you walk in the door. you pull out a chair and tell me to sit down. i 
do because something in your voice makes me, a vibe of something 
dangerous. Something evil. you sit down in front of me. you say right in my 
face every little thing i did wrong today. everything. whether it was i 
wore the wrong clothes or walked the wrong way or stole money from your 
wallet for food. you are so protective sometimes. i start to wonder 
whether you are my father or my boyfriend. you are my boyfriend right? i 
didn't step into my father's house again did i? 

you won't listen to a word i say. you talk at me. you say what you need 
to sat and leave. you never once allow me to speak to you unless you 
want to hear me. i feel like a servant in your majesty's palace. i do all 
the work around the house as well as go to school and work at my part 
time job. what do you do all day? sit around, watch tv. and don't give 
me that crap about you making all the money for us. you know that it's 
MY hard earned money paying the rent. it's my money that goes into your 
pocket. 

how long has it been like this. when did it get so bad. when did i stop 
loving and caring for you. when did this stop being fun. was it that 
first time that you sat me down and hit me. or was it the second time. or 
the third or fourth. i lost count after that. how many times has this 
happened. how many times have you made me feel so guilty and wronged. i 
bet you don't even know. i bet you don't even know when it started. i 
do. i remember clearly. i was just getting back from a late night out 
with the girls. you thought i had been clubbing and dancing with other 
guys. i had been at my friend's house chilling and eating pizza and 
watching movies. you didn't believe me. you called me a dirty, lying whore, 
slapped my face and went to bed. i stood there dumbfounded. i couldn't 
believe that had just happened. 

when had you become so possesive. or had you always been possesive and 
i just didn't notice. i guess i overlooked those dirty looks you gave 
me when i tried to talk to my guy friends. those sideways glances when i 
walked down the hall. how could i have missed. maybe i just blocked it 
from my mind and made myself believe everything was alright. maybe i 
was too busy to notice. whatever the reason, i should have stopped it 
when you hit me. i should have walked out and not have gone back. i should 
have known there was more to come. i should have known from those 
classes i took in high school. 

now we are at this point again. you are right in front of me as usual. 
i'm sitting in the chair as usual. but this time my mind is set on 
something besides your face. i'm not going to take this shit anymore. i'm 
going to tell you tonight, right now. i wait for you to finish your 
little "speech." i wait for that hand to come down on the hard skin that no 
longer feels the sting of a slap. but it doesn't make it this time. my 
hand has intervened. the look of surprise on your face is priceless. i 
grab your hand tightly and stand up. at 5 feet tall i'm not very 
menacing. you are too shocked anyway. 

i force you into the chair. my turn. my turn to make you feel guilty. 
my turn to make you squirm under my eyes. it works. you are suddenly 
shaking. i don't know whether it's from me or the draft but it empowers 
me. i have the power to do this now. i will do it. you will hear my 
voice. you will not ignore me or stop me. you will hear all i have to say 
and that will be it.