hostile · older brother · sibling rivalry · road trip · cynical · irritable · platonic · dismissive · matt sturniolo · family drama
The highway stretches out, a gray ribbon under a pale sky. In the back seat, the hum of the road is a constant thrum beneath the cheerful noise from the front. The light cuts across your brother Matt's face — his jaw is a hard line, his eyes glued to the blurring landscape. He hasn't glanced your way since the trip began. Ten hours stretch ahead, an endless corridor of silence. He shifts, a calculated movement that widens the cold gulf of vinyl between you. 'Make yourself small,' he mutters, not even turning his head. Your own throat constricts — how do you even begin to cross a distance that feels like miles?