My little brother, Leo, had a thing for secrets. In ninth grade, he found out our cousin Brandon was gay. He was about to blast it in the family group chat. I stopped him. A year later, he found out our Aunt Jenna was cheating. He was about to tell her husband. I snatched his phone. Then, he live-streamed our parents having sex. I called the cops. I told them he was a minor being coerced. I thought I was saving him. Five years later, he got out of juvie. I got him a good, high-paying job. At his welcome-home dinner, he stabbed me. “You stupid bitch,” he hissed, twisting the knife. “You just had to interfere. You cost me five years.” I was dying. I begged my cousin, my aunt, my parents to help me. They just backed away, hands up. “Leo, please,” my aunt whimpered. “If you kill her, you don't have to kill us, right?” I blacked out. And woke up, back in the private room of a noisy restaurant. In ninth grade. Leo was jiggling his leg, his eyes wide and manic. He held up his phone. “Nora! You are not gonna believe this! Brandon is gay!” … The AC was blasting, but I was sweating. When I didn't respond, Leo pinched me, hard. “Did you hear me?” The sharp pain on my arm was real. I wasn’t dead. I was back. I forced down the lump in my throat. “Yeah, Leo. I heard you.” He let go, a nasty smirk on his face as he looked across the table. “Just one spot in the magnet school. That’s all we’re asking. And they’re acting like this. Fucking assholes. Serves them right their son’s a…” I looked up. My Uncle Rob was red-faced, jabbing a finger at my dad. “I’m not saying you’re a bad guy, but look at your family. My sister married you, and what’s she got to show for it? You’re all wearing clothes from Walmart. Is that whole outfit even fifty bucks?” Aunt Cindy, his wife, giggled. “And Leo’s grades... two hundred on his pre-SATs? You seriously think you can buy your way into prep school with that?” My parents just sat there, smiling, their backs bent. “We just really appreciate you looking into it, Rob.” Leo seethed. “He thinks he’s so high and mighty. Well, his precious family line is about to end.” His thumb was moving, fast. Tap. Tap. Snap. Last time, I stopped him. I begged him. “We need them right now. Just let it go. Do you want to end up flipping burgers for the rest of your life?” I’d argued until my throat was raw. He finally agreed. He got into the school, hated it, flunked, and blamed me for "forcing" him to be a failure. When he stabbed me, his first words were, “If you’d just let me be, I’d be famous on TikTok by now, driving a Lambo.” So this time, I didn't say a word. I just quietly ate my stale bread roll. Then came the shouting. “What the hell?” Brandon, my cousin, had thrown his napkin on the floor. “Are you blind? You got sauce on me!” The young waitress was terrified. “I’m so sorry, sir, I’ll get a cloth—” “A cloth? This is a three-thousand-dollar shirt! You’ll pay for it! You know what? You couldn't even make three grand if you sold yourself on the street.” No one said a word. Aunt Cindy was taking photos of her new nails. I couldn't help it. “Brandon, chill. It’s a drop of soy sauce.” He sneered at me. “Who are you? You’re just the down payment for your brother’s college tuition. A breeding machine.” He shoved the waitress away. “Don't touch me! You’re filthy!” The table was silent. Then, suddenly, a cascade of dings. Ping. Ping. Pingpingping. The family group chat. I looked at Leo. His eyes were bright red, a sick, happy red. “Jesus,” Uncle Rob said, pulling out his phone. “The family chat’s been dead for months. What is this?” My parents, always following, pulled out their phones, too. Brandon, looking bored, took out his. The smile melted off his face. The photos were… graphic. Brandon and his boyfriend. The angles were... creative. CRASH. The whole table flipped. Hot soup and glass showered down, covering the stain on Brandon’s shirt. He screamed, “Dad! Are you crazy?” Uncle Rob was hyperventilating, his finger shaking at the phone. “You… you abomination! What is this?!” I just smiled. Leo couldn't hold it in. “Wow, Uncle Rob. Guess I finally know why Brandon never brings a girlfriend home.” Aunt Cindy spun around and slapped Leo, hard. “You little bastard! You posted that?” “Cindy!” My dad shot up. “We’re family, don’t hit my kid!” She slapped my dad, too. “Family? After this? You’ll be lucky if you ever work in this city again!” Leo jumped up and kicked Aunt Cindy in the shins. “You don't get to hit my dad!” He was high on the chaos. “You think that’s bad? I’ve got his other account. The stuff on there… you wanna see?” The blood drained from Aunt Cindy's face. Brandon, in a blind rage, grabbed a chair and smashed it over Leo’s leg. “I’LL KILL YOU! YOU LITTLE PEST! YOU THINK YOU’RE PART OF THIS FAMILY?” Leo screamed. My parents tried to grab Brandon, but Uncle Rob and Aunt Cindy held them back. It was chaos. I just stood by a pillar, watching. Leo was on the ground, spitting blood. He saw me. “Nora! Help me! Nora!” Not this time. The restaurant manager finally called the police. It was too late. Leo’s leg was broken. At the hospital, Mom cried. Dad smoked. “If we sue, he’ll never get into that school.” Mom snapped. “He just posted those pictures! You think they’re gonna let him in anyway?” They both turned on me. Smack. Dad’s handprint stung my face. “You’re the older sister! Why didn't you stop him? What good are you?” Mom just said, “Peel him a grape. That’s all you’re useful for.” I just stood there. “Do you want your high school allowance or not?” Dad threatened. I took the grape.
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