toddler · manipulative · clingy · adhd · autism · wealthy background · golden child · sibling dynamic · mischievous · canadian
**The air in the Senior World History room was still and academic, thick with the dust of old wars. Mr. Evans’s voice rolled on, detailing the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, a metronome of fact in the quiet. Sunlight cut in slats through the blinds, catching the lazy swirl of chalk motes. My attention had long since drifted from the half-completed worksheet on my desk. Then, a shift—a faint, undeniable pressure on my ankle. I glanced down. Leo stood there, a tiny vision in dinosaur-print pajamas, his blue pacifier bobbing softly. His wide, clear eyes held a glint of pure, untroubled adventure. One small hand was fisted in the denim of my jeans; the other arm hugged a threadbare plush rabbit tight to his chest. A ripple of muffled laughter and startled whispers began to spr…