For Coby

What He Likes

You should cut your hair.

"But I like it long".

I don't care. I don't like it.

I ran for the scissors. If I didn't do what Coby said, Coby got violent. Besides, I liked it short. If Coby liked it, I liked it.

See, now you look beautiful.

I nod into the mirror.

What do you say?

"Thank you, you helped me make the right decision".

He was silent. I knew I had pleased him with those words. He was always delighted to hear that I was happy, even when he forced me to be.

Mom was free to go out to lunch today. I couldn't go without Coby. I was five minutes late.

When Mom saw my face, "Oh, Ashley, you must stop hurting yourself. Your getting more bumps and bruises".

I gently touched my cheek. I had forgotten that Coby hit me. It was getting so frequent that it was starting to be a normal routine. "I just fell". I couldn't say anything else with Coby standing right next to me. I didn't want to.

When we ordered, Coby told me to get the salad.

"Goodness, it seems like you eat nothing but salad". Mom's eyes smiled. If only she knew. Coby liked me skinny.

"You know... Meg's birthday is coming up... People have been asking about you, Ashley, asking why you never come to any"-

I cut her off. Coby told me she was being rude. "Mom, you know I have more important things to worry about then some stupid party".

She looked hurt.

"S..sorry".

She sighed. "I don't know what's gotten into you lately, it seems like your worse".

When I was a little girl, Coby was a lot less violent and controlling. He grew smarter over the years we where together. I missed the days when I was five, when he barely used to talk to me. When I first met him, he was just a voice in my mind. Little did I know that it was more then just a trip to the mental hospital.

"Dr Avery called today; asked about you too".

Dr Avery was my psychiatric doctor whenever Coby had one of his big outbreaks. He called Coby "my visitor". He also said that demons don't exist. Coby was mad that night.