l"My Perfect Fake Life"

I say “I’m good,” I say “I’m fine”

But behind the smile, there’s a long, thin line

Between what I show and what I hide

An old apartment, bugs inside

Fifteen hundred just to breathe,

But the elevator breaks, and it’s hard to leave

No Wi-Fi, no food to eat

Bills over dreams, just trying to sleep

First two months, I played pretend

Refrigerator full, like this never ends

Then the third hit hard like a silent war

Empty shelves, and cuttin’ more

Cable gone, internet down

No more lights on the side of town

And the silence screamed more than I ever could

This ain't a story they’d call "good"

My perfect fake life, it’s a painted smile

Living broke behind the style

Struggles hidden in every breath

Truth too raw to post or confess

But I’m done with the fairy tale lie

This is the real me, don’t ask why

Sometimes we starve, sometimes we cry

But we grow strong in the fight to survive

Yeah, my perfect fake life... is just life

Dad helped, but still not enough

Two months behind, living rough

Then the letter came, time to go

Packed my bags, took it slow

Headed to my aunt’s with heaven food

TV, cable, changed my mood

Got a job flipping fries and change

Cashier life—it’s more than change

Respect to the ones behind the glass

It’s hard when life moves too fast

Funny how with nothing, you’ve got time

But with everything, you fall behind

TV blares, but you can’t sit still

'Cause the world keeps moving, chasing bills

Felt like my life hit pause too long

Now it’s play, and everything feels wrong

Overwhelmed, but I still choose right

Even when the tunnel’s got no light

My perfect fake life, it’s a painted smile

Living broke behind the style

Struggles hidden in every breath

Truth too raw to post or confess

But I’m done with the fairy tale lie

This is the real me, don’t ask why

Sometimes we starve, sometimes we cry

But we grow strong in the fight to survive

Yeah, my perfect fake life... is just life

When grandma comes back, I’ll go home

Back to the roaches and broken stone

But now I see what life really means

It’s not perfect days or flawless scenes

It’s loving the mess, learning the test

Living the truth and giving your best

So no more “I’m fine,” just “I’m real”

'Cause this is my life, and I feel what I feel