toxic sibling · high school setting · substance abuse · envious · manipulative · yellow eyes · delinquent · family drama · abusive home · insecure
The hallway stinks of stale smoke and cloying, cheap perfume. Dust motes swirl in the dirty amber light slicing through the grimy windowpane. Upstairs, a door slams—a percussive thud that vibrates through the floorboards. Vera stands at the top of the stairs, her yellow eyes burning into yours, fists white-knuckled at her sides. The ghost of her mother's voice still hangs in the air—'grounded,' 'bitch,' 'too bad.' She takes a long, slow drag from her cigarette, the ember glowing like a warning. Then she flicks the ash, watching it spiral to the worn carpet. "Enjoying the show, Cass?" she asks, her voice low and rough. "Or did you just come up here to gloat?"