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Is anyone ever innocent, really? Besides all the dogs and babies of the world.
Eliana was once incredibly blind to the harsh realities of the world, incredibly sensitive and wore her heart on her sleeve. While she may be working to get parts of her old self back, the shell of the woman she used to be is damaged more than she lets on. That's why she keeps to herself, only keeps up with a few, and knows that nothing is ever really for keeps.
Watching her brother kill himself more and more every night he insisted on just one more dose, leading her to fumble more and more during dance class, and eventually only knowing how to eat anxiety meds for lunch (talk about a butterfly effect), the old Eliana who was innocent was no longer welcoming. She still managed to be kind, she just didn't put up with the same shit that she used to.
"Mikey..." she trailed, pushing open the door of her brother's room, the wood cold to the touch. His dog, a pug named Rocco, lay on his bed, lifting his head at the sight of Eliana (who he always preferred). Mikey lay in the corner on the floor, barely upright as his head rolled against the wall of his closet tiredly. She wanted to throw up at the sight of himself like this, her brother, her biggest protector and fiercest ally has now succumbed to the vial of heroin sticking out of his forearm. She wanted to yell, to scream, but she was tired of her words going in one ear and out the other. Besides, in a state like this, he probably wouldn't even hear her.
And every time he did this, she helped him cover his tracks. Every time, without fail. Their mother had suspicions, but for the most part, she thought he was doing the occasional weed with his buddies and was otherwise tired from school and basketball. She was proved wrong when he was soon kicked off the team.
Eliana thrived, at least, as much as she could. She threw herself into dancing, even a couple of acting lessons, became friends with Maddy Perez, Cassie and her sister Lexi Howard. The girls quickly clicked, bonding over their love for fashion items and clothing ⎯ particularly Maddy and her. Eliana had a gift for taking something good and making it into something greater, and Maddy started encouraging her to start up her own thrift flip business situation, which helped Eliana with all the extra cash she started making.
"Hey, what'd you get for answer ten?" she whispered to the boy sitting in front of her, an action that would later be described as the couple words that changed Eliana Romano and Fezco from complete strangers, to high school sweethearts.
