The Curves Ahead - Wattpad Award Winner

Chapter 17

Another Friday, another live cross. After a full week of Matt-lessness, I was feeling oddly serene. I missed him so much it made my heart ache, but I wasn't clinging to the idea of 'us' so much it bent my mind the way it had been doing.

When Matt and Taylor appeared on the screen after the ad break, I almost gasped. They both looked like different kinds of hell. Taylor seemed even smaller, as if she'd shrunk into her body, and her perpetual smile was shaky and pale. Horrified, I wondered if her cancer growth had accelerated, or if she'd just lost some of her pizazz now she was accepting the future loss of both her breasts.

Still, she tried. "Hi, everyone. We're crossing now to Evi, out on report. Good morning, Evi, you look really good for... You look good today."

Beside her, Matt just appeared exhausted. Bags hung from under his eyes, while his skin tone was greyed. His eyes were foggy, the colour diluted and unclear. He stared deep into the camera and spoke directly to me, rather than the viewers. "Evianna, are you okay?"

Robbo is going to kick your butt for not looking pretty enough, Matt... "Hi Matt and Taylor. I'm great! I'm up here in the gorgeous Northern Territory, where people flock to experience the local colour. And here at Croc-INK-dile, Shelley and her team help people take some of that colour home with them – under their skin."

As my report played, showing interviews with customers, Shelley and Frog, I tried to analyse what on earth was wrong with Matt. Shrugging it off, I concentrated on being present. Watching the entertaining footage, I smiled; it had come together well, showing alternative beauty in a way that made Shelley proud.

When it concluded, I spoke. "I've been personally challenged this week, viewers. I've found my views on beauty have been far too narrow. Being beautiful isn't about a flat belly or a pert nose or skin colour. It's about the acceptance of everything in its state, for the qualities you might not realise were even there.

"Have you ever looked at a newborn baby? Truly studied one? They're actually incredibly weird looking! They're like squashy potatoes, with blotchy red patches and goopy skin. But you'd never say that to a mother – because you know that her baby is beautiful to her. It represents nine months of hard work and an epic labour. The beauty is in the hidden details.

"I'd like to encourage the whole country to look for the beautiful in others, regardless of waistline or facial perfection. Appreciate kind eyes, or a beautiful smile, or a soothing voice. Strong hands that show a lifetime of work, facial wrinkles from a million smiles, or the swell of hips that have carried and born babies. The Mohawk to the Mullet, tatts and piercings, posture and body language, go deeper into your ideas of beauty. I promise you, it's hiding there."

I steeled myself for the last part of my cross. "So, before I let you go today, I have to show you all something. I've been here a week and I've learned at the hand of a master. Now, I'm ready to pick up the needle myself."

As pre-organised, I crossed to where Frog lay on a reclining seat. Shelley stood beside him, holding a ready needle. "Frog is looking for a special addition to one of his existing tatts and he's letting me take the reins on this one."

I leaned over his leg, where pre-marked lines were laid out for me to follow. The open mouthed frog on his leg was getting a long red tongue, and while Australia watched, I inked his skin, feeling a bizarre burst of confidence and power as I altered his body forever.

Leaning up, I lifted the needle and grinned into the camera. "That's it from up here in Darwin, everyone! Have a brilliant weekend, and stay beautiful!"