Stubborn

Chapter 1

Stubborn.

One word, two syllables, and something I constantly get nagged at for being.

My name is Marcie, I'm 17 years old, an only child, and I tend to be a little... closed-minded.

I refuse to try boba, much to my friend's annoyance, I always stay in on Friday nights, and I hate being told what to do.

Despite how it sounds, I'm not a brat, I've always been aware of how hard it is on my Mum, looking after me all on her own for 17 years, and I help her as best I can, but when she told me we were moving to a small town far away from the life I knew and loved, I wasn't exactly... ecstatic.

I grew up in New York. I was used to the loud noises and constant rush of the city. I had close friends who I was almost always hanging out with, I had a job at a cosy cafe, and I was getting decent grades at school. It's safe to say life was going well for me. It was too good to be true.

Previously, my life wasn't perfect. I had gotten bullied all through middle school, then went through a messy break-up last year that left me with BIG trust issues concerning love and relationships.

I became severely depressed and refused to leave my room for a month. Mum tried her best to get me out, but it was pointless. I had fallen into a pit of despair.

Eventually, and much to my luck, my friend intervened and practically shoved me out of the house, telling me I needed to get back on track with my life and stop letting some guy ruin my dreams.

They were right.

It was hard at first, but slowly I managed to start bringing my grades up again and got myself a job. I made myself abide by a set of rules so I would never fall into the pit of grief and depression as I had before again.

1 - No relationships til I graduate. They are only a cause of distraction and hurt

2- Get out of the house after school every day but Friday

3- Work hard and save up for your gap year

By following these rules, I managed to get my life back on track, and as far as saving up was concerned, I succeeded. After school Friday nights, I let myself take a break and have time for myself. I avoided relationships like the plague, which, lucky for me, was easy. Everything was going well, and then Mum dropped this bombshell on me.

It was a regular Saturday evening for me. I had just gotten home from a movie night at my best friend, Brie's, and had come home in a good mood after a decent day at school and an evening full of laughter with my friends. I was expecting to be studying til I was too exhausted to continue and then read til I fell asleep. Not exactly the most colourful routine, I know, but most Saturdays, I was out partying with my friends and often ended up with nothing better to do if I wasn't.

I had plans the next day to work from 7 til 4, then go clubbing with our fake IDs with my friends. As far as my Mum was concerned, I planned on telling her I was sleeping over at a friend's house.

That never ended up happening, as when I walked into the house that night, Mum was waiting for me in the living room with the news that was about to change my life.

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(Switching to present tense)

"Hey, Marce, is that you?" I hear my Mum calling out from the living room. Odd, I consider. Due to my Mum's job, she tends to sleep early as she has to wake up before the sun.

Mum works for the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, but unfortunately, she's pretty low down on the food chain and has terrible hours, the one thing she complains about.