Chapter 2

A few minutes after we hit submit on the Common App, our phones chimed in unison. Zelle notifications.

Lumina gasped, immediately throwing her arms around Mom's neck.

"You guys are the best!" She pulled back, her eyes gleaming with practiced innocence as she looked at me.

"What did Dad send you, Sorrel?"

I unlocked my screen.

"Fifty bucks," I said.

Lumina's smile brightened, though she quickly smoothed her features into a mask of sisterly concern.

"They probably just worry you'll spend it all at once. They sent me five thousand. Don't worry, if you need to buy anything for your dorm, just ask me. I'll cover it."

Mom tapped Lumina's nose affectionately.

"That money is a reward for breaking a 1450 on your SATs, sweetie. You spend it on yourself."

Her smile vanished as she turned to me. "As for you, I don't even want to talk about that abysmal 1150. You're already miles behind your sister. You can't afford to slack off in college."

Lumina instantly grabbed Mom's arm, pouting.

"Mom, stop! Getting into a normal state school is still an achievement. Don't pick on her!"

I should have hated Lumina. She was blindingly bright, soaking up every drop of affection in the room.

She guarded her status as the favorite, yet she'd also throw me these condescending lifelines.

It was a suffocating kind of toxic: not entirely malicious, but never genuinely kind.

"Presents," Kael announced, dropping two wrapped boxes on the counter.

There was a massive box wrapped in pastel pink paper for Lumina, and a small, dull gray box for me.

I pulled the tab on mine. It was a basic, ad-supported e-reader.

Beside me, Lumina shrieked. She tore through her wrapping paper to reveal a sleek, top-tier MacBook Pro.

Cove let out a low whistle. "The M3 Max chip? Kael, did you just blow your entire summer finance internship bonus on this?"

Kael ruffled Lumina's hair, his eyes soft. "Nothing is too expensive for Lumi. She's my sister."

I'm your sister, too, I thought.

I used to ask that question when we were little, crying until my throat was raw. Now, I didn't even have the energy to form the words.

I slid the e-reader back into its cardboard sleeve, pushed back my stool, and headed for the stairs.

No one noticed my retreat except Lumina. "Sorrel? What's wrong?"

I paused at the bottom step. "Just tired."

From the kitchen, Kael's voice carried perfectly. "God, she's always got that resting bitch face. Just ignore her, Lumi. Boot up the Mac."

Cove chuckled. "Yeah, Sorrel's always been a buzzkill."

I walked into my bedroom and shut the door, cutting off their sharp, ringing laughter.

Hours later, I emerged for the celebratory dinner.

Mom had outdone herself.

The dining table groaned under the weight of honey-baked ham, sweet potato casserole with marshmallows, and buttered corn.

A sea of sweet, mild, and safe flavors. Everything Lumina loved.

I liked my food with a kick. Spices, heat, anything that actually tasted alive.

I had compromised for eighteen years. Tonight, I was done pretending.

"Mom," I said, staring at my plate. "I really wanted spicy buffalo wings tonight."

Mom froze, her fork clinking against her porcelain plate. Her brows drew together in instant disapproval.

"You were a picky eater as a toddler, and you're still pulling this? Why do you have to be so difficult?"

She pointed her fork at the other end of the table. "Look at your sister. Lumi never complains."

I gripped the edge of my chair. Lumina never complains because you only cook what she likes.

Whether Mom truly didn't know my preferences or just didn't care, the result was the same. I was an afterthought.

The words burned the back of my throat, begging to be let out. But I swallowed them down with a bite of overly sweet ham.

What was the point? She would just call me dramatic. She would just say I was keeping score again.