They say that beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. Well in my case, it's hard to consider myself a thing of beauty.
My name is Scarlett Hickenbottom and I'm 16 years old. This is my story.
When I was a toddler, people used to say I was the most beautiful baby in the world. I looked just like my parents with milk chocolate skin and jet black and grey eyes so intense, they almost stared into your soul. I had learned to read and write by the age of two and started kindergarten at the age of 4. My parents were so proud of me. That is until my 5th birthday.
My fifth birthday was held at the only petting zoo in town. I was so excited to play with the white tigers which were my favorite animal. My parents brought me into the pen to pet Lucy, the only female white tiger there. Next thing I know the tiger was on top of me clawing the whole right side of my body. Then everything went black.
I woke up in the hospital a couple of days later. The first thing I saw were my parents with disgusted looks on their faces. When I looked at myself I could see why. I still had stitches in, but I could see deep claw marks on my whole right side. I was disfigured.
Turns out that was the last day I ever saw my parents again. After being in the hospital for almost a month, I was put into foster care. Living in foster care was hell. I was treated like a freak and eventually I believed it. I lived there for three years always staying to myself and never really letting anyone see me. One day I decided to be brave when a family said they wanted to see me. I was really excited that I may finally be adopted. When I walked up to them, they looked at me in horror like I was some type of monster. I learned that day to stay covered all the time and never be seen. I never wanted to have my heart broken like that again.
It was also that day I discovered the thing that makes me the happiest.. Wrestling. It was Shawn Michaels vs the Undertaker. Shawn was so charismatic and good in the ring. He was also funny and it made me smile. One day, a bunch of wrestlers visited us and Shawn was there. I wanted to go say hi to him, but I was afraid he would reject me like so many others. So I sat in the shadows watching him. I think he felt me watching him, because he looked over to me and our eyes connected. He started walking towards me and I couldn't help but curl up more so that he wouldn't see me fully. He sat in front of me and we started to talk for a while. He asked me why I wouldn't look at him and I told him that I didn't want to scare him away like I did with the other adults. He told me that I wouldn't and I decided to brave once again and look up at him. Not once did a look of disgust or horror come across his face. Instead he just continued to ask me questions about my favorite color and food. When it comes time for the wrestlers to leave, I get sad because I really liked Shawn. He shocks me though when he asked Ms Jefferson for some adoption papers. He signed them and I became Scarlett Hickenbottom.
Dad treated me with nothing but love and made me feel like an actual person again. I became less self conscious about myself around him. He understood how I felt when I told him I didn't want to play with the other kids outside and how I don't like going outside in general. I only left the house when he had to go on long tour dates and couldn't leave me at home by myself.
A year after he adopted me, he met this woman named Elaine. She had a son named Randy who was one year older than me. I was terrified to meet both of them. Scared they would hate me and that would in turn make Dad put me back in foster care. I started keeping to myself again and hiding myself. Eventually dad married her and both her and Randy moved in with his room being across from mine. One night once I thought everyone was sleep, I went to get some of the Lasagna that Elaine had cooked. I heard a noise and turned to see Randy behind me staring at me. I was so nervous and started to run away but he grabbed my wrist. He told me that he wouldn't hurt me and just wanted to see what I looked like. I expected him to start being disgusted with me but instead he just hugged me. Dad had told him how people treated me and he said that he would never be one of those people. He also told me that he would protect me from anyone and anything. At that moment,I felt happy again. The next morning I came down for breakfast and I could see the happiness on Elaine's face when she saw me for the first time. It was like she reunited with her long lost daughter. That day we became a family
Present Day
"Randall Keith Hickenbottom! I swear to god if you don't give me back my Snoopy, I will wreck you." I yell as I look at him at the top of the stairs. "I want to see you try short stuff!" He yells down at me. I growl at him this boy must really want to die today. "That's ok Randy keep him, just know that both Lola and Lulu will be paying you a visit tonight." I say with a smirk. Lola is my pet snake and Lulu is my pet tarantula. I see the scared look on his face as he drops it over the railing. I catch it and go over to the Grand Piano in our living room. Being homeschooled I learned to play instruments like the piano by myself. Randy being the protective big brother he is, stayed home and was homeschooled as well. I begin to play the first few notes from Good Enough by Evanescence, when I hear a truck outside. I go over to the window and look as a moving truck pulls into the driveway across the street. "Ran look there's new neighbors across the street." I yell up the stairs. He comes sliding down the banister and stands next to me. "Looks like it's three boys and a girl." I nod my head and look back out the window and my eyes settle on this boy with two toned hair. It's almost like my red and black hair except his is brown and blonde. In my own opinion, he's hot but I know that I can't speak to him." Curse that damn tiger. All I want is to be a normal teen for once." I say sadly. "Don't worry sis, if any of them even think about talking bout you, I'll smash their face in." Randy say as he wraps his arm around my shoulder. Randy isn't above defending me. Last year Wrestlemania weekend, JBL called me a freak and Randy beat the shit out of him. It still cracks me up to this day. "Come on sis lets go train before dad gets home and has a fit." He says as he starts to make his way to the basement. I look out the window one last time and the boy with the two-toned hair is staring my way. I look away quickly hoping he didn't see me. I take a deep breath and look back out through the blinds to see that he's gone. Maybe he could be the one to see past all my flaws.