The Unwanted Perfection

Prologue

Swollen eyes and dry lips were always Hanni's problem every morning. Her shrunken eyes, slightly red from all the crying made her wary. Her wrinkled simple white ruffle dress that reached the end of her knees, suffered from a very unusual dirt she received from being pushed down the stairs last night.

Yes. She was again bullied.

"Come one Hanni, Miss Frank will punish you again if you don't hurry up." Her roommate advises while putting in her little socks against her cold feet.

"Don't worry about me L. I'll be fine, I think she'll be more mad if she sees me in this stupid state." Hanni replied, her voice a bit sore and hoarse. It seems like she didn't get a good sleep last night.

Her roommate then sighed. Not wanting to pry into Hanni's stubbornness anymore, she left and slightly closed the door being concerned about Hanni. The little girl then went to her room's tiny bathroom and washed her face with the cold water running from their dirty faucet.

Hanni Pham was an orphan. She was left in the care of the place she was staying in starting from the moment she was born. The teared wallpaper and dusty wooden floors had become her companion ever since then. Including her roommate who never once meddled into her business—her being bullied.

"Ouch." Hanni flinches, her eyes squinting from the pain she was feeling. Her eyes then traveled down to her arms realizing she had gained a bruise from what happened last night.

She was frail and short. Her being different from the other kids makes her their target. She was always considered as the 'dark child'. It's someone who's always alone, lonely and just screams depressed. She had no escape from them.

However, though she knew she was being treated unfairly, she never once wishes to be adopted. She didn't want to leave the only place that took her in.

"Hanni? Miss Frank is still in her room. Come on hurry up!" Her roommate popping up in her bathroom held her hand and led her to the dining room where everyone was already in place.

The dining room was pretty large. The room was enough for everyone to sit in. Of course it was a large orphanage although the head never cared for its children. She never tried fixing their rooms or their dirty faucets or their torn wardrobe.

"I was worried so I called you." L, her considered friend whispered while sitting quietly in silence. Hanni just let out a small smile and put her fingertips on top of her bruised arms to check if it was in much pain.

Thankfully it wasn't.

Miss Frank, their head walks in with her usual clean bun and square glasses. Her straight posture and fierce eyes made everyone shut. No one dared to speak as they were afraid to be punished. Miss Frank then looks at Hanni's direction which was odd because she never paid attention to her.

Not once.

"Pham, come to my office after breakfast." Her quite feel voice echoes through the wide room scaring the other kids while Hanni just nodded her head making those who bullied her irritated.

They hate Hanni. Well, actually despised her. And if someone was called into Miss Frank's office it would just mean one thing.

Adoption.

Hanni knew it. She was going to leave the place that had become her friend. The old hallways that guided her throughout the light from lonely darkness she was in. The shaggy room she had that comforted her in silence whenever she would bawled her eyes out.

The place that became her home when her parents didn't want her.

L, her friend cleared her throat and look into Hanni's direction while playing with the fork she was holding. Her slightly curled hair distracted the girl she was sitting with.

"What is it L?" Hanni asked while eating after praying.

"We know it Hanni." Her friend said, her lips smiling while she hides a bitter feeling that she wouldn't want Hanni to know.

"Know what?" Hanni's eyebrows turned upwards while she stays silent.

"You're getting adopted. That you're leaving this place." L continued.

L never saved Hanni from anyone because Hanni said so. She hated getting anyone involved in her own problems. She was afraid they would do it to L too. The short girl then sighed, her breath being shaky as she feels slightly scared from the fact that she was actually leaving.

"I don't want to." Hanni admitted making her friend surprised.

"Eh? Why? Isn't that a great thing?" She paused while stuffing a big chunk of meat into her mouth. "You'll be able to leave this dirty place. Also, you won't have to see those mean girls anymore."

"You're right but I have other reasons why I don't want to leave." Hanni smiled leaving her reasons unsaid.

L was curious but she knew Hanni likes keeping everything to herself. Hanni was like a flower. One that is never blooming and just stayed closed. She never really open her heart to anyone.

She was a secret waiting to be revealed.

Hanni was different indeed.

"You keep on picking with your food. Hurry up." L chuckle her eyes leaving Hanni and focused on eating.

After breakfast, Hanni walks directly into Miss Frank's office. Once she reached it, she was welcomed by the room's coldness. How ironic it was that the head was living in a nice place, wide space and air-conditioned room. While they continue to live in their shaggy rooms of theirs.

"Pham. You know why you're called right?" Miss Frank's gaze was stone cold. Her wrinkled eyes and sharp cheekbones made Hanni stiff. She never really likes staring into their head much since she was insane and would often shout at anyone who dares to mess with her.

"Yes."

"Tomorrow Morning. You'll meet them." Her eyes averting from the little child's, she suddenly took out a form out.

"I didn't understand why they picked you out of everyone." Miss Frank out of the blue mumbled. She was always mean but Hanni was still surprised she would say that.

"That's all Pham. Go back now to your room." She said and Hanni followed.

Stepping out of the room, Hanni was finally able to breathe comfortably. However, the intense feeling never left. She was scared and feeling quite unsure whether to be happy or worried.

But nothing will change her situation now. She'll leave tomorrow morning and by then, she wouldn't see L anymore.

Little to Hanni's knowledge, her once closed flower will start to bloom as Hanni will start to realize that everything was just the beginning of an end.