Distortion

I examined the curve of my eyes and the shape of my face.

I said "I am not beautiful?"

The words came out like a question because I wasn't sure if it was true.

I examined the darkness of my skin and the unruliness of my hair.

I said "I am not beautiful."

The words came out like a statement because now the truth was beginning to don on me. 

I squinted my eyes, trying to distort to my vision, hoping I would see something different.  

I looked to the mirror for reassurance, but all it did was smirk. 

This time, I said nothing. 

The mirror had the last laugh. 

 

But then I discovered a loophole. 

I painted my eyes and contoured the shape of my face. 

I said "I am becoming beautiful?" 

The words came out like a question because I wasn't sure how to feel about the transformation.

I hid the darkness of my skin under a layer of liquid and flat ironed every curl out of my head.

I said "I am becoming beautiful."

The words came out like a statement because now the transformation was complete. 

I looked at myself, my eyes wide open, not wanting to distort my vision.

But then I moved, and my beauty smeared.

I looked to the mirror for reassurance, but all it did was chuckle. 

This time, I said nothing. 

The mirror had the last laugh. 

 

Now I could barely see the mirror through the wetness of my eyes. 

I looked at my eyes as tears spilled over the edges and lined the corners of the shape of my face. 

I said "Is this beautiful?"

The words came out like a question because I had never seen myself cry before. 

I looked at how my dark skin glowed against the transparency of the tears and how my curls moved with every tear that I wiped. 

I said "This is beautiful." 

The words came out like a statement because now I saw the beauty in my emotions. 

I looked at myself and realized that my tears were particles of my soul reaching the surface.

I looked to the mirror for reassurance. It didn't even flinch. 

This time, I said nothing. 

It was an eerie sensation realizing that the mirror was never laughing.