1

Mums angry again. I can feel by the aggressive footsteps on the stairs. Putting on my best happy face, I wait for her. My door smashes open, Deepening the already cavernous dent where the door handle meets the wall. "Your father!" she growls in a low, viscous voice. "just told me what you got up to today". I internally brace myself. Mums always angry at me for doing things that I don't even remember doing. As far as I can remember, all I did today was sit in my room and study the periodic table. Maybe I'll tell mum later that I memorised it, maybe she'll be proud? Maybe... A hard slap across my face brings me back to reality. Tears blurr my vision. Why do they hate me so much? "I'm sorry" I say, I don't even know what I'm sorry for. "You little brat ,oh, your sorry, I bet you are, we gave you everything. EVERYTHING, and this is how you thank us, you ungrateful, little conniving, Brat", I can't even understand the words she's using but they make me want to disappear. "But-" another familiar voice laced with anger sounds from my doorway. "We're disappointed Mai". Trembling, I turn to face the large figure of my dad. What did I do? Why are they so angry? I don't understand. Dad drags me by my hair off of my bed and throws me onto the floor. A hard blow registers in my stomach and I can't breathe. Choking and blurry eyed I look up at the two people who are supposed to love me most in the whole world and know that nobody will ever love me. the blows come harder and faster now and I curl into a ball. crying and screaming for help. Nobody answers.

When I awaken, my whole body hurts, my legs bare bruises, angry reds and bright purples glare up at me. Some places are green, its almost pretty. Almost. It hurts so much that I can't even move. I lie on the floor and try to think of how I can make mum and dad not hate me.