The old Camry she drove was one of the few things her father had not taken when he left years ago. It had served her well but now its carpet was stained and the floor was littered with fast food wrappers and school papers. While at a stop light, she rummaged through her bag and backpack looking for something to her tie hair up before the honks of drivers behind her returned her eyes the open road ahead. With one hand on the wheel, she sped forward while pulling her long brown hair into a loose ponytail.
As the city turned to suburbs Alice’s mind began to wander. Her thought’s trailed along a daydream of the fun awaiting her in the coming fall. Thoughts of new friends and places filled her head before arriving at the events of the night before. The conflicts with her mother had sharply escalated over the last three months and last night was no exception. Her eighteenth birthday combined with a college acceptance letter had a dramatic impact on her sense of freedom and responsibility. It had become difficult for ‘notify’ her mother, Judith, of her whereabouts or come home before midnight. Alice simply saw this as a right she had recently gained. Why should she have to listen to her mother when she would be on her own in a matter of months?