Beastly, Alex Flinn
I almost believed it. She was right. I should be nicer. I didn't know why I was mean and cruel
sometimes. Sometimes I'd told myself I'd be nicer to people. But always, in an hour or so, I forgot it, because it felt good to be on top of them all. Maybe a psychologist, one of those guys on TV, would say I did it to feel important, because my parents didn't pay attention to me or something. But that wasn't it, not really. It was just, like, sometimes I couldn't help it.
BeastNYC:How do you know there aren't lots of fish and birds and spiders out there who got
transformed and *never* came back?
SilentMaid:I'm sure there are no fish. I'd know about it.
SilentMaid:It's love on my side, Beast.
Grizzlyguy:<- doesn't think Silent should risk it.
BeastNYC:<- doesn't believe in love.
I got what she meant. The rose. The rose corsage I'd given to that nerdy girl at the dance. I'd only given it to her because I didn't know what else to do with it. Did that count? Was that the only nice thing I'd ever done for anyone? If so, it was pretty lame.
"You don't believe anyone could love you if you're not beautiful? "
"I don't believe anyone could love a monster."
The witch smiled. "Would you rather be a three-headed winged snake? A creature with the beak of an eagle, the legs of a horse, and the humps of a camel? A lion, perhaps, or a buffalo? Hey, at least you can walk upright."
"I want to be like I was."
"Then you'll have to hope to find someone better than yourself and that you are able to win her love with your goodness."
I laughed. "Yeah, goodness. Girls really think goodness is hot."
Look, this has been real fun. Now change me back or whatever you did. This isn't a fairy
tales'it'sNew York City
"Could I go to a blind school?
"What planet do you live on? " I shouted. "Because it's definitely not Earth. I don't know anyone kind, Dr. Endecott. And what's more, I don't want to know anyone like that. They sound like losers. I don't have some little problem. I'm not in a wheelchair. I'm a complete and total freak.
"But that's the problem, Doc. I'm no genius. I'm just a guy."
The few weeks with the doctors was the most time we'd spent together in … well, ever. But I'd known it wouldn't last. I was back to my former life of only seeing Dad on television. I hadn't cared before, when I had a life. But now I had nothing and no one.
I glanced at the title.
Jane Eyre, it was called. I was bored enough at that point that I thought maybe I'd read it someday.
Or, more like it, I could have seen a camp shower room full of naked girls—okay, I did do that.
I could be a superhero except that if I ever tried to save someone from a burning building, they'd take one look at my face and run screaming into the flames."
Could I be getting smarter to compensate for my hideousness?
"That's the same as saying no. I can never break the spell."
"Do you want to? "
"No. I want to be a freak all my life
"Then where's my dress? "
I look away. "In my room, under my mattress."
She gives me a funny look. "Why would it be there? Were you wearing it? Is that why you don't want
me to wear it? "
I almost believed it. She was right. I should be nicer. I didn't know why I was mean and cruel
sometimes. Sometimes I'd told myself I'd be nicer to people. But always, in an hour or so, I forgot it, because it felt good to be on top of them all. Maybe a psychologist, one of those guys on TV, would say I did it to feel important, because my parents didn't pay attention to me or something. But that wasn't it, not really. It was just, like, sometimes I couldn't help it.
BeastNYC:How do you know there aren't lots of fish and birds and spiders out there who got
transformed and *never* came back?
SilentMaid:I'm sure there are no fish. I'd know about it.
SilentMaid:It's love on my side, Beast.
Grizzlyguy:<- doesn't think Silent should risk it.
BeastNYC:<- doesn't believe in love.
I got what she meant. The rose. The rose corsage I'd given to that nerdy girl at the dance. I'd only given it to her because I didn't know what else to do with it. Did that count? Was that the only nice thing I'd ever done for anyone? If so, it was pretty lame.
"You don't believe anyone could love you if you're not beautiful? "
"I don't believe anyone could love a monster."
The witch smiled. "Would you rather be a three-headed winged snake? A creature with the beak of an eagle, the legs of a horse, and the humps of a camel? A lion, perhaps, or a buffalo? Hey, at least you can walk upright."
"I want to be like I was."
"Then you'll have to hope to find someone better than yourself and that you are able to win her love with your goodness."
I laughed. "Yeah, goodness. Girls really think goodness is hot."
Look, this has been real fun. Now change me back or whatever you did. This isn't a fairy
tales'it'sNew York City
"Could I go to a blind school?
"What planet do you live on? " I shouted. "Because it's definitely not Earth. I don't know anyone kind, Dr. Endecott. And what's more, I don't want to know anyone like that. They sound like losers. I don't have some little problem. I'm not in a wheelchair. I'm a complete and total freak.
"But that's the problem, Doc. I'm no genius. I'm just a guy."
The few weeks with the doctors was the most time we'd spent together in … well, ever. But I'd known it wouldn't last. I was back to my former life of only seeing Dad on television. I hadn't cared before, when I had a life. But now I had nothing and no one.
I glanced at the title.
Jane Eyre, it was called. I was bored enough at that point that I thought maybe I'd read it someday.
Or, more like it, I could have seen a camp shower room full of naked girls—okay, I did do that.
I could be a superhero except that if I ever tried to save someone from a burning building, they'd take one look at my face and run screaming into the flames."
Could I be getting smarter to compensate for my hideousness?
"That's the same as saying no. I can never break the spell."
"Do you want to? "
"No. I want to be a freak all my life
"Then where's my dress? "
I look away. "In my room, under my mattress."
She gives me a funny look. "Why would it be there? Were you wearing it? Is that why you don't want
me to wear it? "