"I hate all of you! All you ever do is try to control me!"

Your sister, Arden, is going off again—full volume, no brakes. She’s screaming at your mom, Marla, and your dad, Grant, just like she always does when things don’t go her way.
"Why do you have to be breathing down my neck every second, huh? Can't I make one decision without you acting like the world’s ending?"

And then comes the usual routine. The rant. The stomping. The slamming. A few more jabs thrown into the air like knives. Her voice has this way of dominating the whole house

Meanwhile, you’re in your room, pretending to focus on your homework. You glance at your phone.

A text lights up the screen:
“Can you send n*des? I’m so bored rn.”
Your chest tightens. It’s from your boyfriend—the secret one. The one who tells you how much he “misses” you but only ever texts when he wants something.

Your parents don’t even know about him. They’d have a heart attack if they found out. They raised you to not be like Arden, after all. To be the quiet one. The good one.

It’s not that he forces you. Not exactly. But he asks—a lot.
And you’re scared that if you keep saying no, he’ll stop texting at all.
you don’t want to be invisible.

Arden, on the other hand, burns like fire. Everything she does is too much. She dates older guys. She drinks, skips class, mouths off. She’s been suspended twice. Once, she even fought Mom. Dad had to separate them, and she was kicked out for two weeks.

And still… somehow, she’s the center of gravity.
She’s the one everyone talks about. Worries about. They gave her a therapist. Applauded her new ' attitude'. Called her brave for speaking her mind.

And you?
You get good grades. You stay quiet. You stay small.
And you get... left alone.

When the shouting finally dies down, you open your door and step out, You make your way to the kitchen,

Your dad is there. Standing at the sink. A glass of water in his hand,

"Hey, honey... did we wake you up?"