“It’s not you, sweetie pie,” her mom whispered as she climbed the stairs to the orphanage, hand intertwined with the little girl’s, “It’s me, and Mama has to go away now…” ~*~*~*~*~*~ From an early age, Genova Gardner’s life was rough and full of disappointment. After years of loving and adoring her baby girl like a mother should, Genova’s mother abandoned her daughter on the steps of a nearby orphanage and never looked back. Gen’s social worker told her that it wasn’t her fault that her mom left, that she was an addict and she couldn’t care for a little girl. It didn’t mean Genova wasn’t loved. Nearly two dozen bad foster homes and six years later, Genova finds herself living with the Hartleys, and at first, it seems like a dream. Yet, the longer Gen lives with the Hartleys the clearer it becomes that this is no dream, but rather a nightmare. With all the bad things surrounding her life, lurking in the shadows around every corner just waiting for her, Gen begins to question whether or not it is her. ***This is a prequel story for the character, Genova Gardner, in the ten part collaboration, DiAngelo's School for the Intelligent, which follows the members of the club, All For One.*** ***This story is set THREE years prior to DSI.***

I try to never linger in the past because I get sucked back into a hellish world filled with lies, tears, and blood. I have truly lost myself back there and still remain in the darkness of my memories. Here I write these words and I let my wounds reopen and bleed out all of my withheld emotions. Escaping and hiding, that's all I have been doing when it comes to my past creeping back up on me. I hope you're ready, because this world I'm going to paint for you has very little light within it.

I'm many things. It's hard to pinpoint who I'm exactly am. Psychologists say a lot of times it's the situation that determines the person's personality. I'll have to agree. I'll put on one mask and before it can crack I discard it back into that black closet of mine and cover myself up again. It's been awhile. Since I've been truly myself. This is the story on how I developed the different sides of me. Each side is a part of me. Like a shadow, it never truly leaves my side.