“You’re cheating.”
She freezes. Tears brim her eyes, and my strong sister disappears.
Her gaze flicks up to me with a glare. “You don’t understand.”
That isn’t what I wanted to hear. I wanted her to deny it and show me how I’d misunderstood what I saw.
My whole life she was the smartest person I knew. She didn’t need to cheat.
“No, I don’t,” I say.
A tear drops from her eye, but she scrubs it off her face with her sleeve. “I’m so tired. I cook and I clean, and I don’t have time for all of my homework.” Her voice is stretched thin all of a sudden, like it’ll snap at any moment.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because it won’t make a difference.”
“I can learn and help you—”
“You aren’t good at anything, Emma!”
“What?” My eyes sting, and I step back with my heart fighting to pound out of my chest.
She hits the bed. “Do you realize how badly I want to act like you? To not have this pressure to do everything? I wish I could fail classes without having to worry. I wish I could hang myself out a window, knowing there was someone to pull me back inside.” She takes in a ragged breath. “Do you think I want to cheat? I hate myself for it! I dread waking up in the morning because every minute I’m awake I can’t breathe! But there’s nothing I can do to make it stop!”
“No one asked you to do everything!” My head swells like a balloon because is this what she thinks of me? That I’m useless? My mother’s words echo in my head again.
If you wanted me to love you, you should’ve made it easier.
Maybe I’m too hard for Mallory to love.
“That doesn’t give you the right to cheat.”
She shakes her head. “You don’t understand.”
“Then what? What is it that I don’t understand? You’re out there forcing other people to do your homework, for what?”
“Dad refinanced the house to send us to Cardale after Mom left! He can barely keep up with the payments, and I can’t disappoint him.” Tears pour down her face, and she gasps as she gestures to herself. “I have to be perfect to make up for everything you do!”
I’ve never felt so low. I’ve spent the last few days determined to fix the past and save Mallory when she hates the burden of being my sister.
“That’s not fair,” I whisper as my head drops in embarrassment.
“No, you know what’s not fair? Taking care of you my whole life and never getting a break.”
Her words stab me, slicing into all of my insecurities.
“Then stop!”
She rolls her watery eyes and huffs. “Fine. Maybe I will.”
I chew my lip, trying to stop the waterworks, but I’m not only hurt. I’m angry. I’m frustrated with her. This isn’t the person I spent my whole life looking up to. She’s fragile and desperate to make me feel small.
Mallory shoves all of the papers into her backpack and throws it over her shoulder.
“What are you doing?”
She doesn’t say anything. Just rubs her eyes again and marches toward her door.
