“Liviana?” The knocking persists and the woman in question sighs.Taking a deep breath to compose herself, Liviana tilts her chin up and plasters a smile on her face. “Coming!” She calls before turning to open the door, greeting the woman on the other side and praying she couldn’t see past her wide smile.. “Hi, Elara!”The mother-in-law couldn’t help but roll her eyes. “Do not take that fake enthusiastic tone with me, Liviana.” She warns, strutting past her into the girl’s bedroom. “And don’t think that overcompensating smile is going to fool me into thinking that you’re alright, when I know that you’re anything but.”Liviana sighs, letting the door fall closed once more than she turns to face the older woman. There’s an inner battle of debate on whether to feign ignorance of having no idea what she was talking about, continuing her act of being perfectly fine, or to give Elara a peek behind the curtains to find her true vulnerable self that was riddled with anxiety, intimidated by ju
A smile that wavers is a smile of false of promise.The wise words of Drusilla Santora. Her version of never let them see you weak, though a much more shallow take, Liviana had to admit.Her mother's version of the uplifting saying, was one almost as superficial as the person who says never let them see you without your face - another one of her mothers most popular phrases, and unluckily for Liviana, it fit in perfectly with her mothers favorite lecture."Drop the grim expression, Liviana. You can't let them see you as anything less than promising. And what have I always told you about a wavering smile?""That it shows false promise." Liviana would mumble as she bows her head, avoiding her mother's eyes as she gets belittled in yet another of her parents' routine rants."Exactly." Her mother would agree. "And nobody likes a fake."Liviana wasn't sure why this conversation was replaying in her mind tonight. She knew it by heart- of course she did. It was a common "conversation" in her
The Castelli family was a masterpiece. A piece of art held at the highest standards, while everyone stood around admiring them. In every detail, they were the ideal. Every stitch, every shot, every stroke of their brush was all done with such craft that it was nothing less than a picture of perfection.Their reputation was one of the best, with not a single scratch to ruin their image. It was pristine, and it was something they all made sure of.Elara Castelli was the queen. A ruler who wore her heart on her sleeve- a sleeve that contained a dagger. With a strong mind and loving heart, Elara had a perfect balance between kindness and cruelty. She was an angel whose wings were made of hellfire. They sparked, and she would watch as they fall, turning those around into ash. And if you were lucky, if you were kind, she would do you the honors of helping you rise from the ashes and become better. She was gracious, understanding, caring, and a killer. And as much respect as she was given, s
The room is filled with a silence that raises tensions; the family sitting around with bowed heads as they sat before the angry woman, waiting for her to speak- or more so, yell.And that’s exactly what she did.“Do you have any idea of what you’ve done?!” Elara shouts, wagging a finger in her daughter’s face as she lectures. “Do you?!”“I know exactly what I’ve done.” Amara says with a shrug.“Is that so?” Elara scoffs. “Because I really don’t believe that you do-““I was doing my job.” The daughter declares, a smug smile on her face as she turns to look at the ‘happy couple’ that’s been the hot topic ever since they announced their engagement. And from what she was seeing, in the uncomfortable way Liviana sits and the glare Blaze gives, after tonight, they weren’t going to be happy or a couple for much longer. “And as far as I can tell, I’ve done a pretty good one.”“Oh, I’m sorry? Your job?” Elara scoffs, spinning around to share a look with her husband, who can see the dangerous l
Blood is thicker than water.It was a very popular saying, conveying the message that those who you share blood with are your family. And to most, that was the truth. DNA is what links you to love- a familial love you can only find in one place. And that's those you're related to. Parents, siblings, aunts and uncles, cousins, grandparents. That's your one and only family.It's the black and white way of thinking, the thought being that the ones you're born with are the only ones who will love you all the way to death. The ones you share the same blood with are the ones who brought you into the world and the ones who will be there for you when you leave it. They're the only ones you can count on, to love you, to comfort you, to see you through thick and thin.To those who share that thinking, they believe that family is only blood. You can have friends, spouses, strangers you look up to from a far. You can know them your entire life, you can love them with your entire being, and you ca
When Liviana was a child, she was the type of girl who truly relied on her imagination. On the sad days, the happy ones, the lazy days and even the exciting ones, the good days, but especially on the bad days. She was a girl who wasn't just a dreamer, but someone who loved to conquer up the greatest delusions, and whether they would be considered a daydream or a nightmare... Well, that was up to her fragile mind. For a girl with a wild imagination, every day was a surprise. She didn't know if, when she woke up, she would find herself in her bed or an imagined cloud. She didn't know whether her toothpaste would be toothpaste or some sort of pasty poison planted by the enemies she knew she didn't have - just another figment of her imagination. If her cereal was soup or a hotdog, a sandwich- something she would wonder as she imagined those tasty foods in place of the stale salad she was forced to eat. She'd wonder if the rain pouring outside her window was the tears of giants or the th
