Beauty and the Beast
Of Beauties and Books
Intro/ Isabelle's POV
A tale as old as time and a song old as rhyme. A beauty and a beast. A love that spanned the ages, a love that fought through vanity and anger. A tale told to show that beauty isn’t only skin deep. That it’s inside where a person’s true magnificence lies. A man who had to become a beast to find his true love. A woman willing to look past a hideous face to see the true person. And a love so magical, so enchanting that their story spans the ages.
Who doesn’t know the tale of Beauty and the Beast? The frightening Beast. The beautiful, intelligent Belle. The Beast and Belle fall in love, achieving the final transformation in the Beast, turning him back into a man. A man now fully beautiful inside and out.
A great tale, isn’t it? It has humor, fighting, and love. But that’s all it is. A tale. A perfectly woven legend told over and over again to illustrate the true meaning of beauty. Or so some like to call it, a “fairy tale.” They’ve obviously never been to Terrence D. Rose High School. Where the story of two seniors is still being told. Even now. A tale of a beauty and a beast, a high school’s very own fairytale.
“Two households, both alike in dignity, In fair Verona, where we lay our scene, From ancient grudge break to new mutiny, Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean. From forth the fatal loins of these two foes A pair of star-cross’d lovers take their life.—“
“Whatcha doin’, Isabelle?” I looked up, slightly irritated that some one had interrupted my much coveted reading time. And, of course, it had to be Garreth White, resident playboy of Rose High, and my new stalker. A guy more interested in showing off his muscle and pretty face than he is in graduating and actually going somewhere. And since we’ve come back from summer break, he has been bugging me to go on a date with him, to marry him, on one occasion. Each time, I’ve told him no, nicely. Well, OK, as nice as I could manage. The guy just won’t take a hint. But I didn’t want to be rude, so sighing I marked my page with my bookmark, and closed it.
Putting a smile on my face as I stood up, I prepared myself for the worst. “Reading.”
“Reading?” Confusion crept over his face.
“Yes, reading.” I'm sure the only reading he has ever done is... well, actually I'm not quite sure he even knows how to read.
“What for?” His face quickly grew panicky, and I had to swallow a laugh as he looked like he was about to burst into tears. “We don’t have anything due for Anderson do we?” Garreth and I unfortunately have English together.
“No,” I reassured him. “I just like to read.”
His face changed from panic to confused, and then to complete bafflement. “That’s just not normal Isabelle. You're too.... beautiful. You should be doing something normal, like dating me.” Yeah, cause he’s definitely a normal guy. Lord, I can actually feel my IQ dropping.
“No?” I’ve gone through this argument with hundreds of people. I was cursed with beauty. And I'm not trying to be snobby or anything, its just a fact. I'm pretty, gorgeous even. And I hate it. Hate it with every ounce of my being. I can't be myself without people giving me weird stares, and whispering behind their backs at me.
I can’t have a brain. I can’t love reading. I have to want to mate with mass amounts of males, and produce other beautiful children. Yeah, right. Not my thing.
“I enjoy it.” I said, my tone a bit defensive.
“What are you reading?”
“Romeo and Juilet.” I said, still smiling I might add.
“Ah, isn’t that about the whale? Or no, the black dude?” My smile faltered, and I gave him a incredulous look of my own. “No! I know! It’s about that chick and the dude. That dead guy, Mozart, wrote it?” He looked so proud of himself, so arrogant, that I just stood there and blinked at him. Maybe pumping all that iron had scrambled his brain or something. No person could be that dense.
“Hey, Garreth.” I rolled my eyes as Vivienne Lassiter swayed over, moving her hips back and forth so much I was surprised she didn’t knock into anyone.
“Anyways, Isabelle how’s Friday night sound?” He ignored her, much to my amusement and her anger.
“Maybe some other time.” I told him. He pouted. I was able to contain my eye roll, but barely.
Vivienne caught his attention finally, and I took advantage of his inattention and looked at him, really looked. Trying to find something appealing. Don't get me wrong, he is very, very handsome. Black hair, blue eyes. Great body. But he was arrogant as hell, and not to mention rude, conceited, and dumb as a brick. Yep, definitely not my type.
“I’m free Friday, Garreth.” Vivienne said, batting her eyelashes. And people wonder why I chose books over this kind of stuff.
“Why can’t you Friday?” God, he just doesn’t give up.
“I’m….tutoring.” I said the first thing that popped into my head.
“Who?”
“I can’t disclose that information.” I felt like a fool for lying. But I would rather eat glass than go on a date with him.
“Why----well, look who it is.” He was grinning over my shoulder, and I turned to see a guy walk by us, his head down. “How’s it going, Beast?” And with that, I was momentarily forgotten as he ran to catch up with Beast boy, Vivienne trailing behind him.
Thank God for small mercies, I thought to myself, even as a small worm of guilt made its way through my stomach as I thought of the boy who was probably getting tortured right about now.
Sitting bck down, and opening my book, I once again, immersed myself in the wondrous world of words and stories.
Eons passed, the time of men came and went. Dinosaurs rose once again. Monkeys ruled the worlds for a few hundred years. Nothing could pull me out of this book. The love, lies, hate, and pain. God, I love books.
Distantly, as Mercucio and Romeo’s swords rang as the fought, as Juilet and Romeo found love in each other, I heard shouts and grunts. Looking up from my book, I saw a couple teachers, and a lot of students run by. Excitement and trepidation hung in the air as I got up and followed the noises and running to the commotion.
As I rounded the corner to the courtyard, I saw Garreth and Beast Boy locked in what seemed a furious battle. Actually, they were kicking each other’s ass.
Disgusted, I walked through the yelling crowd, and made my way to the library. My haven. The only place that makes sense anymore.
