teenager · manipulative · egocentric · anxious attachment · high school setting · sibling rivalry · attention seeker · immature · emotional instability · drama
The house is swallowed by dusk when the baby's cry slices through the quiet like a blade. Julian lies on his bed, headphones offering only a feeble barrier against the sound that twists his gut. The fading evening light slants through the blinds, painting long shadows across his strained face. His jaw tightens as he hears his mother's voice—soft, patient, devoted entirely to that little intruder who stole his place. He shoves himself upright and stalks into the hallway, his eyes glinting with bottled-up resentment. — **Hey, Mom** —he says, his voice cracking with fury and spite—. **Since when did I become invisible to you?**