"You’re beautiful.” Vanessa said to the girl on the magazine cover. She just wished that she could say those words to her face and maybe, make her believe them. Then again, she thought Piper was beautiful before the transformation. Now she merely looked like Vanessa had before the procedures. But Vanessa wasn’t talking about the exterior stuff anyway.

"Who is?” A soft voice came from behind her, startling Vanessa. She clumsily tried to hide the magazine beneath the pile on the table. She knew that she no longer looked like her old self, but she feared her guilt would show up on her face to give her away.

"Uhh no one...” Vanessa thought she had the break room to herself; she didn’t know that her co-worker was standing close enough to see over her shoulder.

"Oh, Vanessa Delacroix. She is absolutely stunning,” her co-worker stammered. "I wish I looked like her...”

The girl sat down across from her and flipped open another magazine filled with pictures of starlets in bikinis and articles talking about the best and worst bodies. The photos showed bits of cellulite circled on some while highlighting the protruding ribs and bones in others.

"No you don’t”.

"Hmmph easy for you to say. While you’re no Vanessa Delacroix, you’re still gorgeous. Try being chubby and covered in freckles. No one ever tells me I’m beautiful and means it.”

Vanessa had been working with Brooke for a few month now; their friendship flourished because just like Piper, Vanessa saw a strength in Brooke that she admired. It didn’t hurt that her personality resembled the old Piper in so many ways.

"I think your red hair is stunning. And the freckles? Adorable. I wish I had more of my own.” Vanessa looked at the girl, hoping that perhaps she might get through to her.

"You know I can tell when a person is lying, right?” Brooke gave a small smile while she looked Vanessa in the eye for the first time since she’d sat down.

"Oh really?”

"Mm-hmm. They never look you directly in the eye. They stare at the bridge of your nose instead.” With that, Brooke took her finger and tapped Vanessa’s nose playfully with a chuckle. Her emerald eyes, a distinct contrast to Piper’s beautiful brown, were still very easy to stare into while she spoke.

"Well then. You should be able to see that I’m not lying. I’m staring into your eyes and I think they are mesmerizing.”

Brooke turned as her suddenly flushed cheeks gave her away. Redheads were never very good at keeping their shyness a secret, and Vanessa found it endearing.

"Whatever. I’ll never be as beautiful as someone like your name twin on the cover there.”

"Who says so?”

"Hollywood says so! Men say so! Well in my case, women... But you know what I mean.” Brooke closed the magazine with a sharp thud.

Vanessa leaned back in her chair and took in the beautiful but wounded girl before her. Brooke was curvy where Piper had been frail, but Vanessa didn't see that as a bad thing. Brooke's wavy auburn hair frizzed up on humid days. The bridge of her nose was sunburnt more often than not. Her freckles were dotted haphazardly while Vanessa’s were painted on with precision.

And Vanessa thought those so-called imperfections were beautiful. She didn't understand how one type of woman could be admired over all the others when uniqueness and imperfections attracted her. So many people had copied her own looks throughout the years that she appreciated seeing the differences between people, even if Hollywood or society didn't.

"Well what if I said they are wrong? Why can't we all be beautiful? “ Vanessa gestured wildly, her hands flying in the air to accentuate every word, "The girl on the cover, you, me... All of us. I think we are are all beautiful. And remember, you can tell when a person is lying to you... Am I lying right now?”

Brooke pulled a strand of her hair into her mouth and nibbled on it while looking down at her fingernails. Piper had once done the same thing, and Vanessa scolded her for it. This time she appreciated the vulnerable gesture

"I would say you need to get your eyes checked.” Brooke forced a laugh while rolling her eyes.

"Oh hush you! I have perfect eyesight!”

"Says who?”

"Says my eye doctor of course!”

"Whatever.” Brooke laughed, and this time it wasn’t forced. "I just wish my parents hadn’t been so poor. Maybe I could have been genetically engineered to be beautiful like cover girl there. I guess you got lucky in the gene pool, huh?”

