Chino

During the drive to her appt she said she realized how ugly on the inside she had become. She was the typical ugly duckling when she was younger. She needed braces but couldn't get them until later than usual, because other orthodontic work had to be done first.

We all know how cruel kids can be and they didn't spare her. When those braces came off at the same time she filled out, she was suddenly a swan and everyone noticed. She did some modeling for bridal publications and shows before her addiction.

She flaunted her beauty like a weapon, exacting revenge on her world. She didn't realize she was hurting herself more than others.

I asked her if she remembered the girl she used to be before braces, and that's when she cried. She wants that girl back more than anything else. She said that's when people loved her for who she was, not what she looked like. She said that's when she was a good person.

I told her, and so did her therapist, that girl is still there waiting for her.

The irony is she'll need braces again because her teeth were knocked around. She gets a do-over, she literally see's the correlation between then and now, and all I can do is pray and hope she doesn't let go of that girl again.