1. Aria

1

ARIA

AGED 10

T oday is the day I'm meeting my new stepbrother. Mom told me his name is Jared, and he's eleven years old. I'm only ten, so he's a year older than me. I wonder if he'll want to play with my dolls or if he thinks he's too grown up for that.

Mom's been married to my stepdad for a year, but Jared has lived with his mom until now. Apparently, his mom died, which is sad.

I fidget with the hem of my dress while we wait in the living room. Mom walks back and forth, looking at her watch every few seconds. She looks pretty in her red dress, but I can tell she's nervous.

Finally, the doorbell rings. Mom opens the door, and I peer out from behind her skirt. A tall, slim boy stands there with my stepdad—he must be Jared. He has dark hair and piercing blue eyes that look right through me.

"Aria, this is Jared," Mom introduces us while nudging me forward. "Jared, meet your new sister, Aria."

I stick out my hand, and Jared stares at it for a while before taking it. His grip is firm, but his hand feels rough against mine.

"Hi," I say, smiling.

"Hey," he replies, looking away.

The silence stretches between us while my mom and stepdad talk. I shuffle my feet, unsure of what to say or do next. Jared's gaze is back on me, making my cheeks warm.

"Why don't you two kids play in the backyard and get to know each other while we get lunch ready?" Mom suggests, smiling at me.

I nod and lead the way to the back door, feeling nervous. Once outside, I turn to him, thinking of something to say.

"So, um, do you like dolls?" I gesture toward the playhouse in the corner of the yard.

Jared scoffs and rolls his eyes. "Dolls are for babies. I'm not a baby."

I look down at the ground. "Oh, okay. What do you like then?"

He shrugs. "I don't know. Sports, I guess. But I doubt you'd be any good at those."

I bite my lip to keep it from trembling. Why is he being so mean? I didn't do anything wrong. I blink away, the tears starting to gather in my eyes. I won't let him see me cry because he really will think I'm a baby.

"What sports do you like?" I ask, hoping he might warm up if I show some interest.

Jared kicks at a rock, scuffing his shoe. "Baseball, I guess. Kickball, too."

"Oh, I like kickball!" I say. "We play it at school during recess."

He snorts. "Yeah, but you're probably no good at it. Girls are terrible at sports."

I can feel my eyes stinging. "That's not true! I'm really good at kickball. I can kick it super far!"

"Whatever," Jared mutters, looking away. "You just wait, I'll show you how it's played."

I'm about to reply, but Mom's voice calls out from the back door. "Kids! Lunch is ready. Come inside and wash up!"

Jared walks toward the house without another word, and I follow, swiping at my eyes with the back of my hand. This isn't how I imagined meeting my stepbrother would go.

At the table, I take the seat furthest from Jared. He slumps down, arms crossed, looking sad. I wonder if he's upset about his mom. Mom wouldn't tell me much, but I overheard my stepdad saying that his mom was a junky and overdosed while he was at school, ahead of came home and found her body.

"So," Mom asks in a cheerful voice that feels forced, "did you two have fun getting to know each other?"

Just as I'm about to reply, Jared snorts. "Yeah, if you call talking about playing with dolls fun. I'm not a baby, and she clearly is."

My face burns, and I stare at my plate. I want to defend myself but feel too upset. My stepbrother doesn't have to be this mean, even if he's sad about his mom.

"Now, Jared," Mom says gently, "those are normal things for a girl Aria's age. I'm sure you'll both find something you enjoy together."

Jared shrugs and ignores her. The rest of the meal is awkward and quiet.

That night, as I get into bed, I think having a stepbrother might not be as fun as I'd hoped. Jared already hates me. A single tear rolls down my cheek as I huddle under the covers.

How am I ever going to get him to like me?