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Janet Adebiyi-Ojo

Synopsis...
Isabella Nichols reflects on the struggles and issues she faced during her
teenage years as vivid memories form in her mind, while she goes
through an old diary she comes across one afternoon. She has recently
moved into a new house with her boyfriend, Michael Stevenson.
For a while, she was sexually abused by her wicked stepfather, and kept
this a secret from her mother and the rest of her family. This made
Isabella feel uncomfortable about her body, and at times she found it
difficult to stand in front of a mirror. Her mother had a terminal illness, so
when she wasnt at college, she would care for her mother and look after
her younger brother. Isabella and her step-dad never developed a good
relationship with one another, especially after the physical and mental
abuse he had caused her.
Isabella also reflects on how her school life wasnt that great either; she
often found herself in her Head of Years office at break time or lunch
time, being told off for being rude or aggressive or kissing her teeth. She
often found it difficult to adapt to her new surroundings in comparison to
the other black students, which meant she found it hard to make friends
with the other students as she felt that she didnt fit in.
Despite the upsetting day of reflection Isabella has after finding her
teenage diary, when Michael comes home, she is in for a surprise