Ro bert ▁Wis den ) ▁is ▁unable ▁to ▁exhib it ▁his ▁emot ions ▁and ▁Da wn ' s ▁brother ▁often ▁h urls ▁emot ional ▁ab use ▁at ▁his ▁sister . ▁Da wn ▁finds ▁sol ace ▁in ▁being ▁able ▁to ▁control ▁at ▁least ▁one ▁thing ▁in ▁her ▁life ▁- ▁her ▁secret ▁cutting . ▁▁ ▁When ▁Da wn ▁is ▁asked ▁by ▁the ▁" pop ular " ▁crowd ▁to ▁design ▁their ▁float ▁for ▁the ▁up coming ▁school ▁car n ival , ▁she ▁is ▁initially ▁pleased . ▁However , ▁the ▁popular ▁girls ▁still ▁victim ize ▁Da wn ▁by ▁calling ▁her ▁names ▁and ▁acting ▁mal ici ously ▁towards ▁her . ▁Her ▁hopes ▁for ▁accept ance ▁are ▁sh atter ed ▁when ▁she ▁over he ars ▁the ▁girls ▁sn ick ering ▁and ▁making ▁fun ▁of ▁her ▁in ▁the ▁girls ' ▁bath room . ▁Unable ▁to ▁deal ▁with ▁the ▁pain , ▁Da wn ▁runs ▁to ▁a ▁private ▁corner ▁and ▁begins ▁to ▁cut ▁herself , ▁the ▁only ▁way ▁she ▁knows ▁about ▁to ▁co pe ▁with ▁what ▁trans p ired . ▁ ▁Da wn ▁feels ▁that ▁she ▁is ▁unable ▁to ▁art ic ulate ▁the ▁troubles ▁she ▁experience ▁at ▁school ▁to ▁her ▁parents . ▁In ▁fact , ▁she ▁is ▁quite ▁successful ▁in ▁hiding ▁both ▁the ▁truth ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁her ▁pain ▁from ▁her ▁family . ▁When ▁Da wn ▁tries ▁to ▁connect ▁with ▁them ▁individually , ▁Russell ▁seems ▁unable ▁to ▁handle ▁any ▁type ▁of ▁int im acy ▁with ▁his ▁daughter ▁and ▁puts ▁up ▁an ▁air ▁of ▁pass ivity . ▁Joy ce , ▁on ▁the ▁other