We had an exam on January fifteenth. English. I was only seven, and honestly, my exams had been terrible up until that point. I could barely focus in class because of all the pills my mother had been giving me. Most days I felt either sick or completely numb, like my body did not belong to me. I had no energy to do anything, and even when I tried, it felt like I was moving through mud.
But in her own way, she believed she was helping me. She thought she was protecting me from ending up like my sister.
Then things changed.
The exam date was moved forward to January fourteenth. I took it without much confidence and walked out thinking I had failed badly.
But when the results came back, I had gotten a B+.
Even I was surprised.
I felt… happy. Really happy.
After school ended, I rushed home as fast as I could, holding the paper tightly in my hand. When my mother opened the door, I held it up with a smile I could not contain.
"Mom!" I said. "I got a B+!"
