The Dairy of Tyla Miller

August 26th, 2012
I just now found this diary. My mom bought this for me three years ago for my 14th birthday. My life wasn’t as interesting and detailed as it is right now. I wasn’t even dating Evan yet! He is by far the best thing that ever happened to me. I love him so much, for who he is. Can’t wait to see him at school! I just can’t believe tomorrow is my first last day of high school. It feels like just yesterday I was a freshman and now I’m a senior.
August 27th, 2012
School, was, well, interesting. I don’t know how I’m going to wake up early for the next 179 days! Anyways, I saw Evan today. He made my day by saying my blue shirt brought out my eyes. I asked him to come over after school today but he said he was busy. I wonder what he was busy with. I should have asked him. Especially because he doesn’t have a job, he hates school and never studies, and his parents are usually never home. When I ask him to hangout or come over he always says yes. Oh well, I’m just over thinking thinks as I always do. I think it’s time for bed!
August 28th, 2012
I texted Evan this morning and asked him if he wanted a ride to school, but he said “No, I have a ride.” I responded with a simple “Okay.” This is starting to get weird. He ignored me in school today when I went to hug him. What is up with him!? We haven’t had a full conversation in days.

August 29th, 2012
Thank god Evan talked to me today! He said “Tyla, I’m sorry I have been ignoring you lately. I have been caring more about my schoolwork so I can get into college to get a good job to support our family.” I started crying and hugged him. I’m so proud of him! What a great boyfriend! I am so lucky.
September 1st, 2012
Life has been good up until now. Evan has been acting weird again. Today I saw him leaving his house in his friend’s car. So he has time for his friends but not his girlfriend of a year and two months? I don’t get it. I just don’t get it. I hope he still feels the same way about me.
September 2nd, 2012
I have been crying all day, school, the ride home, dinner, all day. I have been thinking the worst. Evan even saw me crying in school and he didn’t even say anything, he just looked away. This isn’t even like him. The only time I cried in front of him is when he came to my grandma’s funeral with me. When he saw me shed my first tear, he wiped it with his finger and grabbed my hand. Why didn’t he say anything to me? He is supposed to be my support; to catch me when I fall. I never knew that he would be the reason why I fall. .
September 3rd, 2012
Evan finally talked to me in school today. He acted like nothing was wrong. As I was suddenly nervous to be talking to him, I blurted out “When am I going to be able to see you?” “You can come over tomorrow at 7 pm,” He responded. Then he walked away before I even got a chance to say “I love you, Evan.” So I guess I’ll be going over his house tomorrow. I have to clear this up.
September 4th, 2012
I can’t believe what happened today. I don’t even know how to write this on paper, I can’t even describe it in my head. I’m officially hurt physically and mentally. I don’t know how to word this, but who cares its only me reading this. Today when I went over his house I asked him, “Why haven’t you been talking to me lately?”
“I don’t know,” he uttered out as if he didn’t know what I was talking about.
Not caring how I say this, I managed to say, “Evan I don’t like the way you’re treating me, it’s not yourself, it seems like”- and before I could finish my sentence, he tightened his fist and punch me right in my left eye. I didn’t know how to react. I was going to scream, but as if he knew I was going to, he quickly put his hand over my mouth and told me that if I said ANYTHING to ANYONE about this he would hurt me more and more. I’ve been through enough for ten minutes. I rushed out the door and went home. Thank god my parents didn’t examine my face because they would have seen my black eye.
September 5th, 2012
Today at school I could tell he was looking at me but I stared at the ground. I couldn’t bear to even look at him. I’m not mad or anything, I’m just disappointed and shocked. I wish I could tell people. You don’t know how many times I thought about telling someone. What I should do is call the police. Yesterday when he hit me, I was in shock; When I slept, when I woke up today, and right now, while I’m trying to sleep. I can’t even think straight. In school today I swear I at least failed two tests. It is like something is blocking me in my brain from thinking straight. At this point I honestly do not know what to do; to tell or to not tell.
September 9th, 2012
I haven’t seen Evan in a while. He hasn’t been in school. Could he possibly care that he hurt me? Shut up Tyla, you know that’s not true. If he cared about you, he would of never hit you. For the past five days I have had to wear a ton of foundation on my black eye. I must say I’m shocked no one has noticed because it’s not really covered up all the way. I sleep with a wet towel over it to keep the swelling down. I was thinking about something today, if I told my parents after my black eye has healed, I would have no proof he hit me. So I should tell them tomorrow. Ugh, I don’t even know how to tell them. “Mom and dad, I’m getting abused.” No, that sounds too harsh, “mom and dad, Evan hit me and gave me this black eye.” That’s not working either. I’ll just figure it out tomorrow at school, I can’t focus anyways.
September 10th, 2012
Well, that wasn’t easy but I told them. My exact words were, “Mom and dad, I need to tell you something,” “Evan hit me in the eye six days ago because I confronted him about treating me bad lately.”
As both of their faces went into shock mode, my dad suddenly got angry, “I’m going to kill him. No one hurts my Tyla without me hurting them.”
“Bill calm down, this isn’t the right way to handle this,” my mom said as a tear fell from her big blue eyes. “We will talk about this tomorrow and report his domestic abuse to the police.” “It’s almost midnight, let’s all get some sleep.”
As they both hugged and kissed me while crying, I started to cry too, because this seemed to hurt them more than it hurt me. Ugh, I really don’t feel like telling my parents and the police this tomorrow.
September 11th, 2012
Today was such a long day. My mom woke me up at 8 am this morning. She told me to not go to school today and that her and my dad took off work today. We talked about the abuse some more, I told them how I went over his house and where he hit me. They were very sad, but my dad was still mad. We went to the police station and told them what happened. They told me that Evan is 18 years old, so he will be charged as an adult, not a minor. “What’s going to happen to him?” I asked.
“Well he will probably get some jail time and he could get a fine up to $500. We will have his hearing after he comes in for questioning. We will have to take pictures of your eye for evidence. But we are probably going to have Evan spend the night here so he does not come and question you, Tyla,” said the chief.
“Alright, sounds good. Thank you,” I said. The car ride home was silent. We had Chinese takeout for dinner. I’m not going to school tomorrow. I don’t want to take the chance of Evan being there.
September 12th, 2012
Well, the cops called today and told us that Evan admitted to the abuse. Why would he admit it? I’m quit shocked he didn’t lie about it. My parents told me they ordered a restraining order for me against him. He has to stay at least 40 feet away from me at all times. It hurts to think the person I loved could hurt me this bad. He also gets 30 days in jail and a $300 fine.
September 13th, 2012
I’ve done a lot of thinking between yesterday and today. I learned and taught myself to watch who I trust. It takes almost a year for trust to build, but only can take a second to break it.