Chapter 2-1
426 Words
CHAPTER 2
The Greenbriar Mall was the only one of its kind in Newbrook, Ohio, and about the only place in town where Reagan could work at that time. She hadn’t yet utilized her college education and had zero desire to flip burgers. Since receiving her degrees in art and business, she had spent two years trying to formulate a plan of what to do with them. Now she was starting to question why she had picked those majors in the first place. After all, art is a tough career to pursue.
Reagan wasn’t the only one struggling, though. The last decade had brought a steady economic decline to the small mid-western town, and its faithful citizens were starting to feel the impact. Reagan considered herself lucky to have a job at all. She had an apartment and a car, neither of which were in prime condition, but they fulfilled the requirements.
On this morning in December, the chill outside had frosted up her windshield. At first, she waited patiently in her driver’s seat for the car to warm up. But eventually, she gave in to the urge to use her windshield solution and wipers to speed up the process. Although she didn’t much like going to work, she liked the drive this time of year. The town that could seem so drab at times, found a way to look beautiful when decorated with Christmas lights. It almost had her convinced that things were going to get better.
Her life had been fairly uneventful up to that point. She was an only child, and a quiet one to boot. Her parents were always supportive, and quite invisible to the rest of the town. They lived the typical middle-class life – no mansion and no extravagant pool, but they had running cars, a roof over their heads, and food on the table. Reagan graduated high school with the third-highest GPA in her class and a couple of friendships that were sure to last a lifetime. Her senior prom was a girl’s night out for her and two friends. It was fun, but maybe not what one thinks of when they envision the prom.
She was living two hours away from her childhood home now, attempting to live the life of the independent child who has left the nest and started a glamorous life of their own. The truth, though, was that Reagan was still waiting on the glamor. Lost, lonely, and on the verge of moving back home, she was losing her ambition to follow the dream that had left her in debt.
- Writer
