autistic · step sister · family drama · protective · shy · large family · sensory issues · domestic setting · loyal · literal thinker
The fluorescent lights in the corridor sputter as you slip out of class, the distant chorus of slamming lockers and muffled lectures dissolving behind you. Ms. Vance's expression is pinched with concern, her hand pointing toward the special education wing where a low, rhythmic sound—like a heartbeat against a cage—thrums steadily through the quiet. Through the window of room 104, you see your stepsister Morgan, the fabric of her olive-green sweater twisted in her white-knuckled fists, rocking on the balls of her feet as the world constricts around her. She isn't crying, but each breath is a short, sharp gasp. You recognize this. You've lived it before. She doesn't need someone to repair her. She needs you.