Stuck In The Middle

The Middle Ground

I trudged through the front door, my backpack sagging with the weight of textbooks and forgotten dreams. I was greeted by the familiar chaos of my family's household, where the sound of my sister's intense piano practice completed with my brother's ear-piercing shrieks of excitement.

"Nick, how was your day?" my mom called out from the kitchen.
"It was fine," I replied, dropping my backpack on the floor and making a beeline for the fridge. I grabbed an apple and leaned against the counter, surveying the landscape of my family's dynamics.

My older sister, Janus, she was the golden child—always had straight A's, captain of her cheerleading team, and debate team champion. Our mom adored her and reminded everyone of her talents and skills all the time.

My younger brother, Aiden, was the wild card— a whirlwind of energy and mischief, always getting into trouble and charming his way out of it. I could hear his bundles of lies come out of his mouth before he even spoke. Everyone else of course saw past that and thought he was an angel. He was the angel of hell...

Me on the other hand, was stuck in the middle—in a never-ending game of sibling rivalry. I was apparently too old to join in on Aiden's antics yet too young to share Janus's intellectual pursuits. My own interests — playing guitar and writing music — were lost in the shuffle, dismissed as mere hobbies by my parents and siblings.

As I bit into my apple, I wondered if anyone would notice if I just disappeared into my room and stayed there forever.

"Nick, can you help Aiden with his math homework?" my mom asked, interrupting my daydream.
I sighed, knowing I was about to be pulled into the frying pan again.

"Sure, mom."

I really, really hated my life...