“What is all this? Why are there so many Bs in your report? Have you started seeing and talking to boys? Is that why you're now so distracted?” My dad asked, with a sneer on his face.

I didn't know what to say, I had been the first in my class. I learnt twelve subjects, had four A+, three As and the rest were Bs. Everyone was so happy in school, they had told me how brilliant I was to have gotten all these with a great G.P.A of 3.83 on a 4.0 scale. The second had a 3.51.
That was a huge gap!

But I should have expected these from my 'perfect parents.' They never praised me.
If I had a great GPA, then they scolded me for not having As or even better A+. If I had those, my GPA wasn't good enough.

“And you? You've been a hopeless case from the beginning, haven't you?” I flinch at the words even though it wasn't directed to me but to my twin brother, Cole.

Cole didn't do bad either, he was the 3rd with a GPA of 3.5. If he had 0.02 more marks, then he and not Natasha would have been the second overall. But this didn't seem to make anything easier for either of us.

We had disappointed them.
Again.

“Get out of my sight, now!”
I couldn't look at dad, he was probably red now due to all the anger.

“Honey,” my mom started.
“I don't want to hear it, Cecilia. It's because of you that all these is happening. Because you're so lenient on them, if you weren't…”
I didn't hear the rest cause Cole had put his hand at my back and pulled me out of the sitting room.

“I'm going to the field.” He said.
My head snapped to his, “What's that supposed to mean? You know how dad is mad at us cause we didn't do well in school and you want to...”

“We didn't do well in school?” He asked incredulously.

“Are you blind or stupid? After all these years? Don't you understand that they will never be glad about what we do? We'll never be able to satisfy them.”
He scoffed then ran up the stairs two steps at a time and then into his room.

I knew Cole was right but still if only I had tried harder in Physics or Chemistry or even Maths maybe I'd have gotten a 3.9 or even better 4.0. I wasn't sure though if a perfect score was possible.
I sighed and trudged into my room that was opposite Cole's.

Two days later, dad told us that he was cancelling our holiday trip to Los Angeles cause we had to focus more on reading. I was sad, we were supposed to have gone the next day to meet our cousins that we hadn't seen in almost two years. The next time we'd have a holiday would be like four months from now.

Cole had almost argued with dad but I held him back. Whenever they did, Cole always got hit and I hate seeing my twin in pain even though he tries really hard to hide it.

“Is this how we're going to keep living?”
“What do you mean?” I ask him, we were in the balcony.
“Like robots, like people with no feelings and no dreams. I'm tired of all this. I just want to be an artist.”

I stare at him not knowing what to say. Everyone in this house knew how much Cole loved art. He drew all over the house when we were little. He could make a masterpiece with anything; charcoal, water colour, paint, crayons, just anything.

One time he had used a huge amount of money from his savings and bought drawing and painting items. Dad had seen it one day when he entered his room. When we came back from school, he had been waiting with all of Cole's things destroyed on the floor and a whip in his hand.

That day hunts me a lot of times; Cole falling to the ground, crying, and dad whipping him not caring where it hit. When I tried to stop them, he had accidentally hit me and that was when Cole had snapped.

He had almost hit dad back.
Dad punished him by locking him in the basement for three days without food. He had warned me not to bring anything to Cole but I did, every single night.

“I don't know.” I shrugged.
He squinted at me, “Don't you have any dreams? I thought you want to be a lawyer.”
I didn't reply, dad only wanted us to be doctors or engineers.
Nothing more, nothing less.

When he noticed I wasn't going to talk, he continued, “Thank God we'll be 18 next month.”
“Why?”
“I'll be able to leave here.”
“And go where?”
“Anywhere. I have enough money in my savings. I just hope I get that scholarship.”

He had written an exam to an art school without dad and mom knowing. It had been hard since he was still a minor but our aunt had helped.
She didn't really like dad.

“You know you could go out too.”
“You know I can't.”
“That's what you think. You're a very brilliant person and I know you'll get into anywhere you want.”
He sighed when I didn't reply.

“Did you later talk to Jared?”
I flushed when I heard his question.
“W.. what.. n.. no. We don't have anything together.”
“Of course.” He said, looking amused.
“Come on, I know you have a crush on him.” He continued.
“No, I don't.” I fired back, quickly.
Way to quickly for it to be the truth.
Cole chuckled.

I had never had a boyfriend, I didn't even have male friends. One time in Grade 7, I had been talking to a male classmate when dad had come to pick us from school. He started shouting at me and saying I was becoming a whöre for talking to boys at that age.
I had been so ashamed I never talked to boys again.

I had crushes sometimes like any person would but I feel like I actually did like Jared. I just didn't know how to go about it.

The next semester in school I had to hear people talk about how their holiday was so great and the places they went to see. It was so hard not to get sad while listening.

