Present Day

"Sadie? Are you listening to me?"

"Hmm?" I turn my head away from the ceiling and face Dr. Eva Juanes.

Lifting one eyebrow, she asks, "I said, are you looking forward to your senior year? What about colleges? Do you know which schools you would like to apply to?"

Right. Senior year and college.

Two weeks ago, Valentina Sanchez, or Val as I call her, my guidance counselor, offered me a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to enter the "Why do you deserve this scholarship" essay for a chance to win a full ride to the Art Institute in Chicago.

"You worked hard this past year, going from a 2.8 GPA to a 4.0. You have also taken academically rigorous classes since your first year. You definitely have what it takes for college."

"Mrs. Sanchez, I appreciate the offer, but they're going to take one look at my file and dismiss me." I wave the brochure in the air. "I"m just poor girl from the South Side. I don"t want to be a charity case." Respectfully laying the pamphlet on her desk, I stand up, ready to leave, when she calls out my name more sternly than usual.

"You don"t have a choice. Either draft the essay, or I will be forced to contact family protective services."

Her words halt me in place.

"Yes. I know about the bruises." I open my mouth to speak but she cuts me off when she raises her hand in the air.

"I'm not stupid, Sadie, nor will I continue to turn a blind eye. I held back because you and your mother constantly denied the accusations, but not anymore. They

will be forced to investigate your home environment, though I"m hoping my suspicions are wrong. I refuse to watch people tear you down piece by piece until nothing is left."

Is she giving me an ultimatum? Is that even legal?

She sighs. "Someone has to speak up for you. Fight for you." She says the last part in a softer tone.

"Sadie." There"s compassion in her tone as she walks toward me, placing both of her hands on my shoulders. "Please just trust me on this. This is your chance to make something of yourself. It's your time to shine."

From what I read online, the essay requires five hundred words explaining, no, convincing, why I deserve the scholarship. How do you determine who is deserving of it and who isn't?

"Sadie, I asked you a question." Dr. Juanes brings me back to the present.

"Sadie, I understand your reservations about going to college, but this is a fantastic opportunity. What you have been through not only makes you the strongest person I have ever met, but a survivor. Even if you don't do it for yourself, do it for your brother."

I close my eyes for a second and sigh. Tears build up behind my eyes when I respond in a broken whisper. "He"s always been there for me, and now…" Feeling a sharp pain in my chest, I am unable to finish the sentence.

"Death of a loved one can cause various kinds of reactions, Sadie. Everyone grieves differently. Some can move forward healthily, and others engage in reckless behavior to avoid any type of feeling, including pain," she explains.

I know she"s right, but it"s not easy to accept. Josiah has always been strong, never showing any sign of weakness. It"s one of the things I admire most about him. But last year, his entire world came crumbling down in an

instant. He drank more and started using drugs to avoid feeling the loss of losing Elisa, his girlfriend in high school. She passed away a year ago. My incident three months ago didn"t make anything easier. After Josiah was arrested, my world fell apart in just a few seconds. Sometimes I wish I had never survived the attack, but I have others that depend on me. Josiah lost so much in one year, and now he"s locked up for protecting me. I will never forget the sound of his horrific cries when he found me that night.

I wipe the tears away. God, I am so sick of crying.

"We can stop here," she says while looking at her watch.

As I pull myself up from the brown leather chaise, she adds, "We will switch to monthly therapy sessions when you return to school for the next three months and reevaluate your progress. Sound good?"

"Yeah, sounds good."

Like I have a choice.

"Sadie?" she quickly says, before I can leave. My hand on the doorknob, I turn to look at her. She takes small steps toward me. "I am so sorry for all that you have been through and for what happened to your brother. I can"t imagine if that happened to my…." She pauses, glancing at the family photo on her desk.

With a heavy heart, I respond, "Thank you, Dr. Juanes."

She gives me a compassionate smile. "It"s Eva. Just call me Eva."