Stanford Girl

Chapter 1

My folks tried to talk me out of taking the SATs, then decided to whisk me off to Europe for a vacation the day of the big test.

Except, I woke up, and they were gone. Poof.

Stumbling around, butchering the local language, I finally saw an update on my little sister’s social media.

A picture of my parents, one holding a bottle of rubbing alcohol, the other a cotton swab, carefully tending to her ankle.

The caption read: “A sprained ankle, and they’re halfway across the world to help me.”

Normally, I’d be all, eyeroll, “She’s totally faking it!”

But this time, I just gave it a like and commented: “From here on out, you can have them.”

What they didn’t know was, I had a full-ride scholarship to Stanford. That’s why I could skip the SATs with a smile.

I stood outside the hotel, staring at the translation app’s reply: “Your parents said you were both gone, so I could head back. What, are you still at the hotel or something?”

My eyes stung.

I didn’t expect my parents to ditch me in Berlin on day one.

Or to leave me without a translator.

If they’d just told her someone was still here, I wouldn’t have been running around, mumbling bad German, getting the stink eye from everyone, just trying to figure things out.

They didn’t even bother to extend my reservation. Now I’m out on the street with two suitcases, no place to crash.

The translator took pity on me and sent me some cash to buy a plane ticket home.

My phone buzzed. It was my parents.

I practically leaped to answer: “Mom! I…”

“What did you mean by that comment on your sister’s post? She’s been crying for hours!”

The cold question stopped me cold.

Here I was, stranded in Berlin, and Mom was worried about social media drama.

I started to say something, but she cut me off: “Her college applications are due soon. Do you have any idea how important this is? Get a grip! You’re supposed to be the responsible one!”

“But Mom… I’m alone in Berlin. You guys left me behind…”

“So what? You’re not applying to schools, stop being so dramatic! This is way more important than some silly vacation!

“I’m telling you, don’t show your face until she submits those applications. We finally got her calmed down. If you come back and stress her out, and it affects her chances of getting into UCLA, I’m disowning you!”

And then she hung up.

Looking at “Mom” in my contacts, I just started to laugh, but there wasn’t any humor.

Didn’t she know why I wasn’t taking the SATs?

A week before, my parents had pulled me aside.

“This is so important for your sister. She doesn’t want you stealing her thunder.”

“Let her have this year. You can apply next year, okay? Then it’ll be all about you. Promise.

“If you agree, we’ll take you to Europe. Just you, no sister.”

My parents rarely talked to me like that.

Ever since I took my sister to the park, she took a fall, and broke her leg, my parents always reminded me: “If not for you, maybe she would be a great athlete.”

“You should be considerate of your sister.”

I tried to make them happy, tutoring her, helping her with homework, everything they asked.

But to them, I was always second best. They were always watching over my sister, like she was made of glass.

Even though it seemed ridiculous, their attention gave me hope.

I thought, maybe if I made this sacrifice, they’d love me like they used to?

“Just me?” I asked cautiously.

“Of course.”

“Okay, I’m in.”

My parents’ faces lit up, then went off to tell my sister the good news.

That night, Mom made all my sister’s favorite foods and threw a little celebration.

Right before college application deadlines, they hauled me off to Berlin.

I figured, at least my sacrifice would buy me a few days of parental warmth on the trip.

Nope. One sprained ankle, and I was on my own.

I took a deep breath and wiped my eyes.

It’s okay, I told myself. You’re a grown-up.

I dumped my stuff on a blanket in the park and set up a makeshift stall.

Stuff from home turned out to be popular. I haggled with people in broken German, and made enough to pay back the translator.

When she found out where the money came from, she sent it back and wired me even more.

Her message read: “Enjoy your freedom, sweetie.”

One tear dripped on the screen.

Someone I’d known for a week cared more than my parents.

I wiped my eyes, rolled up my stall, grabbed my passport, and hit the road.

No one to show me around? Fine. I’d blaze my own trail.

I traveled through Germany, carefully budgeting and learning German as I went.

Except for the time a pickpocket stole my wallet and a homeless guy snatched my sandwich… and I ended up in a fistfight with the homeless dude. Other than that, it went pretty well.

When my folks got the notification that I was headed back, they texted: “Coming home? Her applications are in, we can pick you up.”

