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Adeline has been waiting anxiously for her father to come back. He knows about the play, about Neil, and there isn't a thing she could've done to stop it. She didn't warn Neil in the heat of the moment, which made her even more worried about the outcome of the situation. Not that she hadn’t warned Neil about what would happen if their father found out about him acting, but even with that, her brother dismissed her. She tried reaching Charlie at some point, but got no answer from him. In moments like these, she wishes she had the ability to run until her feet hurt, only to make sure Neil knew in advance that their father wasn’t actually in Chicago.
Her mother sits next to her, smoking a cigarette that, to her dislike, fills the room.
“Can you please not right now?” Adeline complains, clearing her throat.
“What?”
“Smoking. It’s disgusting. And I can’t believe you’re not worried about your own son!”
“Your father knows best, sweetie.”
“That’s bullshit. And very mysoginistic,” she rotates the chair to face her a little bit more without inhaling all of the smoke.
“Language, Adeline,” the young woman rolls her eyes.
She loves her mom, she really does, but all things considered, she's a pain in the ass. The ‘behave like a lady’ comments never were missing, as well as the ‘wouldn’t it be easier for you if you wore a dress?’. Added to her comments, her dad thought it would be best if she was homeschooled. So while Neil went every year to Welton, had fun with his friends, and had all sorts of adventures, she was stuck in the house, and barely went out, her parents being to tired of the looks they got whenever they went out together. When she was younger, she didn’t understand why Neil could play and run while she was confined inside the house and was obliged to entertain herself with other things, like piano, chess (which most of the time she didn’t have anyone to partner with), books, or any solo activity. Now, she understood why, but still craved that sort of liberty.
The sound of the main door being slammed shut reverberates throughout the house, and her father’s commentary can be heard from the study. Her mother nervously takes a puff of her cigarette before putting it out on the ashtray and sitting down. Neil follows their father into the study, looking as hopeless as one can exist. Adeline gives him a small smile which she could see he was thankful for by the slight change in his expression. She's never seen him so sad.
“We're trying very hard to understand why it is that you insist on defying us. Whatever the reason, we're not gonna let you ruin your life. Tomorrow I'm withdrawing you from Welton and enrolling you in Braden Military School. You're going to Harvard and you're gonna be a doctor,” he says sternly, ignoring his son’s current unhappiness and shift of expression.
“But that's ten more years. Father, that's a lifetime!” Neil reproaches and quickly glances at the two women in the room, pleading for help.
“Oh, stop it. Don't be so dramatic. You make it sound like a prison term. You don't understand, Neil. You have opportunities that I never even dreamt of and I am not going to let you waste them.”
Neil rises to his feet as his father finishes. “I’ve got to tell you what I feel,” he demands.
Their mother interrupts the conversation between the two of them, as Adelaide listens, “We’ve been so worried about—,"
“What? What? Tell me what you feel. What is it?” his father asks mockingly, and Neil stays silent.
“Father, please let him express himself,” Adelaide interrupts, looking at her father, and then at Neil, encouraging him to speak. Their father says nothing, and Neil takes it as his chance to speak.
“Ever since, ever since I came out you’ve treated me differently. Very differently. I understand I cannot meet the expectations you have set for me, and I understand the path you wish I would go through, but you must understand that is not what I want to do. You saw me up there. You saw-I was good, father. I was really good. And happy. Nothing has made me happier, and I don’t think nothing else ever will. I also understand there are opportunities you didn’t have, but those are not for me to take, at least not medical school. If you care about me even a little, as your son, I’m begging you, please let me continue acting, and please let me continue at Welton. It’s my last year, and—“
“I think we have all heard enough,” the man interrupts. Neil collapses back down to the chair he was sitting on at the beginning of the conversation, with a defeated look on his face. Their father exits the study, looking as stern as ever, and Adelaide decides to follow him.
“Father!” she advances to him until he stops in his tracks. “I know right now it’s not the best time, but I’ve been meaning to tell you-well, ask you rather-,“
“Get to the point, shall you?”
”Yes, sir. I want to be a doctor,” her father stares at her startled.
“Medical school? We both know that’s not an option for you.”
“Why? Because I'm in a wheelchair? If I go, then Neil wouldn’t have to and-,“
“You too? With the same acting business?”
“No sir. I’m just taking advantage of the opportunities I have, that’s all,” she finishes, using his words against him.
“Go to bed, Adeline. We’ll talk tomorrow. With Neil as well,” he concludes as he heads to his bedroom. Adeline smiles, and rushes to Neil's room. With a knock on the door, followed by a ‘come in’, she opens the door, finding Neil with Puck’s crown in his hands. It is very obvious he has been crying, and she approaches him carefully.
“Hi”
“Hi,” he replies.
“I talked to father.”
“What? Why? It’s useless," he sobs, “you shouldn’t have”.
“I want to go to med school,” Adeline blurts out, and continues before Neil can answer. “I know what you’re thinking, and I know that. I told him that though, he told me to go to bed but we’d talk tomorrow, yourself included. Maybe he’s ranting to mom by now.” Neil lets out a bitter laugh. “Have you talked to your friends yet?” Neil shakes his head. “You should, rumor has it you were amazing,” her brother sends her a confused look. “Charlie texted me. Let them know you’re okay?” he nods. She ruffles his hair playfully to which Neil pulls back on and swats her hand away. To many, it would seem strange the type of nonverbal communication they have, but after many dinners and situations where they weren’t allowed to talk to each other, it comes naturally, even when they can speak freely. “Oh, and remember to text Todd,” she reminds her brother.
"Oh, shut up," she smiles at him. "I'm sorry you couldn't come. You would've enjoyed it, I think."
"I think Knox recorded some parts."
"Have you been talking to my friends behind my back?" He asks with a raised eyebrow.
"Yes. Got to make sure you're not being more stupid than usual."
"Ha, ha."
They talk for a while, allowing her to shut all her worries to the back of her head, leaving them for tomorrow. It has been a long day, and tomorrow, hopefully, will be better.