"Desperation in the Garden State"

Ashley Frangipane trudged through the cracked sidewalk, her worn-out sneakers making a soft squeaking sound with each step. She was 16, but the weight of her responsibilities made her feel like she was decades older. Her dark brown hair was tied back in a messy ponytail, and her bright green eyes seemed to hold a perpetual sadness. She lived in a small, rundown house in New Jersey with her two brothers, Sevian and Dante, and her parents, Chris and Nicole. As she walked, Ashley couldn't help but think about how far her family had fallen. Her parents had been teenagers when they had her, and they had dropped out of college to raise her and her brothers. They worked multiple jobs just to make ends meet, but it was never enough. The house was a hand-me-down from Chris's parents, and it showed. The paint was chipped, the roof was leaky, and the furniture was worn and faded. Ashley's parents were a complex and troubled pair. Her father, Chris, was an angry man, quick to lash out at anyone who crossed him. He was an alcoholic, and his drinking problem had cost him and his family dearly. Her mother, Nicole, was a different story altogether. She was always depressed, lost in a world of her own making. She would often spend hours in bed, unable to get out, and leave Ashley to care for her brothers. Ashley felt like she was drowning in her family's desperation. She had given up on her own dreams and aspirations, and instead focused on finding ways to escape. For her, that meant one thing: men. She had started sleeping with men twice her age when she was 14, and it had become a way for her to feel something, anything, other than the crushing emptiness that had become her life. As she turned the corner onto her street, Ashley saw her brothers, Sevian and Dante, playing in the front yard. Sevian, 13, was trying to teach Dante, 4, how to ride a bike. Ashley smiled, feeling a pang of love for her little brothers. She knew she had to get out of this life, for their sake as much as her own. Ashley walked up the path and into the house, trying to shake off the feeling of despair that had settled over her. Her mother was sitting on the couch, staring blankly at the TV. Her father was in the kitchen, drinking a beer. Ashley felt a familiar knot in her stomach as she caught his eye. "Hey, kiddo," he growled, not even bothering to look up. Ashley ignored him and went to her room, shutting the door behind her. She collapsed onto her bed, feeling exhausted and trapped. She knew she had to get out of this life, but she didn't know how. All she knew was that she couldn't stay here, stuck in this cycle of poverty and desperation, forever. As she lay there, Ashley's mind began to wander. She thought about all the things she wanted to do, all the places she wanted to go. She thought about the kind of life she wanted to have, one that was free from the suffocating grip of her family's problems. And she knew that she would do whatever it took to make that happen, even if it meant sacrificing her own happiness and well-being. The sound of her father's angry voice drifted through the walls, and Ashley felt a familiar sense of dread wash over her. She knew that she had to escape, and she knew that she had to do it soon. But for now, she just lay there, lost in her thoughts, and waited for the storm to pass.