How I Turned Out to Be

Chapter 1

To my family, success is when someone has a stable job, a stable home and a family to support. Success is when you can afford luxuries, when you can treat yourself to a vacation far away from your home. Perhaps Hawaii, Paris or even London? Success is when a person can give their kids the best in life. They can attend private school to grasp the better riches in learning. Success is when you can live content with your life and have no worries as to where you will be sleeping that night, or what your next meal will be. No challenges come your way because money can solve the problem.

This is the insight into my parent's mind. This is their way of thinking and if anyone of us, my siblings and I, go out into the world and do not have this in mind, they believe we will fail miserably.

I personally do not believe in what they think success is.

For me, being successful in life is doing what you love most. Success is having fun at what you are doing. Isn't that what we all look for in life? To work in some place where you don't count the hours and minutes to leave? Yes, you do want the best for your children but the successful part in that scenario is having your children with health, with morals, and a goal to achieve. That should be the only thing that our parents should worry of. That we achieve our goals.

In my case, my parents wish upon a star that I would come out the same way as my siblings and stop with my ridiculous idea of a career.

I'm 17, I will be a senior, in high school, this fall and I am irretrievably in love with music. I intend on pursuing my long time dream of succeeding in the music business, if I ever get out of my parents' house. They presume that if I do indeed pursue this career, that my life will be a huge disappointment. Their minds are fogged up on what society conceives into being successful.

Of course with siblings like mine, I sincerely can't blame my parents for believing that music is just a waste of time. The eldest is my brother, Damian; he is 24 and is finishing his masters in Law. In simpler words, he will become a well paid lawyer to our city of San Diego. The one to come after him is my sister, Kathlyn; she is 22 and she is already in the Wall Street business. She is sure a bright one; at least that is what my parents claim she is, me on the other hand, not so much. I am quite certain that her fiance is cheating on her, but hey, you didn't hear it from me. Then my twin brother, Jason, is on a mission on becoming a huge master in math. He wants to be an Engineer to work in NASA, as if that could happen with how ludicrous that actually sounds. He makes farting noises with his armpits for heaven's sakes! I see nothing bright in that hollow of a head he carries. Jason's real passion is football and I can cut off a breast if that isn't true, but since my parents don't even consider sports as an opening for a career path for him, he decided to become an Engineer.

I don't even care. I keep insisting that I will go to College to study music and they keep threatening that if I do go towards that pathway, to forget that they ever existed in my life.

I have a hunch that when I turn 18, I will be disowned by my parents that do not believe in my talent. My options are limited when it comes to choosing a life changing career. I either go to a University and study medicine or I become an orphan and go towards my happiness.

I'm compelled to just say "Screw it!" and walk out of my house with my guitar case in hand and a duffel bag in the other. I sure do wish that they don't make me choose because I do love my family, don't get me wrong, but not just because they believe that by having a higher stanza in workplace, means that I will be successful in all of the categories in life.

"Quin! Jason! Time for dinner!" My mom yelled from downstairs. Welcome to my life.

"I'm coming!" I yelled back. I placed my guitar aside before I walked out of my room. I came face to face with my brother.

"Race you to the table?"

"What's the wager?"

"If you win, I don't annoy you for a week."

"A month." I added while squinting my eyes.

"Two weeks."

"Deal."

"Ok and if I win, you hook me up with your friend Emma." He proposed. I had to think this one through; Emma would most likely go out with him since he has the Henley genes, but if they do hit it off, he will be around me more than usual.

"Fine." I sighed. "There is just one thing you need to know."

"What is it?" He asked, getting closer to me. I chuckled before I placed my hand on his face, pushing him back into his room.

"Learn not to fall for that!" I called out to him as I ran downstairs and into our dining room table. My dad was sitting down at the end of it with his newspaper opened widely. My mom was still setting the table; we are having lasagna!

"Quin, no running. Please." He chastised without putting the paper down. My dad is an intelligent man; he is a well known lawyer in our city and the reason why Damian went to law school instead of pursuing his dream of being an artist.

"I know." I breathed out while taking a seat. A second later, Jason came in, glaring at me.

"You cheated!"

"No I didn't."

"Yes, you did!"

"Oh well, maybe I did." I answered innocently. "I guess you will have to stop talking to me for two weeks so that I can learn a valuable lesson about cheating."

"To the hell I won't! You earned everything that is coming your way Quinny." He used my nickname; he knows very well how much I hate it and he used it! I wore a tight-lipped smile as I glared at him.

"Jason, Quin, stop it! Can't we have a dinner in peace and no arguments?" Our mother came berating us.

"Tell that to your annoying son." I replied, rolling my eyes as I began to serve myself some food.

"Tell that to your annoying son." He mocked. I took in several breaths; I know that if I ignore him that he will just stop. Ignore him, Quin. You can do it, it's easy.

"So, mom, dad." I started. "There is this music festival coming to town and I would love it if you would allow me to go?" My dad closed his newspaper, setting it aside on the table as he adjusted his glasses to look at me.

"You know what I think about your music." He replied. I kept staring, glancing between him and my mom. How can two people be so stubborn in having no fun in life?

"Please! I don't need money, I just need the permission." I pleaded.

"No and that's final. Music is fine to be heard once and a while, but you are obsessed with it. That is not healthy, honey. Don't you have some Universities to look into before you enter your last year of high school?"

"I have already told you John, I will be attending College to study music. I have everything under control and I don't need to waste more time."

"Oh, she has called you by your name, dad. That means business." Jason teased me. I shoved his shoulder with mine, making his piece of lasagna fall out of his reach. "Hey!"

"Quin, I will not have this argument again."

"Why? Because it's the only argument you can't truly win? Because it's the argument you can't find a solution to?"

"Quin Elizabeth Henley, could you please eat your dinner and let me be?!" He stated with his voice raising with each word. I sunk in my chair, sulking at his finalization of the matter. I hate that he has so much control over all of us. He never allows us to be happy, well at least me. I will be attending to that music festival whether he likes it or not. I have my money, I have my car, nothing is stopping me.