Kat Secaida found a place where she could be herself, and it changed her life.
____
Let me go back a few years to 2K12
I was happy, but not all the time.
I felt my aggressiveness getting stronger at the age of 12
I was always told never throw the first punch.
Now it’s 2K13
Boom! Fight
Cuff cuff
Boom! 13 in a cop car
Click click mug shots
Stamp stamp fingerprints taken
The f__ did I get myself into?
Waited two months, didn’t know what was going to happen to me
Dumbass is what the angel on my right is saying
You got that b____ is what the devil on the left tells me
Shhhh…
It’s now 2K14, I’m a freshman, still 13
You dumb youngster! What are you doing getting smoked out, ditching class?
In the beginning of the year something hit me…
Went home, wasn’t proud of myself as tears streamed down my face.
NO, I don’t want to smoke with you
NO, I don’t want your number
NO, I don’t want to ditch with you
NO, I don’t want to get my jeans caught on the fence anymore
It’s now 2K15
I’ve changed
But now father’s in jail for the second time
Now he’s in the hospital
What’s next?
I’ve been scared if he ever goes back to his addiction
My mother who never left my sight, even when I did wrong
My mentor Dana who I’ve known since I was six years old
I’ve met Mariana, my best friend, who sees the good in me and not all the bad
She sees that I do have a heart
POPS the club where I can be myself and not fear anything
“Write, you’ll feel better!”
My life has changed. I was never into writing and showing people how I feel
And what’s going on
But I learned you can relate to a lot of teenagers
I wish I had come here last year!
Such a friendly place to be
No judgment
It’s just an amazing vibe
I thank Amy, Mr. Danziger, and Stacey
For all the support and not feeling alone,
Thank you.
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Photo by Scott Swigart