That’s how we worked.

They’d break my heart, then reach out after a while. If I took the bait, everything would go back to normal.

I would rush to tell them when I was coming in.

But this time, I just replied: “No need. Take care of Sis.”

“Nonsense! You’re our daughter too! We’ll be at the airport ~”

Looks like my sister did well, their mood had changed.

I got a phone call after I got off the plane:

“Don’t bother coming home. Sis doesn’t want to see you right now. Stay where you are.”

I paused and told the taxi driver, “Take me to the nearest hotel.”

Right after that, money landed in my account.

Mom sent me eight hundred bucks.

“Probably ran out of money, right? Use it to see the sights. We aren’t in the mood right now.”

I laughed.

What? They left me in Berlin with nothing and assumed I was rolling in it?

Sometimes I wondered if I was adopted.

She never seemed to think before speaking to me.

I sent the money back.

If I could survive Berlin, I could survive here.

I don’t need them.

My phone started ringing:

“What do you mean by sending the money back? Hasn’t being selfish enough, huh, “Sally”! No wonder your sister doesn’t like you, You should not be her sister at all.”

She hung up, blocked me.

But a little while later, my dad sent money to my bank.

His comment read: “You really need to understand your sister and mom. Take some time to think things over, and come back later.”

I didn’t reply, and I didn’t touch the money.

They have no idea the things I had to do to get by in Berlin.

I was ready for anything.

Half a month later, I was sitting on the beach in San Diego, eating seafood when my phone buzzed.

Mom had unblocked me: “Your sister wants you to come back.”

I munched on a taco, “Sorry, I don’t want to damage your sister’s fragile heart.”

“Mom, is she avoiding me? Did she not want me to go to school or anything?”

I didn’t like her crying, so I said, “Are you wanting me to take the SAT? You guys are the ones who told me not to.”

“Not at all! I don’t know why you didn’t want to go! You are a wonderful girl!”

“She thinks you can’t do as well, you have not been getting good grades!”

Her face was contorted in anger when she replied, “You can’t do good! It’s your fault she can’t dance as much!”

I paused.

They’re always thinking of my sister.

I got my bank frozen.

My dad was furious:

“What did you say to your mother!? You should take some time to think!”

I smiled.

If they gave me even a shred of consideration, they would have noticed that the money they gave me I haven’t touched.

I shook my head.

Everything would be okay.

After seeing the country, I went home.

I was worried.

I hadn’t told them I was coming.

I didn’t know how they would react.

It was really late when I got home.

The house was empty.

I was about to call when I saw on their social media that they had updated their page.

They had got my sister a really big cake.

She looked like a princess:

“I can never forget my eighteenth birthday, and everyone that came with it.”

“The biggest love to my baby girl.”

“She is their princess.”

My birthday had slipped their mind.

I ordered my own cake.

After it was delivered, I put a candle in it, put on clean clothes, turned the lights off, clasped my hands, and said:

“Happy Birthday, Sally.”

I blew out the candle and ate the cake.

I heard the door open.

My parents and sister, talking about how great the night was, stopped what they were doing as soon as they saw me.

My parents stared, surprised, when they saw me eating cake.

They must have forgotten.

“That cake… you bought it yourself?”

“Yeah.”

“You are working now?”

Mom saw something: “You have gotten so skinny.”

I finished my cake.

“Yeah, not a lot of food.”

They realized what I was saying.

“Why didn’t you tell me!?”

“We can’t take back anything…”

They were a little nervous.

“I want to get rid of some things that happened yesterday! You are my sister! Let’s get along!”

But I just put the cake in the fridge and walked up the stairs.

I heard the door open.

I turned around and saw my mother threw the cake away, and pulled some snacks out for my sister.

They were mad.

They wanted to give me a chance to fix my relationship with them.

Unfortunately, this was how it had to be.

I went to bed, exhausted.

Something jabbed into my back.

I lifted up the sheets.

I noticed that all the achievements I had gotten over the past three years had been ripped apart.

The corners were all over the bed.

I didn’t have to guess who did it.

Only my sister had a key to my room.

She likes to steal the spotlight.

The only reason that she wasn’t dancing was because she was too reckless!

