The Month Before SATs, I Snapped

The Month Before SATs, I Snapped

The day my practice test scores came out, my mom went ballistic. “What are you trying to prove?!” she shrieked. “You know your sister didn’t do well, can’t you just, like, back off a little?!”

I just laughed, and then I totally lost it.

“Back off? I’ll back her right into the freaking stratosphere! Aaaaaah! I'm going to kill them all, kill, kill, kill!” I dropped to the floor, crawling around, screaming, pulling at my hair like a lunatic.

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The results from my junior year practice SATs dropped, and that's when I woke up. That's also when I found out my world was a freaking novel.

But, wouldn’t you know, I wasn’t the main character.

Nope, that honor went to my sweet-as-pie, damsel-in-distress stepsister, Sarah Jenkins.

See, years ago, my folks got caught in some kinda fire when their building went up in flames – some business deal gone wrong. Sarah's parents, bless their souls, rushed in to try and save them, but got crushed when the ceiling caved. Sarah's mom packed up her bags and booked it right after she heard.

My parents, overcome by guilt, took Sarah in. They practically worshipped her. And, get this, they turned my whole future into a stepping stone for her!

I saw it all: after graduation, I ace the SATs and get into MIT, but my parents want me to give my spot to Sarah. I refuse, they lock me in my room. So, naturally, I climb out the window and get hit by a car.

Then, get this! My own parents, after barely grieving, they change Sarah’s identity to mine and she goes to MIT on my dime!

Like, what the actual hell? They owe, and they’re paying with my freaking life! And then, after getting her MIT degree, she comes back and marries my bonehead brother, becoming the family’s golden child!

And then, to rub salt in the wound, my idiot brother brings her to my grave! The green-eyed monster says, “Oh, sis, we're so happy now. I hope you're finally at peace.”

“I’ll totally take care of Mom and Dad, and me and your brother, we're going to be so amazing together..."

Oh, it was on.

Thinking about how I was just a doormat for Sarah, my parents and my brother were accomplices, I was gonna lose my dang mind!

By the time I’d processed everything, I was standing at the front door, holding my score sheet, and plastered a smile onto my face.

People always say you’ve gotta go a little crazy.

The door flew open, and my mom was instantly in my face, “Where the heck have you been? Your sister's a mess, and you’re out joyriding around town?”

Just as I saw it. My whole future was just going to be a footstool for Sarah. So, I yanked at my hair like I'd been electrocuted and just started wailing, “Are you even my mom?! You’re NOT my mom! My mom would never treat me this way! She cares about me!”

“Is she gonna die?! Why should I care about her? Why don’t YOU care about me? I’m your own flesh and blood!”

My mom stood there slack-jawed, like she’d just seen a ghost. Before she could say anything, Sarah cut in, “Sis,...