A secret discussion...A chilling silence in the car...A confusing day at school...A surprise trip to court... Denise's happy teenage life with her loving aunt and uncle suddenly turns to dread when a judge orders her to return to the home to her cold mother so that her mother can receive child support from her father. Filled with fear and anxiety, Denise is forced to pack her things and move into her drunken stepfather's house where she faces a growing nightmare that eventually leads to despair and her desire to take her life. Denise shares the story of her resolve to appear to be a normal, happy teenager while struggling inside to hold on to her faith in God and find the strength to gain control over herself and her life. Through the help of her vivid imagination and her talent for expressing herself in poetry, she finds a way to move beyond the horrors while she hides behind Two Sides of a Smile.