Be Brave

Bravery looks at his target with unease. He side-eyes his father, Confidence, and says, “So this is her? My debut?” 

Confidence nods. “Yes. You need to make her feel brave and act upon it in order to pass the test. Only then can you enter the League.” 

Bravery shudders. This is so much harder than he thought. He looks at his target again. She is sitting under an oak tree, engrossed in a book. The sunlight streams through the bright green leaves to envelop her in a warm, hazy bubble. Her curtain heavy hair hides her eyes in a black waterfall, shielding her from the world. She does not notice Bravery and his father, not because she is occupied, but because no one but other Emotions can see them. Unless Emotions allow you to see them, which Bravery must do in order to help Alice. 

Speaking of Emotions, Excitement leans over the girl’s shoulder, looks up at them, and waves her hands aggressively. 

“Hi, there! Are you here for Alice?” 

Bravery nods and shrugs. “I don’t know how to help her through. She hates confrontation and feels so helpless…” He trunks to his father, “I don’t think she’s the right person for my test.” 

Confidence laughs, big and booming. “She is.” He places a heavy hand on his son’s shoulder. “You’ll do fine, Bravery.” 

It is only when Confidence and Excitement leave that Bravery approaches Alice. He sits quietly next to her, his knee gently grazing hers. 

“Hey,” He whispers.

Alice startles and drops her book. Her green eyes light up in surprise. “Who…who are you?” 

“I’m Bra-Bravery,” Bravery stutters. He curses himself for being so fearful. It’s a human girl; she has no power that can defeat him. 

Alice picks up her book but leaves it closed in her lap. She leans forward, interested. “So, why are you here?”

“I help people feel brave. You have an issue that I’m supposed to help with.”

Alice looks away, embarrassed. “I don’t have an issue,” She mumbles. 

Bravery clicks his tongue. “Yes, you do. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be here.”

Alice huffs but doesn’t refute his statement. The two sit in silence for a while, listening to the songs of the birds that flutter their wings in the branches above them. Although weather conditions don’t bother him, Bravery likes the warmth and content he feels beneath the tree. It’s not bombarded with the chaos of the world. 

Alice fingers her book and begins to pick it up, but Bravery stops her. “What’s your problem?” 

Alice’s lips frown, taking his statement as an insult. When Bravery realizes this, he is quick to apologize. 

“Oh! I’m sorry! I just meant…what’s making you fearful?” 

Alice shrugs. “I don’t know.” Her eyes darken with the lie. 

Bravery waits, wondering if she will succumb to his silence and speak the truth. She does.

“There’s this girl…she’s a really popular eighth-grader.”

Bravery nods his head in encouragement. “Yeah? What’s her name?”

“Caroline.”

“What does she do to you that makes you afraid?”

Alice side-eyes him. “I’m not afraid of her. I…I just don’t like her, is all. She’s auditioning for the play version of Beauty and the Beast.” 

“Which part?”

“The lead, Belle. And she’s really good.”  

Bravery understands. “So you’re afraid that she’ll get the part. That you aren’t good enough.”

Alice begins to nod but stops. “Not exactly. I know I’m good. But…” She leans in close and whispers her secret: “I have stage fright.” 

“Ahh, “Bravery says. “Well, we’ll have to fix that, won’t we?” He stands up and offers Alice his hand. “How much time do we have until the audition?”

“It’s in two days.”

Bravery whistles through his teeth. Holy moly, he thinks. Two days?!!? His father must really want to challenge him and Bravery isn’t sure he can succeed. 

But Bravery shakes those feelings off his shoulders. He needs to pass this test. Alice needs to be Belle. 

Alice stands, her book, which Bravery realizes is not a book at all but a booklet of her audition lines, dangling from her loose fingertips. Alice’s lips tremble and her voice wavers as she asks, “So how do we do this?”

Bravery smiles a soft smile, one gaining confidence as it climbs up his lips. He can do this, he thinks. We can do this.

“We be brave.”

Alice and Bravery practiced non-stop for her audition, practicing lines over and over again until Alice didn’t need to look at her paper at all. They practiced in the mirror and in the shower, saying the lines clearly and with emotions. They sang “Beauty and The Beast” perfectly while holding a shampoo bottle for a microphone. 

“From the top!” Bravery shouts from outside Alice’s shower curtain.

Alice lets her sweet, soft voice float through the air: “A tale as old as time…”

When she finished, Bravery claps his hand widely. “YES!! Perfect! I think we’re ready for the audition tomorrow.”

Alice turns off the water and says, “Maybe. I might freeze on stage.” 

Bravery waves a hand and faces the wall. “No, you won’t. I’ll be there to guide you.”

“Promise?”

“Promise.”

The next morning, Alice and the rest of the auditioners sit in the theater, waiting for their turn to go up on stage. Each contestant has their turn, and then Caroline, a tall, mean-looking brunette, goes up on stage. She grips the microphone and clears her throat confidently. Alice shrinks into her seat as Caroline delivers her lines perfectly and then begins to sing. Her voice is strong, Bravery admits, but it’s too loud for Belle’s soft, gentle nature.

Caroline finishes, the crowd erupting in loud applause. Alice squeaks with fear. She whispers to Bravery, “I don’t think I can go up there after that.” 

“You will. We did not work so hard just so you can become a coward at the last second. You need to show Caroline how amazing you are.”

Alice peeks at the stage, then freezes when her name is called. Everyone turns to look and Caroline sends Alice a nasty smirk. She says, loud enough for every kid to hear, “Break a leg, loser. Literally.” Caroline flips her hair as the other kids snicker. 

Bravery’s cheeks go warm with anger. “Go up there right now Alice.”

“I…I can’t-”

“You can and you will. NOW!”

Alice jumps from her seat and heads for the stage stairs. She trips up them and to Bravery’s embarrassment, knocks over the microphone. Laughter bounces in the crowd and Alice’s cheeks blush with shyness. She clears her throat softly. 

Bravery smiles and gives her a thumbs up. “You got this.” 

Alice smiles weakly but begins her lines. As she does, the rest of the world fades away, and it's just Bravery and Alice. The spotlight shines down upon her light it was made to light her up. She looks like the star she is, Bravery thinks passionately. 

When Alice starts to sing, the side remarks of the children in the audience stop. Alice sings her heart out, pouring so much emotion into the lyrics, even Bravery tears up. The delicate words flow from Alice’s mouth boldly. 

In the end, everyone but Caroline stands up in a standing ovation. Pouting, Caroline reluctantly stands up and claps her hands with annoyance.

Bravery beams up at Alice, whose smile is so wide, it threatens to consume her face. Her green eyes sparkle with joy. Bravery whoops and hollers along with the kids and Alice starts to laugh. Then she starts to cry as the judges announce her as the lead for the play. Caroline humph and stomps off, but Alice is too proud of herself to care. 

“You did well, Bravery.” Confidence says as he appears next to his son.

Bravery is shocked to see his father there. “What are you doing here?”

“You passed your test. Alice doesn’t need you anymore.”

Bravery frowns with sadness. He came to be very fond of Alice. But he brightens with happiness at Alice’s shining smile. Confidence is right, Bravery says to himself, Alice is brave now. She doesn’t need me to help her. 

Before he leaves with his father, Bravery waves to Alice, who waves back. 

“Thank you,” She mouths. 

Bravery’s smile hurts his cheeks, it’s so big. “No, Alice. Thank you.”

Alice nods, understanding the meaning of his statement. She waves one last time and reminds Bravery of something he will never forget: 

“Be brave.”