1. Who's That Girl?
*warning - descriptions of physical/verbal/emotional abuse, racial slurs I’m standing at the edge of where the hallway meets the kitchen and living room. Through the doorway to the living room I see dad sitting perpendicular to his desk, watching tv. I look over to my right at mom, who’s standing at the kitchen sink, washing dishes. Her upper body is half turned toward me as she yells over her shoulder. “You’re so fucking stupid. Shit. I have to do everything myself. What the fuck do you think this is? You're fucking useless.” My eyes are half lowered, trained on the floor tiles in front of me. I see the little gold and silver flecks against a white background, contained in neat gold bordered squares. I keep my face impassive. My skin feels like it’s burning. My throat feels swollen, blocked. My stomach hurts. I can’t cry. She keeps yelling and I glance back at dad. His eyes are fixed forward, unblinking. My mind reaches out to the bedrooms behind me, to big brother’s room. He’s in...