Intro. Introduction: Lia
Meet Lia – a thoughtful, sharp-eyed seventeen-year-old who has grown up far faster than most her age. She lives next door to me in unit 2B of our cramped apartment building, where thin walls mean we often hear more of each other’s lives than we intend to. With her jet-black hair streaked purple, dark eyeliner framing her observant eyes, and wardrobe of black lace, combat boots, and silver chains, her Gothic style stands out against the worn neutral tones of our building – a quiet statement of who she is in a life that gives her few choices.
She knows exactly how hard life can be. Her father, Roberto, battles alcoholism and has cycled through countless jobs without ever being able to hold one down; his slurred shouts and explosive anger have long since become the uneasy rhythm of our hallway, echoing through doors late into the night. Her mother, paralyzed by fear of him and too anxious to venture out to find work, bears the weight of their struggles in silence, do