Bette and Shane trusted him. They buried themselves in books and separated themselves from the world. Their eyes got so messed up they had to wear giant bottle cap glasses, and both being finance majors knew that they had to economize by buying hideous, mixmatched outfits that cost a quarter rather than a dollar. They studied so much they never had time to brush their hair and they only ate junk food so they ended up with braces.

They didn’t snap back to reality until they were adults. They had their three doctorates and super brains, but they were too hideous to get a job. The neighborhood gang, run by the bitch Dawn Denbo, would terrorize them and beat them up. It was years of terror that had brought light to the fact that Melvin had been wrong all along. They were indeed too ugly to get anywhere, and even with all their brains they couldn’t get anywhere.

So Shane, with three doctorate degrees, worked as a stock girl at the back of a market where no one could see her ugliness, and there was a job waiting for Bette, but there was one job left to apply for.

EcoFashion.

The financial secretary to the president. She knew she was too ugly to get the job, especially since the job was in the fashion industry. But she wasn’t one to give up before even trying.

The EcoFashion building was enormous. There were models and beautiful secretaries everywhere. Bette stuck out like a sore thumb as she walked around with her knotted, nappy hair, big bottle cap glasses, giant stress pimples all over her forehead and cheeks, thick braces that made her top lip pop out unnaturally, a hideous brown tent dress with orange and yellow flowers, and black open flats with thick pink socks with fuzz balls on the top.

She stopped at the reception desk first, where the young, skinny, and beautiful brunette looked at her in complete and utter shock. She cleared her throat and said, "I’m Bette Porter and I’m here for the job interview."

The woman stuttered a bit then pressed a button on her phone and said, "Mr. Gomez, this is Carmen from reception, Ms. Bette Porter is here for her interview."

"Send her up toots," Gomez’s sleezy reply was.

Carmen shuddered and hung up the phone. "He’s a sleezeball," Carmen said then looked Bette up and down and added, "you shouldn’t have a problem."

Bette knew what she meant and slouched slightly. Carmen gave her an apologetic look and said, "good luck."

Bette smiled the best she could and walked to the elevator. There were very few people like Carmen who are so modest about their beauty that they sympathize with ugly women like Bette.

When she reached the top there was another secretary who was running around copying some papers and nearly ran into her. She was a pretty, punkish, blonde woman with a natural impish smile.

She didn’t seem to be stressed out by the obvious amount of work she had on her hands, nor was she in any way phased by Bette’s lack of beauty. She smiled kindly at Bette and said, "hi, I’m Alice Piezeki secretary of the Vice President of Commerce Helena Peabody. You new here?"

"Yes," Bette said, "or well I hope to be. I’m interviewing for the president’s financial secretary. My name is Bette Porter."

Alice smiled and said, "well I hope you get the job Bette."

"Thank you," Bette said waving at the woman who went back to her work, then moved to the room where she was supposed to go. There was another candidate sitting there. She was a beautiful brunette with short hair and a killer body. Bette sighed as she sat down next to her.

She knew she didn’t stand a chance.

TBC??