Chapter 1College application day. Everyone crowded around my twin sister, Dahlia.
My brother Carson tapped the UT Austin box on the form.
"Apply here. Be my junior. I'll look out for you."
My childhood best friend Ryder shoved a Texas A&M brochure at her.
"Don't listen to him. Come to A&M with me. Four more years."
Mom and Dad nodded along, all smiles.
"Staying in Texas is perfect. They'll take care of you. We won't have to worry."
Then they turned to me.
ALL of them. Same time. Same words.
"Sage, you barely cracked 1000. Community college. That's it."
I gripped my college guide so hard my knuckles turned white.
Same old story. Always had been.
When we were kids playing pretend, Dahlia was always the princess everyone fought to save.
Carson? The loyal knight.
Ryder? The brave prince.
And me? I was the evil witch everyone hated.
Turns out growing up changed nothing.
They wanted me to stay close? Be convenient? Be nothing?
Fuck that.
I circled the University of Miami.
Two thousand miles away.
Let them keep their perfect little Texas bubble.
I'm DONE.
---
When I didn't say anything, Ryder kept pushing.
"Yo, Dahlia and I are both doing UT. Just pick something here in Austin."
I stared at my score: 1520. Felt nothing.
I crushed the SAT—like, way better than I ever did on practice tests.
Those big schools they keep talking about? I could totally get in.
But after the test? Nobody even asked how I did.
Scores dropped? Nobody gave a shit what I got.
'Cause the second Dahlia came outta the test center, she was full-on sobbing.
"I totally bombed it, what am I gonna do?"
Mom and Dad were like, "Scores don't matter, we'll just pay for you to study abroad."
Carson brushed it off.
"Who cares? I'll be making bank anyway. I got you."
Ryder was all soft and comforting.
"Dahlia, even if you tanked it, you still beat Sage easy."
"If it's that bad, we'll all retake it and help Sage out while we're at it."
Honestly, I was just there to make Dahlia look good.
She was like... perfect. Got all the good genes.
People would literally freak out over her. Hugging her, telling her she's gorgeous, whatever.
Me? I was just... there. Plain. Boring.
Family friends would look at me and be like, 'Uh... you seem nice.'
When I was younger, I thought that meant something.
So when Mom and Dad bought Dahlia all the cute stuff and I got nothing? Didn't say a word.
Carson brought her snacks after school? I didn't ask.
Summer comes, Dahlia gets the good watermelon, I get the nasty rind? Still kept quiet.
'Cause that's the only time they'd even look at me.
They'd be like, 'Oh, Sage is so sweet. Such a good big sister.'
In school, Dahlia and Ryder were always battling for first place.
Me? I was dumb as rocks. Like 50th in the grade.
Couldn't even get on the honor roll with them.
This time, I actually pulled it off. Caught up to them.
But they still saw me as the same dumb Sage Brennan.
I had to ask. "You've literally been obsessed with Penn State forever. You're seriously ditching it?"
Ryder froze, then laughed like I was dumb.
"Who cares? UT, Penn State, same shit. Only thing that matters is Dahlia."
He'd told me a million times Penn State was his dream.
But Dahlia says UT and he just... gives it up. Just like that.
Right then, my last bit of hope felt so pathetic it hurt.
I pulled up the search bar.
Typed: University of Miami.
Literally the farthest school I could find.
1,200 miles away. From them. From this house. From everything.
Click. Submit. Confirm.
Done.
Chapter 2
Mom and Dad Venmo'd us after I hit submit.
Dahlia checked her phone and literally jumped on Mom.
"Oh my god, I knew you loved me more!"
Then she's like, "Wait, what'd Dad send you?"
I opened mine. "Two hundred bucks."
Her face just fucking glowed.
But she had to do her little angel thing.
"Aww, they probably think you'll blow it all. That's why I got two grand."
"But don't worry! Just ask me if you need money."
Mom literally booped Dahlia's nose like she's five.
"This is for that bomb-ass 1450, sweetie. Go nuts."
Then she looked at me.
"And you. A 1050? Yeah, I'm not even touching that."
"You're already garbage next to Dahlia. Don't screw around in college."
Dahlia grabbed Mom's arm super quick.
"Mom, Sage getting into a four-year is amazing! Chill out!"
I should hate Dahlia, right?
She's so perfect that everyone loves her more.
But the weird part? She doesn't just hog all the attention.
She'll also jump in when Mom's destroying me. Like literally right now.
Not enough to actually help. Just enough that I can't hate her guts.
Carson whipped out two boxes.
Pink for Dahlia. Gray for me.
Before I could even think about it, Dahlia was already all over him.
"Oh my GOD, Carson! You love me so much! The new MacBook?!"
Ryder whistled. "Bro, that's three thousand dollars. You seriously spent your whole summer check on this?"
Carson just laughed and messed up her hair. "Whatever, she's my sister."
Yeah. But so am I.
So why the fuck is mine so cheap?
I asked this shit crying when I was like seven. Over and over.
