Sophia adjusted the bag on her shoulder as she stepped out of the house, letting the door shut behind her with a quiet click. The sunlight hit her face immediately, and she squinted toward the sky with an annoyed sigh.
"Why does Mom always wait until the sun's angry before sending someone out?" she grumbled under her breath, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear.
Still, she didn't complain too much. It was just a quick supermarket run—grab some vegetables, a couple of canned goods, snacks, and come back. She'd done this a hundred times.
But this time, her mind wandered.
Ethan's alone with Mira.
She paused mid-step, blinking.
Then a grin slowly curled onto her lips.
"…Nah," she said aloud with a scoff. "No way."
Still, as she kept walking, her thoughts betrayed her. It started with harmless mental images—Ethan and Mira sitting on the couch, maybe playing a game, maybe watching a movie. But then her mind pushed a little further… Mira's soft giggles… Ethan's arm sliding behind her shoulders…
Sophia shook her head fast, laughing to herself.
"Get a grip, girl. This isn't some drama series."
And yet, the longer she walked, the more the images came creeping back in—Ethan leaning a bit too close, Mira turning red and not pulling away. What if Mira tripped? What if she landed right on top of Ethan?
She imagined them flustered, faces inches apart, that awkward silence full of unspoken tension. Mira stammering, Ethan frozen, and then… maybe—maybe—a kiss?
Sophia covered her face with one hand, embarrassed at herself.
"No, no, no. Ethan's a wimp. He probably can't even hold hands without hyperventilating."
Still, the image wouldn't leave.
And then, even more absurd ideas formed. Mira, despite her shyness, boldly leaning in. Ethan, completely unlike himself, confidently taking the lead. Their lips crashing. Clothes flying. Moaning echoing down the hallway.
She burst out laughing in the middle of the sidewalk, causing a passerby to glance at her.
"Sorry," she said quickly, waving it off. "Just... thinking about my stupid brother."
Yeah, that's all it was. Just thoughts. Stupid ones. Ethan was too tame, too reserved, and Mira was the shyest girl she knew. The most they were probably doing was sitting five feet apart like scared middle schoolers.
She smirked, stepping into the supermarket.
Still… maybe I should hurry up, just in case.
Sophia pulled out her phone and squinted at the shopping list she'd typed in her notes app.
"Okay," she mumbled, "First supermarket—milk, cereal, onions, rice. Simple."
She stepped through the automatic doors of the small, local supermarket. The air-conditioning hit her like a blessing, and she took a deep breath as if she'd just stepped into a sacred temple. Compared to the heat outside, this place felt like heaven.
She moved fast, weaving between aisles like it was a speedrun challenge.
Milk? Grabbed it.
Cereal? Easy.
Rice? Found on the bottom shelf.
Onions? Slightly annoying since she had to pick through a few bruised ones, but manageable.
She approached the checkout with the confidence of a woman who knew her way around a grocery list.
"That'll be $24.75," the cashier said.
Sophia paid, thanked him with a nod, and slung the bag over her shoulder. The weight was nothing she couldn't handle.
"Alright, part one—complete," she muttered with a smug smile. "Next stop... second supermarket."
She turned the corner, walking a few blocks down toward the bigger chain store. It always had the best prices for snacks and the weird seasoning her mom liked.
As she neared the building, something felt off.
The lights were off. The parking lot was half-empty. The usual buzz of carts and chatter was missing.
She slowed her pace, eyebrows drawing together. A paper was taped to the sliding doors.
"Closed Early for Maintenance - Sorry for the Inconvenience."
"…Are you kidding me?"
She stared at the sign, then double-checked the time on her phone. 5:42 PM. Still plenty early.
"Maintenance? Since when do big-ass supermarkets close down before dinner rush?" she muttered, placing a hand on her hip.
For a second, she considered checking if there was another branch nearby… but that was at least twenty minutes away and her legs were already starting to feel the burn.
"Ugh, whatever. Not worth the hassle."
She turned on her heel and started walking back home, irritation riding her every step.
"Well, guess I'm heading back earlier than I thought," she grumbled. "Hope Ethan and Mira didn't break the couch waiting for me."
