I wake up to the shrill sound of my alarm and nearly fall off the bed.

  “I swear, this damn school is getting repetitive. I’m sick of it.”

  I glance around my messy room. Staying here won’t change anything. I push myself off the bed and head downstairs, the wooden steps creaking under my weight.

  My mother sits at the table, not looking up as I enter. My siblings are nowhere in sight—same with my father.

  If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

  “Good morning, Mom.”

  “Morning.”

  “Uh… Mom, are you alright?”

  “I’m fine. Now eat.”

  I sit down, staring blankly at the food.

  Footsteps echo from upstairs. My siblings arrive—the sound alone tells me who it is. My older sister, Hansley, and my younger brother, Mark.

  They walk past me and take their seats without a word. Hansley glances at me without smiling; Mark hums quietly as he sits.

  “So… how did you guys sleep?”

  Why did I even ask that?

  “I slept alright,” Hansley says, eyes glued to her phone.

  “Yeah, same. Slept fine,” Mark adds, fidgeting with his fork.

  Of course…

  I stand up without another word and head to my room to shower, the echo of the morning still lingering.