Chapter 1

“Why are you so upset?” Sarah asked Emily as they walked down the street. She was always trying to cheer her up when she was feeling blue. They had been best friends since high school, and Sarah knew all of Emily’s secrets. Well ... almost all of them anyway.

Emily sighed heavily before answering Sarah’s question. “It’s just ... everything seems so pointless right now,” she replied, looking down at the ground. Ever since Emily turned eighteen half a year ago, nothing seemed to be going right for her. She still lived at home with her parents, and they were constantly nagging her about finding a job or going back to college. They didn’t understand how she felt - stuck between childhood and adulthood. All of her friends from high school had already graduated and moved away while she was still there, living in the same town where she grew up. Nothing ever changed around there, and she couldn’t wait to get out and see the world.

Sarah put her arm around Emily and gave her a sympathetic look. “Come on, things will change eventually. You just have to be patient,” she said encouragingly. Emily smiled weakly at her words, knowing deep down that she was probably right. But sometimes it was hard to stay positive when everything around her seemed so bleak.