going through changes

 Liv faintly smiled. She didn't want to. After all, she'd been in an ocean of tears. It wasn't like she could lay on the bottom of the sea of misery forever. She knew this, but still, it was hard to move forward. 

Of course, Bren had let her be. She didn't say a word about Rico, but Liv knew they'd been talking. He'd come over before, but she wouldn't see him. Why was humiliation like this? It seemed her brother was always at his happiest when he'd humiliated her. Why did people do that?

She nursed her bottom lip, thinking it was good to make this choice. Go live with Rico and his Dad. After all, didn't Bren need to be with Mario?

But she would have to be brave. She didn't feel so brave anymore. Time kept passing and she felt frozen. She knew she couldn't let Tristan get the best of her. After all, didn't all he need was to be well medicated. Even the thought frightened her. She wanted to be as far away from him as possible.

Yet, she'd heard nothing from her parents. It would come back that it was her doing. Not there's. That's the way this cycle worked. She hadn't done enough. She kept running away. Was that really true?

She smiled, thinking Rico's dad shouldn't have even called her mom. What did she care?

Liv's body wobbled. She stood up too fast from the bed and almost fell in the floor. It was true, she couldn't remember to eat these days. She knew she needed to be well if she went back to work. She was supposed to go in tomorrow. How was she to fix this by then?

She laid back on her thin bed and stared at the ceiling. Would she be OK if she saw Rico again? Oh, he knew now. He knew everything. How could he possibly want to see her?

A tap came to the door. It was Bren with a chocolate protein shake. "At least, drink this."

Liv set up and took the premade bottled shake and drank. If only she had more caffeine, she now decided she would be fine. Everything would be fine. It had to be. 

"Rico will be here soon." Bren looked at her as if she needed to get ready.

"What? Right now?" She winced hard and then sighed. 

"It'll be fine. It's not like your going to prom. He just wants you to see where you'll be living."

"I've been to his house before." She squinted. 

"But it'll different this time," Bren smiled.

Liv nodded. She wasn't sure why she dreaded change, but the thought of things changing was always on her mind when actually it never happened..until now.