My brother and the Jock

One day, that's all it takes to ruin a life. This isn't my story, but I made it happen. My name is Rose. I'm 16, and so is my twin brother, Ben. We couldn't be more different if we tried. For starters, we both have a crush on the same guy Ethan, the school's golden boy. Ben came out as bi. a few months ago, and while I want to be supportive, I'd be lying if I said it didn't throw me for a loop. You'd think being twins would make us inseparable, but that couldn't be further from the truth. Ben was my built-in best friend, the person who knew me better than anyone. We shared everything-jokes, secrets, even frustrations with Mom and Dad. But somewhere along the way, we drifted apart. Everything changed last year when Carter, Ben's best friend, died. They'd been inseparable since elementary school, always laughing and planning adventures. Then, out of nowhere, Carter was gone. Carter's death hit Ben like a train, and the brother I knew disappeared overnight. He shut everyone out, our parents, his friends, and even me. He stopped talking about the things he loved and buried himself in grief. I tried to reach out, but every attempt felt like hitting a brick wall. Eventually, I stopped trying as hard. While Ben's been lost in his pain, I've been busy keeping up appearances. High school is its battlefield, and being part of the popular crowd isn't as easy as it looks. My days are filled with parties, popularity contests, and carefully curated smiles. Meanwhile, Ben became the quiet, bookish type, holed up in his room, lost in fantasy novels. We've grown into completely different people. I want to fix things, but how do you repair something so broken? Then there's Ethan, his easy grin, it's hard not to fall for him. I see the way Ben looks at him, and it breaks my heart. The truth is, I'm tired of pretending. I miss my brother. But secrets, heartbreak, and guilt have a way of creeping back up, and sooner or later, the choices he's made will come crashing down
Start:12/1/24