“Hi Chloe.” I looked up.
It was Jared.
I immediately blushed.

“H..hey Ja..Jared.” I said, cursing myself internally for stammering.
He smiled at me.
Omg, he's got a beautiful smile.
“Can I sit down?” He asked, pointing to the seat next to mine.
“S...sure.”
“So.. how was your summer?”
“It was good, I guess. H..how was yours?” i wasn't sure if I was saying things right but it seemed Jared didn't mind.

He talked about his holiday as though we had been friends forever.
Soon we started hanging out after school, he would buy stuffs for me and I would refuse if it was something physical because I wouldn't be able to hide it but take if it was something I could use before the day was over.
Cole always teased me for blushing and stammering near him.

Two weeks later, it was my birthday and dad had bought us both dictionaries and some textbooks as 'birthday presents.' Cole had smiled but had thrown the books into a box that I knew he wasn't going to open anytime soon when we went upstairs.

“Who gives their kids dictionaries as 18th birthday presents? Only our father, the most horrible dad in the world.”
I didn't reply even though usually I would scold him for saying that.
I didn't have any other excuse for our dad.

We were soon in class like any other day. When the last bell rang, I saw Jared waiting outside my class. He was holding something behind his back.

“Happy birthday, Chloe!” He said as soon as I reached him.
I was all smiles even though he had only wished me.
“Thanks.”
He kissed me on the cheek and I went red.
“This is for you.” He said, bringing out a wrapped gift.
“Go on. Open it.” He seemed more excited, like it was his birthday.
It made me happy.

When I opened it, I gasped. There was a box of chocolate and another box which when opened, I saw a beautiful silver necklace with a red and silver heart. It was so pretty.

“It's beautiful. Really. But I... I can't take it.”
His smile dropped.
“Why? Don't you like it?”
“What? No, I love it.”
“Then why..”
“She's only joking, she'll take it.” Cole said, appearing next to us.

“I will?”
He nodded.
Cole took the necklace from my hands and placed it on my neck.
“There, you look beautiful.” Jared said.
I blushed.

“Now, now, where's mine? I don't have a beautiful partner to give me a gift.” Cole teased.
“Oh, I'm sorry. Wait a minute.” Jared opened his bag and brought out another box and a bag.

Cole was shocked, “I didn't really mean that.”
“It's fine, I got you this.”
There were bracelets in the box and a lot of painting stuff in the bag.
“Oh my fuck...”
“Language.” I snapped at Cole.
“Your girlfriend's an old woman.” He replied.
And I blushed again, I wasn't Jared's girlfriend but I wasn't complaining about the mix up. I actually liked the thought of it.
I blushed at my thoughts.

  Three days later, dad found the necklace.

“What's this? Chloe!”
I had been downstairs with aunt Hailey, she was the one who helped Cole.
There was so much rage in his voice that I got afraid and ran to the stairs to meet him.

When I saw the necklace in his hand, I blanched.
“What's this? So it's true, you've been fucking a boy.”
“N...no. It's just a gift, I... we're not...”
The next I heard was a slap, on my face.

“Derek!” Aunt Hailey shrieked.

I didn't even register it. I was so mad at him. For treating me like someone with no feelings.

For always expecting stuff from yet never appreciating when I did them.
Expecting me to be the first.
Expecting me to be a doctor.
Expecting me to a robot and not have any friends.
Expecting me to not have any feelings.

I was sick of it.

“Fuck you!” I screamed, saying a swear word for the first time in my life.
Dad looked shocked and it brought a smile to my face.

I snatched my necklace for his hand.
“You can go and f**k yourself. I hate you. I hate everything about you, I hope you fucking suffer.” I pushed past him and went into my room, packed all my important things, clothes, shoes, anything I could get my hands on into a bag. Then I went into Cole's room and packed his things including his painting stuff.

When I came out when both bags, dad was still standing near the stairs and the whole family was staring at me in shock. I dragged the bags down to aunt's car and went back into the house.

“Are you both coming or not? Cause I can drive.”
Aunt and Cole came downstairs.
“Damn, I thought I would be the first to snap.” He chuckled.
I grinned.

When they both went outside, I gave him a mock salute.
“Bye Professor.”

I was free.

***
Hey, it's the writer here. This chapter is mainly talking about how some parents tend to place so many expectations on their kids and forget that those kids are their own people and that we have dreams.

They forget that science isn't the only course that gives money. They forget that some of us actually want to work for our passion and not for the money.

Many teenagers out there face this and I know how this feels. I may not be free yet like Chloe and Cole, but one day I will be and so will every teen who faces this. To all those who have escaped, who are now fulfilling their dreams, getting to know themselves with or without their parents and/ or family. I salute you all and I'm so happy for you. We're all in this together. Good day to everyone! ❤

Tale credits to : iceuniquee

We'll meet you with another tale soon

- Teen Fix.