Hey guys! I know this should be a new chapter of "Phantom Acts" but I can't get this idea out of my head! I know I did a story like this a while back for a different show, but this is different. I was watching Beauty & the Beast (fave Disney movie!) and this story started to come together in my head. It's basically a modern version of the story. I really hope you guys like it!

BTW, if you're wondering where I got the title, it's from one of my favorite books, Of Beast And Beauty. It's basically a vamped up and gothic version of the story. It's actually really good. I thought it would be good for this story.

Anyways, enjoy!

Grant Ward had it all. He was the star of the school. He was the star quarterback, student council president, top grades and most popular student at SHIELD Academy. (A/N Just pretend SHIELD Academy is just a high school. Sorry. Couldn't think of anything else) To top it all off, he was the richest and most good-looking at the school. He had dark hair, molten chocolate eyes and a body that looked to be shaped by the gods. His parents had made it big in the oil and mineral business and were now treating him like a prince. Though, most nights they were at work or off on a business trip. So, he had their huge mansion all to himself. Every girl wanted to be with him and every guy wanted to be him.

Even though he had it all, he was spoiled. He wanted everything done just for him and wanted to be the center of everyone's universe. And for the most part he got that. That's why he hung out with the football team. He was their king and the only one who was even close to his status was his best friend and the running back, Miles Lydon. He was even more full of himself than Grant.

Grant's selfishness was about to be the undoing of him… or so he thought.

It was the first Friday of their senior year. Everything was normal. Grant and Miles walked into their first period, Physics. They immediately spotted Jemma Simmons or as she's better known, SHIELD Academy's certified weirdo. She was sitting at the back of the class writing in her notebook as usual. Some people caught what she was writing or reading. They all say it looked like a different language. Maybe Latin. After that, most people considered her a witch. The only one who actually saw the notebook with her permission was her best friend, Leo Fitz. And he wasn't about to spill what was in it.

Grant and Miles had been picking on her since she started her descent into craziness. She had tolerated it… until today.

Grant and Miles took their seats two rows in front of her as the bell rang. During the lecture, Grant slid a piece of paper under Miles' nose.

Wanna really irritate the weirdo? It read.

Miles looked over his shoulder at Jemma and wrote back, What do I need to do?

After three periods, it was lunch. Grant and Miles found Jemma Simmons at her usual spot. She was sitting behind the English building with Leo Fitz next to her. She sat cross-legged with an open book in her lap. No one ever knew what she was reading. She had black book covers over any book she brought to school. Her notebook was sitting unattended beside her backpack a few feet from her.

Grant looked at Miles who nodded. With the speed that got him the position as running back, Miles ran over and grabbed the notebook. Jemma's head shot up in time to see Miles throw the notebook to Grant, who took off at high speed.

Jemma took off after him with Leo at her heels. Miles was running alongside Grant. Both were laughing. They finally stopped at the fountain in the center of the school. Jemma immediately stopped as soon as Grant held her precious notebook over the water with a loose grip. She was only a few feet from them, but she didn't risk it.

"Give me my notebook!" Jemma yelled, hatred building in her voice.

"Oh." Grant said in a mocking tone, "The weirdo speaks."

"Give it back! Now!" Jemma shouted with more force. A crowd started to form around them, everyone wanting to see what would become of the weirdo's notebook.

"Why don't you come and get it?" Miles teased.

That's all it took. Jemma shot at them with all the speed she had, but it wasn't enough. Grant let the notebook slip out of his hand. It splashed into the water and sank to the bottom of the fountain along with the discarded change and trash of the day.

"NO!" Jemma yelled. She reached the edge of the fountain in time to see the water around her notebook turn black from all the ink collected in that one notebook. The inky water swirled like black vines. Reaching in, Leo pulled out the soaked notebook. Jemma took the notebook in her hands and clutched it with anger. She turned to Grant with anger and hatred boiling in her eyes. He could've sworn they turned to a dull red color, but he wasn't sure. "Et paenituit. Omnia potest videre quod sum cito."

With that, Jemma turned and shoved her way through the crowd back to her usual lunch spot. Before he left, Leo turned to Grant and said simply, "You shouldn't have done that." Leo turned and ran after his best friend.

"What's she gonna do?" Grant yelled after him, "Curse me?" Everyone in the crowd laughed and he high-fived Miles.

Suddenly, the bell rang. The crowd dispersed to get to their next class. Miles and Grant headed towards their lockers, which were right next to each other's. As they got their books, Miles asked, "You think we went too far? I mean, that was weirdo's prize possession."

