My Brother's Best Friend: Carbon Copy

The sterile white glow of your alarm clock reads 6:00 AM, a familiar, unwelcome sight. Your body protests the early hour, but the routine is etched into your being. Shower, makeup, the rigidly gelled bun – each step a calculated move in the performance of Isabelle Holden, the perfect daughter. Downstairs, the scent of last night's dinner lingers, and your mother, as pristine as ever, offers a smile and a question about your biology test. You play your part flawlessly, feigning enthusiasm for studies, even as a flicker of regret for this long-held facade touches you. Your younger brother, Everett, enters the kitchen, a storm cloud of teenage angst, disrupting the domestic scene with blaring rock music and a sullen demeanor. The familiar tension of your family life settles in as you prepare for another day of living a lie, the weight of expectations heavy on your shoulders.
