Later that evening David and Cheeto were having dinner at Grams house. Grams joined in and was regaled with the events of the day by Cheeto.

"So now thanks to this fool, we have to start doing all this work and I have to give up my evenings to work with the esquincles (brats)," lamented Cheeto.

"Esa voca (that mouth)!" said Grams again at Cheetos choice of words.

"Perdon, digo este genio (Sorry, I mean this genius)," corrected Cheeto.

"Bueno, pienso que es una Buena idea, y no te cairia nada mal a ti tambien tener un poco de responsabilidades (Well, I think it's a good idea, and it wouldn't be bad for you to have some responsibilities). Y si alludan a esos nino aun mejor (And if you help out those kids even better)," said Grams addressing Cheeto.

"Bueno que no piensa comer la locaria de tu hermana (Well doesn't your crazy sister plan on eating)?" asked Grams referring to Liz.

"I don't know. She's been locked in her room all week," said David.

"What? That's nonsense. We are a family. We should be eating together," said Grams.

"Well I'm not going back up there. Last time girl almost took my head off," said Cheeto.

David didn't say anything initially. But upon feeling Grams' gaze on him expecting some sort of reply, he complied, "I went up to her already. Didn't do any better."

"Dos hombres miedosos de una nina (Two grown men scared of a little girl)," said Gams as she headed up to Liz's room.

Liz was up in her room by her phone awaiting the call she had been promised earlier in the day. Music blasted keeping her company as she paced back and forth. Her imagination ran wild with infinite options on what she would have to do and how to get out of the house without raising suspicion from David and Grams.

Liz knew Grams would be turning in early and David had not tried to talk to her all week.

"Elizabeth! No vas a comer (You're not going to eat)?" she heard Grams through the door.

"I ate already!" shouted back Liz.

"Que comistes (What did you eat)?"

"I don't know. A sandwich and some fruit."

"That's not food. You need to eat a proper meal," continued grams.

"I'm not hungry!" shouted Liz.

"Aye nina abre la puerta (Girl open the door). No somos animals para hablar gritando (We're not animals to be shouting at eachother)!" shouted Grams ironically.

"No piensas comer (You're not planning on eating)?" asked Grams once more as Liz reluctantly opened the door.

"I'm not hungry," said Liz pouting and frowning.

"What do you mean you're not hungry? You haven't eaten all day. You need to eat right so you don't get sick," continued Grams.

"I'm not hungry and you can't make me eat if I don't want too!" said Liz not wanting to go downstairs and miss the phone call.

"Nina porque eres tan grosera (Girl, why are you so rude)?" said Grams at the type or response she got from Liz.

"I'm not. Why won't anybody just listen to me? I said I'm not hungry and you want to force me to eat!" continued Liz exasperated.

"So what? You want to stay up here in your room forever?" asked Grams.

"So what if I do? I'm going to school. I come back and I'm here. What else do you want?" said Liz, aware there was nothing Grams or David or anyone else could say against her. She was doing what they wanted from her. There was nothing for them to complain about.

"So that's it. You are just going to spend all your time up here. You don't want to spend any time with your family at all?" said Grams.

"No I don't. And as soon as I can I'm going to get out of here so I can have my own life!" said Liz with the cruelty of a scorned teenager.

"Oh. Esta bien (Fine). Si eso es lo que quieres (If that is what you want). Ya no me voy a preocupar por ti (I'm not going to worry about you anymore). Lla saves todo (You know everything). Tienes todas las respuestas y todol planeado (You have all the answers and have it all figured out). No necesitas a esta vieja (You don't need this old woman). Cuando te quieras ir, ayi esta la purta (Whenever you want, there's the door)," said Grams hurt from Liz's words and walked off fighting her emotions. Keeping herself from chocking up.

Grams knew that she would not be able to keep out of Liz's life. Her greatest fear was to lose Liz and it had just been thrown in her face. There were not many things that Grams could think of to help Liz. She felt her options and time running out and her beloved grand-daughter slipping further and further away. The uncertainty of Liz's future and the insecurity of the amount of time left, terrified grams with each passing day. It became her primary concern. For that reason Grams decided to back off and give Liz her space.

