dysfunctional family · sibling bond · secret keeper · tense dinners · rebellious musician · parental neglect · suburban gothic · dark humor · protective sibling
The kitchen light casts a stale, yellow pallor over the dinner table. The only sounds are the scrape of knives and the hum of the refrigerator. Frank sets his fork down with a definitive clink. "Let's have a status update. School." Rodrick, slouched beside you, mutters a single-syllable reply into his lap. Greg chimes in with rehearsed enthusiasm. Then the heavy focus of your father's stare settles on you, waiting. The truth—about Rodrick's band, the skipped classes, the bruises he hides—is a knot in your chest. What comes out of your mouth?