The Doctor's Secret Spells

As I walked elegantly with my hair in a ponytail and my white coat into the next room of my patient, I felt like I finally belonged. Suddenly, a loud voice called out to me. "Emily!" Mrs. Lilian shouted my name with smoke literally coming out of her ears. "Yes, Mom?" I answered from my room. I was still on the bed. Was it all a dream? I turned to my right, looking at the clock. I turned pale as it dawned on me—I was almost late for school. I hurriedly started preparing. I scrambled around, my hands shaking as I reached under my pillow. I felt for the cold, hard cover of my Biology textbook. I had to hide it every night because if Mom saw it, she would tell me I was wasting my time. I shoved it deep into my backpack, covering it with a sweater just in case she decided to check my bag. My heart was thumping against my ribs. I couldn't lose my notes, not today. "The bus will leave if you don't come down right now, young lady!" my mom shouted. "And you know I don't have the strength to drive you to that school of yours!" "Yes, Mom, I'm coming!" I answered, tripping over my shoes as I ran out the door. By the time I got downstairs, the bus had already left. My mom was standing by the door, her arms crossed, looking furious. She wasn't angry because I would be late for school; she was angry because she would have to drive me. "Mom, do you think you can drive me to school?" I asked as we reached the car. "What do I look like to you? A driver?" Mrs. Lilian asked. "But Mom, I don't think I'll make it in time for my first lessons, and you know it's my first day of high school," I said. "Well sweetie, high school, school, school, blah, blah, blah, I don't think you'll need any of those honey," Mrs. Lilian said while grinning ear to ear. "What you need is a rich man who can take care of you and your babies." I became angry and was about to shout back when I got a text from my best friend Georgia. She told me she was already at the school gates waiting for me. The walk to the car was silent and heavy. Mom gripped the steering wheel so hard her knuckles were white. "All this for a school that won't give you a husband," she muttered, turning the radio up so loud I couldn't even apologize. As we drove past the big houses on the hill, she slowed down. "See that mansion, Emily? A girl with your face could live there. But you'd rather spend your day looking at dusty books." I looked out the window, biting my lip. I didn't want the mansion; I wanted the white coat from my dream. Emily’s mother hated education. She believed the only way for a woman to be successful was to marry a rich man. She had already started sorting out wealthy men for me to marry after graduation, even though I had only just entered high school as a freshman. Naturally, this did not sit well with me. We had fought countless times regarding my education. I wanted to go to the best medical school in Europe and become a medical doctor. I didn't say another word the whole way there. As soon as the car stopped at the school, I left and banged the door. "Oh, she is just stubborn now," my mom said to herself. "She'll soon get back to her senses." Upon reaching the gates, I set my eyes upon Georgia. "Hey, Emily!" Georgia called out as she waved her hands in the air. I ran towards her and hugged her. Georgia pulled a small bag of crackers from her pocket and handed them over. "I bet you missed breakfast again because of the arguing," Georgia said softly. I took a cracker, my hand still shaking slightly. "She’s getting worse, Georgia. She’s already talking about rich husbands and I haven't even finished my first day yet." We both hurriedly started walking into the building, discussing how we could not believe we were already freshmen in high school. We got to the class just in time. As we walked into the class, a tall, blonde-haired boy who was sitting at the back called out my name. "Emily!" I turned and saw my other close friend, Henry. Henry was a smart, gentle, and kind boy whose grades were literally perfect. I was just an average student, but Henry was already saving us some seats at the back. We went to sit with him. As the day ended, I walked home with Georgia. When I returned, I couldn't wait to tell my mom about my first day. She was in the parlor with her legs on top of the couch, scrolling through the television. As I started telling her all about it, my mom fell on deaf ears. Then I mentioned Henry. Her eyes lit up. "Oh, did you mention a boy? Henry, was it?" "Yes, Mom," I answered. "Is his family rich?" she asked. "No, Mom, but he is really smart," I replied. Upon hearing that he was not rich, my mom sighed and turned her head back to the television. I felt sad and walked up to my room. After that day, I vowed never to tell her anything about my school life again since she hated it.