intro

                                    

                                          
Summer was finally coming to an end and autumn was right around the corner. The wind felt cooler, the air smelled crisp, and leaves started to turn into shades of yellows and oranges. But after days of cold wind gusts and frosting roof tops, this day was an exception from the transition from summer to fall as the sun came out and gave New York one last heat wave. 
A piece of pink ribbon that was once in her hair was now hanging off of a branch, blowing from the hot breeze that came every once in a while. Eventually, the wind blew the satin material off of the branch and it blew away to seek the freedom that she had always longed for. 
Justine laid in the grass with her arms sprawled out as she squinted up at the sky, finding shapes and figures in the clouds. Small yellow and white weeds sprouted from the hot, green grass around her and she watched as leaves separated from the branches, gracefully fluttering down until they gently settled themselves on the grass.
"Justine!" A voice called from inside the house. "come inside, you're getting filthy. 
She sighed, coming back to the realization that the heat of the day would never be as stifling as the formality of her life.
As she rolled her eyes, she dusted off her dress before trudging her way back inside the house. "I need another name, one that won't be worn out from being called so much." She mumbled to herself, speaking in a low voice that isn't usually heard in rich girls.
"Justine!"
She came into the house through the side door and made a bee line for her bedroom. "what, I'm coming!"
Her mother held up a light green dress with a white, high collar, laced detailing and puffed sleeves. "we're going to the Hearst's house tonight for dinner, what do you think of this?" With her free hand, she motioned to the dress that hung off of the hanger. It was light green and... a lot. It had a high, laced collar with a pale pink lace lining the bottom hem of the dress. To make matters worse, there were laced patterns all over it, and to tie it all together, a large, pale pink bow was on the back which would sit right on her tailbone. 
Justine grimaced, scanning the dress top to bottom. "I'm not wearing that, it's ghastly." Out of the corner of her eye, she found a book that appealed to her, so she jumped onto her bed and opened it only for her mother to pluck it right out of her hands. "hey!"
"get up, I need to adjust your corset." She groaned and reluctantly got up in which she faced away from her mother. "dear goodness, what happened to your dress?" She asked, noticing the large grass stain on the back of her white dress. Not that it was hard to notice anyways.
"I was outside." Justine simply replied as her mother unzipped her dress and slid it off of her body. 
"and where's your hair ribbon?"
She shrugged. "lost it- ow!" She gasped as her mother tightened her corset. "I could hardly breathe!" 
"with beauty comes pain, Justine." Her mother replied as she tied the string into a bow to secure it. "the Hearst's have a son around your age, his name is Bill. Nice boy... not very tall."
Torso practically squeezed against her insides, she gripped onto her bed in pain. "I know who Bill is mom, I've met him before." 
"good, you'll skip the awkward small talk then." She stated with a nod and patted Justine's shoulders before motioning to the dress that would make her look like an iced cupcake when she wore it. 
"do I have to wear that?" She questioned, raising her eyebrows and crossing her arms.
"the Hearst's are good friends of ours and we think that it's possible that Bill and yourself are a good fit for each other." Her mother started her way out of Justine's room. "now if you excuse me, I need to cut some more ribbon for your hair since you keep losing it." Once she was out, her younger sister of two years strolled in almost immediately. Justine internally groaned to herself; all she wanted was to be alone for a little while, was that too much to ask for?
"Julia, I'm changin' here!" Justine yelled and rolled her eyes. 
Her little sister, Julia, has always been the golden child. She was always the pretty one, the talented one, the feminine one. Boys at school hardly paid attention to Justine, but they often pined over Julia. Your Julia is so beautiful. She has a bright future ahead of her. People would tell her mother.
But Justine?
She was smart, granted that, a top performer in her class. But Justine had alternative plans for her future. She wasn't too keen on the whole marry a wealthy man expectation, that had been placed upon her as soon as she came out of the womb. She felt as if she was trapped; chained to a path of her mother's design and she had swallowed the key so that Justine could never break free. 
Undoubtedly, she hated it all.
Julia sat on her bed and crossed her legs. "you should try a new look." She suggested innocently, tilting her head to the side as she examined her older sister. "maybe it'll get you noticed this year. Oh- I'm finally of age where my name could be on the notice board! I hope Jess Thatcher notices me, he's so cute!" She squealed. Unlike Justine, Julia spoke in a softer and higher pitched voice, one that sounded more elegant than Justine's.
"ugh," Justine groaned. "the day somebody notices me is the day my life is over." She slipped on her green dress and turned her back to Julia, an inaudible way of asking her to zip the back up.
Julia chuckled as she zipped Justine's dress up. "well, good thing that won't happen." 
"you don't understand, Julia." Justine turned around to face her and crossed her arms. "I don't want to go to Paris after I'm finished with school. I don't want to go and marry rich. I want to go to University then make a career and living for myself." 
"and you don't understand our society." Julia retorted, brushing her long hair with her fingers. "the only way that a woman could get by is if she marries a rich man." 
Justine groaned and flopped onto the bed in the nearest space from where Julia was sitting. She hated the fact that a woman couldn't make a life for herself; she hated that marrying rich was the only option. A month ago, she listened as a girlsie gave a speech about the potential and intelligence that women have and she believed her. 
She was since inspired by her. 
She was smart, she was talented and she wanted to enhance her abilities to reach her true potential. She was tired of her entire life being planned out by her parents without once asking her what she wanted. She was sick of it.
Justine perked up. "all that's going to change." She stated and stood up, smoothing out the creases that was made on her dress. "I'll show you- everyone I can get by on my own!" With that, she walked out of her room and went outside again. Barefooted, she walked down their yard and all the way to the dark fence in which she clutched onto the bars and stared out into the distance. 
Outside of the gate is where Justine would reach her potential. Out there, she will prove everybody wrong. She will get by and it'll be all her doing, and she will treasure every instant.
Out there, she will stroll down the streets. She will taste the morning and people will know her name; her's.
She'll show them.