“Finding a Voice”: Chapter Four

“Lana, we just had a conversation about this,” her father said, sitting back in his black leather chair. “How did you get kicked out of class on the first day? Do you think that this is a joke?”

“Father,” Lana replied, trying to calm his anger. “It wasn’t my fault.”

“That’s the problem, Lana,” her father retorted. “It never is. It’s always somebody else’s fault. You need to grow up and take some responsibility over your actions instead of blaming everyone else. You’re a Waverly. How do you not know how to handle yourself?”

“But really,” Lana pleaded, looking around the study as if to find some sort of truth to take the blame off her. “I didn’t do anything but what you said.”

“I certainly didn’t ask you to get kicked out of class, and at that, Paul Hindberg’s class,” her father fumed. “You have embarrassed me. The amount of blatant disrespect that you have for others, for your own family is disappointing.”

“Well, sorry to disappoint you, father,” Lana said, dropping her shoulders. She was more than ready to leave but didn’t dare to ask if she could be excused while her father was so angry.

“You’re about to be sorry,” her father said. “I’ve been lecturing you for months about respecting others, not everyone is as fortunate as you, and for some reason, you either don’t understand or don’t care, so I’m going to make you care. I want you to pack your belongings. I have arranged for you to spend the remainder of this semester in the university’s dormitories. Since you can’t have compassion for those around you, I’m going to make it so that you empathize with them. I will give you a small bit of cash to get you some food and living items, and after that, you will be cut off until you learn to be a better person.”

“Father, that isn’t fair,” Lana complained. “How will I survive? What if I need clothes? What will I do for entertainment?”

“Well, I suppose that you will have to get a job to fund your habits,” her father said. “Your mother and I didn’t come from money. We worked for it, and it’s about time that you experienced what that is like.”

“But father that’s not fair,” Lana cried. “I really didn’t do anything wrong. It was all Ziggy’s fault. She…”

“I’ve heard enough, Lana,” her father replied. “I’ve made my decision, and though it might be a bit of tough love, you will thank me for it one day.”

“Why don’t you listen to me?” Lana inquired, frustrated by her father’s rash decision.

“Because I’ve heard enough, Lana,” her father stated. “And actions speak louder than words. I’m going to need to see you change. I didn’t raise you to be so thoughtless and selfish.”

“I’m not selfish,” Lana pouted.

“You are,” her father said. “Now, go get your belongings packed. You leave for the dormitories in an hour.”