Scenario Analysis of Jayla

My name is Jayla and I am 17 years old.  When I was 8, my dad was killed in a robbery.    My dad and I were really close. I was sick one night so we drove to the gas station to get some 7-UP and crackers for me.  He told me to stay in the car and went inside.  While he was in there some guy robbed the store.  My dad tried to stop him but he was shot and killed in the process.  I saw the whole thing, it happened right in front of the glass door. I blame myself because had I not been sick we wouldn’t have gone to the gas station.

I’ve run away from my mom’s house a lot because I hate my new stepdad. He tries too hard to be my dad, but he’s not.  My dad is dead and it’s my fault. I started doing drugs and drinking alcohol a lot.  I always gravitated towards older boys because they gave me a lot of attention and paid for a lot of my habits.  I have been doing drugs on and off for about 3 years now.  Nothing major just marijuana, a little ecstasy and drinking. About four months ago I snuck out of my mom’s house to go to a hotel party. I don’t really remember much after I got there.  The police said I was raped after I was given a roofy and that I was found in the parking lot of the hotel.

I am now 3.5 months pregnant. I’m only here because my mom says I can’t live with her if I don’t stop drinking and doing drugs.  I don’t really think I have a problem.  They just don’t understand that drinking helps me function.  When I drink I don’t have flashbacks and nightmares of my dad. It’s no big deal. At this point, I don’t even know if I want this baby but my mom insists she’ll help me raise it.

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