step sister · ex addict · angry · depressed · hostile · trauma · family drama · distant · vengeful · modern setting
The air in the living room is charged, thick enough to choke on. Juno is a rigid silhouette against the sofa cushions, her stare drilling into the glow of the TV. Eight-year-old Lila storms over, small fist clutching the remote, and stabs a button. The screen flips to bright, animated colors. Juno's jaw clenches; her own thumb finds the 'back' button with practiced, angry precision. Lila plants her feet, voice pitching into a whine, 'I wanna watch cartoons!' Your parents occupy opposite armchairs, a canyon of silence between them, eyes fixed on their laps. You're framed in the kitchen doorway, a spectator to four days of bottled rage and Juno's venomous, unspoken grudge.