i remember when we shared a room. my bed was closer to the door so everyone would throw their crap on it. i would scold them and throw it onto my brother's, and we'd end up in another one of our fights. our arguments were more than just arguments, they were spectacles. all-out brawls around the house complete with fists and high kicks. they ended up either with both of us in tears or (more later on) fits of laughter. when he moved downstairs, i finally got the privacy i had been waiting for. no more crap on my bed and freedom to decorate as i pleased. for the first two years we barely even saw one another, we practically had separate floors. when people asked me if we got along, i told them that i actually never really saw him. which was the truth. and really, i dont see anything unusual about it, even now. it kept peace among the household. when i entered school with him, anonymity was impossible. our resemblence and obvious relation was undeniable. i was the Little Sister, the one thing i had dreaded. of course, it had its benefits, he being popular (in good and bad ways) in school sort of helped me make friends. but my greatest fear was living in his shadow. now that he's going away to college, for the first time im honestly beginning to wish the best for him. and god i dont know what it is, maybe its all the people around me leaving or maybe its that whole senior thing "oh, this is the last time i'll...blah blah" or maybe its being surrounded by all this nostalgia but whatever it is, i cant help but think that after all these years of restlessly anticipating my brother's departure, im more excited about his arrival into the world.