We Are Not Made From Tiny Boxes

                Sutton McDowell is used to the life of the rich and fabulous, growing up in the suburbs and never having to worry about life without money. But when her father signs her and her family up for volunteering at the local soup kitchen, she is anything but excited.

                Now Sutton has face a life she’s never seen before: the life of the down and out. Sutton must realize that the world is not made from tiny boxes, and that we are not all made just the same. Travis Miller just so happens to caught up in doing just that.

                Sutton sits across from her dad, his hands folded over her mother’s as the two pray over their meal. The two were big on prayer, and god, and all those other things Sutton pretended to care about when she sat in church. But in reality, she only went to meet boys, and get on the good side of the right people in her town.

                Of course, that was the only reason her dad did, too.

                Jonathan McDowell was a politician, and a smart one at that. He was the type who went to church, and held barbecues for people he pretended to like in order to get their votes. He was the type of person Sutton aspired to be one day – the type of person people liked. Not that people didn’t like her, on the contrary, actually. People loved her, and she couldn’t say she blamed them.

                “Amen,” her parents say in unison, and Sutton follows shortly behind, pretending to unfold her hands and raise her head from being hidden in them. Her mom smiles at her, and shortly after the three are passing food around the table, serving themselves and falling into a familiar food induced silence.

                “So,” dad says, gaining the attention of his wife and daughter, “Don’t get mad, but-“

                “I hate when things start with ‘don’t get mad’,” mom says.

                Sutton can’t help but crack a smile.

                “My publicist said that in order to gain a better vote, that I should show our family doing more activities together. So we’re going to be volunteering at the soup kitchen,” he smiles.

                “So like, feeding the homeless?” Sutton asks.

                “And hanging out with them, and cleaning things up for them, and generally making life a better experience for them,” dad explains, “It’ll be good for all of us.”

                Sutton grimaces, “So we’ll have to like, touch them and stuff?”

                Her dad nods.

                “Gross.”

                Prologue to my doing the femininity challenge (the second time around)