15. We are driving over a bridge on our way home from school

My father is blackout drunk

I text my mom

14. I start taking medicine

14. My dad starts taking my medicine

13. The doctor tells me I have a trauma disorder

Normally seen in combat veterans

12. I tell father that I’m gay

He tells me to leave and not come back

I live with my best friend for two weeks

Mom still doesn’t know

11. I ask my mom

If she could go back

Marry my dad again

Would she?

10. Our parents sit us down

They are getting a divorce

I cry

I am not sad

9.

8. Mom stops taking me to the emergency room

I think it’s because the doctors wanted to know

Why I was injured so often

7. The monsters at school are better than the one at home

6.  First day of school

No one else has bruises

I flinch when the teacher tries to hand me a book

5. My dad throws me high up into the air

He never even tries to catch me

4. Daddy has stabby things

Mama calls them needles

She made me put them back

3. My house is loud

Lots of yelling

I’m scared

2.

1.

0.

Oh

And by the way

She wouldn’t