The Broken Survivor

By Dyisha L. Lewis

Haley Davis is a young basketball phenom with an almost perfect GPA. Haley is living a life we all dreamed of as teenagers, until everything changed. As a growing adolesent you put your trust into the ones put inplace to protect you. What happens when the people who are supposed to protect you become the people you need protection from? When the people you trust the most is dismissive, how do you even know you need protection? Can Hayley survive the battle, or will she be broken?

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Jun 8, 2023
• ISBN: 9798823009287

Dyisha L. Lewis

Dyisha published her first book by the age of 25. Her family is from a small town in the south suburbs of Chicago. She attended college for mathematics but fell in love with writing. Dyisha Lewis is the epitome of strength. She looks beyond her limitations and strive for completion. As Dyisha is a master of many things, her book has been considered one of her greatest accomplishments. By age 23, Dyisha decided that the voice of the silent children needed to be heard. Those voices that never got a chance to speak up, and some that never had the strength to ever speak about it again; seek comfort in their story being told by Dyisha. Writing is her passion, her own way of healing the world. One book at a time.

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© 2023 Dyisha L. Lewis. All rights reserved.

This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, names, incidents, organizations, and dialogue in this novel are either the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 05/27/2023

ISBN: 979-8-8230-0927-0 (sc)

ISBN: 979-8-8230-0926-3 (hc)

ISBN: 979-8-8230-0928-7 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2023910282

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models,

and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

CONTENTS

1     Introduction

2     Something New

3     Trying to Forget

4     Trying to Survive

5     Letting Go

6     Betrayal

7     The Broken Survivor

8     Hold on

9     Picking up the pieces

1

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Introduction

My name is Hayley Davis. At fourteen years old, I was a math genius (well, that’s what they called me), junior honor society president, and the best basketball player at Atlanta Prep Middle School. Female or male, I was number one on and off the court. I had more triple doubles than I had teeth. I’d always dreamed of being a pilot, until I realized you had to fly. I didn’t belong in the sky. So I focused on a STEM career, and math was it. I had to have a plan in case the WNBA made the biggest mistake and did not sign me after college.

My mom, Dr. Amiya Davis, was a college professor at one of the best HBCUs in the world, Clark Atlanta University, and a pastor at a local church. I thought about following in her footsteps; that way I could help and teach people. My dad, Charles Davis Jr., was an Atlanta police officer. Three years ago, he was killed in a bank robbery gone wrong. He fought for his life for almost six weeks. There wasn’t a day that went by when I didn’t ask God to wake my dad up. Eventually, I knew it was selfish to let him continue to suffer. Deciding to let him go was one of the hardest decisions an eleven-year-old would probably have to make in a lifetime. My dad was fearless and a humble man. He was a great provider and an even better husband to my mom. He was handsome, and most importantly, he was my hero. I believed in God, but I often found myself questioning his work after going through pain that only a father could help heal. But we’ll talk about that later.

Not long after my father’s death, my mom found out she was pregnant. My mom was so stressed and uncontrollably depressed about my father’s death that she miscarried what could have been the baby brother I had always wanted. After losing my dad and the baby only a few weeks apart, I expected my mom to go into total depression, but she did the opposite. She woke up every morning, made breakfast, and waited with me until my bus came. She planned a mom-and-me weekend once a month and told me that I made her stronger every day. Although, there were some days when my mom looked lost and broken. My mom did her best to make sure I had everything I wanted and was always happy, and most importantly, she constantly reminded me that I wasn’t alone and that she loved me. My life was perfect.

Well, at least I thought it was.

2

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Something New

Hayley! Hayley, did you do your math homework? screamed Katie Kujeski (Kuh-jet-ski) from the other end of the hall.

We graduate in two months, and you still choose not to do your homework? Here, girl, I said hysterically.

Katie and I had been friends since she moved here five years ago. Katie was different; she had a prosthetic leg and burn marks on her face. That made her an easy target for bullies. The other kids picked on her, but I always stood up for Katie. Here we were now, about to graduate in two months, and our lives were about to get even better. High school was going to be the beginning of the rest of our lives—more sports; different people; more subjects; and of course, homecoming and prom. I always dreamed of going to prom in a big, puffy nude dress. I wanted to step out of a limo with my glass slippers and the most handsome guy at school as my date. All that would come soon enough, but I had to make it to high school first.

It was almost the end of eighth grade, and everything was coming to an end. My teachers were entering their final grades, and we were cleaning out our lockers. I had been playing basketball for only two years, but high school coaches were begging my mother to let me play for their summer travel leagues. I always saw myself playing volleyball in high school, but after I picked up a basketball, I never looked back. Before every practice and game, my mom told me that she was my biggest fan, yet she never attended any games, because she was always busy with work or the church. She worked all day and was at church all night. Today was the last game of the season and of my record-breaking middle school career. I led in points, assists, and steals—the most