"You'll never amount to anything!"
"Maybe that's exactly what I'm aiming for," I stated firmly, interrupting my mother. "I don't want to study medicine or go to law school," I snapped as I lazily sat at the table. Mom shook her head in disappointment as her fingers interlocked on the table's surface, staring daggers at me. I could see how betrayed she felt through her eyes.
And there, what was I, stupid? I asked myself.
"There you go again, constantly throwing a good future into the dust," Mom snapped angrily at me. "What have we not given you? Your Dad and I have worked triple shifts to save up for your college tuition, but what have we?" she asked firmly while my Dad remained silent.
"What do you want, Ava, Maybe we should just... support your career choice then," he finally said, dramatically surrendering briefly with his hands.
"I don't know. But I don't want to go to college either," I snapped and paused.
Deep down, I just wanted to… read stories, live like a noble or a princess, fall in love with a vampire or something like that. Does it exist? From all the stories that I have read, they existed.
"Are you serious right now, Ava?" Mom asked, interrupting my thoughts as Dad rubbed his face in frustration, but I was unmoved.
"This is getting out of hand. I think you need to see a therapist or perhaps rehab, and I'm calling one right away. I don't think you're thinking well about your future in that pretty head of yours," Dad lashed out, grabbing his phone to dial someone while Mom laughed hysterically, sharpening her gaze at me.
"Your friends are in college right now, some would start after the summer break to kickstart a wonderful career that will lead them to awesome opportunities. And here you are, screaming the worst things? What are you, five?" she scoffed. "What are we supposed to do with your college funds—give charity?" Mom let out, holding her head.
"I'm sorry, but can you just go on a vacation or something?! 'Cause I don't want to be either of those things that you want," I blurted out, crossing my arms defiantly like an infinite brat.
"Lord help me so that I don't kill anyone right now," my mom yelled, her widening, her lips spreading as if her throat would leave her body as she rose to hit me. Then Dad's phone dropped on the floor as he held her back forcefully.
"Control yourself, Ella is still our daughter!" he warned firmly.
"No, not mine, because I would never give birth to a piece of work as a daughter, a curse," Mom spat those words at my face. "With this new thing you call 'right to live your life', you'll never amount to anything!" Mom scowled at me and left.
"Same goes for me," I screamed back at her angrily before I could say the same
Dad stared down at me and said; "I expected better from you, Ava, but again, your Mom is right. You're just a curse," he left me to my thoughts.
"And I wish I had never had you all as parents," I said under my breath nonchalantly and hastily headed out of the house, furious at my parents.
…
The argument had been brewing for weeks, but the final blow came when I refused to conform to my parents' expectations. I stormed into the rain-soaked streets, feeling lost and alone.
It wasn't the first time that they would tell me how badly they hated me, and it wasn't the first time that I would say that I hated them too.
I've always lived up to their expectations, and it got to a point where I could barely choose something for myself.
Something about my life feels like a joke whereby I was the villain and victim of my story.
My father thinks I am unserious about medical school and my mother thinks that I would be better off as a lawyer.
Not to mention my high school boyfriend who dumped me because he had run out of love for a total nerd who had no interesting life.
"I think you're no longer hot and pretty… and you're confused about your future," Those were his last words before he slammed my bedroom door in my face.
Now the question is, what do I think of myself?
Still, I wanted to make something out of my terrible life. All these thoughts rattled in my mind while I walked on the dark, empty street, and a small pebble was thrown at me.
I looked back at first and saw no one, no footsteps or shadows under the streetlights. I walked a few steps again and a pebble was thrown again.
I looked back and saw an ugly-looking old woman with long, unhygienic fingernails flashing a sinister smile as her hand held onto a crooked, sturdy stick.
I didn't bother to ask if she knew who threw pebbles at me, I just briskly walked ahead.
Again, several pebbles were thrown at me. This time, I turned to her while she laughed like a real witch.
"Ma'am, did you throw those pebbles at me? Because I could be crazy, and you're going to die from a heart attack! Don't test me," I snapped, suppressing my anger.
"Of course... What… will… You do?" she laughed as pebbles rained down on me like a tsunami. I was confused and helpless. Running was not even an option because the pebbles rained on every step my feet could carry me.
"You crazy witch!!!" I yelled at her as I tried to run again, but my feet were stuck on the spot.
It was as if I was having an episode of sleep paralysis while she continued to laugh and laugh while I grappled, but my efforts were useless.
"What do… what do you want from me?" My voice trembled.
"What do I want? You summoned me, and I'm here to grant your wish," she said and laughed darkly.