She Got Five Suitcase, I Got A Broken Backpack Chapter 02
In the car, Mia sat in the passenger seat, chattering away
with Simon at the wheel, dreaming about what kind of hot
guys they’d meet in college. Mom and Dad smiled along from the back.
I was squished into the far left corner of the back seat,
watching the streets blur past outside the window.
“Tessa.”
At a red light, Mom suddenly turned to look at me. “Your
school is only a few subway stops from Mia’s. When you don’t
have class, make the trip over to check on her. She’s frail-
orientation will be way too much for her. Make sure you
bring her soup every day and do her laundry while you’re at it.”
*Did you hear your mother?” Dad glared at me. “Don’t just
bury your nose in books. Taking care of Mia is your real job.”
I watched a family outside the window–parents handing two
identical ice cream cones to their twins–and nodded calmly.
Understood.”
At the mall, the four of them beelined for the luxury
boutiques on the first floor. Mom waved her hand and bought
Mia a brand–new trench coat costing over twenty thousand
dollars. Dad and Simon stood by smiling, holding bags and paying.
Mia twirled in front of the mirror in her new clothes like a noble princess.
I watched for a moment, then turned and walked to the
discount store on the second floor. With the money I’d saved
from my summer job, I picked out the cheapest basic black
backpack they had.
By the time I came back downstairs, they were already
gathered around Mia, taking photos of her in her new shoes.
Nobody had noticed I’d been gone. Simon had long since
forgotten his offer from just a few dozen minutes ago to buy me a backpack.
That evening, the whole family headed straight to an upscale restaurant downtown.
pushed open the door to the private room. A bright red
banner hung dead center on the wall, stabbing into my eyes
Heartfelt Congratulations to Mia Brooks on Her Academic Success!”
I stared at those words for a moment, then quietly pulled out
the chair closest to the door and sat down.
Every dish on the table was seafood and desserts–all Mia’s favorites.
There was a sudden knock. A few classmates from high school
had spotted us through the window while eating at the same
restaurant and stopped by to say hello.
Mom’s eyes lit up. She immediately pulled them in,
practically bursting to show off. “Oh my, what a coincidence!
We’re hosting Mia’s celebratory dinner right now! Our Mia got into-”
The classmates stood frozen in awkward silence, their eyes
darting toward me in the corner every few seconds. After all,
that enormous banner on the wall did not have my name on it.
To break the suffocating tension, one guy quickly cleared his
throat. “Hey, the class president is throwing a party at the
karaoke place across the street tonight. A ton of people are
going. You guys should come hang out.”
I was about to shake my head and refuse when Mia’s eyes
suddenly lit up. She grabbed Mom’s arm and shook it. “Mom!
I wanna go! I’ve been stuck at home all summer–just let me
b have some fun!”
Mom frowned, but couldn’t resist her youngest daughter’s
coaxing. She sighed, then turned her head. Her gaze stabbed
into me like a blade, her tone pure command.
“Tessa, you’re going with her. Mia cannot drink, and she
cannot stay out late. If you don’t watch her properly–if she
so much as suffers a single bit–you’ll see what happens when
you get home.”
“Did you hear that?” Dad added his warning. “Take good care of Mia!”
I lifted my eyes and met Mia’s gaze, full of smug excitement.
“Let’s go.”