Liliana

I always got good grades.

When I was younger, in California, I remember my grandma was really, really praising me for how smart I was.

She would give me a book and be like, read me this one.

Now read this one to me.

And she would be like, wow, you know that word?

And stuff like that.

She was just praising me.

And we have a home video of her being like,

you guys couldn't read this good when when you were her age and stuff like that and like just really really gassing me up I felt like oh okay like they like that I'm smart so I'll keep getting good grades so I can get praised because because clearly this is a good thing and I and it was easy for me anyway but it went from something I was praised for to something that was expected of me and they told me that if my grades ever dropped I would get beaten so

That was a lot to deal with.

But at the same time, it also kind of wasn't because like I said, it came very naturally to me.

Like I never had to study very hard to get straight A's and stuff.

But in third grade or maybe fourth grade, I'm not sure.

It was in this house that I brought home my report card.

I brought home my first and my only C plus that I've ever received on my report card.

And it was in social studies.

I really struggle with social studies because dates and names I'm not good with.

And yeah, they were like, well, we told you what was going to happen.

I got a ritualistic beating for that.

That was it.