I can be a Swan Too
The pool area of the Playa de Losers Resort was brimming with life on this warm summer day. All of the cast of Total Drama Island was out and about enjoying the sun, cool water and delicious food that the resort had to offer. It was a much needed improvement to the terrible conditions o that they were subjected to on the island. One such contestant had decided to break off from the group and bask in solitude.
Beth really enjoyed her time on the island, despite some of the crazy things that she had to endure. Sure getting back stabbed and presumably cursed put a real damper on things, but she got to hang out with awesome people, make friends and had a shot at a hundred thousand dollars. How many other people could say that? So far, life was great for the nerdy farm girl as she basked in the sun a little while away from everyone else. Most people would wonder why she wasn't laughing and having fun like everyone else but, that would have only made it harder to people watch.
It was nice enough for her to watch the other ex-contestants this time around, as she was still tired from a party Geoff through the night before. Thinking of the party boy made Beth look around at all of the other guys at the resort. Some were chatting or making out with their girlfriends, a few were standing by doing their own thing and a few others were passing a football around. A good majority of them were very nice to look at, and their shirtless torsos made Beth blush.
She didn't have much experience with guys in general, so all of the different ones here blew her mind. Geeks, nerds, party boys, delinquents, teddy bears; types you'd only see on TV were right in front of her. Sure, some of them were taken, but that didn't mean that she still couldn't watch, right? Yet, as she did, it kind of made her sad. Ever since she became interested in boys it seemed that watching them was all she did.
The guys in her hometown were all cute and nice and it was easy for any girl to fall for them. Unfortunately for a girl like Beth, they never fell for her. She knew that she wasn't classified as a guy's dream girl due to what she looked like. She knew that her braces didn't scream pretty when they got stuck to her lips, or the way she lisped and spit when she talked. When her laugh was accentuated with a snort she could tell it was a turn off. Her side ponytail wasn't like the shining locks that the presumable hot girls had, and as for her clothes, she dressed the way she did because she liked it.
All her life, Beth knew that she would be different than the other girls around her. While they preferred to do their nails, she enjoyed making bracelets. While all they had to do were occasionally do dishes, Beth was out working alongside her parents. It was her responsibility to help feed the animals and clean the pens; her family counted on her. Due to work she never had time to do all of the things that other girls did. She was different, and while she was proud of that difference, it still hurt.
Despite the warm sun beaming down overhead, Beth suddenly felt a chill go up her spine. She never really liked thinking like this but, her mother always told her, and the best way to deal with it was to let it run its course. If she tried to block it then it would only fester inside her and hurt her. Thinking of her mother made the pink swimsuit clad girl smile. Her mother always knew what to say whenever she needed advice. In this moment, her mind went back to one of the fondest memory of her childhood.
Even as a little girl, Beth was a nerdy little thing. Her glasses were large, her front teeth were big, and she always wore patched up hand me down clothes. Yet, she was a happy girl, a smile constantly plastered on her face no matter where she went. That is, when she was left alone. There were others around her that would say things that would take her smile away. Sometimes, it was only for a little while; other times, it could last for days. One such occasion was a Valentine's Day on a year that was long forgotten. The intended boy had ripped it up and thrown it to the ground, saying she wasn't pretty enough.
That day hit Beth hard, and she had treaded home from school in the rain. When she had gotten home, face wet with rain and tears, she didn't even say anything to her parents. All she did was go upstairs, bathe and change, and then came down for dinner. The meal was spent in silence as the worried parents looked at their little girl with broken hearts. After the dishes were cleared, washed and dried, little Beth treaded back upstairs to brush her teeth and go to bed.
Her head hadn't even hit her pillow before her mother entered her room. She didn't want to tell her the reason for her behavior at first, but soon broke down in a few minutes. The tears she had been holding back had now started running down her cheeks like rivers. Her hiccup laden sobs could only be halted by the warm embrace of her mom. Taking a few more minutes, and more than a few tissues, Beth's crying had slowed to a near stop. That was when her mother had given her the piece of advice that she would keep with her all of her life. "While those other girls may be pretty little ducklings now, one day you will be the most gorgeous swan in the world."
A swan, her mother truly believed that she could become a beautiful swan someday. That one day she would outshine all of the other girls and boys that had put her down. It made her feel like she could do anything, and that nothing would stand in her way when it was her time to shine. Sure she was still a little nervous when it came to the pretty popular people; they were just so interesting yet intimidating. Beth wouldn't let that stop her though; she would be one of those girls one day, but a nice one.
Beth could see herself talking to or, writing a book for young girls who had felt the way she had. To show them that they don't have to be afraid or ashamed of how they looked or who they were. So, as she looked around the resort at all of the other girls in their skimpy swimsuits, she didn't even feel jealous anymore. Some of them were nice to her, like Lindsay, and she didn't feel any animosity to them anyway. The others, however, would soon see that getting on her bad side was not a good idea. She wouldn't do anything rash of course, just be her own fabulous self with incomparable beauty and an amazing boyfriend.
So, Beth sat in the sun and relaxed, a gentle smile plastered on her face. All the cute little ducklings could walk around with their noses in the air if they wanted to, someday, Beth would be a swan too.
Hello again readers, who would have guessed I would put something up so soon? Seriously, this shocked even me; I think I'm getting better! :D Anyway, I've started to take note of a theme in a few of my Total Drama stories in that the girls deal with one issue: beauty. More specifically, being seen as beautiful by not only their peers, but themselves as well. Now, I never took notice of it at first but, with this story, I can see it clear as day. Why have my stories been revolving around this issue? The answer is probably me. I've struggled with this for quite some time and I know that there are probably a few readers who have too. I hope that these stories can uplift people and make them feel better. I hate to have people being sad and, even though it's probably trivial, I like to think that some of my stories can make them feel better. At least for a while. Well, until next time my babies, follow, favorite and review. Mwah!