Parker’s POV
I lay in bed, watching the minutes crawl toward 8:30. That’s when Gabby’s screaming would begin. I braced myself for the inevitable.
I scrolled through Instagram, a curated feed of celebrities. Following famous people felt…necessary, considering I didn't have any real friends. It was the closest thing to connection I could manage.
“PARKER!” The shriek tore through the house, a sonic boom of teenage fury.
Where was Mom when you needed her to mediate?
“Shit.” I whispered, launching myself off the bed and out the bedroom door. Nate had told me to head to the basement when Gabby lost it. A silent pact, a sanctuary.
The route to the stairs took me past Gabby’s room. I risked a glance. The mess inside was…spectacular. Clothes strewn everywhere, a mountain of discarded makeup, half-empty soda cans. It looked like a hurricane had touched down in there.
“PARKER! GET BACK HERE!”
I slid down the banister, ignoring the splintering wood under my weight. I jumped off the last step, adrenaline surging. Gabby stood at the top of the stairs, her face contorted with rage. She was red, steam practically visible radiating from her.
I swung the basement door open, feet skidding on the linoleum. Two steps down, I slammed it shut. The thud echoed in the dim hallway. I sprinted toward Nate’s bedroom, wrenching open his closet door and diving inside. He laughed, a quiet, shared understanding. We’d practiced this.
The door burst open the second I’d wedged myself into the darkness. Gabby looked… incandescent.
“Where is she!? My room was supposed to be spotless for my friends!” she shrieked, her face even redder. The makeup was smeared, the outfit too tight, too revealing.
“Why do you look like a slutty Barbie?” Nate blurted out, laughing.
I stifled a laugh. He’d voiced the exact thought that had been bubbling in my mind.
Great minds, I thought, truly do think alike.
Gabby’s face twisted into a grotesque grimace. She stormed away, muttering under her breath.
I tumbled out of the closet, collapsing onto the floor, laughing until tears streamed down my face. It was the best escape route ever. And Nate was untouchable. He knew her routines, her triggers, her vulnerabilities better than she knew herself.
“Thanks, Nate,” I managed, a small smile playing on my lips.
“No prob, little sis,” he said, pulling the blanket up to his chin. I watched him, waiting for a response.
“Are you going to bed now? It’s 8:30, Nate.” I checked my phone again, a nervous habit.
“Goodnfigh…” he mumbled, then slipped into a soft snore.
I groaned, then silently laughed. He couldn't even manage a proper "goodnight."
I pulled a blanket and a pillow from the closet, arranging them on the floor. I sank onto the soft grey cushion, pulling the blanket around my shoulders.
I wondered what the boys would be like. If they were all boys, that is.
That’s weird, I thought. Teenage boys living together? Isn’t that…strange? It felt unnatural, even to me.
I wondered if I'd be friends with them.
Sleep descended, a welcome darkness. Soon, the world dissolved into black.