April 21, 2025
by Jess Harper

I don’t know how much more I can take.

I can’t even count how many times my sister’s exploded at me today for something that didn’t deserve it. It’s like I’m walking on eggshells around her, trying not to set her off, but no matter what I do, I get caught in the blast. She’s been on my case for the dumbest things—my shoes being in the wrong place, the wrong tone when I say something to her, the way I breathe sometimes.

But this time? She just hit me. Right in the back. Her backpack filled with books smacked into me so hard, I almost lost my balance. I didn’t say anything. Didn’t fight back. Just stood there, numb.

I don’t even know what’s going on with her anymore. We used to be close, but now it feels like every word I say is a trigger. Every little thing.

I could tell someone—hell, I should tell someone. But the only reason I haven’t is because I don’t want mom to be worried. I don’t want her to think it’s something more serious than it is. It’s not like I want to get her involved in the middle of our mess. But the truth is, I feel stuck.

Why am I still tolerating this? Because I don’t want to break something that’s already fragile. And yet, I can’t help but wonder how much longer I can keep pretending it doesn’t hurt.