“What on earth do you think you’re doing, Brooklyn?” Sophia lashed out in annoyance the minute they set foot in her room. “Why are you ruining your life with your own hands?!”

Brooklyn shut her eyes for a moment, allowing her mother’s voice to seep through the space while she silently searched for the right words to respond with.

She didn’t want to sound rude, but her mother was making her lose it with all the yelling and embarrassing behavior.

“I’m not ruining my life. ...