Princess

She stands on the stage and stares back at the faces who nominated her, the ones of her classmates, the ones who put her here.  She looks at the crowded blur of people and wonders why she is standing in front of them.  This is not her scene and they know it.  The crowd looks back at her in the long, stunning dress and are overtaken by her beauty.  Her silver necklace provides a beautiful accent to her dazzling red hair but to her it is suffocating.  Suffocating because she doesn't like jewelry and she doesn't like dresses.  It is far too superfluous for her taste and is quite a stray from her usual style of t-shirts and jeans.  The biggest thing bringing her comfort in this moment of confusion is her trusty pair of Nikes.  They go everywhere with her and tonight is no exception.  Perhaps she should be wearing something a little more glamorous but she's already sacrificed a great deal of comfort for the dress and necklace, so the shoes stay.  For the most part they stay neatly tucked under her long dress but occasionally they peak out to remind people that although she is out of her comfort zone tonight, she is still the girl they love.  In a moment they will announce the winner.  The winner of the crown and the winner of the title, "princess."  She waits with the crowd and her fellow nominees and then she hears it.  Her name.  They have called her name and she has won.  The crown is hers; the title is hers.  She is their princess.  She steps forward to accept her crown and give a smile to those that voted for her.  As she does so she wonders still how she came to be here.  Even with her beautiful brown eyes and her sparkling red hair she has never considered herself a beauty queen.  She doesn't waste time with makeup and hairspray and she certainly doesn't enjoy all the glamour and glitz that inevitably accompany nights like this.  But the crowd doesn't wonder.  They know exactly why she is here.  They put her here.  To this crowd a princess is so much more than just outer beauty.  Their princess is one who has beauty eminating from within her.  Their's is a princess of class, of integrity, of humility.  One who is a great leader and who genuinely cares for others.  One who isn't afraid to be herself.  Their princess... is her.