Someone Else

You are the reason I freeze when people tell me I'm beautiful. They say I have such beautiful eyes, but they're like yours. I don't want your eyes. I don't like the way they look at me.

I wish I had someone else's eyes, and someone else's smile, and someone else's laugh. Then I wouldn't look stupid when I smiled too wide or sound obnoxious when I laughed too loud. I wish I had someone else's voice so I could truly speak and never be judged.

You are the reason I'm here. Thank you, but that doesn't earn you respect. Nor does it give you mine. But you take it anyway, until I have nothing left and I hate everything about me, from my body to my face to the words that come out of my mouth.

My heart pumps blood every second, blood that shouts to the world that I am like you. I don't want to be like you. I want to be someone else.