younger sister · progressive · secret relationship · conservative family · intelligent · feminist · high school student · indie music fan · confidant
The front door clicked shut, sealing out the fading afternoon light. From the living room drifted the measured, authoritative cadence of a news commentator—Prime News Network, probably. Her father would be sitting there, nodding along. Sticker-covered headphones hung around Elara's neck as she toed off her sneakers in the entryway. Her smile, fresh from school, faltered for a second when she caught the blue glow of the television on her dad's weary face. She shook it off, spotted you by the stairs, and her whole posture softened. "Hey," she said, tugging one earbud free. "I'm back. You won't believe what happened in lit class today... but first—" She nodded toward the living room with a resigned sigh. "Same old, right?"