I reluctantly made my way to the kitchen table, where Aiden was struggling to make sense of his math homework. Janus, still practicing piano in the living room, shot me a sympathetic glance, but didn't pause in her playing.
"Okay, Aiden, let's take a look." I said, trying to sound patient.
Aiden grinned, his messy blonde hair sticking up in every direction. "Thanks, Nick! I don't get this stuff at all!"
I began to explain the concept of fractions, but Aiden's attention span quickly waned. He started fidgeting, his eyes darting around the room in search of something more interesting.
"Aiden, focus!" I said, trying to keep my frustration in check.
Just then, Janus stopped playing the piano and strode into the kitchen. "What's going on? Why are you two so loud?" she asked, her eyes narrowing at the sight of Aiden's scattered homework.
"Nick is helping me with math," Aiden's voice dripped with innocence.
Janus raised an eyebrow. "I see. Well, Nicolas, make sure he understands it this time. We can't have him falling behind in his class."
I felt a surge of resentment. Why did Janus always have to interfere? And why was I always expected to babysit Aiden and help him with his homework?
"I've got it, Jan," I said. "I don't need your help."
Her expression turned condescending.
"Oh, I'm sure you do. You're not exactly a math whiz yourself, Nick."
I felt my face heat up. That was it — I'd had enough.
"Hey, at least I'm not a robot like you!" I snapped, my voice echoing through the kitchen.
The room fell silent, with Aiden looking on in confusion and Janus's eyes flashing with anger.
"Nicolas Elijah Evans! Apologize to your sister!" my mom raised her voice, her tone firm but weary.
I stood from the table and looked at Janus with no regret. "I'm sorry, Jan. For saying the truth."
And with that, I walked off down the hallway into my room.
Deep down inside me, I do wish I could have took back the words I said to my sister, but it was the truth. And the truth eventually comes out, right?
YOU ARE READING
Stuck In The Middle
Teen FictionAs the middle child, 15 year old Nicolas often feels like he's stuck in a never-ending tug-of-war between his older sister, Janus, and his younger brother, Aiden. Janus, a high- achieving senior in high school constantly pressures Nicolas to follow...
