Forbidden

Chapter 1

Ashley's POV

It's Monday. A day hated by most people in the world. I didn't use to like Mondays either, but since I finished my apprenticeship as a daycare worker two weeks ago, I'm not stressed anymore. Now I can follow my real dream and become an English teacher.

Here in Zurich, it's very difficult to graduate from grammar school. And to be honest, I wasn't a very good student at all but I liked the English lessons. My dream was always to do a language exchange in London and continue my education to become an English teacher in my high school.
I have just one problem. My parents won't allow me to leave Switzerland for even one day, so I do not think seven months will be okay for them. I haven't told them yet, but I want to and I think I'm going to do it today. The sooner the trouble, the easier they'll get over it.

So, I'm lying on my bed right now, but I want to gather the courage and stand up. I feel like my whole body has lost the power to tell them. I start to count until three.

"One. Two. Three!" I lift my head up but it immediately falls back against my pillow. I can't. I'm too afraid to disappoint my parents, or worse.

"Ugh, Fuck!" I sigh loudly. I hear my mom's steps coming near my bedroom door.

"Yavrum, iyi misin?" She's asking me if I'm fine in Turkish.

"Evet, Anne iyim ben," I told her everything's fine but actually, it's not. I hate lying to my parents, but I hate disappointing them more. She opens the door and I sit up while she enters my room.

"I am your mother. I get it when you have something on your mind that is bothering you." She says. I knew she would get it, but I tried to hide it. I'm a bad liar.

"Mom, I finished my apprenticeship now and you know I wanted to become an English teacher, remember?" My heart is pounding loudly.

"Yes, honey."

"Before I can get a job as an English teacher, I have to study English but there is another way to become an English teacher too... I could go to an English country for half a year and learn their language and culture, so I have almost the same experiences as English students from the university."

"Are you crazy? Another country? Did you think about your family? You can't even stay one week alone in Turkey and half a year in a country you don't even know?! You'd better talk with your dad about this. I'm not messing with him about your stupid decision!" She almost screams.

"I knew you're going to say this." I sit disappointed under my comforter.

"But please don't tell dad about it. I want to ask him first." I beg. My mom is not a very good keeper of secrets.

"Ok. But don't put me in this fight."

"Ok. Thank you, mom."

"Come on I made lunch ready", she says. Ignoring my thanks.

My older brothers Amar and Samir aren't present, so I'm just here with my mom and dad at the table. My mom and I swap glances while my dad enjoys the food, not noticing our eye contact.

"Osman, Senin kizin sana bir sey söylemek istiyor." Shit, my mom said that I want to tell my father something. Why can't she just wait until I tell him by myself? And why exactly at lunchtime?

"Hayir, söylemek bir sey yok," I said I don't have anything to tell.

"She wants to leave us." My mom snaps. I feel like my chin is falling on the floor. My dad let his spoon drop loudly on the plate.

"What?!"