XYLA
Her hand met my face, sending a stinging pain through my cheek. Hot tears filled my eyes, my blurred gaze narrowing on my feet.
"How many times do I have to tell you, Xyla?" she yelled, kneeling before me as she shook me by the arms. "Look at me when I'm talking to you!"
I sniffed, stifling my cries as I obliged to her command.
"What do I tell you everyday?"
"That--that chips is... is bad for me."
"Are! Chips are bad for you. And why is that?"
"Because..." I sniffed, trying to find my voice, not wanting to make it worse, "my body is my greatest treasure, and--and if I eat wrong things, I will ruin--ruin it."
"Then why do you not understand?" she asked through gritted teeth, her finger nails digging into my arms.
I winced, a soft sob leaving my lips. "Mommy, it hurts."
