After all the brainstorming and research, I can finally put my story together. This is the final good draft of my story after I have done all the editing. Enjoy reading it!
The New Girl in the Mirror
By: Julie Wang
Charlotte, a fourteen-year-old girl with blonde hair and blue eyes, had lived her whole life in the lap of luxury. Because she was an only child, Charlotte was spoiled and received everything she had ever asked for. In fact, her parents spent a good amount of money on Charlotte’s clothes, toys, and anything she needed or wanted. Moreover, one thing Charlotte never had to worry about was doing chores. Her mother ensured that her daughter’s laundry was washed, folded and stacked in neat piles in her closet. Her mother made Charlotte’s bed every morning and made and served all her daughter’s meals. Charlotte’s room, which was littered with dirty clothes, toys, stuffed animals, and all the other things that this spoiled little girl had acquired, was tidied up when she came home from school. Oftentimes, Charlotte’s room was as dirty as a pigpen, but she didn’t seem to mind because she knew that her “personal maid” would get the job done in no time. Since everything was done for Charlotte, she became incredibly lazy and entitled, and she felt an emptiness in her life.
The years flew by, and Charlotte graduated from high school. However, not a single thing had changed about her lifestyle, and she was as entitled and empty as ever. In fact, as she grew older, Charlotte wanted to go out with her friends more often, and she depended even more on her parents, who would do everything for her. Sometimes, when she was with her friends, Charlotte felt a dichotomy between her friends and herself because there was a certain feeling of happiness and confidence they conveyed. They seemed proud of their responsibilities. Charlotte began to feel even more empty inside and she searched for the elusive feeling of belonging. One day, Charlotte decided to move out into her own apartment. Her parents were actually relieved when Charlotte told them the news. They had begun to realize that doing everything for their daughter was not a good thing, and they hoped that she would begin to develop some responsibility.
Charlotte wanted to live independently and hoped that this would bring her the happiness and fulfillment that was eluding her. The first couple of days of living by herself made Charlotte feel carefree and happy because she did not have to constantly be watched like a hawk by her parents. However, a week passed, and the chores around the apartment began piling up, and there was no longer anyone to do her laundry or to cook and clean for her. Her moving boxes were strewn all over the floor and her possessions had not been put in place. On top of all that, the floor was incredibly filthy. Charlotte woke up one morning and looked around at the messy apartment. She soon realized that she was still not happy. The messy apartment made her even more depressed. She had never lived in such a dirty and disgusting environment. What was she supposed to do? Call her mother to come over and do her work for her? She couldn’t bring herself to do that.
Charlotte went to bed that night in her stained t-shirt and sweatpants. She lay in bed reflecting about her life and how she had never had to do any work while living with her parents. She had thought that she was lucky, but now she thought that maybe her friends had an advantage because they had certain responsibilities that rendered them happier than she was. That’s when Charlotte had an epiphany. She was an independent woman now, and independence goes hand in hand with responsibility. Charlotte drifted into sleep, feeling content that she had finally figured out what she needed to do to find that fulfillment and happiness that her friends had.
The next day, Charlotte woke up to the warm, bright sun shining on her face. Today is the day, Charlotte thought, today is the day I get my priorities straight and finally become an independent woman. The smiling sun encouraged Charlotte to get out of bed and begin tidying up her apartment right away. She was determined to prove to herself that she was capable of being independent without her parents. Charlotte washed the dishes, cleaned and folded the laundry, and tidied the whole apartment until all the boxes were put away and the floor was swept. Next, she reorganized all her belongings so that they were in the right spots. After many hours of cleaning and tidying, Charlotte felt exhausted, but as she looked around her apartment, she smiled at all she had accomplished. Even though, Charlotte’s clothes were dirty, and her hair was a mess, it was evident that the spoiled and immature Charlotte had disappeared. Instead, the woman standing in front of the mirror at the entrance was an independent woman who was on her way to finding the meaning and happiness in her life that had eluded her for so long.
