perfect? Rosebud, I’d never want to be perfect. Flaws make people interesting.”

  The wind picked up and his jacket moved a little, revealing his arm with the tattoo.

  “Shane, when are you gonna let me see the rest of that tattoo?” I asked.

  He sat up, not looking at me. “When you want me to show you.”

  “I want you to show me now.”

  He shook his head. “No. You don’t want to see the rest. You want Chase.”

  Shane grabbed his backpack off the grass and slung it over his arm, walking away and back to the main building, leaving me to think about his words.

  Well I mean yeah, he knows I want Chase, but why would he think I don’t want to see the rest of his tattoo?

  Of course I do.

  It’s the coolest tattoo I’ve ever seen. And I haven’t even seen the whole thing.

  I’m not even sure what his tattoo is supposed to be of, but I don’t care. Its design is so intricate, but on Shane it looks so manly…

  I picked up my bag and walked in after him.

  I walked into the building and I was immediately ambushed by Mandy who was still with Chase.

  Can’t that girl just leave me alone?

  “So Rose, I have something interesting to tell Chase here.” She said, smiling from me to him.

  I stared at Mandy in question, not looking at Chase because I’d probably melt. I’m already blushing so much just by having him near me that there’s no way I could look at him.

  Mandy gave me an evil smile and it clicked.

  My eyes widened and I begged her with my eyes not to tell Chase, hoping and praying she had just a little bit of kindness in that bottomless pit of hell that she calls her heart.

  “Chase, did you know that little Rose over here has a little thing for you?” Mandy asked, looking straight at me.

  “What?” Chase asked, his expression horrified.

  “Actually, it’s not little, it’s more of an obsession.” Mandy turned to Chase. “She’s crazy about you.”

  I felt the color drain from my face as I looked between a smug Mandy and a disgusted Chase.

  “Please tell me she’s joking.” Chase asked me.

  My eyes widened when I realized he was talking to me.

  I started breathing heavily, earning confused stares from a bunch of people.

  Chase’s expression turned from one horror and disgust, to one of anger and shame.

  “I’m afraid it’s true.” Mandy said, smirking at me.

  “Stay away from me, creep.” Chase spat, his sky blue eyes now hard as he gave me a glare.

  I felt my heart break even more as I realized that Chase hates me.

  He hates me because I’m ugly.

  Everyone hates me because I’m ugly.

  “Are you crying?” Mandy sneered.

  I wiped my tears, turning on my heel and sprinting away from them and straight to the bathroom, this time Shane wasn’t there to stop me.

  I ran in and loc
ked the door. I walked over to the mirror, staring at my reflection the whole time…

  My hideous reflection.

  I let the tears flow freely as I cried, staring at myself.

  Why can’t I be beautiful?

  If I was beautiful, I could get rid of Mandy’s torture and I can finally be popular.

  If I was beautiful then Chase would like me.

  “I just want Chase Baxter.” I cried.

  “What’s wrong darling?”

  I looked around the bathroom and I didn’t see anyone.

  “Who just asked that?” I asked cautiously.

  “Up here!”

  I slowly lifted my head up and I came face to face with a man.

  A floating man!

  “Aaahhhh!” I screamed, jumping back in fright as I ran for the door.

  “Wait, stop!” He called.

  Then all of a sudden he was in front of me, blocking my way.

  My eyes widened as I slipped and fell to the floor in my haste to leave.

  “Wh-who are you?” I stuttered.

  “I’m Darren.” He said.

  He looked to be about twenty-five years old, except for the fact that he was half the size of a normal human and he had huge wings poking out of him.

  “Rose. Now why are you floating!” I exclaimed.

  “Because I’m a fairy.” He told me calmly.

  I raised my eyebrows in disbelief. “Fairies don’t exist, Darren.”

  He raised an eyebrow at me. “Oh really?”

  I shrugged.

  He waved his finger and then pointed it to me, and I felt a jolt go through my body and I started to lift off the floor.

  My eyes widened in shock as I stared at the ground which was now four feet below me.

  “Whoa, okay okay! I believe you! Put me down now!”

  He smiled and snapped his fingers and I fell to the ground with a thud.

  “Ouch.” I complained.

  He smiled sheepishly. “Sorry, I’m still working on that one.”

  I nodded slowly, standing up. “So what are you doing here?”

  “Ah, the question is, what are you doing here?” He asked.

  I sighed. “I needed to be alone and cry.” I admitted.

  “Why were you crying?” He asked.

  “Why do you think?” I asked, pointing to my face.

  He shrugged.

  “Can you not see me, I’m hideous!” I exclaimed.

  His face turned to one of shock as he looked me over, again and again. “You’re the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen Rose.”

  I raised an eyebrow at him. “Is that some kind of sick joke?”

  “Rose, fairies can’t see faces. Your face is your personality and apparently you are a beautiful person inside. Why would you be upset about that?” He asked.

  “Because my actual face is hideous. Nobody likes me because of it.”

  He smiled at me. “I like you.”

  “Thanks Darren.” I managed a small smile. “So I’m really beautiful to you?” I asked.

  He nodded.

  “That must be awesome, to be pretty to someone.” I said to myself.

  “Anyway, you get a wish Rose.”

  “What?” I asked.

  “You were so upset that you broke the scale. Every time that happens to someone, the big guy sends me to grant them one wish to make it better.” He explained.

  “Oh. Wow. So you’re saying that anything I want right now, I can have?” I asked.

  He nodded. “With the exception of wishing for more wishes or more fairies and stuff like that.”

  I turned to look in the mirror, staring at my ugly face.

  “I’m beautiful to you Darren. I want to be beautiful to everybody.”

  “Just say ‘I wish’ and it’s done.” He told me.

  I closed my eyes. “I wish I was pretty.”

  “No Rose, wrong choice of words, instead of pretty, you should have said beautiful because whenever someone wishes to be pretty, they-”

  “Darren! Are you going to make me pretty or what? I just want to be pretty.”

  “But Rose-”

  “Darren!”

  I heard him gulp, but sure enough, a huge jolt went through me and I opened my eyes to look for Darren, but he wasn’t anywhere to be seen.

  I slowly turned to face the mirror, to see if it worked.

  I was breathless at the sight I saw in the mirror.

  I’m beautiful.

  * * *