Young Thalia ran, the stairs creaking, pulling her as they seemed to say, "You can never escape." She closed her eyes as she sat on her bed, furiously blinking out tears. Her eyes darted to the picture on her desk, in the small, gray, barren room. It was her dad, her mom, her, and her baby brother. They beamed at the camera, and she stared at it longingly. Her mind drifted to a song she memorized.

Mama please stop cryin'
I can't stand the sound
Your pain is painful
And it's tearin' me down

The sounds of yelling and sobbing reached her ears, and she heard chairs being kicked over, and bottles crashing as they were thrown against the wall.

I hear glasses breakin'
As I sit up in my bed
I told Dad you didn't mean
Those nasty things you said

Of course her mommy didn't mean the mean things she said. She was just a little confused. Right?

You fight about money
'Bout me and my brother
And this I come home to
This is my shelter

It was the same every single day. Thalia didn't even go to school. She snuck out, tried to steal some food to live, and came home to yelling. Her parents still cared about her. Didn't they?

It ain't easy, growin' up in World War III
Never knowin' what love could be
You'll see, I don't want love to destroy me
Like it has done my family

She couldn't love. Love was bad. Her parents loved, and look what happened. She glared at the photo in the glass frame. Bad love. Stay away from love.

Can we work it out?
Can we be a family?
I promise I'll be better
Mommy, I'll do anything

Can we work it out?
Can we be a family?
I promise I'll be better
Daddy, please don't leave

Her daddy would never leave her. She stared at the window as the wind howled, rain beating against the windows, and thundering with flashes of lightning.

Daddy please stop yelling
I can't stand the sound
Make Mama stop cryin'
'Cause I need you around

I need you too daddy, she thought bitterly. Daddy had to help mommy stop being sick and confused. Need to help mommy.

My mama, she loves you
No matter what she says is true
I know that she hurts you
But remember I love you too

The rain beat across the window, but 7-year old Thalia didn't care. She climbed down the slippery tree and ran, letting the wind and the rain tear at her face and whip away her tears.

I ran away today
Ran from the noise, ran away
Don't wanna go back to that place
But don't have no choice, no way

It ain't easy growin' up in World War III
Never knowin' what love could be
That I've seen, I don't want love to destroy me
Like it did my family

Can we work it out?
Can we be a family?
I promise I'll be better
Mommy, I'll do anything

Can we work it out?
Can we be a family?
I promise I'll be better
Daddy, please don't leave

In our family portrait
We look pretty happy
Let's play pretend
Let's act like it comes naturally

I don't wanna have to split the holidays
I don't want two addresses
I don't want a stepbrother anyways
And I don't want my Mommy
Have to change her last name!

In our family portrait
We look pretty happy
We look pretty normal
Let's go back to that

In our family portrait
We look pretty happy
Let's play pretend
Act like it goes naturally

In our family portrait
We look pretty happy
We look pretty normal
Let's go back to that

In our family portrait
We look pretty happy
Let's play pretend
Act like it goes naturally
Oh let's go back oh lets go back to that

In our family portrait
We look pretty happy
We look pretty normal
Lets go back to that

In our family portrait
We look pretty happy
We look pretty normal
Let's go back to that

Thalia stared at the photo bitterly as it burned in the fire. She would never love again. She pledged herself to Artemis, and threw away the last icy grip her family had on her.