When our parents died in a car accident, I was only 19, and suddenly, I found myself responsible for my 12-year-old sister, Maya. It was like being thrown into the deep end without knowing how to swim.

At first, everything was a struggle—managing school, work, and taking care of Maya all at once. I often felt overwhelmed, but we slowly found a rhythm.

We learned to live with our loss, and over time, things got a bit easier, or at least more familiar.

But a few days ago, something changed. Maya started coming home with tears in her eyes, her face flushed with sadness. Each time, I asked what was wrong, but she brushed me off with a quiet, “I’m fine.”

That day, when she came home crying again, I knew I could not ignore it anymore. I walked to her room, feeling the weight of the responsibility I had taken on two years ago.

I knocked softly before entering. Maya was sitting on her bed, her head bowed over a notebook, her pencil moving slowly as she drew.

I sat down on the edge of Maya’s bed, trying to keep my voice calm. “Maya, what happened?”

She kept her eyes on the notebook, her voice flat. “Nothing happened.”

I could feel the distance between us growing, and it hurt. “I can tell something’s wrong. You’ve been crying every day. Please, just talk to me.”

Maya finally looked up at me, her eyes hard. “Why do you even care?”

Her words stung, but I tried not to let it show. “I care because I love you. I’m worried, and I want to help.”

She shook her head, frustration rising in her voice. “Just stop it, Claire.”

“Stop what?” I asked, confused.

“Stop acting like you’re my mom!” Maya snapped. “You’re not her. You’ll never be her.”

I felt my chest tighten, but I stayed calm. “I know I’m not Mom. I’m not trying to be. I just want to be here for you.”

She turned away, her shoulders tense. “I don’t need your help. I don’t want it.”

“Maya, please—”

She cut me off sharply. “I said I don’t need your help. Just leave me alone.”

I sighed heavily as I left her room, the weight of our conversation pressing down on me. I paused in the hallway, my hand still on the doorknob, feeling the familiar sting of helplessness.

I cared about Maya more than anything in the world, but no matter how hard I tried, I could not fill the void our parents left behind. I knew that. She knew that.

Mom and Dad would have known what to do. They always seemed to have the right words, the perfect advice. But I wasn’t them.

At 19, I was thrust into a role I wasn’t prepared for. Being a parent to a teenager wasn’t something I had ever imagined, and Maya’s behavior only made things harder.

She was angry, and hurting, and I didn’t blame her. And the worst part was, I had no one to turn to for guidance. It was just me and Maya, struggling to make sense of a life that had been turned upside down.

The next day, I woke up with a heavy feeling in my chest. I couldn’t shake the thought of Maya crying every day, and I knew I had to do something. I decided to go to her school. It was the only idea that made sense, even if it felt like I was crossing a line.

I threw on a hoodie, hoping to blend in with the crowd of students. The last thing I wanted was for Maya to see me there; I knew she’d be furious.

Keeping my head down, I made my way through the school grounds, my eyes scanning the crowd for her. Then, I saw her, and my heart dropped. She was pressed against a wall, her face pale with fear.

A boy stood in front of her, blocking her path. It took me a second to realize it was Scott, her old friend. They used to be so close, practically inseparable.

I wanted to rush over and pull him away, but something held me back. Confronting him now could make things worse for Maya, especially if she thought I was spying on her. I forced myself to turn away, my mind racing with what I had just seen.

As soon as I left the school, I pulled out my phone and texted Scott’s mom, Linda. I didn’t know what to expect, but I knew I had to talk to her. Linda responded quickly, asking me to come over.

I walked to their house, feeling anger and dread. When I arrived, Linda greeted me with a concerned look and led me straight to the kitchen. I could tell she knew something was wrong, and I was about to make sure she knew just how serious it was.

“I was so surprised when you texted,” she said, motioning for me to sit down.

I nodded, feeling uneasy. “Yeah, it was unexpected for me too,” I replied, trying to find the right words to explain why I was there.

Linda leaned forward, her expression serious. “So, what happened?”

I hesitated, the words catching in my throat. “I’m not even sure how to say this.”

“Claire,” Linda said sternly, her tone pushing me to continue.

I took a deep breath. “I think—I’m almost sure—that Scott is bullying Maya.”

Linda’s eyes widened in shock. “Oh God.”

I nodded, feeling a lump in my throat. “Yes, she’s been coming home crying for the past few days, and today I decided to see what was going on. I saw Scott pushing her against the wall. Linda, you should have seen how scared she was.”

Linda looked down, her face pale. “I don’t understand what’s going on with him. He’s been getting detention a lot, and the teachers have complained to me more than once. I’ll talk to him, and we’ll figure this out.”

“Thank you,” I said softly, feeling a wave of relief.

Linda shook her head, her voice trembling. “What a nightmare. Poor girl, she’s already been through so much, and instead of helping, he’s making things worse. How did this even happen? They used to be friends.”

I sighed, running a hand through my hair. “I don’t know. Maya barely talks to me anymore, and I’ve stopped understanding her. I’m doing my best, but I just don’t know what’s going on inside her head.”

