Perfectly Imperfect

I'm not cute or pretty or the girl any guy in their right mind would want. I'm ugly - there, I said it. Once, I found out that a girl I had considered to be my friend called me ugly behind my back. As much as I hate to admit it, it hurt to be back stabbed by her, because she always pretended like we were good friends.

Just last week, I was in the grocery store and this customer asked me for help. He mistook me for a twenty year old worker. For God sake - I'm twelve! But I guess with my height and pimply face, it's not really their fault. But how can it be MY fault that I have terrible DNA? Last night, my sister told me, "Robin, your face is so pimply and ugly I can die just looking at you," and for the first time, I broke down in front of her. I mean, I KNOW about sibling rivalry but, with everything else, the words were too much. No Prince Charming will stride into my life on a white horse and put my life right, because I'm ugly.

So today, morning, I go to see my cousin, sister Lyra, in hospital. We used to be really close but Lyra has cancer and her doctors say she won't survive for long; she's stopped taking her medications. I dread seeing her leave like this and I can't help but remember those amazing times when we used to play hide and seek after watching The Little Mermaid on our broken down telly. Lyra is in bed, her black hair fallen off so that I can see her bare scalp.

I sit down next to her bed and tell her about what's been going on in my life. I expect her sympathy, for her to say "it'll get better" but instead, she says, "I'm jealous of you, Robin." I'm shocked, utterly confused. Then she tells me, "I would give anything to stay with my family longer, to accomplish all of my dreams - but I can't. I mean, who cares about looks? What the hell, if we weren't different we'd be like clones! I want to make my mum happy before I leave, to help them forget about me, but I don't have enough time. Looks don't get you much. I mean, look at my boyfriend Jake. He dumped me right after I told him about my disease..."

Tears flood Lyra's eyes and I hug her, feeling my own tears pouring down my face. "As much as I wanted Jake to forget me," she continues, "A part of me wanted him to be there with me when I leave so I wouldn't be afraid. I thought he would stay, but he freaked out."

My cousin took my hands in hers, "One day, you'll meet the perfect guy who'll treat you for who you are and understand you and love you. One day we all do, if we keep going. I never had enough time to meet that guy. But Robin, you do."

The same night, Lyra passed away. It broke my heart, seeing my one and only friend in the whole world leave like that. But even as the last beats in the heart monitor trailed off, I knew Lyra had changed my life forever. She had made me realize something important: that each and every one of us is a Cinderella, and we mustn't let our evil step sisters get in between us and our destiny.