When Liviana was a child, she had this dream. It was common, she believed, as she thought it was something everyone would have dreamt of at least once in their lifetime. It wasn't typical, as in it wasn't for the job people would dream of or for fame and money, nor was it a dream for a love so great, it would go down in history as a tale for romantics to fawn over for eternity- letting their love live on and on and on. Instead, it was much simpler than that. Liviana's dream was for the perfect life. Everyone's definition of perfect was different, and for Liviana, it simply meant balance. She didn't need everything to be perfect all the time- she knew that in this world, constant perfection was near impossible in this world, right next to flying with your bare arms and the idea of true immortality. She didn't need to be a millionaire or a genius or to be considered beautiful. Mansions, money, cars, jewelry, reputation, fame- in her eyes, it was all as overrated as it was shallow. And
From the moment her very existence was decided on, Liviana Castelli has had her entire life planned out to the perfect tee. From the moment she was born, her life had been written out in front of her, just waiting for her to flip through the pages and read what life had in store for her. And with great hesitance, she did. She turned the pages, reading each word a hundred times back and reading between the lines, looking for some sort of hope hidden on the pages or chance living beneath the ink. She searched, and she hoped and prayed, and she found absolutely nothing. How could she when there was nothing but deception in the words they had written? Each sentence, every word, each and every letter was all chosen with purpose. They were selected with careful calculation and written in strive, done with such precision that not even the world's greatest lawyer would have been able to find the loophole of the life Liviana was meant to lead. She was stuck. Or so she thought. Life is a r
Little Liviana stood tall and alone, pushed to the back of the room while her siblings danced around in the center. Emilia always was better at being the center of attention- she thrived off of the spotlight. And Tino... he lived and breathed to find even the smallest dose of fun. It looked as though they were in their element, having the time of their life. As much as she wanted to leave - even after her touching talk with her sister - she just couldn't bring herself to ruin it for them. So, she stayed.She stayed, sat, waited and listened, watching as the time flew by right in front of her eyes. And then, before she knew it, two more hours had passed, and it was after midnight. It was late, but was it too late? She couldn't be sure. All she had left to do was to hope and pray.The young girl sighs, head tilting to the side as she pries her eyes away from the scene, only to latch on to another. And God, if this one wasn't shocking, she wasn't sure she knew what shocking was anymore.
A young Liviana sat quietly, nervously, in the corner of the over-crowded room, people watching as though her life depended on it. What was she watching for? Not even she was sure. But that didn't stop her from looking.Her green eyes scanned over the crowd with caution, darting around from face to face and person to person. She watches them closely, almost as if she was waiting for something. And in a way, she was. She was looking for clarity, waiting and hoping it would find her and help her make the right choices. Liviana was waiting on her guardian angel to offer some wisdom, but it was clear her angel must have been busy, having failed to provide guidance on each instance as of late. She was beginning to wonder if she even had one anymore... maybe she quit - who knows? Sighing at the thought, she tilts her head back, resting it against the wall and allowing herself a short break. Her eyes fall shut, and for a moment, she just thinks - listens. She just is. The air was hot, thic
Little Liviana stood tall and alone, pushed to the back of the room while her siblings danced around in the center. Emilia always was better at being the center of attention- she thrived off of the spotlight. And Tino... he lived and breathed to find even the smallest dose of fun. It looked as though they were in their element, having the time of their life. As much as she wanted to leave - even after her touching talk with her sister - she just couldn't bring herself to ruin it for them. So, she stayed.She stayed, sat, waited and listened, watching as the time flew by right in front of her eyes. And then, before she knew it, two more hours had passed and it was after midnight. It was late, but was it too late? She couldn't be sure. All she had left to do was to hope and pray.The young girl sighs, head tilting to the side as she pries her eyes away from the scene, only to latch on to another. And God, if this one wasn't shocking, she wasn't sure she knew what shocking was anymore.F
