Moonlight filtered through the sheer curtains, casting a soft, ethereal glow across the room.
The walls were plastered with vintage college and band posters, reminders of a time when Merlina Sanchez still asked for permission, still believed in being someone's little girl.
Now, at 18, she slumped against her headboard, her swollen eyes steady with the kind of resolve that would be hard to break.
Aiden Sanchez, her father, stood at the foot of her bed. Tall, built, and suited, he paced slowly in the dim light, his movements deliberate, as though each step carried the weight of the world.
"You will not go to Connecticut," he said, his voice quiet but firm. "That's final."
Merlina didn't flinch. She didn't even blink. She was past caring about his final words. "There's nowhere else for me," she replied, her voice calm—almost tired. "I've already applied. I've been accepted. And I'm going to Belview."
Aiden's pacing stopped. He turned, his jaw clenched tight. Silence hung thick between them, stretching endlessly, until finally, Merlina broke it with the harshness of truth.
"You can make this harder than it needs to be," she said. "But if you try to stop me... you'll lose more than control. You'll lose me."
The words weren't loud, but they were sharp, and in the stillness of the room, they hit their mark. Aiden saw it. She wasn't the little girl who asked for permission anymore. She was someone else. Someone he no longer controlled.
Without waiting for his response, Merlina pulled the duvet over her head, signaling the end of the conversation. She didn't need to hear him speak again. The silence, now her only companion, settled in the room like a thick fog.
Merlina peeked from under the covers a moment later, watching her father. He stood by the door, his hand hovering over the knob as though he were unsure if he should leave or stay.
"I can't escape the nightmare Belview left in its wake for this family," Aiden murmured softly, almost as if he were speaking to himself. His gaze lingered in the distance.
Merlina stayed silent, waiting for him to continue, but it was clear he wasn't going to back down.
"It's a no, Merlina. End of story."
With a quick motion, Aiden yanked the door open, the sound of it slamming against the frame echoing throughout the house. Merlina winced, but didn't move. She walked to the window, staring at the cold, distant stars.
"I don't care what it takes..." she whispered to the night, her voice cracking slightly. "I need to know the truth. Belview owes me that."
Her forehead rested on the cool glass, breath fogging the surface as her eyes closed in determination.
"Someone there is going to pay for what they did," she added, the words soft, but no less certain.
The next morning, Merlina stormed down the stairs, her face a mask of frustration. She could hear Fiona's voice in the kitchen, sharp and cutting, and it only made her steps faster.
In the kitchen, Fiona, her glamorous and calculating soon-to-be stepmother, was lecturing Alistair, Merlina's younger brother, who was too absorbed in his video game to care.
"Alistair, you really need to cut it out," Fiona said in that sweet, condescending tone she reserved for him. "No more bringing your unruly friends over here, alright?"
Alistair didn't look up, his fingers tapping the controller as he responded without a hint of remorse. "Are you serious? I just hit a freaking lamppost!"
Merlina rolled her eyes. Gosh, I can't even look at her without feeling like I'm about to puke.
Fiona's smile faded, replaced by a glare. "How dare you ignore me like this?" she snapped.
"A freaking lamppost!" Alistair repeated, frustration coloring his voice.
"You're unbelievable!" Fiona hissed. "Your friends are such a terrible influence—"
Merlina couldn't hold it in anymore. She burst out laughing, Alistair joining her. Fiona's glare silenced them instantly.
Merlina wiped a tear from her eye, playing it off. "I was gonna get coffee... and some toast," she said, her tone mock-serious. "What? It's you and him, not me."
Fiona took a step toward her, but Merlina kept walking, unbothered.
Fiona muttered under her breath as she yanked the controller from Alistair's hands. "I know it's not about you, but honestly, it's hard to tell you two apart... since you're both unbearable."
Before Merlina could retort, Melissa, her sharp and fearless younger sister, entered the room, mocking Fiona's words with ease.
"Fiona, the dictionary defines that as blindness!" Melissa said with a grin.
Fiona shot her a glare but said nothing, retreating to her task. Merlina, now thoroughly amused, pulled out her phone and cranked up the volume on her music.
"Radioactive" by Imagine Dragons blasted through the speakers, filling the air with defiance.
"Merlina, will you please turn that ear sore off?" Fiona shouted, but Merlina simply hovered over the phone, then cranked the volume even higher.
"Maybe if I piss her off enough, Dad will finally send me to Belview," Merlina thought, leaning back and letting the music drown everything else out.