A Beautiful Doll

The lights were bright, the cameras were ready, and the photo shoot began. She was gorgeous with her make-up on. She was like a porcelain doll; her cheeks painted pink, lips carved red with lipstick, eyes darkened with eyeliner, eyebrows tentatively drawn on. She was a doll.

They told her not to smile, be careful not to smile, don't smile. They told her that it would ruin the ambiance, the mood. They told her every day to never smile so she hid it, hid it deep down; hid it deep behind her doll-like mask.

She wore what they told her and did what they asked her, she always had to do what they asked her.  "Turn your head this way," they would ask. "Turn your head that way," they would ask. "Don't smile," they would tell her and she never forgot to never smile.

When the day was done, the cameras would turn off and the lights would dim. They told her she did a good job and thanks. Thanks for not smiling.

She went home feeling happy for a job well done. She loved dressing up and putting on make-up, it made her feel like a beautiful princess. She loved the way everyone told her how pretty she was, she just absolutely loved it.

When she got home, she headed to the bathroom to wash off her make-up but as she stared into the mirror someone else looked back. It was her but it wasn't her and she loved it. That girl in the mirror was beautiful and elegant like a princess.

She was afraid of her mask, afraid of it breaking, afraid of her beauty going away, afraid of being herself, afraid of being vulnerable so she left it on. She decided to keep it on as long as possible, her mask.

At dinner, her parents constantly told her how lucky they were to have such a pretty daughter. She loved the way her family adored her for her beauty, her doll-like face. When she went to the mall and saw her picture hung outside brand-name stores, she would feel proud of herself. She loved the way people looked at the poster, how they adored her.

Her boyfriend loved her. He would tell her how pretty she was and how she was just like a princess. She loved the way he told her that. They would hug and kiss tenderly and she was so happy.

One day, her boyfriend decided to take her to work. He told her to get ready and she would reply "Hold on, I gotta fix my make-up" and she ran off. As she approached the bathroom one of her classmates walked out.

"What's wrong?" asked the girl.

"Excuse me?" said the doll-like princess.

"You don't look happy" said the girl, "Did something happen?"

"Um, nothing at all" the princess said as she pushed passed her into the bathroom. She started washing her hands and as she looked up, she saw someone else. That girl in the mirror was beautiful; her pink blush, her plump lips and her round eyes made her oh so beautiful. That girl wasn't smiling. Her face was still, cold, and lifeless just like a porcelain doll.  Her mask started crumbling.

She ran out in a hurry and bumped into her boyfriend.

"What's wrong, honey?" he asked, "Oh, did you fix your make-up? You look pretty." Those words shook her. She felt a shudder through her body and a shiver down her a spine.

"Thanks" she said.

When they got to the studio, she was dragged off to get ready for today's photo shoot just like a rag doll being pulled away by its devil-may-care owner. A very pretty rag doll.

It was time to dress up as a princess, she thought to herself as they reattached her mask with make-up. It was usually the same thing every time; look this way, look that way and don't smile but today was different. Today was: look this way, look that way, and smile.

She didn't feel like smiling. Smile? What's a smile?

She forced open a smirk and turned this way and that way. At the end of the day, she was told she did a great job and thanks. Thanks for smiling.

Her boyfriend called her to tell her that he was waiting for her outside. She said "Hold on, I gotta fix something" and ran off.

She was alone in the bathroom. Alone with the mirror. Alone with that girl that existed in the mirror. That girl was beautiful but she wasn't smiling. She was gorgeous but she wasn't smiling. She was a princess but she didn't smile. Her mask started crumpling.

She kept staring at the mirror. Just kept on staring.

She hated being adored. She hated being a princess. She hated not smiling. She hated smiling. She hated being fake. She hated the way people looked at her. She hated the way her mask hid everything.

Her mask started crumpling.

Tears leaked through the corners of her mask and the mask broke away into the wind. She washed away her make-up and walked out of the bathroom. She told her boss she quit.

As she walked out the door, her boyfriend greeted her with a smile and she returned to him a magnifacent smile that went from ear to ear.

"Wow" he said "You look beautiful."  

        She is finally beautiful.