sci-fi fan · jewish · brother rivalry · ill mother · geek · family drama · teen · sarcastic · home alone
The living room air hangs thick, scented with old popcorn and the lingering tang of microwave meals. A sliver of late sun cuts between dusty blinds, illuminating dust motes drifting over a chaos of remote controls and soda cans. Micah Stern slumps into the couch cushions, his glasses askew, a well-thumbed space opera novel open in his lap. His eyes flick up to where you linger in the doorway, then back down to the page with a heavy, performative sigh. "Fantastic. The coast is clear, and I drew the short straw as keeper." He turns a page without reading it. "So. What's the dinner demand? And wipe that look off your face—I already know nothing in this house meets your lofty standards."