The set of the three Santora siblings approaches the lively house with caution. "Is this it?" Liviana asks, stopping to stare up at the place that was practically bursting at the seams with people. She couldn't believe she was here. She never thought they would actually make it - she hoped Emilia was more reasonable, and prayed she would come to her senses. And yet, here they were. They finally made it."Yeah," Emilia mutters, a smile stretching widely across her lips as she takes in the view behind her. It was everything she could have ever hoped it'd be. It was the perfect picture - practically ripped right out of the movies. And God, she couldn't wait to join in. "Come on! Let's go!"Suddenly, the girl is surging forward and rushing up the stairs, calling for her siblings to follow her in what they could only imagine being an overcrowded, overstimulating mess. It was safe to say that Liviana and Tino were nowhere near as excited as their sister was. "Wait!" Livi calls, taking a st
"How much farther?" A young Liviana questioned, trailing behind her siblings and dragging her feet with her dread. "I thought you said it wasn't far-""Because it's not," Emilia insists. "It's just up ahead.""Are you sure?" She asks, unsure of herself as well as her sister. Emilia didn't seem to know what she was doing, and it scared Liviana. Why did she agree to this?Emilia huffs, nodding. "Yes, Liviana. I'm sure," she says. "Just trust me, alright? I know what I'm doing."Did she? Liviana couldn't be sure, and she wasn't sure she wanted to stick around to find out. Was this really worth it? She didn't think so. "You know," Liviana clears her throat, skipping a step to catch up to her siblings. "It's not too late.""Too late?" Tino echoes. "Too late for what?""Too late to turn back-"At this, Emilia comes to a halt and whips around to face her sister. "Go back?" She asks, her eyebrows knitting together as she asks, "what do you mean turn back?""I mean that it's not too late to ba
Young Liviana sat quietly on her bed, her head hanging low in her hands as her mind spun. What was she doing? What was she supposed to do?Her mind was running in circles, replaying those dreadful conversations over and over again and forcing her to face the questions she hated to have to answer. Which one of her siblings would she stand by? Emilia or Ben? Who did she trust more?The thought alone was upsetting, and she couldn't bring herself to answer it. How could she ever choose between the two? They were both her biggest protectors - in their own ways - and she needed them. How was she expected to pick a side and betray the two people she loved most in the world? It was an impossible decision, and she couldn't wrap her head around it. Emilia or Ben? Her sister or her brother? Her head or her heart?"Fuck," she curses, eyes squeezing tightly shut at the sharp pain she feels shooting through her temple. The question itself sounded difficult and painful, but it felt worse than she
Liviana stood thoughtfully before her mirror, examining her reflection closely as she slowly put herself together.It started with the makeup - her sister's special touch, as Emilia insisted they must look their best - though her version of the best varied from that of their mothers. She had never worn a mask so dark.Next were the clothes - clothes she would never call her own, as she couldn't even call them comfortable."Do I really have to wear this?" She asks, pulling at the bottom of the short black dress in a poor, pointless attempt at making it longer. She had never worn anything so small. "It's basically a shirt-"Emilia rolls her eyes from behind the girl, calling her dramatic. "It's not that short," she disagrees. "And besides, it's pretty.""It is kinda pretty," Livi doesn't deny it, muttering to herself about how nice it looked. "But it's too short, Emilia. It's not for me, okay? It's too... different.""Different is good!" Emilia argues. "It's, like, the whole point, Livi
"Livi?"The girl nearly shrieks, settling for a gasp as she pulls her bedroom door shut in a rush. "Dad!" She greets, spinning around to face the man. "Hi!""What are you doing?""Nothing," she says, frowning. "I'm not doing anything. Why do you ask?""You seem... different," he says. "Odd. Are you sure there's nothing wrong?""Yeah, mhm," she hums, offering the man an unconvincing nod. "I'm okay- everything's okay! There's nothing to worry about here, dad."He hums, eyes raking up and down his surly daughter, and she could practically feel the suspicion in his gaze. It was almost as if he was trying to look into her soul. "Well, if you're sure-""I'm sure," she swears, mustering up the most convincing smile she could as she assures him that she was alright - everything was fine."Good, good..." he trails, clearing his throat. "Listen, about dinner-""Oh, you don't have to... say anything," she says, her smile fading to something more tainted. "It's fine."He furrows a brow. "It is?"
"Are you... serious?"At the awkward question and the meek voice it's spoken by, Ben glances up from his spot on the bed and hums. "Serious?" He echoes, unsure about what she was muttering on about. "About what?""Mom and dad," Liviana reminds, asking, "are they really that bad?"Ben sighs, attempting to offer his little sister a careful answer. "They're, uh... complicated.""Complicated?" Livi repeats, joining her brother on the bed with a frown. "I don't... I don't understand. What are they?"Ben only grows all the more confused by her questioning, and his lips tilt down in a frown of his own. "What?""What kind of people are they?" She presses. "Mom and dad, I mean - are they good people or... are they bad people?"He hums. "Well, that's a good question, kid," he says, voice soft as he offers his sister a thoughtful look. "What do you think they are?""I think..." she trails off with a sigh, nervous.He's quick to pick up on the traces of anxiety lost in her tone - seeping into her