My brother sent a text to his girlfriend, but it came to me by mistake: "Babe, I'm at the school entrance. Where are you?" I narrowed my eyes, a malicious smile creeping onto my face. "Babe, I just got out of my last final." The chat bubble showed he was typing... then stopped. I kept going. "Babe, did you wait for me so we could go home together? I'm so touched!" "Babe, why aren't you answering?" He finally snapped: "Are you insane? That's enough!" Five minutes later, a Venmo notification popped up. "I'm begging you, don't tell Mom and Dad I'm dating someone." 1 The SATs were over. As I walked out of the testing center, I switched my phone off airplane mode. Notifications exploded. Just as I cleared them all, a text from my brother, Alex, popped up. "Babe, I'm at the school entrance. Where are you?" I physically recoiled. My brow furrowed. What kind of fever dream was this? I stared at the text, mulling it over. Then I remembered, a few weeks ago, I'd overheard him on the phone, calling someone "babe." I’d always suspected he was dating someone, but I never had proof. When I'd ask, he'd just give me that arrogant denial. Today, he’d delivered the evidence right to my doorstep. A wicked smile spread across my face. I typed out a reply: "Babe, I just got out of my last final." Calling my brother "babe" made me want to gag, but the thought of how much it was freaking him out made it all worthwhile. The second I hit send, his chat bubble appeared: Alex is typing... It popped up. Disappeared. Popped up again. Ten minutes passed. I had walked all the way from the testing hall to the school's front gate, and he still hadn't replied. He was playing dead. Trying to ignore it. Hoping I'd just let it slide. I wasn't about to be that nice. "Babe, did you wait for me so we could go home together? I'm so touched!" "Babe, you're the best!" I laid it on thick. "Babe, why aren't you answering?" 【Babe???】 Finally, he couldn't take it anymore. His reply was furious: "Chloe, are you insane? That's enough!" I laughed at the screen. "Babe, I think someone's in a relationship!" "I bet Mom and Dad would be very interested to know." Five minutes later. A Venmo notification. $50. His tone was a pathetic grovel: "I'm begging you, don't tell Mom and Dad." I remained unmoved. I didn't accept the money. I didn't reply. I could already see Alex standing at the gate. I had to admit, my brother hit the genetic lottery. Even in a crowd of students, his face and build made him stand out. I slowed down, hiding behind a nearby pillar. I wanted to see who this girlfriend was. I waited five or six minutes. No girlfriend appeared. Instead, someone... unexpected. A guy in a white t-shirt and black pants coasted up on a bike, stopping next to Alex. Sharp, handsome features. A clean, crisp aura. When he smiled, his profile was brighter than the summer sun. Leo. Our school's "King," and my brother's best friend. Top-tier looks, top-tier brain. Half the girls in our grade were in love with him. As valedictorian, he’d already gotten early admission to Yale. He just stood there, and a crowd of eyes was drawn to him. He was so good-looking it made me dizzy. From my hiding spot, I saw Alex and Leo chatting, but Alex kept scanning the crowd. I ducked, avoiding his gaze. A moment later, a girl with a high ponytail bounced up and grabbed my brother's arm, smiling sweetly up at him. I immediately pulled out my phone and hit record. I recognized the girl's face. Jenna. A well-known beauty in the art program. Damn it. My brother was eating good. 2 I took a video. I took photos. I sent one of the photos to Alex. From a distance, I saw him look down at his phone, his expression souring. My phone buzzed. "You like Leo, don't you?" "I'll help you get him." I raised an eyebrow. He was using that to negotiate? To shut me up? Leo and I are neighbors. He’s always been nicer to me than my own brother. Good-looking, smart, good family. Not only was he sweet to me, but he also gave me little gifts all the time. It was hard not to like him. He was a natural charmer. I was only human. I sent back an "OK" emoji. Then, I walked out, jogging over to them, pretending I’d just spotted them. "Alex!" My brother looked at me, his face grumpy. Jenna quickly let go of his arm, blushing as she said hi. Leo just smiled at me. "How'd the test go?" "Pretty good," I smiled back. I looked at their faces. "You guys have plans?" Leo nodded. "Yeah." My brother's voice was cold. "We're busy. You go home." I ignored his dismissal. "Can I come? I'm bored now that exams are over." I aimed the question at Leo. "Please?" He was a head taller than me. He looked down, his handsome eyes crinkling at the corners, and smiled. "Sure," he agreed, his voice gentle. "No!" That was Alex. "Chloe, you're not invited. Stop trying to butt in." I just stared at him. The atmosphere turned awkward. Jenna tugged on his sleeve. "It's fine, really..." Leo spoke up too. "Let her come, Alex. It'll be more fun. She's not a stranger." My brother suppressed his annoyance and bit out, "Fine. Whatever." He grabbed Jenna's hand and stormed off ahead. Leo patted the top of my head, then leaned in close, his voice low. "Don't be upset. He just... doesn't know how to act around you." My heart skipped. His closeness was overwhelming, surrounding me in his scent. He smelled like fresh laundry. I didn't answer him. 3 Alex and I are twins. We've had a terrible relationship our entire lives. Arguing and fighting were daily. Being loving siblings was a fantasy. When we were five, he "lost" me. I was gone for five years. I was lucky, "adopted" by a kind family. When my parents finally found me at age ten, I stood in front of them and accused Alex of abandoning me on purpose. All I got was their defensiveness. "You're remembering it wrong." "Your brother isn't like that." "It was an accident." "You need to stop blaming him, do you understand?" From that day on, I hated my brother. I hated Alex. At my worst, I’d wish for him to fall down the stairs, to choke on his water, to be struck by lightning... These five years of separation didn't earn me more love from my parents. It earned me... distance. They thought I wasn't the "sweet, cute" girl I used to be. They thought my five lost years had "ruined" me. Petty. Spiteful. Ungrateful. Low-class. Those were their private assessments of me. I’d heard them. Late at night, unable to sleep in my new-old house, I’d gone looking for them and overheard them talking in the living room. It felt like someone had taken a hammer to my skull. I choked back my sobs, crying in the dark. I saw a crack of light from the room next to mine. My brother’s door. He had heard it too. Through my tears, I saw him hesitate, wanting to approach me, then pulling back. When he finally took a step toward me, I fled to my room and locked the door. After that night, I learned to be "good." I learned to pretend. 4 I followed them to dinner. At the table, Leo took good care of me, constantly putting food on my plate. My brother was miles away, lost in thought. Probably plotting how to kick me out. Jenna was mid-bite when she suddenly dropped her chopsticks and waved at the door. I turned. My heart sank to my stomach. Bianca. The person I hated most in the world. She was the girl my parents brought home to replace me during those five years. When I first came back, I raised hell to get her out of my house. My brother knew exactly how much I despised her. So, all these years, they’d been in contact behind my back. They were so close they had their own little friend group. I shot a hateful glare at Alex. He was looking right at me, his expression cold and mocking. "I told you not to come. You insisted." His words were always so sharp. Leo frowned, kicking my brother under the table. "Alex!" he warned. I swallowed my anger, staring at Leo's profile. My heart ached, but it was a sweet ache. He was the only one who defended me. Bianca walked over, all smiles. "Sorry I'm late!" Her eyes landed on me, and her smile faltered. Her expression became cautious, surprised. "Chloe? You're here too?" Maybe I'm biased. Maybe I'm just sensitive. But her tone felt... wrong. Like she was implying I shouldn't be there. I’ve never been nice to her. But in public, especially with Leo here, I always kept my cool. I forced a tight smile and a nod. Bianca looked at the seating, feigning confusion. "Where should I sit?" Leo gestured to the spot next to him. "Here, sit by me." It was a six-person table. I was sitting next to Leo. Alex and Jenna were across from us. Bianca could have easily sat on their side. When Leo said that, my smile collapsed. "Great! These are all my favorites." Bianca slid into the seat on Leo's left, beaming at the dishes. She ate with gusto. "So, how'd everyone do on the SATs? Are we feeling good?" "We all promised we'd end up at the same college, remember? No backing out!" She chattered on. My brother laughed. "Don't worry, I'm good." Jenna chimed in, "I think I did okay too." Leo just smiled. "Well, you guys have fun. I'll be all alone at Yale." "Oh, shut up, you're flexing on us," Bianca teased. "Yeah, seriously! No Ivy Leaguers allowed in this conversation!" They laughed, talking about shared memories and inside jokes I wasn't part of. Their easy rapport was an invisible barrier, walling me out. I ate in silence. The food tasted like ash. Half the dishes on the table, the ones Leo had ordered... Were all Bianca's favorites. Listening to their laughter, I stared at my teacup. I’d ordered tea out of habit. They all had sodas. I was the odd one out. I watched the film of oil on the surface of my tea and felt sick. So, Alex, Leo, and Bianca were this... trio. Even Jenna and Bianca seemed like old friends. But I, the twin sister, had only just met my brother's girlfriend. And only because I'd caught them. I was the fifth wheel at their four-person party. I was his sister. I’d known Leo first. But I was the one who didn't belong. 5 "Chloe, what college are you aiming for?" Noticing my silence, Leo brought me into the conversation. I looked up, meeting his eyes. They held that familiar, gentle smile. I loved his eyes. Smiling, soft, and when he looked at you, so focused. Like you were the only person in the world. I knew I wasn't special. I knew he was just polite, nice to everyone. But I was greedy. I wanted to be the only one. I only wanted him to be nice to me. I held his gaze and slowly said two words. "Yale." The table went silent. Bianca laughed. "Chloe, you're joking, right?" My brother just studied me, thinking. Jenna played along. "Aim high!" Leo’s eyebrows lifted, the corners of his eyes crinkling. "Then I'll wait for you at Yale." Bianca's face fell. She kept her smile frozen as she asked Alex, "Is Chloe's... score usually that high?" Alex nodded faintly. "Top ten in the grade." He glanced at me, then added, "But Yale is still a stretch." Now Bianca’s smile was genuine again. "Well, good luck, Chloe." Hmph. I looked down, hiding my cold smirk. This whole table was so fake.
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