I used to always smile.
I was always so happy.

I loved life.
I really did.

I realized that people never liked me.
Not one bit.

They'd use me.
They'd ask me for answers and favors.
I was just a post to lean on when times got tough.

I was never their "go-to" person.
I was their last resort.

I realized that I didn't like living like that.
I cried.

They asked me if I was okay.
Not because they cared, but because it made them look good.

I was a charity case.
A thing that they could use to their advantage.

"This isn't like you. Where's the girl I know?"
How could they ask that?
They didn't bother to learn a thing about me.

A smile came back.
Not mine, but one did.

It was forced.
No one could tell that it was.

I used to smile until my face got sore.
The smile was big enough to hide my true self.

If you took one look at my eyes,
You can see sadness, pain, and longing.

They didn't bother.
They were ashamed to talk to me anyway.

The smile was forged, a fake made from gold.
The next time you smile, think.
Is it real or is it your cover?