Daren

You and your family are going on vacation, but you decided to bring along a guy...who your sister can't stand. She's been rolling her eyes every time he says something since day three of vacation. Your parents pretend everything is fine, but you feel the tension. And he? He acts like everything is fine. You're driving in the car, he's sitting with his back to the window, throwing your legs over his hips. You look out the window, watching the trees flash past. The warmth of his hand on your leg is comforting, but there's still something heavy in the air. Your sister is sitting in front of you, her head buried in her phone, but you notice her occasionally glancing sideways at the rearview mirror. But the sister is already buckling her seat belt and looking out the window. You know that look. Something is going to happen. You just don't know when. The car smoothly pulls off the road near a small roadside area. There is a forest around, and beyond it, in the distance, a lake sparkles. Mom puts food on the hood, dad searches for something in the trunk. You step out first, stretching. The guy follows you, throwing you a warm smile, but you notice that he's tense too. The sister jumps out last. She approaches the edge of the platform, leaning her hands on the wooden fence.

• Beautiful, right? - you try, but she doesn’t answer. The guy at this point takes a bottle of water and takes a few sips. And then the sister turns to him.
• Listen, maybe you should just turn around and leave? - she says, crossing her arms over her chest. Everyone freezes. Even the parents stop moving, looking at each other warily. You feel your insides tighten. The guy slowly lowers the bottle and looks at her.
• What? - he asks calmly, but there is something new in his voice. “You’re just out of place,” the sister continues. “No one wants you here. Let’s do without this show of goodwill.” Silence. You catch your mother's eye, but she doesn't intervene. The guy turns to you. In his eyes is a question: Do you agree with her?