The Character within My Heart

All kids hold an egg in their soul. The egg of our

Hearts, our would-be selves…

Yet…

Unseen…

"Ha ha ha!" Beth giggled at the joke her friend had made, "That's funny!" she and her two friends were standing in the classroom, waiting for the teacher to arrive. Most of the students were already there.

"Oh har har har!!" a mocking laugh sounded behind Beth. She turned and her heart sank when she saw who it was, "That's soooo funny!! A hoi hoi hoi!!!" Rick snorted, mocking Beth's gentle voice.

"Hey! That wasn't nice!" Beth's friend, Yvette, said.

"Oh, I'm soooo sorry! Pweeze forgive me!" Rick clasped his hands together, mocking Yvette's voice this time.

"Why don't you shut up, jerk," Mandy, Beth's other, red-haired friend, said, defending her.

"Hey Beth! Why don't you stand up for yourself for once?" Rick called, ignoring Mandy.

Beth looked away, not sure what to say. Rick continued to jeer at her, but she tuned it out. She didn't want his mean words to hurt her.

Rick had been making fun of her ever since the beginning of the school year. He constantly was there, mocking her, trying to get a reaction from her. She had always tuned him out, convincing herself, Sticks and bones will break my bones, but words will never hurt me. She had a happy exterior, but deep down, Rick's words had more impact than he realized.

I just don't understand why he's so mean to me, Beth thought every day. He pulled her mousey brown hair, he mocked her laughter; he bullied her endlessly. She told the teacher once before, but instead of stopping, he just bullied her when no adults were around. She feared the times when they were in the same room. Once, he was being really mean, mean enough to make her cry in front of everyone. He hadn't even apologized, just laughed and walked away. He called her a flat-chested baby "who can't even muster up the courage to stand up for herself".

Beth's friends defended her and comforted her whenever Rick was mean, but their sympathy didn't make it any better. Beth still felt sad when Rick called her names.

"Alright, class! Please take your seats!" the teacher walked into the room. The students did as they were told. The teacher began to take attendance, but Beth didn't pay attention. She was trying as hard as she could to not look at Rick, who was making faces at her.

Beth felt something hit her in the head. The thing – a balled-up piece of paper - bounced off and landed on her desk. Curious, she un-crumpled it and read the words scrawled on it.

You should start to fight back, baby. I might just start picking on your friends instead.

She didn't even have to wonder who wrote the mean note. Whirling around, she spat, "Don't you touch my friends! You're such a jerk!"

Beth snapped out of her fantasy. Yeah right. If I said something like that in the middle of class, I'd probably get detention. I'm such an idiot, she scolded herself.

xXx

"Ack!" Beth cried out in frustration. She threw her sketch pad across her bedroom angrily. Slumping down, she mumbled, "I can't draw anything good when I'm mad," Normally drawing made her feel better, but today it just made her feel more like she couldn't do anything right. She folded her arms under her head, resting her chin on them. She thought back on the things Rick had said to her and almost started to cry. Why?! She choked back a sob. Why is he so damn mean?! And only to me, too! She pushed back her chair and walked to her bed. She sat down on it gingerly and hid her face in her hands. The sorrow that was welling up inside her heart was almost too much to bear. A few small tears dripped down her cheeks and off her chin. She rolled onto her pillow and burrowed her face into it, using it to muffle her sobs.

After a few minutes, Beth wiped away the last of the tears and sat back up. She rubbed her eyes; crying always made her sleepy. Looking around at her room with blurry eyes, she sat there, completely silent. She remembered her fantasy from during the school day, the one where she finally took a stand against Rick's cruelty. She heaved a sigh. There's no way I'd be able to do that kind of thing. I'm too timid.

Beth walked over to her window and slid it open, crawling out onto the roof. Hugging her knees to her chest, she stared up at the night sky. She didn't live near the city, and there weren't many streetlights on her block, so she could clearly make out the stars. Thoughts wandered around her head, though she never settled on one in particular.

She shivered. Though it was warm during the day, it got quite cold at night. Giving one last look up at the stars, Beth saw a streak of light arc across the sky. She gasped. A shooting star! Clasping her hands together, she closed her eyes and wished.

I wish…I wish I could have the confidence to stand up for myself…so I can be reborn…as the person I want to be…

xXx

Beth yawned. She stretched her arms upwards, eyes still blurry with sleep. She hopped out of bed and got ready for the day.

Skipping downstairs, Beth walked into the kitchen to find it empty.

"Huh? Dad?" she called. No answer. Upon further examination, she found a slip of paper on the kitchen table.

