The heartbeat series

Antena's voice trembled as she stood at the kitchen counter, gripping the edge with white knuckles. "Mom, I said I don't want to go! Why can't you just listen to me for once?"

Her mother, hands busy chopping vegetables for dinner, didn't even look up. "Antena, we've been over this. This move is for your own good. You'll thank me later when you're sitting in a lecture hall at Harvard."

"I don't care about Harvard!" Antena snapped, her voice cracking. "I just started fitting in here. I've made friends-real friends-for the first time. I'm not going to throw that all away because of your stupid obsession with a perfect future!"

Her mother stopped chopping, placing the knife down carefully. She turned, her expression calm but unyielding. "You might not understand now, but you will one day. Life isn't about what's comfortable, Antena. It's about making the hard choices that lead to success."

Antena's chest heaved as frustration and helplessness built up inside her. "You're not listening!" she screamed, the words echoing through the small kitchen. Without waiting for a response, she turned on her heel and stormed down the hallway, slamming her bedroom door so hard the walls shook.

She leaned against the door, her breath shallow and uneven. Tears stung her eyes as she slid down to the floor, burying her face in her hands. She stayed like that for what felt like hours, sobs wracking her chest.

When the tears finally slowed, Antena crawled to her bed and curled up on the floor beside it. She grabbed the stuffed animal she'd had since she was little-a small, fraying teddy bear-and held it tightly against her chest.

Her thoughts swirled, a chaotic mix of anger, sadness, and frustration. She didn't understand why her mom couldn't see things from her perspective. It felt like no matter how loud she screamed, her voice just disappeared into the void.

As she stared at the shadows dancing on the ceiling, she began to focus on her breathing, counting slowly in her head to calm herself. In, one... two... three... Out, one... two... three...

The rhythm steadied her, quieting the storm inside just enough for her to think clearly again. Maybe, just maybe, she could find a way to convince her mom to change her mind.

For now, though, she let the quiet of her room wrap around her like a shield.

The quiet didn't last long. A knock at the door broke the stillness.