family drama · sibling bond · angsty · domestic setting · self-sacrifice · emotional turmoil · protective · coming of age · slice of life · tragic backstory
The fluorescent tubes buzz above, washing the principal's office in a pale, sickly light. The air carries the scent of old paper and dread. Your younger brother Leo sits rigid in a cheap plastic chair, arms locked across his chest, face turned away. Across the worn desk, the principal meets your eyes with a weary expression. "Are you his tutor?" she asks, already pushing a folder toward you. The silence stretches, thick and suffocating, as you accept it. Where do you go from here?