Beauty From Within | ✓

This is a short story, celebrating International Women's Day.

***

Emma looked herself up and down in the mirror. This time was different though; her face didn't scrunch up in disgust, and she smiled instead.

She wasn't thin, nor did she have the perfect complexion, but she was just starting to realise that beauty came in different forms.

Before all Emma saw was a poor, ugly overweight girl. She wasn't even smart, in fact she was previously thinking about dropping out of collage...

To her, she had no redeeming qualities. But then he came along and changed her view of herself.

Matt showed her that the girls at their school who always teased her, weren't beautiful. With their big fake boobs, long blonde – often dyed – hair, tall and slim bodies. They weren't beautiful. Not to Matt anyway.

"It doesn't matter what you look like," Matt put his hand over Emma's chest, where her heart should be, his hand not naughtily moving to her right breast like most teenage boys would be doing. "It matters what's in here." That's what Matt had said on their second date.

They had a picnic in the woods next to the small town they lived in. Emma didn't want people wondering why someone like Matt was hanging around with someone like her.

It didn't bother her now though.

Matt was captain of the football team, he had often seemed like the usual arrogant Jock, but not to anyone who payed close enough attention.

He was quiet and observant. Kind and gentle.

Emma shook her head mentally, paying her attention back on herself in the mirror in front of her.

Her curly brown hair cascaded down her shoulders freely.

The old Emma would have her hair in a pony tail, cursing it for being so wild and hideous. But the new Emma relished in it.

She hadn't actually changed much; she just had more confidence in herself. She finally loved herself, for her.

And it was all thanks to Matt.

The summer dress she wore showed her figure off slightly, but it didn't look slutty.

Usually, Emma would have never wore something like the dress she wore; she would have worn her baggy Micky mouse jumper and jeans twice her size.

But Emma no longer looked at herself and saw something unattractive.

Tonight she was going on a date with Matt. This would be their twelfth date and the first one where they wouldn't be hiding from people.

Matt was taking her to the fare and all of their collage classmates would probably be their.

But Emma wasn't nervous, she was happy that people would finally get to see her for her.

People would see the real Emma Hill.

And that was the last thought running through Emma's head as she picked up her purse, just as the door bell rang.

***

Matt squeezed Emma's hand. She was relaxed but Matt knew that she was worried. Emma probably didn't even know she was worried; he was sure that it was a subconscious feeling.