Vanessa wasn’t sure how to respond. While she had modified her physical features a bit to fit in with regular society, she hadn’t done a whole lot. Her hair was much shorter now, just gracing the bottom of her chin, and it was dark brown instead of blonde. She had her cheeks filled in a bit and her nose made a little less perfect. But apparently she hadn’t changed enough of herself to fully fit in. Maybe it was her own vanity or notions of beauty that had kept her from doing something radical to her appearance, she thought.

"I guess so.” She mumbled softly.

"My genes weren’t too kind to me apparently...” She trailed off while once again staring at the fake girl on the cover, "I keep thinking maybe one day I’ll save enough money to have cosmetic surgery done so I can look more like her, but I seem to be getting nowhere working at this coffee shop. My folks couldn’t afford college either so I’ll never be that well off.”

"I’m sorry.” Vanessa wasn’t exactly sure how to respond. She wanted to tell Brooke that she was beautiful as is and to never get surgery; that some sweet girl would come along and fall madly in love with that face. She wasn’t sure if it would be welcomed or not though.

"I wish I could say something to make you believe me,” Vanessa said.

"It’s okay. No one has ever told me I was beautiful and meant it. I’ve kinda gotten used to it.”

"Well I mean it. I just wish you could see what I see.” Vanessa had the sudden desire to reach across the table and stroke the girl’s cheek, or perhaps to just hold her hand. Maybe it was her personality that reminded her of the girl she lost; or maybe it was something more. But Vanessa knew that she would do anything to fix Brooke but she didn’t know how.

"The strangest thing... I do almost believe that you mean it.”

Their eyes met and for a brief second, Vanessa felt things click into place. She no longer held herself back and touched the girl's hand softly.

"Hey girls, break time's over.” Their manager stuck her head in the room, "There's a line of people backed to the door all in need of their morning caffeine fix.”

The girls shared a smile before pulling their hands away.

"I guess I'll see you out there.” Vanessa slowly pulled her hand away and slid out of her chair. She made sure to look into Brooke's eyes. "Oh and for the record, you are beautiful. Very beautiful.”

She slipped out the break room door before Brooke had a chance to protest anymore.



(Another week of intersection in therealljidol and my partner this week is the awesome alien_infinity who you can read here. Our entries can be read in any order. This is another installment in my ongoing story that is tentatively called "The Princess and the Piper" because I'm goofy enough to like that name. You may read my first installment here, and my second installment here.)

"Hi mom. It’s me, your daughter. I haven’t heard from you since my birthday last year and was wondering how you’re doing... I’ve heard about your promotion at work through Facebook and... I would love to celebrate it with you. But if we could maybe get together this weekend for dinner? I’d love that...”

Putting the phone down, she turned the TV on and sighed loudly. Another birthday with Grey’s Anatomy and a bottle of wine all by herself. She knew that her mom wouldn’t call her back; she was too busy with her own life.

A very unhappy looking woman appeared on the screen.

"Have you ever wanted to be somebody else? Somebody more popular maybe?”

"Yes.” Cheryl talked to the woman as if she were standing in the living room.

"Would you like to be the life of the party? Someone beautiful and glamorous perhaps?” The woman smiled, showing her perfect teeth as the scene around her transformed from a boring office cubicle into a hip nightclub. Her short hair grew longer right before Cheryl’s eyes; her drab clothing was suddenly replaced by a sexy mini-skirt and corset top. A dark haired Fabio type delivered her a martini and kissed her on the cheek.

Wow, wouldn’t that be the life, Cheryl thought to herself as she continued to watch the ridiculously cheesy commercial unfold before her eyes.

"Well now you can be all that and more. You can finally be the person you want to be.”

Fabio winked at the camera before linking arms with the woman and exiting off screen.

A number flashed on the screen followed by a website address. TotallyNewYou.com. She rolled her eyes but reached for her laptop and found herself typing in the address anyway.

"Well I guess it couldn’t hurt to look...”


*******


"Sherry, another cup of coffee please?” He stopped at her desk, mere feet away from the coffee maker, to show his annoyance.

"It’s Cheryl.” Her boss was already back in his office and couldn’t possibly have heard her. Not like it mattered anyway since she had been there for over a year and he still didn’t get her name right.