“Isn’t it a waste to just give up?”

The door opened, and my parents were talking in the living room.

They got defensive when they noticed me.

I walked over, holding all the shreds.

“There are some things that are left over here, just a couple pages!”

I had put them in my sister’s hand.

“She is upset, but they still matter!”

As soon as my sister realized I had been hiding the trophies, she went pale.

She didn’t do as good.

“I’m grateful, but I don’t want to be the reason you throw those things away!”

My mom shoved me:

“Stop trying to get her into trouble! She had hurt her leg, so just leave her alone!”

“What do you want us to do?!”

I fell, but didn’t respond.

I could feel my leg swelling up.

“Get up, don’t just stand there!”

My mom grabbed me and tried to pick me up, but I shouted:

“Don’t touch me!”

My mom was dumbfounded when I shouted at her.

“What is wrong with you!”

I was hurt as well as angry.

Everyone had told me she couldn’t do it, but here she was, standing in front of me.

“What happened, baby!”

My sister started shouting:

“Mom! Dad! It hurts so much!”

“We are going to the hospital right now!”

My sister had been plotting all along.

I could see her smirking as they carried her away.

I knew what she was happy about.

The secret that she took so long to steal.

I hobbled back to my room.

I found some medicine in my drawer.

My parents had been distracted by my sister.

Someone had recommended it to me.

Every time I was injured, she would be mad, and that stopped me from telling anyone.

I stayed in my room all night, and my leg was better in the morning.

I packed my bag and went downstairs.

My parents both looked at me with their brows furrowed.

My sister greeted me with a smile:

“Sis! I forgave you! You don’t have to be that way!

I ignored her: “Move it.”

“It’s okay, Mom made ribs today!”

I paused.

I loved mom’s ribs more than anything.

It had been so long since I last had them.

The house was always accommodating my sister.

I didn’t know what to do, and Mom said:

“Don’t get angry. It has been a long journey.”

“We have not eaten a single meal together!”

“Family is so hard to keep together.”

“You are my flesh and blood!”

“Don’t ruin it, eat with us, and just listen!”

I heard my mother shouting in the kitchen as I looked for a can of soda.

“She is so defiant, what do we do?!”

“Just try and appease her, the most important thing is your sister’s success and happiness! Don’t tell her she can’t do something!”

“She better not plan on going!”

“If she doesn’t listen, she won’t be able to get good grades!”

“She is just a waste.”

I quietly went back to my room and shut the door.

That was what my parents thought of me.

I had been so dumb.

I didn’t touch anything.

“Why aren’t you eating?”

“I’m just full.”

Mom put ribs on my plate:

“If you don’t touch anything, you are going to anger me!”

I smiled, “No thanks, I’m on a diet.”

Sis was mad.

I glanced at my parents.

They used to dote on my sister, making sure she was comfortable.

I would get ignored.

“Don’t put food on my plate.”

I asked my mom:

“Do you remember how I always wanted things to be done?”

“You never told me!”

“Ribs…”

Mom looked at me.

“Ever since I was ten years old, I was made to only remember what she wanted.

“That’s what your sister wanted!”

“Sorry! It’s my fault!”

“What’s wrong!?”

“I don’t understand, you said you would eat it!”

Everyone was mad.

There was not a single dish I would want to eat.

I should have known from the beginning that they would never be proud.

I got up and left.

I went to my room.

Everyone in the room started talking again.

It was like I hadn’t been there at all.

I was not like them.

I snuck out of the house.

My parents had already fallen asleep.

I went outside, but turned around for a final look.

I closed the door, locking all the feelings inside.

Nobody called me for two weeks.

I didn’t know what they thought.

It didn’t matter.

I had plenty of opportunities.

I got a call from my sister.

“It has been long enough, can you come home and help your sister?”

“I will be moving her stuff by myself.”

“Did you hear about how much your sister went through? You are going to regret what you have done.”

“I hope your sister won’t do anything.”

“Don’t talk to her like that! I’m never forgiving you!”

I was smiling.

“The big day is coming up, and your sister has been doing great!”

“She just wants to know you are proud!”

Everyone hung up and blocked me.

It did not affect me.

Shortly after, they called me:

“You are going to speak at the ceremony?!”