I looked around the room at each member of my family as their stares bored through me. I saw the shock and wonder in each set of the eyes fixated on me.

"What?" I asked, finally breaking the unbearable silence.

"What was that all about, Jolie?" Chris asked me.

I could tell by the tone of his voice and the look in his sapphire orbs had quickly changed from shock and wonder to confusion and a hint of anger. I knew he was speaking for my entire family with that question. It was a very viable, logical and understandable question, after all.

"What are you talking about, Chris?" I replied.

It was no use, though. I knew then that my family was seeing right through my feeble attempt at some semblance of a façade. It was blatantly obvious they weren't convinced whatsoever.

"You know what I'm talking about, Jolie." Chris spat back.

I sighed. I knew it was now or never as far as telling my family my secret was concerned. I knew there was no way around it at that point.

"Chris, Lana and I were just jokin' around with you, Jo-Jo." Mark drawled, putting his two-cents worth in before anyone said anything else.

"I know, Mark. " I looked at him apologetically. "I'm sorry for over reacting. I just…" I let my voice trail off, unable to finish my sentence.

"Just what, Jo-Jo?" Lana asked with concern.

I stood there, frozen in my tracks. I couldn't answer my sister's question. I took a deep breath to gather the courage needed to tell my secret.

"Jolie… tell us what is going on with you, please." my mother pleaded with me.

Hearing my mother plead with me like that, and the concern I saw in her eyes was like a dagger being shoved straight through my heart. It was almost more than I could take. I remember thinking to myself, might as well get it over with and stop being such a damn coward.

"Jolie…" This time it was my dad's voice I heard. I quickly snapped back to reality.

"Alright…" I began. I looked at my family, hoping my face wouldn't give away the knots I felt twisting like a screwdriver twisting a screw in my stomach. "I do have something that I need to tell you."