In Your Eyes

Man Up

"She would never like someone like me, a shy and ugly man in the shadow of the jocks of the team. She would never see me... Much less acknowledge me. I just want to take her to winter formal. I could show her a good time, that I am a man with character. I could show her what I use to believe... Maybe she'll be the one to convince me. But I am just a shy man, one with no backbone, one who doesn't seem the most manly. One who isn't athletic. I am pathetic. Who am I to like her..? Her angelic voice, and kind eyes... I have been told again and again to man up, but how can you become something you don't have within you..? " He sighed and looked down at the desk. His dark brown hair slicked back with incredible style. His sapphire blue eyes glowing with sad light. 

"You really shouldn't be so self defeating. You are the kind of guy any girl would be lucky to have." I smiled at him slightly and watched a faint smile form on his lips.

"I wish I could believe you Hart,  but that isn't what everyone else says." His eyes showed his pain, and his broken heart. He closed his eyes tight and swallowed hard.  His face scrunching as he tried not to cry. "I have to man up" he thought sadly. 

"You know, You don't have to hide your emotions right..? Owen, show you have the right to show emotions, and be who you believe you are. You are only harming yourself by suppressing your emotions. Society is a bad influence, and It is killing you. You can't let it anymore." I said gently to Owen with a smile and winked at him playfully. 

"Maybe you are right. I'll see you later Hart." Owen said with a smile his hair whipping around in the wind. 

You see, Owen Mason is the son of a very athletic man, who had a promising future in football, however, had an incident that ended  his career. He became a business man, a hunter, and raised his son in the way he had been raised. 

Owen has always been very academically gifted, and able to reach his full potential at many of schools that he transferred to.  Oh course, his father took no pride in this, for his son would be the greatest athlete there was if he had anything to say about it. All Owen wanted to do was have his father accept him. But he would never reach that goal. 

As Owen grew up, kids began to become more vicious. Calling him ugly, an attention whore, a priss, making fun of him because he didn't have perfect abs, even though he had a naturally muscular appearance. They told him he cared about his looks too much to be a boy, and girls told him he was too manly to be a girl. He was stuck, between two worlds neither one accepting him, no one meeting him in the middle. He began feeling broken and lost, only finding relief as a knife kissed his perfect olive skin. 

This could have gone on for an eternity, however, things change. He befriended young Dylan Finch,  who bridged the gap from the between the rest of the boys and Owen. Owen abandoned his cutting, but his demons still chased him, as he felt no one would ever like him for him. His fathers words continued to weigh down on him, and in this ocean of life. You either sink or survive. 

The night's cold air whipped through his hair as he contemplated his death. wondering if death would even take him. He bit his lip writing the words on his skin, his knife glowing in the moonlight. No one will know. No one will care. No one ever does. 

As he walked the halls that day, no one seemed to notice. I saw his darkened eyes and I tried to speak to him, but he wouldn't listen. After all why would he... I wasn't his girlfriend, or even one of his potential ones. I just wish I could have been healing him, Take away the pain of his fathers expectations. 

Eventually, as time approaches the present, Owen's sky blue eyes shine as he takes twelve roses to the girl of his dreams Lia. He approached her, her light brown hair blowing to the side, Smiling at her. She began blushing as he asked, "Will you do me the honor of coming to Winter Formal with me?" His eyes glowing. 

"Oh course." Lia replied, her heart pounding. "I thought you would never ask." 

"I was nervous to. But now... " Owen paused and looked into Lias crystal eyes. "I will love you until the last one dies." 

Little known to Lia, but the twelveth rose would never die. It was a realistic fake, and would be found in a few weeks.

His Father looked at his smile as he walked through the door that night, and with a smile, He breathed "I am proud of you son." 

Owen's eyes have slowly gotten brighter, haven found the light in his life, and the love in his heart that he had always been missing. Maybe one day we shall see him healed on his wedding day, by the very girl he thought would reject him, and accepted his heart.