Voices #MindOverMatterContest

Voices

You don't have any real friends—you don't deserve them.

Ignore the boy in your class—he doesn't like you, he's just pretending. He's a friend of your brother's, which means this is just an elaborate prank to further embarrass you.

Don't pay attention to group of girls throwing things at you and don't let your face show it bothers you.

Don't get on Facebook, you know there will just be another post passive aggressively targeted at you where three former friends join in on the false rumors of you trying to sleep with their boyfriends.

Don't forget to smile. No one can know something's wrong with you.

Don't let anyone know your parents are getting divorced. Don't let them make it out to be your fault.

Hide your pain. Hide your fears. Hide the troubles at home. Hide yourself.

Don't' cry.

You're not thin enough—workout more. You're too athletic—boys won't like it. You're too smart—no one likes a know-it-all.

"She looks like a man." "Why would she think I would have a crush on her?"

Wear sleeves long enough to cover the bruises, you can't let anyone know you're hurting.

Am I even hurting? I haven't felt normal for so long... My heart is so heavy I can't feel anything: pain, happiness, how am I supposed to know the person I used to be is even here anymore.

Make your emotional pain physical. Try it. You'll feel again.

I can't do that...I can't do that to my family.

They'd never know. No one else would care. People don't care about you; they pretend to care about you and pretend to be your friend, but they just want you to make them better. Even your boyfriend thinks you're worthless—"you fucking whore," "you're such a bitch," "you can't do anything right," "you're such a fuck up." How does his hands feel around your arms? How did those marks get on your hip? W h a t     d i d     y o u     d o     w r o n g     n o w ? Does that scarf cover his bruises too? Other girls have hickies on their necks, not fingerprints. Do you think that's love?

Stop.

It's true. You know it's true. What worth do you have? Swerve off the road—at least then you'll get some sympathy for your pathetic life.

I don't want to be this person anymore. How did I become this?

You don't love yourself, how can others love you?

I'm only the monster they made me. Who I am isn't who I used to be. Can't you see I've changed? I can't do this anymore. I'm more than the lies; I'm stronger than the abuse.

You're lying to yourself.

I've lived their lies for to long. "You've gotta laugh when you're the joke...open your eyes and see that life is beautiful."

You can't do this. You can't ignore your life experiences. You can't box us up!

No, but I can overcome you.