At first, there were small noises: footsteps, the creak of the bed, the soft click of a drawer.
Then Ava’s voice burst through the speaker, sharp and commanding: “You’re going to clean my room!”
“And don’t forget you’re washing my dishes,” Sophie chimed in, and I heard a laugh.
Lily tried to protest. “But, those are your chores…”
Sophie sounded annoyed by the question. “Just do it. It’s easier if you stop asking questions, Lily.”
Then Ava spoke again, sounding so much more intimidating than a 14-year-old should. “And if you say anything to our parents, I’ll rip up all your toys and tell them you were mean to me!”
Lily started crying then, but that didn’t stop the older girls.
Sophie snapped. “Oh, stop whining! You’re such a baby!”
My breath hitched in my throat.
Ava spoke again, a little too proud of herself. “And hurry, please. We want our chores done before Dad gets home.”
