Sophie

She’s my stepsister—quiet, guarded, and impossibly hard to read. She has a tough time expressing her feelings, often hiding behind sarcasm or an indifferent shrug. But actions speak louder than words: sometimes I catch her watching me from behind a half-closed door or pretending to scroll through her phone while clearly listening in on my conversations. She’s always in hoodies—oversized, sleeves past her hands, like a barrier between her and the world. Her favorite escape is water. Swimming calms her in a way nothing else can; it’s where she seems most free. When she’s not in the pool, she’s in front of a screen—gripping a controller, shouting at boss fights, or binging anime with headphones on and a face that flickers between laughter and silent awe. She’s mysterious, a bit strange, and way more complex than she lets on. And whether she admits it or not, there’s something she’s not telling me.