A Child of the Night — Chapter Two

February 2nd, Saturday – 8:12 PM – 2008 — Edward POV

"What the hell are these?" I demanded, and I threw the applications down on the table in front of my father. My mother winced at my crude language, but Dad just raised an eyebrow.

"They're applications," he said simply, meeting my eyes.

"I know what they are. Why the hell do we have them?"

"Because you're starting college this year and I want to make sure you get into a good medical program. Your grades are perfect, so it's just a matter of getting in early."

I glared at him, knowing he understood my anger and was choosing to ignore it. He turned back to the paper he was reading, and I could see the rest of my family staring at me nervously, as if sensing the anger rolling off of me in waves.

"I'm not going to medical school," I growled, and he met my eyes once more, sighing deeply.

"Edward, we've talked about this."

"No," I disagreed. "Youtalked, and ignored everything I said. I not going to medical school, Dad. I already got accepted into Juilliard. That's enough. I'm going to study music there, and — "

But my angry words were cut off by the slightly irritated voice of my father.

"We are not having this conversation again, Edward," he said firmly, and he frowned at me from across the kitchen table. My little sister, Alice, giggled and pressed both hands over her mouth to stifle her amusement. I pressed my lips together hard, as if I was trying to hold the complaints, the words of rage, in.

They came out, anyway.

"I don't want to go to medical school, Dad," I said, and the words I spoke next seemed so familiar. But that could have been because I'd been having this same argument with my father for over four months now. "I want to study music. You know that."

"I also know that a degree in music will, eventually, lead you to teaching five-year-olds to play the piano, Edward!" he said, and he put his paper down — a bad sign. That meant he was frustrated, and angry, and wasn't going to let this go. "You're throwing your life away! And for what? You could be great — "