Her daily duty was to prepare his coffee. Two cream. Two sugars. No more, no less. She had the first cup on his desk by 7:57 AM so that it was still warm when he sat down promptly at 8:00. He sometimes asked for a second or third within the next hour or two, often getting frustrated that it didn’t magically appear in front of him. But if she brought it to him and he didn’t want a cup, he’d scold her for wasting coffee while complaining that it was bad for his heart.

Mind reading would have been a useful skill to have. Yet another talent she lacked in life that would have made things easier for her.

She glanced down briefly at the brochure on her desk. It had been sitting there for some time, tempting her more and more with each passing day.

The bridge to a better life starts here......

"Sherry? My coffee?” The voice, bristling with irritation came from across the office.

"Uhh yes, I’m sorry sir...”

Cheryl made his coffee and took it to him, her eyes steady on the floor to avoid meeting his.

"It’s about time.”

No thank you. No apologies for messing up her name again. Nothing.

He dismissed her with a wave as he answered his phone. Someone more important needed his attention. She knew her duty well enough to close the door behind her.

As she walked back toward her desk, her co-workers were whispering about something and promptly quieted down when they saw her. She could have been wrong but it sounded like happy hour plans were being made, and likely they would just “forget” to invite her like they did every other time.

Sitting back down, she refreshed her e-mail from her phone while hoping for a response from several of the Match.com messages she sent out the night before. But there was nothing. Her inbox sat empty.

What harm could it be, she thought? She pulled out the brochure, read it over once more and started filling out the worksheet. It couldn’t hurt to dream.

Before she knew it she had a whole new life mapped out. Parents that loved her would be a good start, beauty and brains couldn’t hurt either. Maybe if she were prettier, she might one day get a boyfriend, have kids and settle down. She wasn’t asking for much.

Who do you want to be?

Cheryl thought about the question for a moment longer and wrote down her answer.

"Anyone but me.”


*******


"And the procedure doesn’t hurt a bit?”

"Not at all. It’s completely painless, almost like falling asleep. Only, when you wake up, you wake up a whole new person. Of course, being that you are reborn as someone else, you will be literally starting all over. Does that sound appealing?”

"Perfectly. It sounds lovely...” Cheryl didn’t even listen to the rest. Who cares if she had to start all over a child; she’d give anything for a fresh start in life. For a chance to do things all over again, to be a whole different person. The main desire she’d listed on her worksheet was to be born to a family who wanted her unlike the mother she was stuck with in her first life.

"Ms. Shaffer, I must say you are a perfect candidate for our new program. You fit all of the requirements. I just have a couple more questions for you. There’s no one who would object to your transformation, is there? A spouse or a boyfriend perhaps? Children, even grown ones...” The man tried to continue but Cheryl stopped him.

"No. I have no one.”

"Okay then... “ The man paused for a short moment to give a sympathetic look. “The only question we have before we move forward with your procedure is... Asset liquidation and procurement.”

"You mean can I afford it? Yes, that’s not a problem. I have money saved up... And my grandma left all of us a nice inheritance I haven’t touched.” It’s pretty easy to save money when you have no life to spend it on anyway, "I’ve been saving up for a new life for some time anyway. I just didn’t know it would be so...surgical.”

The man smiled at her and leaned his head to the side like a puppy dog trying to make sense of what she was saying, "Surgical? Whatever do you mean? We have the most comfortable rooms of any laboratory. Egyptian cotton sheets on the bed, a variety of sounds and smells to help gently ease you into your transformation...”

"That’s not what I meant... Never mind. It doesn’t matter how I go, I just want a guarantee that things will be better than what I have right now.”

"Of course it will be. This is what we do. Just remember that you will never remember anything from this life in your next one. Nor will anyone know who you are...”

"That’s fine. There’s no one who really knows me now anyway. I’m ready.”

The man put on a look of concern she knew was phony as the plant in the corner of the office as he handed the paperwork over to her, "Well then... What are we waiting for?”


