Eye of the Beholder
a/n: just a disclaimer, I don't own anything, I'm using without permission, but not for profit.

For Tally especially, but also for my other ff friends. Thanks for being so awesome! :)

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Peggy was never good with criticism. Up until now, she had preferred to stay in the background to avoid any more attention than usual, and let someone else handle the press. Shew was pretty self-conscious, and in an effort to avoid any criticism, she liked to remain as anonymous as possible.

Which was why she was so torn up by the fact that some person had called her ugly in a chat room.

Sure, she wasn't what you'd consider a great beauty, but ugly? Nobody had ever said that before.

But maybe they were thinking it, and just never said anything.

Ella was more upset that they wrote in a green font, instead of her favorite color, pink.

Tess shrugged it off, saying, "Look, it might not be the best, but people are talking about you. That's the point, isn't it?" Peggy was still upset, though.

"Peggy, I know it's upsetting, but it's just one person out of like, a billion. You're just fine," she said, softening a bot.

Just fine? That's all she was?

She agonized over it, examined the way she looked. She had never been too concerned with her looks before, but now she wasn't good enough at all. She wasn't skinny like Tess, didn't have nice hair like Ella, didn't have soulful eyes like Mitchie, and she didn't have that crazy-cool style Caitlyn had. Nothing was pretty about her.

Her hair was fried, because she straightened her hair all the time instead of just letting it go natural. Her yes were normal dark brown, nothing special about them. She was of average height and weight, something frowned upon by the entertainment industry. She was ugly.

After a few days of obsessing about ti, Peggy was sitting backstage before a Connect 3/Margaret Dupreé performance. Someone knocked at the door, and Peggy said it was fine to enter.

"Hey buddy," Jason said, walking and sitting next to her.

"Hey kid," she said in response, using her nickname for him. Most people thought Jason was a complete airhead, and while he had his ditzy moments, he was a total sweetheart. Totally funny, and smarter than you'd think. In the year since Final Jam, Jason and Peggy had become close friends, talking for hours and hours about anything and everything.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing," she mumbled.

"C'mon, Peggy," he said, "we've been friends for too long for me to believe that. What's going on?"

"It's stupid, really. Just forget it," she said, embarrassed to have to drag it on.

"It's not stupid if it's how you feel." Jason looked concerned. "At least, that's what my mom says, anyways."

Peggy gave half-hearted smile.

"It's just... there was this site where someone said unflattering stuff about me."

"That's so not cool. Why would they say that?"

"Because it's true." she said grumpily.

"How can you honestly believe that?" Jason laughed a little.

"Think about it, Jason. I'm not pretty like Tess, or Mitchie, or anyone. I'm plain old boring Peggy."

That's not true! You're pretty," he said.

"No, I'm not."

"Yes, you are."

"No."

"Yes!" They were both getting frustrated.

"It doesn't matter if you say yes now, cause it'll just seem like you're saying it to make me feel better no matter what."

"I don't get it."

"It'll seem like you're only calling me pretty so I won't feel bad about being ugly."

"I get that, I just don't know why you think you're ugly. Sheesh. I would have though you of all people would know I'm not dumb." He still had the same sympathetic tone, but she knew she hurt his feelings.

"I'm sorry; you know I didn't mean it like that."

"It's just, you are not ugly. You have a great smile, and you actually eat. You're so friendly. What's not to like about you?" he asked, bumping her shoulder with his.

"That still doesn't make me attractive. People don't think I'm pretty," she said, shaking her head.

Jason looked at her long and hard, and seemed to be searching for the right words.

"I think you're attractive," he said. Whereas before he looked sympathetic and energetic, he looked more serious now, and that energy took a whole different tone.

"You're beautiful to me," he said simply.

Peggy was shocked that he actually considered her beautiful. She tried to find the words to say thank you, or something ,but she was speechless.

Her heart beat faster as he leaned in slowly and kissed her.

Critics, eat your hearts out.

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So. Sorry if they were a little OOC. Please tell me what you think. :)