DEALING WITH THE STALKER

FINAL YEAR IN HIGH SCHOOL, PREPARATION FOR UNIVERSITY....

She bit on her pen and took a deep breath. This is going to be a tough nut to crack. She glanced a second time at the career slip in her hands.

"Shit." She muttered wearily. "Can I really pull this off? " She muttered.

" Pull what off? " Her mom said as she came to view with a jar of lemon juice in her hand. " Have you finally chosen a career yet?"

Rose sighed. Why does this woman have to be watching her every move? "I.. I.... I..."

Evelyn squinted her eyes suspiciously at her daughter. " What are you up to?"

Rose bit her lip. "I need more time to think about this."

Evelyn scoffed. "More time for what? It's easy. Just pick the goddamn chemical engineering. That's a very wide, vast, profitable course. It will fetch us millions if you major in it and come out good. "

Rose looked at her mom one sided as she ranted on about the advantages of being a chemical engineer. She shook her head and rolled her eyes. "I still need more time to think about this." She muttered and dropped the paper back into her backpack..

Evelyn frowned at her. " You've had the opportunity of three weeks, Rose. What the hell are you still waiting for? Don't tell me you are still thinking of music."

Rose scoffed. " This is my life mom. It's mine not yours. You have no right to dictate this for me. I need more time..... "

" You have had more than enough time to think about this Rose. It's either chemical engineering or nothing else. What do you know? We as your parents are doing our best to tell you what's best for your life and future, yet you keep aiming at joblessness. You wanna join those gangs that pierce rings all over their faces and paint their skins?"

" Jeez mom, I never said I was gonna do that..... "

" It's final Rose. Chemical engineering or nothing else. In fact, wait till your dad returns from work. I think we both have given you enough time. This issue has to be sorted out before things get out of hand. " She said and stormed out of her study.

Rose watched her leave and sighed. She tapped her pen thoughtfully on the study table. "This is frustrating." She muttered and laid her head on the table. "How the hell I'm I supposed to give up on my dream?" She muttered.

★★★★★

Afternoon turned to evening and evening turned to night. Rose sat in her study snoring lightly against her table.

Evelyn walked in and spotted her. She sighed and shook her slightly. Rose jerked and looked around.

"Get up sleepyhead. Your dad's back. He requests to meet with you." Evelyn said and left.

Rose groaned and stretched. "What now?" She mumbled and later left the study walking straight to the sitting room where the stern, frightening man in his forties sat typing speedily into a laptop on his lap.

"Good evening dad." Rose said and he nodded with his attention on the laptop. "Rose bit her lip and fiddled with her fingers. She didn't know if she should sit or stand.