The words came out with a snort. She didn't actually believe anything crazy would've happened.
Still, she picked up her pace a little.
Just in case.
Sophia walked toward the front door, her steps light and almost carefree. The shopping trip had been a bit more chaotic than she expected, but at least she was finally home. The warm familiarity of her house comforted her, and for a brief moment, she even smiled.
"I'm home," she muttered to herself, a soft breath of relief escaping her lips. She reached for the doorknob, preparing to turn it and walk inside like any other normal day.
But then, just as her fingers brushed the cool metal of the doorknob, she froze.
A scream.
It was high-pitched, almost frantic. A woman's voice.
Mira's voice.
Sophia's heart stuttered in her chest. She stood frozen, the doorknob still in her hand, a cold chill creeping up her spine. Her mind raced, her breath catching in her throat. It took a moment for the shock to settle in, her instincts telling her that something was very, very wrong.
What was that? That scream. Was Mira… hurt?
Sophia didn't know what to think, but her feet moved before she could stop them. Her body acted on pure shock, propelled toward the window next to the door. She moved to the side slowly, cautiously, hoping—no, praying—that she had just imagined the scream.
But when she peeked through the blinds, what she saw froze her blood.
There, in the living room, on the couch, were Ethan and Mira.
Mira was laid out on the couch, her clothes disheveled, her hair a mess. Ethan was above her, his body pressed close to hers. They were… they were together, in a way that made every part of Sophia's body turn ice-cold.
The images played out before her, almost too much to process. Ethan's hands were on Mira's body, pulling at her clothes, while Mira's face—her best friend, her shy, innocent friend—was flushed, her lips parted in soft gasps.
Sophia's heart hammered in her chest, her breath caught in her throat as the shockwaves of reality hit her. This… this wasn't just a misunderstanding. This was real.
She didn't know what to do, where to look, or how to breathe. Her fingers trembled on the windowsill, and her cheeks burned with a heat that had nothing to do with the weather.
Her mind spiraled in confusion and disbelief. How long had this been happening? Was this the first time? Had Ethan—her brother—really been with Mira like this? No, no, this couldn't be happening. Not here. Not now.
Her body tensed, her pulse quickening, as her eyes involuntarily followed the scene unfolding before her.
She heard the muffled sound of Mira's voice—soft moans escaping her lips. "E-Ethan… please… don't stop…"
Sophia's eyes widened even more, and she felt her stomach twist uncomfortably. The sight of her brother—her innocent brother—moving against Mira, kissing her so fiercely, his hands working over her body, made Sophia want to turn away, to run. But her body was frozen in place, too shocked to move.
"God… Mira, you feel so good," Ethan's voice was low, heavy with desire, and it made Sophia's heart lurch painfully in her chest.
Sophia could feel her face flushing, but it wasn't from the heat anymore. It was embarrassment, humiliation, and confusion all bundled together. She felt like she was intruding on something so deeply personal, and yet, she couldn't tear herself away from the window.
Then, as if in slow motion, Ethan leaned back, pulling away just slightly. His voice, more playful now, echoed across the living room.
"What's keeping Sophia so long?"
The words hit her like a slap in the face. They pierced through the confusion and hit her square in the chest, making her feel like the world had just turned upside down.
For a moment, Sophia stood there in total silence, her heart racing, her thoughts a blur. Did he just say that? Did he just say that?
Her head spun. Everything she had imagined, all the little jokes, the teasing thoughts—they were real. She couldn't deny it anymore. The scene she had envisioned wasn't just some fantasy. It was unfolding right before her eyes.
Sophia took a deep breath, her chest rising and falling rapidly. She had to compose herself. She couldn't just stand here like a deer caught in headlights. Her thoughts were all over the place, but she couldn't let Ethan and Mira see her like this.
She straightened up, wiping the disbelief off her face, trying to clear her mind. She was going to act normal. She had to.
With one last glance at the scene through the window—her brother and her friend entwined in ways she never could've imagined—Sophia took a deep breath, straightened her posture, and walked towards the front door.
She turned the doorknob, opened it wide, and stepped inside with a loud, forced cheerfulness.
"Hello!" she called out, her voice louder than usual, trying to mask the chaos swirling inside her.