The Pretty Problem
By Albany McCabe
No one had asked. It wasn't that they didn't care. It was just that they had never imagined that it would be hard for Tally to give up being pretty. She had counted the years, then the months, then the days, until she could become pretty. Shay thought she was mad at Tally. Shay would never feel the rage Tally had felt when Dr. Cable had said that she wouldn't make Tally pretty unless she helped Dr. Cable. Tally had wanted to wring Shay's ugly little neck, when she couldn't get pretty. She had secretly relished the idea of turning Shay into Dr. Cable. In her mind it was seeing her friend again that made her not turn the Smoke in. In her heart, however, it was the sight of David. He was an ugly in a way that Tally had never seen before. She had loved David since the moment she had seen his heavenly eyes gaze into hers. When they both knew they were in love, Tally had destroyed the necklace that Dr. Cable had given her. It wasn't over, though. When Shay was made pretty and wouldn't take the pills to change her mind back out of bubbleheadedness, Tally saw her chance. Everyone thought that Tally was so noble, taking a chance on the new pills. It wasn't so, though. Tally wanted to be pretty. Even if just for a little while. Sure she knew about pretty heads or bubbleheads, she just didn't care. She knew that she could overcome it if she wanted to. It didn't go the way she planned. Pieces of her old self kept shinning through the new pretty Tally. Shay saw it. She didn't like it. Then, came the pills and Zane. How she loved Zane! She had long forgotten David. Zane was her one, her only. He wanted to take the pills. Tally didn't want to. It was a hard decision. Zane was going to take the pills, so Tally would. It was crazy. She didn't feel any different. She didn't know then that it was because she had taken the pill that would stop the nano pill from eating up her brain. Zane had taken the nano pill. Tally had felt helpless and wanted to help Zane. She knew she would stick with him through it all. Tally had reached a point in her life, where she could have stayed a pretty head. It was wonderful to have your problems melt away. You weren't aware that there were any problems at all in the world, when your head was bubbled. Tally chose freedom. As much as she wanted to be pretty, she wanted Zane and control over herself more. She had second thoughts. Doesn't everyone? When she met David again and he saw Zane and her, oh boy. Tally knew it was going to be complicated. She stayed with Zane and he stayed with her to the very last. Tally never stopped thinking about how good it felt to be pretty. Being special was second best. Then, Tally had to beat being special headed. That was the hardest. She had David back at least. She had Shay back. She had her life back. Tally Youngblood was back.