I felt as if my life was about to fall out. My grades were plummeting, my relationships were on the rocks, my future was getting dimmer. It seemed as if there was nothing left to hold on to, despite the many things I achieved.

The coffee shop opened at 5 am. I was last in line to order. As I came to the register, SOLD OUT rushed into my brain. For some reason those two insignificant words tipped me over. My soul gradually left me as I was already on the brink of falling. 

But for some reason, the single worker, a complete stranger, saw me would make an entire new batch for me. Just for you. I eagerly waited for it to finish. “On the house.”

For some reason, despite the insignificance, those three words from someone I didn’t know were enough to forget everything that happened and got me climbing back up.

She was the perfect girl. She was always covered with a smile and helped others. Her grades were perfect. Her family and house were perfect. But deep inside were full of lies. 

She was constantly pressured. After school she was only met with endless work until the next day. In reality she was weak. But a perfect girl must move on. She couldn’t let her mask fall, she thought.

She won in the piano competition. She started a successful nonprofit organization. Everything about her outside was perfect. Everyone liked her, at least with her mask on.

Her outside walls seemed strong, but inside she was imploding. This continued on until even her mask broke. But her mask was what made her “perfect.”

Like a sinking ship, everything inside her bursted out. She failed in everything and no one was with her. That was when she realized. No one helped her because she didn’t ask for it. She was everyone’s idol, but the mask that contained all of the lies finally broke. 

And then the lies swarmed out.

And then nothing was inside her. No lies, no pressure, but no friends and no life.