Write here: Stop trying to be someone else and accept you for who you really are
This week’s short story and gallery both centre around the theme of love, self-acceptance and overcoming negativity
The annoying ring of the alarm clock cut through Laura’s dreams like a bolt of lightening. She sat up, rubbed her eyes, and looked at the clock.
Exactly 5:01am.
It was the first day back at school, and Laura had exactly 90 minutes to make herself look perfect. Great. Laura sighed, shuffled sleepily to the mirror and got to work.
Write here: Don't stand for bullying, stand up against bullies
Laura stood in front of the mirror and stared at herself with a critical eye. How come I am always so ugly? I’m just not pretty enough, not like those popular girls in school . They stick to their diets as effortlessly as walking. They flip their hair in that flirty way that makes the boys notice them.
Laura could spend hours trying to make her make-up and outfit “just right”. But she would forever be deemed by the popular girls to be weird, fat, and ridiculously dressed. Laura spent the next hour applying layers of make-up on her face: first the foundation, then blusher, then eyeshadow … until she had lost count of how many different products she had used.
Then came the mammoth task of choosing her clothes and accessories. After an eternity of this and that, Laura chose a turquoise tank top and a pink mini skirt. It was a struggle squeezing into the too-tight clothes.
Write here: A new perspective, a sunrise bringing hope, a daring jump, a fresh start
Next, she needed to curl her hair. She burned her hand a few times on the hair roller, but she bit her tongue and told herself this was the price for looking pretty.
When she was finally finished, Laura gazed at herself in the mirror. The girl that looked back at her was the sort of girl the popular girls would look like. A perfect girl with curly, shiny hair, red lips, big eyes, a small waist, and a cute outfit. Her eyes seem to shine, but as Laura continue to stare, she saw they were clouded over with sadness. The perfect girl tried to smile, but the smile never reached her eyes. This so called “perfect” girl wasn’t the real her.
Laura grabbed a towel and in within five minutes, the make-up that had taken her an hour to apply had been scrubbed off. She peeled off the uncomfortable clothes and found a pair of jeans and a T-shirt.
Finally, she looked back in the mirror once more, and this time, she saw … herself. She had missed seeing herself. She grinned and gave herself a big hug. Laura left for school, having washed her insecurities away along with the mascara and lipstick. At last, the old and true Laura was back.
Edited by Charlotte Ames-Ettridge
Write here, right now
Every week, we publish readers’ creative writing, poetry, photographs and artwork. For the chance to see your work published, email it to [email protected]. (Remember to have "Write Here" in your email's subject line, and include your full name, age, and school; and if you have photos or artwork that goes with it, it needs to be at least 1MB.)