BETH

WENT OUT TO GET GROCERIES.

YOU'LL NEED TO WALK TO SCHOOL TODAY.

-DAD

Beth smiled. Her father was always so responsible about food. He was so overprotective – always wanting to make sure that all of Beth's needs were met. Beth didn't mind him being like that, though. Her mother had died when she was very young, so her father's protection was all she had ever known.

Setting the note back on the table, Beth grabbed herself an apple and walked out the door. But five blocks later, she had to turn around, realizing that she had forgotten one of her school books. Sprinting the whole way back, she hurriedly unlocked the front door and dashed up the stairs. Glancing around her room, she spotted the book on her desk. She grabbed it and was about to leave, but there was a small rustle behind her.

"Eh?" Beth looked at the room. Nothing moved. She shivered, "M-musta been my imagination…" she desperately wanted to leave, but something held her there, rooting her to the spot. As she stood there, there was another small rustle. Beth nearly jumped out of her skin. She grabbed one of her manga books off her desk and held it up, wielding it like a weapon. Slowly, she stepped towards her bed, the place where the noise had come from. There was an irregular lump under her blankets.

Fearfully, Beth clenched the edge of her bed sheet and ripped it off. "HIYAAAaaa…aahh…" she trailed off. Sitting on her bed was an egg. "Wha…!?" The egg was a deep purple and had flowers with strange spiky looking petals around the middle. Moving at a snail's pace, the brunette girl crawled onto the bed and reached towards the strange egg. Extending one finger, she poked it gently. "Huh? It's warm…?" she took the egg into her hands, "Does that mean something…alive could be inside?" the egg shifted in her hand a little, "Gah! It is alive!" the egg dropped from her hands and back onto the bed.

Wha…

WHAT AM I GOING TO DO!?!?!

xXx

Oh, God, I really don't understand what's going on. Beth walked into school totally confused. Humans don't lay eggs! That's chickens! Unless… Beth's eyes widened, Am I some sort of chicken girl?! She clenched her head, Stop, stop, stop! You're being ridiculous! I'm completely human!

Beth reached her classroom and sat in her desk. Neither Yvette nor Mandy was there yet, so she had to sit alone. Sighing, she thought, something really strange is going on here… She pulled her bag onto her lap and, making sure no one was watching, pulled the egg out. She stared at it, willing it to give her answers.

C'mon you stupid egg, she commanded in her mind, tell me what you are. When she got no response, she let out a little moan. Sighing, she tucked the egg back into her bag and placed it on the floor.

"Heh heh heh…" Beth shuddered when she heard Rick's laugh behind her, "Well, whadda we got here? I guess your friends aren't around, huh?" Rick stepped around her desk to face her, "I guess that means the little baby has no protection!"

"Leave me alone…" Beth whispered, not looking up.

Rick cackled, "She can't even talk loud enough!" he leaned in closer, coming inches from her face. She shrank back a bit, "Well, flat-chest, did you take your weekly shower yet?" He pinched Beth's nose, making her flinch, "'Cause you really smell,"

"Stop it…"

"No way," Rick smirked, "It really pleases me to see you squirm," he backed away and laughed.

Beth had another fantasy, this time of her punching him in the stomach. "That's what you deserve, ya' big jerk!" She imagined herself finally standing up for herself, and being able to fight back. I that's what I want to say, but I'll never be able to do that. He just scares me too much…

"Then change your character!" a voice cried out from inside her head. Beth gasped.

C-change my character?

"That's right! Go from a girl who's too timid to stand up for herself, to a girl who's strong and not afraid to speak her mind! Chara changei!"

Chara changei? Isn't that Japanese for…?

"CHARACTER CHANGE!!"

Before Beth knew what was happening, her normal daisy hairclip's petals changed from white to purple and the petals became strange and spiky. With a sudden burst of energy, she leapt up from her chair.

"Stop! Just STOP!!" she cried out, "I really don't appreciate you being a jerk all the time, so why don't you just back off?!" she whipped out her hand, pointing at Rick angrily.

"B-Beth…" a bead of sweat dropped down Rick's cheek.

"NO! SHUT UP!!" Beth screamed, completely furious. "JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!!"

"Okay okay!" Rick waved his hands frantically, "I will! I will! I'll stop being mean!"

"Humph," Beth folded her arms across her chest, frowning slightly, "Good," then, in a split second, all the energy and anger that had been rushing through her disappeared. Her hair clip returned to normal, and she was left feeling stunned and confused.

What the heck just happened?!