"Dude!" Grant said as he turned to Miles, "What are you saying? This is Jemma Simmons, SHIELD Academy's number one weirdo we're talking about. She got what she deserved."

"Yeah. I guess so." Miles said, suddenly reassured. They closed their lockers and headed to their next class. "So, who you gonna take to prom? You are the one planning it this year."

"I don't know." Grant shrugged, "None of these girls are good-looking enough to fit my standards." Miles nodded in understanding as they parted ways with a good-bye.

Unknown to both, Jemma was behind them the entire way and heard every word. She had revenge on her mind and Grant's words had given her the idea that would bring him down to her level.

After school, Grant and Miles had football practice. After practice, they walked together until they reached an intersection where Grant turned right to his parent's mansion and Miles kept straight to his house. They parted ways and Grant walked on to his mansion. He knew his parents were on a business trip for a few months, but they would be here for his high school graduation where he would be valedictorian.

He passed by an alleyway and the light above it sparked. Turning just in time, he saw a figure under the light. He paused at the opening. He wasn't sure if he should go down or not. He heard someone snap and the light was brought to life, but was shinning green instead of white. Under it was a figure he recognized directly from his school. "Weirdo?" He called.

Jemma Simmons lifted her head and pushed the hair out of her face. "That's not my name!" She cried. She stuck out her hand and suddenly Grant was moving forward. He stopped only a few feet from her. "You've wronged me for the last time, Ward!"

"So everything is true?" He questioned, "You are a witch!"

"I guess you could call me that, yes." She answered, "This was the last straw!" She suddenly smirked at him, "Do you know what I said to you today?"

"No," Grant answered, a slight hint of fear in his voice, "I don't speak witch."

"It's Latin, you idiot!" Jemma yelled. She calmed herself a bit, "The phrase translates into 'You will regret this. Soon you will all see what I'm capable of.' Well, now it's time you saw."

"What are you gonna do?" Grant asked.

"Te potest nimio studio sui vorabit vos." She said, voice building as the curse continued, "Usque modo non alio vultu amare discas redamare mereretur, manebitis beluam. Semper."

Grant suddenly felt as if his face and body were being torn apart. Pain ripped through every part of his body. It felt as if someone were tearing through his skin with knives, swords, and anything else. As sudden as it started the pain ceased. His breathing was deep and somewhat labored. He saw a broken mirror next to a trashcan and rushed towards it. He almost screamed at what he saw.

His once perfect face was covered in black and red scars. They stretched all across his face, through his eyes (though he could still see), around his neck and all over his god-sculpted body. He turned to Jemma in shock and anger, "What did you do to me?!"

"Your selfishness consumes you." She translated her own curse, "Until you learn to love another for not just their looks and earn that love in return, you shall remain a beast. Forever." With that, she vanished out of sight.

With a shocked look, Grant suddenly realized something. He couldn't go back to school looking like this. He would become an outcast. So, he pulled the hood of his jacket up and ran as fast as he could to his mansion. Once there, he ran straight to his room, closed the door and locked it. No one could see him like this. Not looking like a beast.

He didn't return to school that Monday… and any day following. He was forgotten at SHIELD Academy and Miles took over his role as king of the school. Grant began to lose hope. As fall turned into winter, and winter into spring, he lost all hope that he would ever be the same again. For who could ever learn to love a beast like him. No girl in their right mind would treat him with kindness or even decency. At least, no girl he knew.

But then, one act changed everything. At the end of March, a moving truck pulled into the driveway next door to him. A girl his age stepped out. She was the most beautiful girl she'd ever seen. She had a perfect figure, a tumble of brunette curls that reached the middle of her back, flawless olive skin and mysterious dark eyes. She turned to the mansion next door with curiousness sparking in her eyes. He suddenly moved away from the curtain so she wouldn't see him.

"Skye!" A voice called from inside the house, "Come help me unpack your stuff." The girl turned and ran into the house.

Skye. The girl he knew would never even look at him like this. But he didn't know her and he didn't know that one day soon, her curiosity would get the better of her.

How was that? I really think this is going to be an awesome story! I know that Jemma isn't exactly like herself, but I needed someone from SHIELD to be the witch! And I decided since she works with chemicals and their names, in this story she can work with potions and curses. And I put her Latin translations in there if any of you noticed. Anyways, R&R please! I can't wait till you guys see what I've got in store in my weird little shipper brain.

Quote of the Day: Monsters are real, and ghosts are real too. They live inside us, and sometimes, they win –Stephen King (One of my favorite authors!)

Song Suggestion: Angel With a Shotgun –The Cab (Totally describes Ward with Skye)