Have you ever looked into a mirror at your reflection and wondered who it was staring back? Being unrecognizable to yourself is not a welcoming feeling. That's how I felt today. Today was my birthday, but I wasn't excited like most sixteen-year-olds would be. For most, sixteen is a milestone birthday. You get your license when you're sixteen, etc... But for me, I knew what was in store for me when I got home. I knew when I got home that mom would be drunk as usual and I knew that Bill would wait until she passed out to sneak into my room as usual. I'm Layla James. To most, I look like an average teenage girl, but I was far from it. My father left my mom when I was seven years old and since that day she has always blamed me for his absence. So, she dealt with the pain of him leaving her to raise me alone by picking up a bottle, which she hasn't put down since.

My mom married Bill when I was nine and together they had a child, Christine, my younger sister who is six years old. I still remember the first night Bill raped me, I was twelve, and he's been doing it almost every night since then. I haven't told anyone about this, only because I'm sure that nobody would believe me. I feel like trash and sometimes I feel as though I deserve everything that has and is happening to me. I snapped out of my thoughts and continued putting on my makeup in the mirror, applying more and more foundation to hide the bruises from the prior night's beating I got from my mother. I heard my phone ring and I ran to pick it up. "Hey Layla, I'm outside." It was Marcus, my best friend. Marcus and I have been best friends since we were five. He is the only person who knows what I go through. The only one I let into my world of darkness. I grabbed my things and threw on my sweater to cover up the scars on my arms.

"How are you?" Marcus asked concerned as I got into the car. "I'm okay," I replied. He knew I was lying, Marcus always knew. "Layla, how long are you going to let this go on? It's been years now and you know I can't stand to see you go through this." He said with tears in his eyes and I could feel the tears welling up in mine. "I'm fine, now will you just drive please." I begged, turning away from him to wipe away a tear that had escaped. He sighed, put the car in park and drove towards our school. Marcus has been threatening and begging me to let him tell someone what goes on at my home, but I made him swear that he wouldn't. I try to make him believe that I'm fine, but he knows otherwise. Some people might think I'm crazy for not letting him tell, and it's not that I want to stay with them, I just can't leave Christine. She is the only person who loves me in this world. I'm afraid if I leave then Bill will go after Christine next and I can't live with that on my conscience. We pull up to school and start walking towards our class together. "So, do you wanna come over after school and hang out?" Marcus asked me. "Sure, we have to pick up Christine though on the way." "I know, it's fine." He smiled. "We'll take her to get an ice cream or something." He said. Marcus was always great with Christine. He loved her just as much as I did and she loved him too.