Fake Smile

Her cheeks hurt from smiling for too long. The corners of her lips fought to fall down to reveal her true self. But she couldn't let that happen, not after realizing that this is what everybody wanted - a kid who would always be happy and playful, not someone who still carried the ghost of her past and didn't even know how to smile for real. She hadn't figured out how to act playful, but had been carrying out the 'happy girl' role pretty well so far. If only she could continue it for a few more days, she might get out of the orphanage and live with a real family. So she kept practicing to fake a smile, all the while hoping that nobody could tell a fake from a genuine smile.