(If you'd like to learn more about the transformation process, then head over to my awesome partner's piece because you're surely in for a treat. My super talented boyfriend java_fiend was my partner for the week.)

My fabulous partner for this weeks unofficial intersection was nyxocity. She wrote a really good connecting piece to my story here.

Her story can be found here and most certainly deserves to be read, so please run over there and check her out?

“I already have my own servants, I certainly won’t be needing any more.” The man practically spat the hateful words into her face. 



“Excuse me, but I wasn’t a servant...Miss Alva was like a mother to me...” Elli tried to plead her case to the cruel old man that looked upon her as if she were a burden even then, standing in the home that was once just as much hers as it was Miss Alva’s. 

But he would have none of it and sent her on her way, claiming his right to Miss Alva’s estate based purely on the fact that they shared blood. There was no proof that Elli was anything more than a lowly servant. No one knew how Miss Alva had taken the girl under her wing and taught her how to read and write, and how to paint and create stories within her journals. No one knew the bond that they shared, or perhaps they just didn’t care. 


Elli wandered into the nearby town, anxiously trying to find work and a place to stay for the first time in her life. She was lost and confused, and at only 16 years old...she was scared. She missed Miss Alva more than anything in the world. She knew that the old woman’s time was coming, but one can never prepare emotionally for such things. 

As luck would have it, she saw a painted wooden sign outside the door of an elaborate house that made Miss Alva’s estate look downright miniscule. The sign said they were looking for help, someone to assist their young daughter. Elli got excited by the possibilities...perhaps this girl would be her friend? This family would surely take her in. They could never replace Miss Alva, of course. No one could ever fill the hole that she had inside of her now that the older woman was gone, but at least she wouldn’t have to be alone.



She was taken on to care for the family’s only daughter, Beatrice. Beatrice was the same age as young Elli, but that was where the similarities ended. While Elli had vivid and wild red hair that stood out in every direction with its crazy curls, Beatrice had straight golden hair that cascaded down her back like silk. She was never seen brushing it, it just seemed to fall down her back effortlessly and perfectly from the moment she rose from bed. Beatrice also came from wealth, while Elli had no idea where she came from before she arrived on guardian’s doorstep. Miss Alva told her that the fairies delivered her one rainy evening, no note or anything, just a crying baby with no home to call its own. All the memories Elli ever had involved Miss Alva. 


Elli’s job was to run errands for the girl, and in return she would get a place to stay and one meal a day. Beatrice often had her baking treats for her, as she had quite the sweet tooth. But no matter how hard Elli tried, according to Beatrice she could never get it just right. 



“This tart needs more berries! It’s too dry!”

“This muffin would taste better with walnuts in it!”


“This cake is not sweet enough, it needs more sugar!”

Then it would be:

“This cake is too sweet! It needs a little less sugar to be just right!”

She picked over every little detail, made her scrutinize every speck of sugar that went in... everything had to be just right or Beatrice would send her back into the kitchen once more. 

Then, after hours upon hours and countless tarts, muffins or cakes (or whatever the girl desired that evening), Beatrice would take a bite into a delicate pastry, her eyes would grow wide and she would exclaim “This is perfect! Absolutely perfect!” and she would devour everything, leaving nothing for Elli to sample for herself. 


Thus, that was the life of a servant girl in those days. Elli longed for the days of living in the forest with Miss Alva where she would spend her afternoons playing amongst the fairies instead of slaving over every little thing for one very blessed little girl. 

Then one day, Elli came across Beatrice painting. Elli loved painting and asked if she could join her. The girl turned her nose up at her, but agreed.

“Sure...I suppose it could be fun to see who the stronger painter is...” she snickered and Elli could have sworn she heard her say something under her breath that sounded like “because we both know it will be me.”


Elli had the talents that Miss Alva ingrained into her from a young age. She whipped the paintbrush around, using vibrant shades of purple and green, while Beatrice stuck to the lighter, more natural colors. It wasn’t long before Beatrice was staring over her shoulder, watching Elli work. 



“That girl has purple hair? Who has ever heard of a girl with purple hair!” She doubled over in laughter. 



