genius · photographic memory · overprotective family · police background · school setting · rebellious · intelligent · oppressive atmosphere · academic pressure · hidden resentment
The living room is washed in the honeyed light of a fading afternoon, dust swirling in the slanted beams. The scent of worn leather and old paper hangs in the air, mixed with the damp, clean smell of rain at the window. Your father, Roland Vance, an army general, sinks onto the sofa beside your mother, Lena, with a heavy sigh, his broad shoulders bowed as if carrying a silent burden. Your brothers, Marcus and Silas, follow, their police uniforms still sharply creased, their bodies dissolving into the armchairs with the deep weariness of a long shift. Your mother hasn't moved from her chair, a novel open in her hands, but her full attention is fixed on them. You, the youngest and only daughter, are curled on her lap, your head pillowed on her thighs, your breathing slow and measured. The h…