My room. My place of safety. Mom wouldn't dare step in here for fear she might catch whatever I have. As if it's a disease. I close the door behind me in a way I hope is quiet because I don't want her to think I slammed it.
I let out the breath I've been holding and collapse onto my bed. It all comes at once. Sobbing. Moaning. Hiccuping.
Inhale and exhale. Calm down. Okay. I wash my face and take off my shirt. Look in the mirror. Wince.
My shoulder is shredded. My face.... It's well, it's colorful... Brown. Purple. Green. Oh and she has company coming, so it'll need to be covered up. I start gently cleaning blood off my shoulder. Ah. Mmmmm owwww. Nnnnngh s*** I'm crying again. I'm so pathetic. But it hurts SO BADLY. AH Kaylei, you should've run. You should've gone home with the random hot guy. You should've run. I should've run.
Are you CRAZY? No, she would kill you. You have to come home. You shouldn't have looked down. It's your fault. She...... She knows... What's.... Best...
Even I know I'm lying to myself.
My shoulder is clean and I wrap it, trying to ignore the fire gripping it. I get a clean shirt and fluff my hair and then work on makeup.
Three layers of foundation. Lots of concealer. Blush. Eye shadow. Powder. Good. Now it's believable that I fell. That I wasn't attacked.
I put a brace on my leg so my newest limp will be less noticeable.
I go downstairs to find mom's guests already in the parlor. They wave and greet me. Beauty pageant smile back. Nothing has happened. My mom is kind and loving and the best mother I could ask for. I'm normal. Totally normal.
I'm normal. Can't you tell?
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De TodoA deaf girl with a harsh mother struggles to keep her deafness a secret. "I am normal. Can't you tell? Perfectly. Normal. Gorgeous, silent, mysterious. The girls want to be me. Everyone wants to have my mother as theirs. Every guy wants to be with m...
