hi my name is Karla I'm 17 years old and
after my parents passed I lived with my
older sister Stacy and her husband my
parents passed two years ago they died
in a terrible car crash on their way
back from a business trip in a
neighboring town they co-owned a big
corporate business they ran together and
they had really gone on to make names
for themselves I was devastated when I
heard the news
my relationship with my parents wasn't
like most teenagers other teenagers
fought and squabbled with their parents
at every opportunity me I had a
different life both my parents were two
of my best if not my best friends we
went out to the movies and to
restaurants together we played and had
fun like a regular bunch of teenage
friends of course they were Stern when
they needed to be but every time they
were I knew that I was in the wrong so
you can imagine how devastating it was
to hear the news on television one night
that the two business moguls who are my
parents died in a terrible car accident
on their way back from a business trip
my best friends were gone my sister
Stacy already moved out of the house a
long time ago and had just been my
parents and died for so many years and
it was so amazing how they had managed
to take time out for me even though they
were so busy the news hit me so hard I
sank into depression the lively happy
Karla that everyone knew had disappeared
in her place was only someone who looked
like her as time went on I grew worse
and worse I started to withdraw
completely for my friends and I refused
to speak to anyone I came to school in
the mornings with swollen eyes swollen
from crying all night and hardly getting
any sleep
my sister was crushed she loved my
parents too but she knew she didn't have
the type of relationship with him that I
had and seeing me so sullen filled her
heart with pain she had tried all she
could but nothing was working she had
brought counselors therapists and even
psychics to help me with my grief but
there was nothing
could do I just couldn't get better as
the months passed I sink deeper and
deeper into my depression I was now so
alone I turned to destructive habits for
company it all started with buying drugs
from a man who sold them on the corner
of the street where I lived with my
sister when I realized they had a way of
getting me happy even for a short time
I couldn't stop I kept buying them and
buying them until I became such a wreck
soon enough I started on alcohol and
smoking looking for anything at all that
could get me as happy as the drugs did
by now
I was so invested in it I couldn't stop
this continued for a while and
this continued for a while and everyone in school knew the kind of life
everyone in school knew the kind of life
I lived I came to school every day
either drunk or under the influence of
some drug and by now that was what
everyone had come to expect of me my
sister was embarrassed every time the
school authorities called her to come
pick me up after making a scene and that
happened almost every day I was worse
than a shadow of myself and deep down I
knew I had let this depression go too
far but I just couldn't bring myself to
stop I couldn't find my way back I was
too far gone one day I went back home to
my sister's house early from school
after the principal annoyed me he had
called me into his office giving me a
last warning after I slammed a
basketball on my gym teachers face for
correcting me leaving his face seriously
swollen if you throw another fit at the
teachers or anyone else you will be
expelled he said we've accommodated this
nonsense long enough you're not the
first person to lose their parents get a
grip on yourself
I was filled with rage and maybe it was
because deep down I knew that what the
principal said was true maybe it was
because deep down the truth he had
blurted out so bluntly had stung me I
stormed out of the principal's office
and slammed the door so hard I
distracted the whole school from
learning for a moment you can send me
out of your stupid school for all I care
I said well out of hearing distance I
didn't really want to be expelled
it would break Stacy's heart and I knew
it wouldn't have been what my parents
wanted a marched home and pulled a
cigarette stick from my backpack as I
left the school premises
those idiots it needs them anyway I
marched on until I reached my sister's
house but I totally wasn't ready for
what I saw next my sister's husband was
home he obviously wasn't expecting me
back home that early but it was just
noon I froze in my steps as I saw him my
brother-in-law was nearly butt-naked on
the couch and scattered all around him
were empty containers of used drugs used
needles littered the floor in the center
table and I couldn't believe my eyes at
what I saw my sister's husband used
drugs too when did he start that
explained why he rarely said anything
every time Stacy tried to correct me he
would look at me but not say anything at
first I thought he was just staying out
of what he considered not to be as
business I couldn't think straight
after realizing this eventually I got
myself together and walked away to my
room looking away from him all kinds of
thoughts flooded my head all at once was
I going to tell Stacy what I just saw
what if she left him what if he was only
battling with something terrible like I
was and the drugs were his only way of
escape no I'm not going to be
sympathetic this could come back and
haunt me and my sister later it was
decided I couldn't wait for Stacy to get
back from work I had to tell her as I
was upstairs in my room waiting for her
her husband came knocking on my door my
heart pounded go away I said I don't
want to see you I can explain he said
please don't tell Stacy I used to be
unable to quit drugs before I met your
sister and when she found out she said
she couldn't be today if I didn't stop
it pleaded with her to stay that I would
try my best because I really loved her
and eventually she helped me through
rehab I was free until you came along
with your drugs alcohol and smoking then
all of a sudden I found myself craving
to use drugs
I battled it for so long but three days
ago
I couldn't take it anymore please don't
tell Stacy this could be our little
secret
see I brought some new drugs for you to
try out come on you'll love it now I was
offended there I was trying to get free
and Stacy's husband was trying to take
me deeper in any thoughts of covering up
for him immediately disappeared when
Stacy got back I told her what I had
seen I told her I had seen her husband
nearly butt naked surrounded by empty
containers of drugs and used needles I
told her that her husband had been using
drugs
Stacy shot one look at her husband
begging him to deny it and when he
didn't she exploded in a rage Stacy was
so mad and upset I had never seen her
like that before
she was screaming crying and yelling so
hard I knew by then neighbors already
heard and knew what was going on I
walked up to her and tried to hug her to
calm her down I'm sorry her husband said
begging and crying on his knees my
sister wasn't having it leave my house
she said by now
tears were already forming in my own
eyes I knew the right thing to do was to
tell my sister but I didn't want her to
lose her marriage what if I had caught
him cheating or doing something much
worse what would she do then right there
I knew that I could never tell my sister
that he had offered me some of his drugs
to bribe me she would never forgive him
I started to feel very guilty for what I
had done I only imagined that my sister
would make him go seek help or something
not send him away completely it probably
hurt her more because she thought he was
already done with drugs for good but
still a pang of guilt flowed over me
especially because he said I had been
the trigger that took him back I didn't
know what came over me
suddenly I started to beg my sister with
tears in my eyes to give him another
chance
somehow all of this made me realize how
much pain I had caused all the other
people in my life in the last two years
my friends my sister and now her husband
I was secretly begging for another
chance for myself to make things right
try to repair all the damage I had done
to everyone around me
Stacy looked at me beg so passionately
and compassion filled her eyes she told
her husband to leave but that he could
come back once he had sought help I
sighed deeply and hugged her tears
flowing down my face this was a second
chance for me too and we would have to
have our secret after all
Stacy must never find out that her
husband offered me drugs or else their
marriage would be over a few months have
passed and now I'm back to being a carla
again
Stacy's husband too is doing great and
he's almost ready to be back at the
house pretty soon we'll be one big happy
family
you