Now? Fuck it. I don't care.
I shoved the e-reader back, got up, and just left for my room.
Nobody even glanced my way.
Except Dahlia. "Sage, you okay?"
I stopped. "Yeah. Just tired."
Carson was already bitching behind me.
"Ugh, she's always pulling this shit. Such an attitude problem."
"Dahlia, forget her. Check out the laptop."
Ryder was laughing. "Dude, for real. Sage is such a downer. Total buzzkill."
I slammed the door. Blocked out their crap.
Came back out for dinner.
Mom made this huge spread.
Sweet and sour pork. Honey wings. Teriyaki chicken.
Every. Single. Thing. Was sweet.
All Dahlia's favorites.
But I like spicy food.
I've dealt with this for eighteen years.
I'm so fucking done.
"Mom, can we get like... spicy fries or something?"
Mom stopped mid-bite. Then her face did that thing.
"Seriously? You were picky when you were little, whatever. But you're still doing this?"
"Why can't you just be like your sister? Dahlia never complains about food."
I wanted so bad to scream—Dahlia doesn't complain 'cause you literally only make shit she likes.
What I like? You've never even asked.
Or wait. Maybe you know. You just don't give a fuck.
But I swallowed it all down.
What's the point?
Mom would just be like, "Stop being so dramatic. You're always keeping score."
After that shitshow of a dinner, Ryder came by with boba.
Two mango smoothies. Iced.
One for Dahlia. One for me.
Dahlia took a sip and literally beamed at him.
"Ugh, you're the best. Iced drinks in summer? Unmatched."
I held mine and the cold just hit me. Like straight into my bones.
Before he met Dahlia, Ryder told me about his older brother.
This insanely perfect kid. So good that his parents basically forgot Ryder was alive.
I thought, finally. Someone gets it.
Then Dahlia happened and he literally said to my face, "Your sister's way cooler than you."
But I still had feelings for him.
He was the only one who remembered I existed while thinking about Dahlia.
He used to buy matching stuff for both of us. Always two.
But at some point it switched.
Two things Dahlia liked.
And I'd just take whatever she wanted me to have.
Chapter 3
"Sage, what're you doing? Just drink it already. Got it for you."
Ryder was looking right at me but his eyes kept drifting back to Dahlia.
I looked up at him. "Ryder. Mango. I'm allergic, remember? And cold drinks kill my stomach."
Silence.
Ryder's face twisted up like he was trying to remember, then he got all pissy.
"Wait, for real? I swear I've seen you eat mango."
"And it's literally summer. Name one boba place that doesn't do iced."
"You're being so extra right now."
But the time he's talking about?
That was the first time I ever tried mango.
The time my face swelled up and he literally sobbed apologizing.
The time he promised on everything he'd never forget I was allergic.
Guess three years is "never."
Carson cracked up from the couch.
"Dude, are you really about to kill the vibe over boba?"
I looked down. Thanked god I didn't pick UT.
Four more years of this? Getting ignored and blamed for shit I didn't do?
Hard pass.
Next day, my parents were heading out to book Dahlia's graduation party.
I was standing outside in the crazy August heat. Shirt already soaked.
August sun was baking the asphalt. My skin was burning.
Dad yelled, "What're you doing? Get in."
I looked at the car. "There's no room."
Dad's face twisted up. "You're eighteen. Squeeze in."
Mom piled on. "Dahlia gets carsick. She needs the front. Stop whining."
I peeked inside.
Dahlia was chilling in the passenger seat, flipping down the mirror, touching up her makeup.
Mom and Carson were sprawled out in the back.
Ryder was jammed in the middle, holding Dahlia's MacBook case.
No space.
Even if I tried, I'd be smashed against the door like I didn't even matter.
"It's full."
"Then Uber to the restaurant. It's not that far anyway."
I nodded and stepped back. "Okay, I'll—"
He gunned it.
Exhaust blew in my face. Made my nose sting.
I just stood there watching them drive off.
Then went back inside.
I went to the kitchen. Made myself instant ramen.
Dumped in a ton of chili flakes.
So spicy my eyes watered.
But I kept going.
For once. This tasted like mine.
After I ate, I washed the bowl and wiped everything down.
My phone went off. Voice message from Mom.
Could hear everyone in the background—laughing, going on about how great Dahlia is.
"Sage, where are you? Get an Uber and get over here. We're waiting!"
I stared at my phone.
Block her or answer?
Typed back: "Not coming."
Back in my room, I pulled out my suitcase. Started packing.
Threw in summer clothes. I'd get winter stuff in Miami.
Left everything else on my desk. Even that stupid gray e-reader.
Then I opened my piggy bank.
Thirty-two bucks in coins. That's it.
All the bills? Gone.
I tore my room apart. Nothing.
What the fuck?
Right when I was about to call the cops, my door opened.
Dahlia walked in, waving this gold bracelet around.
"Pretty, right? Mom bought it for me. Super expensive—$3,800!"
$3,800.
Exact amount missing from my bank.
