The Price of Beauty

Original Version (2016): IV

Eva paced around her room, the magenta potion bottle sitting in the middle of her desk. After she had left the witch's cabin, Eva had followed the new path all the way back out to the suburban neighborhood, where she roamed around a nearby park and pondered what she should do. She went back to school before lunchtime to quickly gather her things from her locker and leave before the bell rang. After eating her homemade lunch back at the park and resting under a tree, Eva came to her conclusion. She was going to take the potion. It would bring her the happiness she deserved. And she would show that Lissa Fox who's actually better for this world.

Eva went home after school hours were done only to have her mother shout at her for not putting away dishes correctly and then lecture her some more about the progress report that came in the mail a week ago. Eva had gotten a C+ in Algebra and her parents had more than a few words to say about that. Eva had meekly apologized and gone up to her room.

And now it was 11:56 pm. Eva was nervous. She didn't know what to expect. What will change about me? What did Agnes mean when she said my life will be new? Am I going to be like a different person? Hopefully for the better. It's what I've always wanted! Eva thought.

At 11:59, Eva picked up the potion. She took a deep anxious breath, exhaled, and took off the cap. When her clock read 12:00 am, she drank the sweet, purple liquid. It was done.

Eva heaved a sigh, and went to bed. She thought she would be too nervous to sleep, but one of the side effects of the potion must have been heavy drowsiness, because Eva drifted off a few seconds after her head hit the pillow.

~~*~~*~~

Eva awoke the next morning and turned off her alarm clock. She yawned and stretched, surprised at how well rested she felt. Like every morning, she grabbed her glasses from the night table and put them on. She blinked, and blinked. What the heck?

Everything was incredibly blurry. Eva quickly took her glasses off, letting her eyes adjust a little. She looked around her room in astonishment. Her things, her room, the window, everything she looked at was crystal clear. I can see. I can SEE!

Eva glanced at the empty potion bottle sitting on her nightstand. Feeling giddy, she ran over to her full length mirror by her closet. Eva gasped at what she saw. Her face was no longer oily and covered in red bumps, it was smooth and white. No trace of acne or its scars anywhere. It made such a huge difference to her appearance. Since she no longer needed the thick glasses, her visage was now open and exposed. She never noticed how beautifully brown her eyes were. Eva's hair had also changed. It was no longer super frizzy, but rather smooth, shiny, and silky, as if it had been professionally done. Eva turned to examine her body in the reflection. She was slightly curvier! Thankfully it wasn't too obvious, but it was enough to give her some shape. Eva couldn't be happier. It was the ugly duckling transformed into a beautiful swan. She could hardly believe it.

Eva looked through her closet to see what she could wear, and noticed not only had she herself had transformed, but her clothing did as well. Her baggy jeans, old plaid shirts, and geeky vests were replaced with the latest fashion trends: hip skinny jeans, chic dresses, beautifully designed tops, etc. Eva's mouth dropped. She dressed hurriedly and went straight to her dresser to discover eye shadow, lip glosses, eyeliner, and other makeup essentials. Eva never wore makeup (her parents forbid it) and she didn't even know how. But as Eva picked up the brushes, she found her hands taking over with the application.

Eva took a good look at herself in the mirror after she was all done. Gorgeous. She had never felt so beautiful. Eva giggled and jumped up and down.

"Thank you, Agnes, thank you!" she squealed with delight.

For the first time in a while, Eva was excited to go to school.