Deuce's Struggles with Identity
(as seen in his song "Trust")
Deuce is a gorgon, fearful and untrusted.
With eyes that turn to stone.
And unruly snakes for hair.
No one likes gorgons.
They're dangerous and mischievous.
Deuce was no exception.
His reputation as a troublemaker went far and wide,
Throughout the banks of Monster High.
But mischief hurt this Gorgon's soul.
Deuce wanted to act better.
He wanted to not get in trouble so often.
He wanted to lose his fake friends,
and get some real people to trust.
But would Deuce by able to accomplish his amiable goal?
Can a gorgon really change?
Once someone gets down a dark path,
Is it possible to return to the light?
Deuce didn't always know all the answers to these questions.
But he knew he was tired of being a fake.
The stereotypical gorgon wasn't him.
So what was?
Who was Deuce?
And how would Deuce find out?
He couldn't trust anyone with helping him find these answers.
Until Clawdeen.
She was a werewolf that Deuce met on the first day of school.
Something about her felt… different.
When Deuce looked into Clawdeen's eyes,
He felt the sudden urge to confide in her,
To tell her all of his problems and ask for advice.
But Deuce kept quiet for a while.
The only thing he told Clawdeen was that he was trying to be better than before,
To not get into trouble or mischief,
But Deuce couldn't tell Clawdeen his deepest problem of identity.
That was, until they were walking in a quiet nature path together.
There Deuce carefully uncovers his problem, saying it's the issues of a friend.
A friend with insecurities.
A friend who acts so confident, but is really just pretending.
And though others find themselves so easily,
"It ain't easy for me."
Then Clawdeen cuts in, "You mean your friend?"
And Deuce responds, "Right."
Because at that moment, Deuce still needs to protect himself.
He still needs to feign that this is someone else's struggle.
Even though Clawdeen heard the truth briefly, Deuce still needs to hide it.
Deuce continues that the friend wants to feel less like a freak.
And then he lets down his guard a bit more.
Deuce admits that when he looks into Clawdeen's eyes,
He feels like he can be his real self.
And Deuce admits that he's sick of being somebody else.
So he asks, "Can I tell the truth? Feel like I can trust you."
Clawdeen says yes, and Deuce continues.
Deuce tells of friends that never had his back.
That were never there.
That were fake and toxic.
But he could tell Clawdeen wouldn't be a fake friend.
That he could count on her.
And Clawdeen says she feels the same way too.
Clawdeen asks Deuce if he can be honest with her.
If he can show Clawdeen his real self.
Deuce wants to, but he doesn't quite know how.
Then Clawdeen asks if Deuce can take off his glasses.
The very glasses that blocked Deuce's dangerous gorgon eyes,
That kept him from turning others to stone.
Before, people would only let Deuce take off his glasses while sleeping.
For Clawdeen to want Deuce to take them off…?
It was liberating.
Deuce was happy to.
So he took off the glasses, shutting his eyes really tight.
He didn't want any chance of hurting Clawdeen.
Then Deuce asked for her response,
"So how do you like the real me?"
Clawdeen said she liked it a lot, but sympathized with Deuce.
She knew it must be hard to not be able to look someone in the eyes.
Clawdeen wore glasses, but this was different.
She wore her glasses because she couldn't see.
Deuce wore his glasses because it was dangerous for him to see.
Clawdeen understood how that slight difference meant a lot.
So Clawdeen wanted to be there for Deuce.
And she knew Deuce would be there for her too.
Because everyone has secrets,
But talking about those secrets makes them easier to bear.
That was the case with Deuce
He now had a real friend to talk to,
Someone to help him answer the questions in his heart.
So Deuce was optimistic.
Perhaps he could find out who he is some day.
Perhaps he could one day answer, "Who is Deuce?"
