Early the next morning, I dragged myself out of heil, showered, and hand washed i
nd the black skirt from pesterday
The weather app promised clear skies, so I hung on our apartment balcony to dry in the Minneapolis immer sun.
Back in my room. I started organizing my study materials. Top SAT scorers could sell their notes and study guides online for cash, Companies like Princeton Review would pay thousands for the right to publish them.
I’ve always been the kind of person who needs a financial safety mei. Money meant independence. Independence meant never having only an people who consistemly let you down.
Halfway through Labeling my calcules section, a shriek cut through the apartment like a fire alarm.
Trushed out to find Rosalia standing in the hallway in her silk pajama set, clutching my dripping wet skart, her face twisted with fury.
“Liana, how freaking pathetic can you get? Buying the exact same skirt as me? Oh my god–you have a thing for Jax, don’t you? Back off. He’s mine”
“Put that back. Now. My voice came out sharper than I’d ever allowed it before, something dangerous slipping through the cracks of my carefully maintained composture.
I could feel my face contorting with anger, all pretence of being the “good sister” evaporating.
*No way in hell. Mom and Dad bought your little genius act yesterday, but I know exactly what you’re doing,”
She bolted toward the bathroom, her intention suddenly crystal clear.
Thinged after her, my heart hammering.
Too late.
Rosalia had dunked my freshly washed skart into the roller bowl and was gleefully squirting blue toilet cleaner all over it, the chemical met burning my nostrils. “God, Liana, you’re so desperate it’s actually sad.”
Without thinking. I ripped the bottle from her hand and emptied what remained directly onto her perfect, honey blonde hair.
she screamed as blue liquid cascaded down her face, her smug expression dissolving into shock
I grabbed her by the throat my fingers pressing just hard enough to make her eyes widen “Who’s desperate now, Rosalia?
Rosalia’s voice went up several octaves. “You’re actually attacking me? Wat uncil Mom and Dad hear about this–they’ll absolutely destroy your
Her shral voice scraped against something primal inside me. I glanced at my ruined skirt soaking in toilet cleaner–the skirt that had foolishly made me feel special for about Eve minutes–and seventeen years of being second best combusted inside me.
I slapped her across the face with every ounce of force I had.
Rosalia froze, her hand rising slowly to her cheek.
She stared at me like I was a stranger, unable to process that her quiet, invisible sister had finally fought back.
When our parents got hume, Rosalia had perfected her victim performance–red–faced, hoarse from crying, her cheek wollen, her hair a blue stained disaster, her designer pajamas ruined.
Mom rushed to her side like she was a wounded soldier. “Oh my god, honey, what happened?”
Dad turned to me, not even needing to ask who was responsible. “Did you hit your sister?
Before I could say another word, Dad’s hand cracked across my face with enough force to make me stagger.
Chapter 13
The pain exploded through my skull, my ear ringing like someone had fired a pan mest to le
“Don’t think getting a perfect SAT scare mean you can do whatever the hell you want! What is wrong with you?”
I straightened up slowly, tasting blood where my teeth had cut the inside of my cheek
I forced my face into a blank mask. Pretending it didn’t hurt. Pretending I didn’t care.
But inside, the last thread of connection I felt to my family had snapped completely.
They never even asked why. Not a single “what happened?” just immediate judgment: Liana got
full of herself and attacked poor Rol
Mom gave me that special disappointed look she’d perfected over the years. “You could have talked to your sister about whatever was bothering you Violence is never the answer.
I said nothing. What was the point?
They demanded I apologize to Rosalia. I stared through them like they were made of glass.
Rusalia, sering she’d won completely, switched to magnanimous mode. “It’s okay, guys. I’m sure she didn’t mean it. Let’s just forget it happened
Her eyes met mine, a subtle glost in them. Once again, Team Rosalia had prevailed.
I returned to my room without a word.
y decided to take a gap year to retake the SAT. She moved out in early August to stay with a friend in St. Paul and prep for the test.
Rosalia eventually d
I worked double shifts all summer at my tutoring job and saved almost 520,000
Tighteen thousand came from the National Merit Scholarship, the Minnesota Academic Excellence Grant, and the Governor’s Achievement Award that came with being the state’s top scorer
When UCLA move–in day arrived, I firmly refused my parents‘ offers to drive me to California
Mom looked geminely confused. “Liana, why won’t you let us take you to college? Every parent does that ”
“It’s unnecessary.” My voice was flat, my decision final.
Those three words hung in the air between us, a wall had no intention of breaking down.
Finally, she sighed that martyr sich she was so good at “Liana, when did you become so cold hearted?”
I didn’t answer as 1 zipped my s
suitcase closed
Because somewhere between “Liana will barely get into community college” and a slap that said “your sister matters mere,” I’d realized their opinion of me was worth exactly nothing.
