The Eye of the Beholder
A young artist learns about self-expression. Written for Vocal's Microfiction Magic challenge, May 2023.
‘But mum, noses don’t look like that,’ Shelley tells me, a little too loud for the hushed gallery.
‘That’s what made Picasso special,’ I reply. ‘He saw things differently from everyone else.’
A few days later, her school calls me in.
‘I don’t know if Shelley mentioned, but another girl has been making some unkind comments about her looks.’
‘She’s being bullied?’ My heart sinks.
‘It's not uncommon. The problem is today Shelley retaliated. Her art teacher heard her yelling "You’re just seeing things wrong!" and he had to stop her from stabbing another girl in the eye.’
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Comments (1)
OMG I did not expect the turn. Almost thought this was gonna end wholesomely. Should know better than that by now. Nice stuff.