3 - I'm Beautiful!

Eliza's POV;

I stare blankly at aunty Gloria, who is unpacking the bag she has placed on the bed. She looks up at me and finds that I'm still clad in my clothes.

"Eliza! "She snaps, and I inhale deeply in surrender. It's not like I have a say or can do something about this.

I pull off my top and am left in my bra. Then I let my shorts fall to my feet, with aunt Gloria's stern eyes paying close attention to me.

I keep my gaze away from her as I'm standing in my underwear, and she speaks.

"Take off the bra. "

I look up at her in alarm, and she rolls her eyes.

"Oh, please. Stop acting like your body is some national treasure.

If it were so priceless to you, you'd know what to and what not to eat to keep it in shape. "She spits at me, and I gulp.

Her words hit me like a cane, but I bite the inside of my cheek to stop to tears of embarrassment threatening to fall.

I unclasp my bra and let it fall. And, aunt Gloria walks up to me with a piece of black clothing in her hands.

She stoops before me and holds a part of the cloth forward.

"Put your leg in." She orders, and I obey. After putting my second leg in, I find that it's some sort of jumpsuit.

She gets behind me and tries to get my butt into the cloth.

"I know girls your age who grow into beautiful bodies. But despite having such fashionable parents, your body still wants you to look like some fancy panda.

You're meant to be a model yet you're just five feet seven, you act like your profession is a joke to you, and you lack discipline!

I don't even understand. Is this a butt!? It's just flat and out of place. When last did you do the squats I taught you? "She says, and I swallow as she harshly zips past my butt.

"Last week. "I lie,

" Liar! "She scolds, as I put my hands into the sleeves.

"Tell me, what did you eat? I know your parents wouldn't feed you anything to bloat you!

It's that friend of yours. Isn't it. That Athena girl. She's been bringing you forbidden food. Hasn't she? "My aunt says, and I gulp.

"It's either that, or you're pregnant. Tell me, are you pregnant? I don't understand why you'd be getting so ridiculously fat. You're short. We're managing that.

Don't create a bigger problem by getting fat too!" She adds, and I swallow.

"I'm talking to you, won't you answer!? Luckily, you have perky breasts. Your shoot with the perfume industry is next week.

You better pray to God that you lose some fat, if not you'd have to present your big, fat, self to the world.

Box's of the perfume worldwide would have your fat, indisciplined self on it!" She adds, and I gulp.

"Won't you answer me!?" She scolds, and I swallow.

"Yes, aunt.

No, I'm not pregnant. It's just fat. I didn't kill anyone. I didn't make myself short, God did. If you have an issue with my height, face him!

I'm beautiful! Fat, or not! If you don't want to see me, close your eyes! "I yell at her and grab my clothes off the floor.

" Oh, my! Are you talking to me, young lady!?

Do you have any idea how much people prefer your brother to you!? You're a girl and you can't even make an impact in the modeling world.

It's a shame that you think you're beautiful like this. We're helping you! If you want to be prettier, you better obey us.

You have to spend all night in that suit for the next few nights! I designed it, and it should help you look more like a model, and less like a joke! "She retorts as I make to leave, and I shut my eyes before opening the door, storming past my parents, and up to my room.

Everyone sucks! I'm not ugly! I'm not ugly! I'm beautiful!

"I'm beautiful!" I scream into my pillow as bottled-up tears begin to pour.

"I'm beautiful... "

There's a knock on my door, and my brother's voice follows,

"Eliza, may I come in? "

"Go away, Daniel... I don't want to talk to anyone. Just, go..."

*****

I stand before the mirror in my room, and stare at the tight jumpsuit I'm in, as fresh tears begin to pour.

*You poor, ugly duckling. *I hear an unfamiliar voice say, and I look around my room in fright.

" Who said that!? "I question in alarm.

*I mean, look at you. You're meant to be a barbie doll, but you're a teddy bear instead...* I hear the voice say again, and I look around my purple room in alarm.

The voice is loud and clear, but not coming from any specific angle of my room. Almost like the voice is in my head, but it's not mine.

*Wouldn't you love to shock your family? To seal their lips and prove dear aunt Gloria, wrong? *

The voice says, and I fall silent as that indeed is something I would love.

*Look at you...* The voice says, and I look at my reflection in the mirror.

*How perfect you'd be if you were just a little taller, has a smaller waist, and just little touch-ups here and there...

You'd be a goddess. Amber would bow to you, and Damien would worship the ground you walk on.

You'd no longer be in your brother's shadow... *The voice says, and I smile broadly at my reflection as I imagine all these beautiful things.

*But, what a shame. There's no one to help you. No ray of hope.

You're stuck this way, forever! The joke of the Rollins family!* The voice barks, and I gasp as I pull my eyes open.

It was all a dream...

What sort of dream is that? My ears embrace the gentle, silent noise of the night, and I fill my lungs with air. I sit up in my fluffy bed and blink a few times to get a level of sanity into my blurry eyes.

I look at my window and find it's dark outside. I had long fallen asleep.

However, my system which is on the table opposite my bed is on.

When did I touch that?

I sluggishly climb out of my bed to go put it off, and a notification pops up.

*Want to be beautiful? Want to make an impact? We have the answers to your prayers...*