Liz could hear the family conversation from her room. She heard of David's involvement with the Kids Center, his visit to the doctor and his job with Clyde. She could hear Grams talk about her day, her church work and the senior center along with all the other thigs Grams participated in. She also heard Cheeto and his idiotic comments. Listening to the family carry on below, and her being locked up in her room caused Liz to recent the family more.

Liz thought David was a fake and putting on an act for everyone to think he was a good person, which he wasn't. He just wanted everyone to forget he was a killer and that he had destroyed his family. Liz also thought Grams was equally fake. Always trying to put on a show for every one of how good of a family she had and how well she took care of everyone. The only thing Grams was concern about were appearances. That's why Grams was ashamed of Liz and couldn't wait to kick her out of the house. As for Cheeto, he was just a loser who Liz didn't understand why he kept coming around the house so much. Probably just for the meals.

Everyone in the house and in her life were fake acts that didn't care to know of her problems and concerns. Everyone was more concerned in running her life than knowing about it. So Liz was over them. She was done with all the fake people in her life. She was going to take charge of her life and do what she wanted to do and be with the people who didn't care about appearances and what anybody told them. They were the most real people around and would have her back because she would have theirs.

This would be the family she choose, not the one she was stuck with, and this night, she would do whatever it took to get what she wanted.

Just then, Liz' phone rang. She let it ring for a moment as some level of fear and excitement grabbed her. She took a deep breath and picked up her phone.

"Hello?" she said tentatively.

"Be ready by the corner of your house down the street in half an hour," the voice on the other side ordered and quickly hang up. Liz did not get a chance to say or ask anything.

"Half an hour, down the street. OK. I can do that. Grams should be going to bed soon and David will be going to his room after that. No problem," thought Liz to herself.

Liz got her things together, putting on a simple gray hooded sweater, jeans and a pair of sneakers. She waited for the voices downstairs to quiet down.

She heard Cheeto leave the house and suddenly David's door closed as he told Grams he'd had a long day and would have an early day too.

"Good. Two down," said Liz to herself.

The house was quiet. Only the dim noise of the T.V. in the living room played for a generic Spanish speaking show. Liz could hear Grams messing with the dishes and pacing below.

"What is taking so long?" thought Liz as the thirty minutes were nearing down. Now the door from David's room opened and his footsteps sauntered through the hallway.

"Now what?" Liz thought.

David went into the restroom. Liz kept looking at her watch, ten minutes left. The amount of noise and sounds that a household makes are astounding, especially when absolute silence is desired for cover of hidden intentions.

Liz heard David exit the restroom and head back downstairs.

"Oh my god. Just go to bed!" said Liz in a whisper.

Liz could hear David and Grams talking downstairs but couldn't make up what they were saying. She finally heard both of them say 'goodnight' and she heard David head back upstairs and close his door one more time.

Liz also heard the T.V. turn off and took that as her cue to go.

"I'm out of here," she said.

Liz headed to her window and made her way down to same route she had done for as long as she'd been in that house. She left the stereo on playing and since nobody had checked up on her all week she was sure it would be fine.

Grams had been preparing a dinner plate for Liz downstairs when David went for a glass of water for his medicine. Despite what Grams had told Liz earlier in the night, she could not help caring for Liz. She was her little girl, and always would be. Grams went upstairs and quietly headed to Liz's room. The sound of the radio playing through the door. Not too loud to keep the others up and complain but enough to let them know Liz was in her room.

"Liz, I brought you a dinner plate if you are hungry OK?" said Grams softly through the door, softer than she had before.

"Liz?" asked Grams again through the door with no reply. She was about to open the door but stopped and backed away. She did not want to provoke the wrath of Liz for coming into her room uninvited. Grams put her hand up to the door and whispered "I love you," but Liz was gone. Hearing no response, Grams sullenly walked away turning off all the lights on her way and headed to bed.

David had heard Grams through his door since he still lay awake and could not help but feel bad for the old woman.

"Damnit Liz," he said to himself.

lJ