Imperfect

the monster.

they stared at her face.
the little red spots that were speckled around her eyes. happy that they didn't look like that, that they cleaned their skin.
we all know that's how acne works.

she walked through the halls with her head low, a cap shielding herself from the unforgiving eyes.
wishing that she put a little more makeup on her face so all the blemishes wouldn't be visible.
but she knows that only makes it worse

they laughed at her.
with whispering voices and hushed giggles as she walked past. wondering how she could live with herself looking like that. they knew that there where rules, you washed your face before you went to bed and when you woke up in the morning.
then there was no chance that you'd get acne.

why were the pills not working?
she tried them every night so she wouldn't have to deal with this humiliation every day at school. people always shared their success story's online explaining how these pills changed their lives.
but they never seemed to work for her.

they noticed her eating alone.
saw that she was eating a salad with a cookie on the side. 'that must be the reason' they thought, 'last week i heard that sugar clogs your pores'. nodding in agreement they agree that must be the reason.
what else would explain the state of her skin.

she left lunch early.
sitting all by herself at a table wasn't her idea of a good time. it's like they thought acne was contagious, like it was a disease. leaving the cafeteria people looked at her like an animal at a zoo.
maybe she shouldn't have left the cafeteria after all.

they thought acne was a choice.
that she hadn't worked hard enough and deserved it. that she wanted it. if she really tried to she could take good care of her skin an get rid of it. she only had acne because she was an unhygienic slob.
nothing was going to change their mind.

she knew acne was a burden.
something she got because her parents had it. she washed her face cleaned her skin but it would never look like theirs. she showered everyday and took an occasional bath. none of that ever mattered to them.
they only saw what was on the outside

they all clattered to get out of school.
rushing from classes trying to get to friends as fast as possible.
they all had plans, plans that were going to be fun.

she was like them in a way.
she had plans after school as well. however her plans consisted of standing in front of a mirror counting all the spots on her skin. making sure that number hadn't increased from the time she last checked. her plans consisted of washing her face until it hurt. because she wanted to be just like them.
pretty, flawless, Good Enough.