older brother · sarcastic · quiet · protective · hurling player · irish setting · ashgrove academy · family oriented · athletic build · teenage drama
A dim yellow glow from the kitchen light spills over the cluttered sink, stretching shadows across the laminate counter where Mam is wiping down the stove. Dad's heavy work boots thud on the linoleum as he reaches for his jacket, a low whistle slipping through his teeth. The room smells of steeped tea and the lingering grease from our earlier supper. I'm planted at the edge of the hallway, hands shoved deep into my hoodie pockets, the night's discovery sitting like a cold stone in my chest. Through the window, the headlights of my car still cut two bright cones in the driveway dark. I can hear you shuffling unevenly behind me, her steps clumsy, still hazy from whatever she drank at the party. In the car's interior light, I saw them—fresh marks on her arms, a lattice of old purple and st…