your perfect self

The sky was clear and bright. There was a gentle breeze blowing outside. They were in his car going to the pier downtown. He was in the driver's seat, carefully driving along the street where he reached a red light. He pressed the brakes and the car screeched to a halting stop. He turned to look at her in the passenger's seat, and thought she was the most beautiful person he ever met. Her wavy, brown hair which parted down the middle framed her heart-shaped face perfectly. Her bright, hazel eyes, tiny nose and rosebud lips make the most beautiful facial features.

On the outside, everyone knew her as this perfect person. She is known to be kind, smart, funny, beautiful and talented. At school, she is put into the honors class. Apart from that, she is also a cheerleader, class president, member of model UN, captain of the decathlon team and so much more. When she is not busy with her after school activities, she usually helps out at the soup kitchen or children's hospital nearby. On the weekends, she works at Starbucks in the afternoon.

That is how everyone sees her. That is the image she shows the world. But he knew her well. Knew her well enough to know that she is a different girl on the inside. Everyday after school, she would go home and cry in the bathroom and in her bedroom. She has been crying like this since eighth grade, when she found her parents fighting. She knew from that moment her life will never be the same. Rather than going to see a therapist, she scratched her arms and blamed it on her cat. But he knew about this. Everyday he tries his best to help her.

When they reached the pier, the sky was the perfect mixture of pink and orange. The waves were gently crashing on the sea. Before he woke her up from her sleep, he put a necklace around her neck and whispered, "Happy Birthday," softly in her ear.