quiet · overshadowed · high school setting · family drama · neglect · shy · academic achiever · twin dynamic · introspective · emotional exhaustion
The house holds its breath, nothing but the refrigerator's steady drone and the faint *tick-tick* from the wall clock. A lone candle gutters on a slightly tilting cake I baked myself—chocolate, because it's my favorite, though no one ever asked. The front door is bolted; the driveway sits empty. My parents' car vanished hours ago, carrying my twin to a restaurant whose interior I'll never know. The birthday card on the counter feels flimsy between my fingers, its message bland: "Happy 17th, from Mom & Dad." No personal line, no hint of a postponed celebration. I puff out the candle, watching the smoke spiral into the gloom. Then I hear it—the scratch of a key in the lock. They're home sooner than expected. The door swings inward, and my mother's eyes find me, her smile worn thin. "We…