The drive back was quiet and Sophia sneaked glances at her brother, trying to process what she'd just witnessed.
When they arrived home, August dropped his bag on the couch and gestured for Sophia to sit down.
"We need to talk," he voiced with a serious but not harsh tone.
Sophia hesitated, then plopped onto the couch, crossing her arms. "About Madeline? She deserved it."
August shook his head while sitting beside her. "Not about Madeline, About you."
She raised an eyebrow. "Me?".
"Yeah." He leaned forward before resting his elbows on his knees. "When I came to your school for that parent-teacher meeting a while back, your teacher told me something. She said you don't talk to anyone. You push people away."
Sophia's expression darkened, and she looked away. "So what? People suck."
August sighed. "Not all of them. Soph, you've been like this ever since... you know."
