The scent of her perfume filled the room as she leaned even closer, her voice dropping into an angry whisper. “I know what you’re doing. You just want everyone to ask, ‘Oh, what’s wrong with Maya? Why is poor Maya wearing a sweater?’ You’re going to put this bikini on, and you’re going to show everyone that there is absolutely nothing wrong with you. You’re going to prove that you’re just a freak who wants attention. If you don’t wear it… you’re dead to me.”
I looked at my sister’s face, which was almost identical to my own. We shared the same eyes, the same dark hair, and the same features, yet everything beneath my collarbone told a completely different story. Hidden under my clothes were scars so severe that I hadn’t worn short sleeves in twelve years.