2.1 – Dreams and Real Life


Ever since I was a kid, I’ve wanted to be a World Renowned Surgeon. I don’t think that’s going to happen now. Thomas and I, we can just barely keep up with the bills as it is. There’s no way we can do that, take care of Shaye, Medea, Lucy and Donovan, and pay my pre-med tuition.

In some ways, I hate Mom for that. She was selfish, giving up on life when Daddy died. She’s left me with nothing! Because she was selfish, I have to give up my dreams!

Maybe I’m the selfish one. I just…I wanted to help people…like Daddy did…


All of us are hurting right now. Donovan blames himself, Medea blames herself, Lucy is confused, Shaye’s taken to living in the woods and Thomas thinks he has to be the strong, stoic man of the family. But I’m the oldest. Daddy always said my most important task was to look after all my younger brothers and sisters, even Thomas. I have to quit brooding and step up now.

After Daddy died, only a few weeks after Aunt Susan, Thomas and I started looking around for jobs. We were both still in school, but Thomas managed to get a part-time job at the bookstore. As for me…no one wanted to hire the ‘Mayfield Vampire’. I was that creepy kid who always hung around the graveyard, and in a town like Sunset Valley, that’s enough to get you black-listed for life.

But I found…other ways of acquiring money.


When I was a little kid, Daddy taught me how to do different things with the computer. I’m not proud to be using what he taught me to steal, because that’s what hacking is: stealing, but we need the money. I have no choice.

Now with Mom gone too, people are starting to just look the other way. After Aunt Susan and Daddy died, people would bring food over. They’d sit up with Mom and were there for her. Now that its just me and Thomas, things seemed to have changed. Now they’re remembering every rude comment Aunt Susan ever made, and every time Daddy never attended a party (always because he was working late, not out of some spite as they all seem to think).

I hate people. I really, truly hate people.

I shouldn’t complain though. Thomas usually takes care of those people. Everyone is instantly at ease around Thomas, and so much more willing to let things go with him. I haven’t met a person who could stay angry at him, not even Medea. He’s like Mom was: everyone’s friend.

I’m much happier sequestered away in the study, churning through piles of data. I probably wouldn’t have made a good doctor anyway. Doctors are people-people.