MAPS! jack dawson

PROLOGUE, backstory of mckenna lewis

I've always wanted to see the world, but my parents never had enough money to make it happen. And when your whole family is struggling just to put food on the table, traveling is the last thing on their minds. But whenever my family worked their way up the social ladder, I always found a way to save my money to buy maps of the world. I've always been fascinated with the history, the geography, the people. There are so many different places out there. So many different ways of life. So many things I want to see. The pyramids in Egypt, the Eiffel Tower in Paris, the great wall of China.

There's an entire world out there I'm missing and it's not fair. Not that life is ever really fair, but still. It's not. But I can dream, right? It's a good thing too. Dreams are the only thing that keep me going these days. They give me a reason to keep on working, a reason to keep on hoping. To keep on believing that better things are coming. That's what happened with us. We came from nothing and worked our way up. We're new money, and the old money is not always okay with that. All I've ever heard from my family is that when we go out in public we always have to be on our best behavior, and never do anything to make us look bad. We're new, so we have to earn their respect. And they'll test us every step of the way.

I wish they could be more accepting of us, but I suppose I can't blame them. We do come from very different backgrounds, and we don't have the same kind of upbringing that they do. I wasn't born in a wealthy family unlike some other teens. My parents grew up in a poor family and worked their way up. And now that we've made it, they're not gonna take any chances on losing everything. It's not about being the best, it's about proving them wrong.

It's the one thing my mother is constantly reminding me of. To be careful of how I carry myself. But I guess I've never really understood it. Or even cared to be honest. I hated being told what to do. And being told how to act and what to say, and not say, and who to hang out with. It's annoying and frustrating and as the youngest child, I have a lot to live up to. My older brother is perfect in our parent's eyes. He does everything right and follows all the rules, while I on the other hand...don't. I mean, I don't mean to, but I've always been more adventurous and a bit more rebellious. I don't see the point of following the rules. Life is supposed to be fun, not boring. I'm the black sheep, so to speak. My brother, David, is a rule follower. He is the epitome of a perfect gentleman and has never done anything wrong. I've never seen him get angry or raise his voice. He is always calm and polite. He does exactly as he's told and has no problem with authority. And he's smart. Really smart. He went off to college and got his degree. Our dad wants him to take over the business, he already has David in training to run the company.

While I, on the other hand, am a hothead. I'm not a big fan of the rules. I've never been good at following them. I'm more of a "do it my way" kind of person. And I'll stand up for what I believe in and fight for what I want. If I want something, I go after it. My brother was always the quiet, respectful one. The goody two shoes. And I was the one who got into trouble. We're complete opposites, but it works. We've always been close, despite our differences.

My brother's life is pretty much set. He has the family's company to take over, but the thing is he doesn't even like what the family business is. He didn't get a choice. Our parents told him that he was gonna be the one taking over, and that was that. No questions asked. Even though he never complained I can tell he hates it. He has no freedom, no choices. But he's the older child, the responsible one, so he's expected to follow in our dad's footsteps. He has to take over the company, but it's not what he wants. I'm the youngest child and therefore the least important. That's fine because the pressure isn't on me. I don't have the same responsibilities as my brother. 

But still I do have responsibilities as being the only daughter. I'm expected to make a good match and marry someone rich so my parents can continue their legacy. I'm expected to be the dutiful wife and mother, to do whatever is expected of me. But I want more than that. I don't want to be defined by who I marry. I don't want to just be someone's wife. I want to do something with my life. I don't want to just sit around and look pretty and be taken care of.