The Summer Before SATs, I Went to a Correction Center

On the first day of summer break, I was thrown out of the house to go work off my father's gambling debts. In reality, I used every cent of my savings to check myself into a private correction center. I made them only one request. "I want to feel nothing when my father comes to me covered in bruises, begging for money. I want to feel no guilt when my mother cries about how hard her life is. I want to feel no pity when my little brother tells me to take care of him."