Title: Love is Louder
Author: Ashley Mullen
Mitchie looked out to the stage as the music began. She looked around the audience, and frowned, as she saw them all dressed up to the nines. There were thirteen year old girls caked in make-up, with fake eyelashes and glitter all over them.
There were girls wearing wigs to look like Mitchie's hair…and girls in the shortest skirts imaginable. The music kept playing and Mitchie missed her cue. She held out her hands to stop the music and looked around.
"What are we all doing here?" She asked everyone quietly. "Why…why do you all have to stand all the way down there, for hours to wait for me, and then I get to stand up here?" She asked them all. "Why am I the one on a pedestal, just because my talent's been recognized? I'm sure plenty of you have talents, right?" She asked everyone, as cheering came from the crown. "No." She shook her head. "No, I don't want you to cheer. Don't cheer because I'm talking to you. I'm a person too, I'm just like you. I don't cheer when you speak, so why should you do it when I speak?" She asked them all, as she paced up and down the stage. "You." She pointed to a girl in the front. "Come on up here." She said, before asking several other girls to do the same.
Soon, there were around five young girls, plus Mitchie on stage. "Hi." She said to them all. "What's your name?" She asked the first one.
"Simone." The first girl answered, her lips curling under her teeth. Mitchie smiled, as she saw a glint from the girls mouth.
"Hey Simone." Mitchie took the girls hand. "Don't hide your braces. You're beautiful." She promised. "What are your names?" She looked to the other three, and held her microphone out.
"Lisa."
"Madison."
"Francesca."
"Nevada."
Mitchie smiled and took the Microphone back from Nevada. "They're beautiful names." She smiled. "Now, I called you five girls up here, because you all seem to have one thing in common." She told them all. "You're all trying to hide yourselves; at least, that's what I think." She told them.
"Lisa and Simone, you're both wearing wigs of my hair." She raised her eyebrows. "And…and Madison, your skirt is so short, you can see where your tan ends!" She exclaimed. "And you girls," She looked to Francesca and Nevada. "You don't need all of that make up and the fake eyelashes. You're beautiful as you are." She insisted. "I hate that make up has become such an accepted thing in society. You shouldn't need that to make you feel better, or to make guys want you." She sighed. "Can I…" She looked to the side of the stage. "Can I have a face wipe please?" She asked, before a stage hand ran out and handed her a face wipe.
She took a deep breath and swiped at her eyes and cheeks, removing all of the make-up that she had been told to wear on stage. "I'm taking mine off." She told everyone. "And I want you all to do it too, if you can." She smiled. "Take off your fake eyelashes, and put those wigs down. Pull your skirts down a little and take off your 5 inch heels." She told them all, as she removed her own two inch heeled shoes. "And join us all. Everyone join hands, and join in with us." She smiled. "Can I get like…all of the face wipes we have out here?" She asked the stage hand.
Within minutes, Mitchie was on the floor in front of the stage. Everyone had joined hands, and packets of face wipes were travelling the arena as girls, and some boys, removed their entire face full of make-up. Mitchie let go of the hands of the two girls beside her, and pressed their hands together, as she stepped out of the line.
"Join in if you know it." She told them all.
Darling speak up;
Honey Reach out;
Won't you tell us everything;
That you are thinking about?
Mitchie danced in between the crowds of people, touching as many hands as she could possible reach.
They're yellin' 'you're fat';
They're callin' you floozy;
But babe they ain't right;
You know they're not perfect;
Love is louder than the words that they have to share.
You know it's not right;
you know it's not fair;
To make a person feel like they don't belong there.
You know it's not big;
You know it's not good;
To do what someone else thinks that you should.
She danced past girls and handed them the spare packets of face wipes as she sang loudly.
You don't need fit in;
You don't need a pretence;
You just need to know that you'll always have your friends.
They're callin' you dumb;
They're shoutin' at you "Homo!";
But don't listen to them cause you know you're the one.
You're the one that's unique;
You're the one that's gifted;
You're the one who knows who they would like to be;
Love is louder than the feeling of defeat.
You gotta live your life;
Take it day by day;
You Gotta hold on tight;
It's gonna just be one big roller-coaster ride.
The tough days will come;
But we'll make it through;
We'll stay united through it all;
I'll stand by you.
Don't let them get to you;
Yeah, I know you're strong;
I'll see you at the other side;
'Cause right now you're wrong.
She removed all of the wigs that she could see as she went past them, placing them at the girls' feet as she went past them.
No don't fit in;
Don't play pretend;
You gotta stand out from the crowd;
And let the world in.
She stopped when she saw a girl who was wedged between two others. On either side of her there were groups who were dressed the same, while she was wearing a plain vest and skinny jeans. It was obvious that the girl was there alone. Mitchie took her hand and encouraged her to dance around with her.
Don't hide who you are;
Don't you dare give up;
No, Don't you give in;
Don't surrender to the pain and all the hurting.
Don't let them win;
You gotta stay strong;
We are all gonna be there to help you through it all;
Cause you know that love;
It can make it through;
You gotta hang on to that love that's inside of you; and remember;
Love is louder than anything that hurts you.
Love is louder than the pressures that we feel each day.
Love is louder than the colour of your skin;
Love is louder…Love is louder than them.
She finished off at the back of the arena, hugging some fans at the end of the song.
"Don't ever pretend to be someone you're not." She spoke up, before the lights went dark and she walked back through the arena.