“Why, I have met fairies with purple hair, isn’t it lovely? I’d love to have purple hair!”


Beatrice snorted “We all know that true beauty are the girls with the golden hair...like me. Just ask anyone you meet and they will tell you precisely that...besides, fairies don’t exist. Anyone with half a brain knows that! What a ridiculous painting you have there!”

“But they do exist!” Elli tried to interject, but Beatrice was no longer paying attention to her. She was smiling at her own painting of a princess with golden hair just like her own. 



Later on, her parents hung the painting where everyone would see it. They would invite their friends over and shower Beatrice with praise for her amazing artistic talents. No one, besides Elli, ever saw her purple haired fairy painting again. 

One evening, after her chores and right before bed, Elli saw Beatrice writing in her journal. 



“Oh you like to write? So do I!” Elli exclaimed happily. 



“Oh you know how to write? I wouldn’t have thought so.” Beatrice hardly looked up from her tablet.



“Why yes, I not only know how...but Miss Alva said I am very good too! Want to hear a story I wrote?”



Beatrice sighed. “If it will get you to shut up, yes, I will listen to one of your silly little stories...” and once again, Elli swore she said something quietly that sounded like “It can’t be any worse than your hideous painting.”

Elli came back with her journal and started reading from it. Beatrice seemed stunned that not only could her servant write, but she could read as well. Elli didn’t even notice the shocked look in the girl’s eyes and read joyfully from her book. When she finished with the story, she anxiously looked up at Beatrice, hoping to hear the praise that Miss Alva would have given her...but no, only bitter words ever came out of Beatrice’s mouth. 



“Wait...a female pirate? That travels in time?” Beatrice was rolling the story through her head once more...”and two females actually were together...in that way” an expression of disgust crossed over her face.



Elli couldn’t figure out what the problem could be. After all, she had never heard of a story like hers before, and Miss Alva had always told her that was a good thing. She said it was good to be different and write about ideas people have never had before. 



“Wh...what’s the matter with that?” Elli asked, tears starting to form in her eyes.
 


“Stupid! Girls can’t be pirates! Everyone knows that! And time travel? What is that even?” Beatrice was irate about her story and Elli could not figure out why. "And let’s not even get into that disgusting bit with the girls being together...that is just...wrong!”



Elli closed her book, no longer wanting to share her stories with anyone. At one time, the fairies (and Miss Alva too) would gather round and listen, while praising her creativity...but perhaps they were only being nice? After all, Beatrice seemed to know what was good and what wasn’t. Why else would everyone make such a fuss over her accomplishments if she didn’t?

Beatrice then read a story from her book. It included a princess who was in danger and a valiant prince that saved the day. She looked Elli directly in the eyes and said “Romance can only happen between a boy and a girl, like in my story...any real writer would know that!"



For a second, Elli felt something take hold of her insides...it wasn’t anger, as she would have thought. Oh no...there was something else oozing its way inside her, something she had never felt while living outside of the city, in her old home. 



For the first time in her life, Elli began wishing she was somebody else. She began wishing she was Beatrice. It would be wonderful to have such nice things. She would love to have the big, cozy bed to sleep in at night and be able to eat exotic fruits instead of the bread and gravy she was rationed once a day. She would do anything to be as beautiful as Beatrice too, with long golden hair and perfectly clear skin. Elli was riddled with freckles, and in that moment, she hated every single one of those spots that decorated her face and shoulders. 



But most of all, she hated herself. She hated herself for being different. Why couldn’t she think like Beatrice? Why must her stories have girls kissing other girls instead of boys? Why must she paint pictures of fairies, which everyone tells her don’t exist even though she once frolicked in the forest amongst them? She must be crazy. 



Why, oh why, couldn’t she be normal? Why couldn’t she ever do things right? 


Miss Alva had told her all about the evil known as jealousy...but she had never experienced it for herself. She was sheltered by a life where she was always good enough by simply being herself. Out here, in this world though...things were different. For once in her life, she wasn’t sure that just being herself was good enough anymore. 

