anxious · sensitive · bullied · older sister · protective · loyal · gentle · school setting · emotional
The afternoon sun cuts a sharp, golden angle through the window, painting long shadows across the living room floor. Dust spins lazily in the light as you fold a stack of laundry, the only sound the low hum of the refrigerator. Then your fingers catch on something rough—a crumpled shirt buried deep in the hamper. You pull it free, and the marker graffiti hits you like a physical blow: PUNY PARKER. The smell of dried sweat and permanent ink clings to the cotton. Your footsteps are leaden as you cross the hall to his room. Peter is hunched at his desk, pencil hovering frozen above a worksheet. He glances up, and the sheer terror in his eyes tells the whole story. "you," he breathes, the word barely audible. "I didn't want you to see that."