Break Me Down

She is beautiful, thought Midge Midland, stunning.

She watched her daughter sling her backpack over her shoulder and shook her head in disappointment. The beautiful young woman glanced at her mother and her eyes lowered in defeat.

“Come on, Mom.” She sighed, brushing a stray lock of hair back over her shoulder in frustration. “You can’t keep looking at me like that. I’m going to get a complex.”

“You’re so beautiful and smart. I just don’t see why you can’t go to school and travel when you’re done.” She put her head in her hands which were resting on the counter top in the way-over-the-top kitchen.

“We’ve been through this mom. I will happily take my own life if I have to explain myself one more time.” Michelle sipped her coffee and poured the rest in a travel mug she pulled out of the dish washer. “I’m doing what feels right. That’s really the only justification I can give you.”

“Michelle I-”

“I’m going to be late for my first day. I have to go, Mom. I love you.” Michelle finished taking another slug of coffee and booking it out the door before her mom could rope her into another long conversation consisting of the exact same things she’d gone over when she first told her parents she wasn’t going to University this year.

She could only take so much of her mothers pleading and her fathers disapproving looks. It was enough to drive any sane person off the cliff.

Michelle grabbed her car keys and started the silver Kia Soul her parents had bought her a bribe to start her first year of University this year. It hadn’t worked, but she’d gotten to keep the car.

It was 7:45, leaving Michelle with 15 minutes to get to Target where she had just scored a full time job stocking shelves. She wasn’t exactly thrilled about working the whole summer while her friends got settled in the multiple different states where they were going to school. She would be alone with zero social life, but she was making money and could paint in her off time.

Last year while selecting which Universities to apply to she had tried to act as excited as her friends for the upcoming year. Engaging in mindless chatter about Frosh Week and sororities, but the novelty soon wore off as did the desire to even go to school. After being accepted to her three schools of choice, crushing the dreams of her parents wasn’t something she relished in, but it had to be done. She wasn’t ready to go to school and throw herself into a completely new set of circumstances.

She had decided to take a year off, work for the summer and travel until she decided otherwise, conveniently telling her parents she would return to school the next year.

It was only when her parents started telling her she was unmotivated, lazy and would never go back, that she decided she would travel for a year and kick ass in University next year.

Still, living at home was practically unbearable. She went to her art studio in the garage as often as she could and found solace in the paints and canvases.

As she pulled into the Target parking lot she mentally prepared herself for the next four months.

Pulling her khaki pants up further on her hips she readjusted her red shirt and walked through the front doors like she owned the place.

“Michelle?” A voice questioned, only 3 seconds after she had entered the building.

“You Target team members are really on top of things, huh?” She laughed, tucking her car keys in her backpack and shifting it on her hip.

“You bet cha!” She put her hands together excitedly, taking Michelle’s hand and ushering her towards the back room labelled, ‘Employee’s only’.

“And happy. Very happy.” Michelle muttered allowing herself to dragged a round like a rag doll.

By the end of her shift she was pretty well versed on all things Target. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure that shit out. It was easy and now she was on her way to her favorite art supply store to pick up some new canvases, brushes and acrylic paint.

“Hey Archie.” She smiled at the older man as she walked into the store.

“Elle. How are you?” He asked, standing up as a smile stretched out over his wrinkled skin. She ran her hand over the tips of the brushes as she answered with a shrug.

“Better than the homeless guy who practically accosted me outside Target this afternoon.” She cracked a smile at her own joke, trying not to remember that she had actually been quite scared at the time. “So, pretty shitty.”

“How was the first day?” He walked over to her and picked out some brushes he knew she’d like, as well as a set of acrylics he’d just gotten in.

“Easy. Boring.” She answered flatly, “I’m going straight to my studio to take my frustrations out on this poor piece of canvas. Hows life on the other side of the fence?”

“Katie has been strung out all week.” They walked to the cash register and he started ringing in her things as he spoke about his oldest daughter, “This band she likes is in town, doing some sort of tour.”

“I get that. If the Beatles were touring I’d be strung out too.” She frowned at him as she glanced at the total. “Arch, you didn’t charge me for half of this stuff.”

“Consider it a ‘Welcome to the full time slave’ club, gift.” He laughed as he bagged her things and she smiled brightly at him in thanks, “Let me know if you know anyone selling R5 tickets, Katie would shit bricks.”

“Got cha!” She called over her shoulder, exiting the store and speeding home to art studio.