Jalizza's POV

I awake in the warm embrace of blankets, but not mine. I smell the scent of eggs and bacon coming from outside the room. I open my eyes to see the pink walls of Demi's guest room I had stayed in. I get confused for a few moments trying to think why I'm here and not in my own bed, but then I remember I got into a fight with my brother. I try to remember what it was about but nothing comes up, but I do remember that I ran into the bathroom...

I look down and my stomach drops. I see the red marks I haven't had in months. I feel so ashamed that I relapsed as the memories come back. I can usually keep my emotions bottled up and be strong but there was just something about yesterday that just made me too weak to go on. My therapist always says that I need to let go before I hit rock bottom, guess that was it?

I know I should tell Demi but she'll wonder why, and then freak out when she finds out why I did it. I can't let her know that this all happened, I really hope she didn't talk to my brother though because that'll just make everything a hell of a lot worse. I go into the bathroom and put on my robe being careful to not look in the mirror. I can't bare the sight of my face or my body.

I walk down the stairs and see Demi singing and dancing as she is making food. She looks so flawless with her pajamas on and no makeup. Even with her hair up and all hot and sweaty from cooking she still looks gorgeous, no wonder why she is one of the most beautiful women in the world! I pop next to her and start singing along. When she realize I'm there she looks at me with sympathy and gives me a hug.

I say, "Wow, that was a big hug for eight in the morning. You aren't usually a morning person, what's up?"

She gets that serious look on her face and says, "Well. I don't usually have house guests that come in traumatized. What happened?" I shrug. She continues, "Really. Look is this nothing?" She shoves a mirror in my hand so I can see my face. I'm scared but she is giving me a look so I slowly begin to stare at myself. My face is all black and blue from where my brother punched me. "Honey, I can get you help from whoever did this to you! You just need to tell me what happened!"

That brings back memories from when I first went into treatment. All the doctors would say is, "We can help you only if you let us." Me going into treatment mght've been the best and only good decision my family ever made for me but it was so incredibly difficult and they certainly didn't make it easy, But then again that was their job plus I didn't really co-operate. I would rebel so much, they told me to sit down so I would start pacing around or spin in circles. They said go right, so I went left. I remember I almost got kicked out for biting some girl because she drank my apple juice.

That was the thing about me, no matter how obsessed I got with counting calories and loosing weight; I would still drink the largest amounts of apple juice. I couldn't just drink any kind though, it had to be a certain brand. My mom had sent me some because at the school place Timberline had called the academy I got my GPA back up to the 3's. As much as I hate that woman, that was one of the sweetest things she could've done. Anyways so my room mate thought it would be hilarious if she took a bottle for herself. I didn't think so, so I bit her. For the next few weeks I wasn't allowed to leave my room which really sucked because I couldn't use the phone to call anyone. So I had to write letters which didn't work out very well because at the time everyone was on the opposite sides of the country so it would take like a week just for them to get it. I told that to the Lady that was always constantly watching me so she would type the letters and send them as e-mails.

At the time I didn't really appreciate it, I just thought that it was an invasion of privacy. I remember the first reply I received back. It was Katelyn saying how she couldn't stop laughing that I bit my then room mate. I didn't write to her for the rest of my confinement. Thinking back I was such a little bitch! Well apparently I still am one per my brother.

I think for about a minute on it I should reply honestly about what happened. I reach for my phone in my pants pocket but all I felt was the inner denim fabric. I say, "Where's my phone?"

Demi rolls her eyes and says, "Answer my question. What happened last night before you came here."

She so god damn stubborn! I mutter under my breath, "What are you my mother?"

I guess that was a lot louder than I expected because her eyes got huge out of anger. She says, "Seeing your mom doesn't really give to shits about you, I guess I kinda have to."

I stare at her for the next few moments thinking what to say back because I'm so angry. My mom and I might not have the best relationship like Demi and Dianna but she has no right to say that at all. I just say back, "What?"

"You heard me. Last night when I put you to bed after your brother beat the shit out of you, he texted me. He said your family doesn't want you anymore so I could have you." I stare at her for a few more minutes, That can't be true! As messed up as my family is, they would never turn their back on me. Demi continues, "Look I'm sorry. I shouldn't have raised my voice and I shouldn't have said it that way. I don't even know if your parents feel the same as your brother. I sent him a text saying stay the hell away and blocked him so I never got a reply. And seeing I change my number a lot so Patrick can't get to me and your phone is missing, your parents could be calling right now looking for you."

I shake my head and say, "No you're right. It's always been this way. My father is just as bad as my brother and my mother is just a drunk who doesn't care. I remember one time my mom actually grounded me for my brother punching me in the face."

Demi interrupts and says, "Wait, hold on. You're telling me this happened before!"

"Yeah. That's why I started cutting in the first place. Sure people were always assholes to me but I never really cared. It was the constant abuse I got at home. It was like every little thing I did was wrong. If I got less than an A then I was a retard or average. They constantly teased and still tease me about my weight no matter how unhealthy I got. When I'd try sticking up for myself, that's when they'd hit me. That scar on my lip isn't from falling out of a tree when I was little, it's from running away from my dad. He pushed me down the stairs."

I can't believe I just let out all of my dark secrets. I'd held them in since I was born. All the unknown scars that weren't from my own self and the untold stories on why I wasn't in school are finally known. Demi is just staring at me in shock. Tears are leaving her eyes and I see her blood starting to boil in anger. She says, "Why didn't you just tell me?"

I laugh a little and reply, "One rule when you're being abused. You don't get hit and tell. If I ever told you or anyone else, I would probably have it worse or possibly be dead."

"But I would've protected you! I could've gotten you out of there sooner!"

I look at her with a weird look and say, "What do you mean by get me out sooner?" What does she think she's doing?! She's crazy if she thinks my parents will ever let me stay here permanently. they are in control of me.

"Do you honestly think I'm gonna let you continue living with them. Jalizza they hurt you, they've hurt you so badly they could go away for a very long time. You are a victim of child abuse! You're gonna have to move in here until something can be figured out."

I shake my head. "Do you honestly think my parents will let you take me away from them? I'm still there child no matter what has happened. They have legal rights to me no matter what they've done because no one knows!"

"Sweetie, I can't let them get away with this. I'm gonna call my lawyer. Hopefully I'll be able to get custody of you so you don't have to be put in some home."

I get a sense of fear and relief at the same time. As she gets out her phone I say, "Please don't. Even though they've hurt me, they are still my parents. Just don't do anything that has to do with legal stuff."

She looks in my eyes for a few moments trying to make a decision. She then puts her phone down on the counter and says, "Fine, only because you've asked me though. But you are never staying there again. I don't care if I have to fight your parents with every little piece of me." I try interrupting but she continues, "No buts or excuses. We don't even know it they'll come around again!"

For the first time in my life I finally can say I feel safe. I say, "Thank you." She smiles, nods and hugs me. I think she finally understands everything now. My dark secrets are out and my story of being alone and lost is finally over.