A tale as old as time and a song old as rhyme. A beauty and a beast. A love that spanned the ages, a love that fought through vanity and anger. A tale told to show that beauty isn’t only skin deep. That it’s inside where a person’s true magnificence lies. A man who had to become a beast to find his true love. A woman willing to look past a hideous face to see the true person. And a love so magical, so enchanting that their story spans the ages.
Who doesn’t know the tale of Beauty and the Beast? The frightening Beast. The beautiful, intelligent Belle. The Beast and Belle fall in love, achieving the final transformation in the Beast, turning him back into a man. A man now fully beautiful inside and out.
A great tale, isn’t it? It has humor, fighting, and love. But that’s all it is. A tale. A perfectly woven legend told over and over again to illustrate the true meaning of beauty. Or so some like to call it, a “fairy tale.” They’ve obviously never been to Terrence D. Rose High School. Where the story of two seniors is still being told. Even now. A tale of a beauty and a beast, a high school’s very own fairytale.
“Two households, both alike in dignity, In fair Verona, where we lay our scene, From ancient grudge break to new mutiny, Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean. From forth the fatal loins of these two foes A pair of star-cross’d lovers take their life.—“
“Whatcha doin’, Isabelle?” I looked up, slightly irritated that some one had interrupted my much coveted reading time. And, of course, it had to be Garreth White, resident playboy of Rose High, and my new stalker. A guy more interested in showing off his muscle and pretty face than he is in graduating and actually going somewhere. And since we’ve come back from summer break, he has been bugging me to go on a date with him, to marry him, on one occasion. Each time, I’ve told him no, nicely. Well, OK, as nice as I could manage. The guy just won’t take a hint. But I didn’t want to be rude, so sighing I marked my page with my bookmark, and closed it.
Putting a smile on my face as I stood up, I prepared myself for the worst. “Reading.”
“Reading?” Confusion crept over his face.
“Yes, reading.” I'm sure the only reading he has ever done is... well, actually I'm not quite sure he even knows how to read.
“What for?” His face quickly grew panicky, and I had to swallow a laugh as he looked like he was about to burst into tears. “We don’t have anything due for Anderson do we?” Garreth and I unfortunately have English together.
“No,” I reassured him. “I just like to read.”
His face changed from panic to confused, and then to complete bafflement. “That’s just not normal Isabelle. You're too.... beautiful. You should be doing something normal, like dating me.” Yeah, cause he’s definitely a normal guy. Lord, I can actually feel my IQ dropping.
“No?” I’ve gone through this argument with hundreds of people. I was cursed with beauty. And I'm not trying to be snobby or anything, its just a fact. I'm pretty, gorgeous even. And I hate it. Hate it with every ounce of my being. I can't be myself without people giving me weird stares, and whispering behind their backs at me.
I can’t have a brain. I can’t love reading. I have to want to mate with mass amounts of males, and produce other beautiful children. Yeah, right. Not my thing.
“I enjoy it.” I said, my tone a bit defensive.
“What are you reading?”
“Romeo and Juilet.” I said, still smiling I might add.
“Ah, isn’t that about the whale? Or no, the black dude?” My smile faltered, and I gave him a incredulous look of my own. “No! I know! It’s about that chick and the dude. That dead guy, Mozart, wrote it?” He looked so proud of himself, so arrogant, that I just stood there and blinked at him. Maybe pumping all that iron had scrambled his brain or something. No person could be that dense.
“Hey, Garreth.” I rolled my eyes as Vivienne Lassiter swayed over, moving her hips back and forth so much I was surprised she didn’t knock into anyone.
“Anyways, Isabelle how’s Friday night sound?” He ignored her, much to my amusement and her anger.
“Maybe some other time.” I told him. He pouted. I was able to contain my eye roll, but barely.
Vivienne caught his attention finally, and I took advantage of his inattention and looked at him, really looked. Trying to find something appealing. Don't get me wrong, he is very, very handsome. Black hair, blue eyes. Great body. But he was arrogant as hell, and not to mention rude, conceited, and dumb as a brick. Yep, definitely not my type.
“I’m free Friday, Garreth.” Vivienne said, batting her eyelashes. And people wonder why I chose books over this kind of stuff.
“Why can’t you Friday?” God, he just doesn’t give up.
“I’m….tutoring.” I said the first thing that popped into my head.
“Who?”
“I can’t disclose that information.” I felt like a fool for lying. But I would rather eat glass than go on a date with him.
“Why----well, look who it is.” He was grinning over my shoulder, and I turned to see a guy walk by us, his head down. “How’s it going, Beast?” And with that, I was momentarily forgotten as he ran to catch up with Beast boy, Vivienne trailing behind him.
Thank God for small mercies, I thought to myself, even as a small worm of guilt made its way through my stomach as I thought of the boy who was probably getting tortured right about now.
Sitting bck down, and opening my book, I once again, immersed myself in the wondrous world of words and stories.
Eons passed, the time of men came and went. Dinosaurs rose once again. Monkeys ruled the worlds for a few hundred years. Nothing could pull me out of this book. The love, lies, hate, and pain. God, I love books.
Distantly, as Mercucio and Romeo’s swords rang as the fought, as Juilet and Romeo found love in each other, I heard shouts and grunts. Looking up from my book, I saw a couple teachers, and a lot of students run by. Excitement and trepidation hung in the air as I got up and followed the noises and running to the commotion.
As I rounded the corner to the courtyard, I saw Garreth and Beast Boy locked in what seemed a furious battle. Actually, they were kicking each other’s ass.
Disgusted, I walked through the yelling crowd, and made my way to the library. My haven. The only place that makes sense anymore.