"Who wants to be a Miss Universe someday?"

Our teacher asked but my classmates just shrugged their shoulders like they are not interested to what the teacher in front asks.

I tried to search an answer on my mind.

When I was just a kid back then, I dreamed of being in a pageant where lots of people will going to watch you. Some will cheer for you.

I dreamed to be one of the candidates because of just one thing. To prove my beauty to everyone. I don't know, it's just like a usual dream of a kid.

But now, my attention and mind just focused in the question of our teacher.

Do I really want to be a Miss Universe? Where I'd be watch by many. I'll walk confidently as if the galaxies, stars, moon, and sun will bow down to me. Where the whole world will stop just to watch me representing what my country is. Not just an individual, but as of a citizen of my own country.

I tilted my head and I noticed that no one really answers the question of our teacher. They are busy talking with each other and some are writing doodles on their notebooks.

I returned my eyes to our teacher who's eyes where gazing to all of us, but I noticed that she always gaze to me then to my other classmates then to me again.

My forehead creased but our teacher just smiled sweetly to me.

I sigh. I felt my heart trying to say something but it just became silent. Its beats were normal at first until I can feel it rushing, beating so fast.

I-- It's like my body wants me to say something. To answer our teacher who's waiting until now that someone to answer her question.

It's just a question but the answer can at least change something? Something unbelievable.

I nervously raise my hand and our teacher notice me, her smile was wide.

"Ms. Cordes? I guess, you want to be a Miss Universe." she stated that's why I stand up, not minding my classmates' gaze upon me.

They are laughing. Yeah, they think I'm stupid that's why I stand up and now answering our teacher's question.

"Ma'am, can I ask something?" I ask to her that made her nod slowly.

My classmates are now listening to what I'm going to ask. Maybe their curiosity where entering their systems.

"Ma'am, is it beauty that comes first before you enter Miss Universe?" I asked. Everyone stopped, even our teacher. They didn't see that coming.

Our teacher came back to her senses. She coughed a little then she smile again, but it's not as wide as earlier.

"M-Maybe or yes." she answered.

"Then the Miss Universe title is useless, ma'am." I said. She stiffened but she manage to ask me.

"Why is it useless? And why do you ask about beauty when after all you have the beauty in yourself?" she said. Our classmates gazed back to me, their face shows that they are agree with our teacher.

"It's useless ma'am if the beauty you have doesn't contains the beauty you must have inside." I stated.

"P-Please explain more further, Ms. Cordes. The class can't understand you." our teacher said. I fixed my gazes to my classmates and a bitter smile formed in my lips.

I removed my wig. Now, my hair is just as plain like any other girls in our classroom.

I removed my contact lenses. Now, my eyes are just plain black, not ash gray.

I removed the lipstick in my lips. Now, my lips is chapped and it has no color, not as red as rose because of my lipstick.

I removed the make up in my face until they saw the true me. The beauty they think I have outside.

My classmates gasped, even our teacher. I'm now an ugly girl with lots of flaws, imperfections, insecurities and others that they think I don't have before.

"Then I can't passed Miss Universe even if I want to. They search for beauty while I don't have it outside. I want to be a Miss Universe but the society don't want me to. You search for a gem but you forgot the diamond one. They all search for a Miss Universe rather than Miss Universe with a beauty inside."

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