She pushed those thoughts away so as to not disappoint Miss Alva’s memory. Surely, she wouldn’t want Elli thinking such thoughts about herself. She would tell her “I raised you better than that, Elli...You know you’re better than that.”



She believed that Elli was capable of doing anything she put her mind to, regardless of what it was. She told her stories about wood nymphs and how jealousy was unknown to them until they ventured out, let it seep within their society...it can only bring pain and self doubt, she said. You should never succumb to such feelings.


But it sure was hard...Elli was going to try her best to rise up against these new feelings and remember that she only has to be good enough for herself. Some days were certainly better than others. 



The next day, she was back in the kitchen, this time trying to perfect 
Gingerbread that would satisfy Beatrice’s picky palate. She was on her fifth or sixth attempt when Beatrice decided this batch was truly good enough to eat and devoured every little bit down, not so much as leaving a crumb for Elli. 

There was a knock on the door. Elli heard one of the other servants open it followed by their voices.



“Elli? Why would you want to speak to her?” The older servant exclaimed in shock.



Upon hearing her name, she rushed to the door to see a man dressed in a fancy outfit which bespoke of his importance. 



“Have I done something wrong?” Elli had never broken any rules that she was aware of, but perhaps she did so by mistake?



“Oh no, Elli, I am here on behalf of Miss Alva’s estate. Apparently, she left a will after all...”



Elli could barely comprehend the rest of what the man said...but her life was about to change once again, this time for the better. 



*** Approximately Ten Years Later. ***

Beatrice made her way into the town center, and looked up at the sign.



“The Purple Fairy”.



There was a line down the street, and she slowly took her place amongst the crowd. While everyone else was anxiously awaiting their turn to sample the tastiest treats for miles around, Beatrice had another mission on her mind. She waited patiently for her turn, and as she walked up to the red haired girl at the counter, she wondered if Elli would recognize her. 


“Elli?” she asked. 



The girl behind the counter stopped rolling the dough in her hands and looked up upon hearing her name.



“Beatrice! I had hoped you would try one of my creations one day! What will it be? A berry tart for old time’s sake?”



Beatrice held her head down, almost afraid to speak. 

“I...I’m not here to buy anything, as I can’t afford to. I was hoping you might have a job for me?”



“A job? What happened to your writing career? Or the painting? You were always very talented!” Elli sincerely meant it too, as she knew who the stronger artist was amongst the two of them. “Or your parents wealth, whatever happened to all that?”


“Umm well...apparently I am not as talented as my parents thought. People aren’t into reading the same old story about princesses and frogs, or for paintings of perfectly beautiful girls...they like variety or something...” Beatrice held her head down low, not looking Elli in the eye. “As far as my parents money goes...umm well...I have sort of spent every last dime they left to me upon their death...I’m completely broke...”


Elli couldn’t help but think of the irony, and she could have easily turned her back on the girl and told her to get lost for all the cruelty she had suffered at her hand.

“So about that job? I would do anything you would have me do, I just need to find something...anything at this point...” Beatrice asked with tears starting to form in her eyes, her desperation had been clear upon her face. She must have really hit some hard times. Her lavish lifestyle was just too much for the money her parents left her and her career aspirations were going nowhere.

Elli would never be able to live with herself if she sent the girl away, the sadness in those eyes would eat at her heart forever. She very well could have been the only option Beatrice had at that point, and she knew it couldn't be easy asking for help like that. Besides, Miss Alva raised her better than to turn her back on those in need.

She grabbed an apron and tossed it to Beatrice.



“Sure...let me teach you all about making gingerbread...”






(This week was another delightful round of intersections! But instead of just working with one partner, we had to form a threesome. I got very lucky to get paired up with some amazing girls. You can read these entries in any order, but PLEASE consider reading their entries as well since they are absolutely fabulous in their own right! So please head on over and read mstrobel's Fairy Tale and comedychick's Pirate Love Story and learn some valuable lessons on jealousy while you're at it!)

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My lovely partner, applespicy complements my piece very well with her own little fairy-tale. She was an amazing partner and you really must go check out her piece as well. You surely won't be disappointed! I don't think it matters what order you read them in, but they really ought to be read together!