Linda reached across the table and took my hand. “You’re doing great; not many people could handle the situation like you are.”

“Thank you,” I whispered, tears pricking at the corners of my eyes. “But sometimes I feel like I’m not handling it at all.”

“That’s not true,” Linda insisted, her voice gentle. “You’ve been amazing, and you were just a child yourself when your parents died.”

Her words brought tears to my eyes, and before I knew it, I was wrapped in a comforting hug. The front door creaked open, and we both pulled away quickly, wiping our eyes.

“Scott?!” Linda called out, her voice stern.

“Yeah?” came the response from the hallway.

“Come here! Now!” Linda demanded, her tone leaving no room for argument.

Scott appeared in the doorway, looking confused. “What’s going on?”

“Why are you bullying Maya?” Linda asked directly, not wasting any time.

Scott’s eyes widened in disbelief. “Bullying Maya?!”

I stepped forward, my voice steady. “I saw you two today, Scott.”

Scott crossed his arms, his expression defiant. “Yeah, today was the first time I decided to stand up for myself.”

Linda frowned. “What do you mean?”

“Maya has been bullying ME,” Scott said, his voice filled with frustration. “She sets me up with the teachers, drove away all my friends, told the whole school that I wet the bed when I was 7, and even created a group to mock me.”

Linda’s face softened with concern. “Why didn’t you say anything?”

Scott looked down, his voice barely a whisper. “I was ashamed that a girl was bullying me.”

I felt a knot in my stomach. “Do you have any proof? Because Maya comes home crying every day.”

“It’s definitely not because of me,” Scott said firmly, pulling out his phone. He scrolled through it for a moment before showing us the group chat Maya had created. My heart sank as I saw the cruel messages and mocking images.

“Linda, I’m so sorry,” I said, feeling a deep sense of guilt.

“It’s okay,” Linda replied, though her voice was heavy with sadness. “Maya is going through a tough time.”

“That doesn’t give her the right to bully others,” I said quietly, my mind racing with how to handle the situation at home.

Scott nodded in agreement. “Yeah, right.”

I turned to him, my voice sincere. “I’m sorry, Scott. I’ll talk to her and resolve this situation.”

After saying goodbye to Linda and Scott, I left their house with a heavy heart, my mind filled with thoughts of how to confront Maya about what I had learned.

I walked into the house, my mind racing with everything I needed to say. I headed straight for Maya’s room, my footsteps heavy on the floor. I didn’t bother knocking; I just pushed the door open and walked in.

Maya looked up, her eyes narrowing in anger. “Uh, haven’t you been taught to knock?!” she snapped, her voice full of indignation.

I didn’t let her attitude slide. “And haven’t you been taught not to bully others?!” I shot back, my voice sharp with frustration.

Maya’s face twisted in confusion. “What are you t—”

But I cut her off before she could finish. “Scott told me everything,” I said, my voice firm. “What happened, Maya? You two were such good friends.”

Maya’s face crumpled, and I could see the hurt behind her anger. “He found new friends! And he stopped spending time with me as much!”

I frowned, trying to understand. “So you decided that gave you the right to bully him?!”

Maya’s eyes flashed with defiance. “I told him it was either them or me. And you know what he said?! That a true friend wouldn’t put him in such a position!”

I shook my head, trying to keep my voice calm. “And he’s right, Maya. You’re both growing up, and it’s normal for new people to come into your lives. It doesn’t mean you’re not important to him.”

“But I needed his support!” Maya shouted, her voice breaking. “It’s been two years since our parents died, and you didn’t even remember! And then Scott stopped talking to me!”

Her words hit me like a punch to the gut. My heart seemed to stop as I realized she was right—I had forgotten.

I had been so caught up in work, in worrying about her, that the anniversary of our parents’ death had slipped my mind. I felt a wave of guilt wash over me.

Maya’s anger faded, replaced by a deep sadness as tears welled up in her eyes. She began to cry, her small shoulders shaking with sobs. I couldn’t stand to see her like this. I walked over to the bed and sat down beside her, pulling her into a tight hug.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered, my voice thick with emotion. “I didn’t mean to forget. Is that why you’ve been so sad these past few days?”

Maya nodded, her tears soaking into my shirt.

I held her close, trying to offer some comfort. “Do you want to go to the cemetery together tomorrow and bring them flowers?” I suggested softly.

“Yes,” Maya replied, her voice small and broken.

I took a deep breath, knowing I still had to be firm. “But what you did has no excuse, Maya. You’re grounded for two weeks. You also need to delete that group and apologize to Scott.”

Maya nodded, wiping her eyes. “That’s fair,” she said quietly.

“And you need to tell him how you feel, Maya. Let him know that you need a friend.”

She looked up at me, her eyes filled with doubt. “I don’t know if he’ll forgive me.”

I gave her a reassuring smile. “He will, you’ll see.”

Maya just nodded again and hugged me tighter, her grip strong as if she was afraid to let go. I didn’t know how long we sat like that, but for the first time in a long time, I felt like I had my sister back. The wall between us had finally started to come down, and I wasn’t going to let it build back up again.

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