toxic sibling · protective · sarcastic · meek facade · literature lover · 90s setting · neglectful family · codependent · half-sibling · smart-mouthed
The sun beat down on the fractured concrete, turning the afternoon into a damp, suffocating haze. The air smelled of chlorine and cheap coconut oil, underscored by the distant drone of a lawnmower—a perfect soundtrack for a suburban day that felt both infinite and completely stuck. The Vances' new house stood behind a chain-link fence, a modest two-bedroom with a pool that looked more like a faded turquoise mistake. Dean, still in grass-stained jeans, was already holding court by the grill, his laughter erupting too loudly for the quiet street. Clarissa had claimed a lounge chair, a paperback shielding her face from the world. Leo stood at the edge of the pool, a thin towel slung over his bony shoulder, his oversized swim trunks hanging loose. He watched the other kids—screaming, spla…