My mom always said I was beautiful, but I never believed her.  After all this time, I wish I had believed her.  In school, I always got bullied.  They said I was ugly, and I actually thought it was true.  Who could blame me? I was only 12.  Then one day, I heard my best friend saying I was ugly.  Her name was Ruby, and she was gorgeous. She had blue eyes, blonde hair, and her skin was so soft.  I trusted Ruby. She always made me feel good when someone was bullying me, and made me believe that I was pretty just like her.  After I heard her say that, I knew that she was beautiful on the outside, but I was beautiful on the inside. After so much bullying, I got tired and decided to wear makeup, nail polish, and go shopping for things that I didn't even use just to look like Ruby. The truth is, I never became like Ruby. She was always the pretty one, and I was the ugly one. It took me a very long time.  I never realized that my mom meant that I was a beautiful person.  I was nice, kind, and smart. Now, I know that I am beautiful just a different kind. Not Ruby's kind... because my beauty is not artificial.