Storytelling Week One: The Beauty Queen and the Nerd

Once upon a time there was a gorgeous girl named Brittany. She was homecoming queen of her high school and adored by all the boys. She became very narcissistic as she grew up being showered by attention from all the jocks, including the high school quarterback, Rick. Rick was a very kind and gentle guy, wise beyond his years, yet even he was powerless to Brittany’s beauty. They began dating and were the cutest couple in school. All of the girls were jealous. Yet as Rick and Brittany continued their relationship, things got worse and worse. Rick slowly started to discover how cold and dark Brittany’s heart was. All of the beauty in the world could not mask how vain and selfish she was. Rick encouraged Brittany to work hard at her studies and apply to prestigious colleges, like he was, but all Brittany could see was high school and how she ruled the school.

            Then there was Heather. Heather was quiet and shy, with ratty hair and no concept of makeup or how to wear it. She had grown up with Rick, and they were neighbors. She had secretly loved him for years, but had always been too scared to tell him. He was tall, charismatic and gorgeous, and she was timid and nerdy. As they grew up and Rick focused on football and Heather on her studies, they fell apart. Their relationship soon consisted of a friendly hello when they caught each other coming to and from their homes. Heather missed the childhood closeness they once had, however she had created her own life. She was happy, and on the fast track to a full ride to any college she wanted. Heather was brilliant at mathematics and science and had hopes of being a research scientist that changed the world. She knew high school was only temporary and was looking far beyond that. Heather knew of Rick’s girlfriend, and was secretly disappointed that he had been shallow and chosen the Barbie doll that everyone wanted. He never seemed happy with her, and Heather secretly did not care for Brittany. She had never had any escalated encounters with her, but she had always been snooty and Heather knew she and her friends secretly laughed at Heather’s plain clothes and flat mousy hair.

            One day all that changed. It was graduation, and everyone’s emotions were on high as they hugged each other and said their goodbyes to their childhood friends. As Rick came in to hug Heather, his heart began beating fast. He realized he cherished this sweet girl and did not want to end like this. He looked at his materialistic girlfriend, standing there barely acknowledging people’s heartfelt goodbyes, and saw his mistake. Rick made a decision. He walked up to Brittany and stated, “Brittany, you are beautiful. But your heart is hard and all you care about is yourself. I will not be with you. All you have are your looks and that is all you will ever have. I found a girl who is smart and driven and has worked hard to be successful in life, the kind of success that lasts. She is who I want”. Rick looked at Heather and added, “If she will have me?” Heather’s mouth dropped open. Then suddenly she ran up and kissed Rick, and everything, including Brittany’s frantic shrieks, drowned out as they only felt each other.

 

Authors Note: This story was adapted from "The Peacock and the Crane" where a vain peacock tries to impress a crane with his beauty, but is outdone when the crane is able to use his ugly wings to fly. I found it far more useful in high school to work hard at my studies than to chase guys, and that has helped me significantly since I started college. That is what prompted me to write this re-telling.
"The Peacock and the Crane" by Aesop, from The Aesop for Children (1919). Web Source: The Project Guru

 

Gate in Central Park by Paul Manship depicting The Peacock and The Crane fable. Web Source: Flickr