-"What are you doing here?" she said

-"Free country isn't it?" he said

-"You've obviously come here for a reason."

-It's that obvious huh?" he said "I should say you came here for the same reason."

-"And if I did?' she said "I knew you'd come."

-"So I'm predictable now too?" he said

-"Shut up." she said

-"You came here for a reason, what do you want from me?" he said

-"Answers. Why should I question my freedom." she said

-"Everyone should question their freedom." he said "And while were questioning, why do you care so much, hmm?"

-"I don't..I mean I, I can't explain it." she said

-"Allow me to help." he said "How often do you do what you want over what's expected."

She didn't answer him

-"How often do you not do what you want because someone told you you're not allowed? Let me guess never."

She remained quiet

-"And am I right in guessing when you kissed me it was the first time in a long while that you did what you wanted to do, even though you knew it wasn't "right".

-"It's not like that." she said

-"Then tell me what it is like." he said

-"You can't understand what it's like, having so many people want so much good for you. You don't feel the pressure of all their good intentions. There are so many people who want for me so badly to succeed in...in everything. It's their dream for me..."

-"Their dream, not yours." he said

-"No my dream too...but," she said

-"But...no, not really. And therein lies the problem. You're living for someone else's dream. And fine it may be for you, but you're still trapped by it. And the worst part is, you don't even see it. Everything I'm saying is registering in some part of your mind, but you're going to ignore it, and tell yourself it isn't true. You have got to start living your own life, do what you want. Follow impulses. G-d anything you want just something, something to push you toward freedom."

-"How can you say that." she said

-"Because it's true, and until you realize that, you will remain trapped." he said.

He walked away after that, leaving her to her own thoughts. Without realizing it she did exactly what he said she would. She told herself it wasn't true. She convinced herself that he was saying those things out of anger. And so she remained trapped. But every so often his word popped into her head, mixed with similar words from someone else. Her heart's voice gained strength though. She did sometimes do what she wanted, things that weren't part of the plan. But she felt so guilty doing them, that they were far and few between. So she stayed with the boyfriend like everyone expected her too. She did extra work and pulled off top marks at the expense of a lot of social events, but it was all in the name of the dream. Her heart won one battle, she choose a different school, one that wasn't the dream school. Her mother was angry when she accepted that school. Sure it was much closer to home, but it wasn't part of the dream. But she was persistent. She wanted to go to that school. She carefully explained to her mother the pros of her choice and eventually the mother relented. But otherwise, everything was going according to plan, the dream was moving at full steam ahead.

She never talked to him again, after their talk on the bridge. When they were forced to talk at the diner, the conversations were brief and one worded. She never really got over him, she seemed t have a problem with that. Every time she saw him with a girl she had a flash of jealousy, followed by a look of longing, of wishing it was her. But the webs which wove her trap were strong.

Before she left the town, her mother threw a farewell party. Random towns folk stopped in to wish her luck and to give her cards or presents. He showed up. She hadn't expected him too. He walked over to her, handed her a card and walked out. She opened the card and it said:

"Mankind is at its best when it is most free. This will be clear if we grasp the principle of liberty. We must recall that the basic principle of liberty is freedom of choice, which saying many have on their lips but few in their minds."
-

Dante Alighieri

is freedom in your mind, and if no, then why not? Individuality is freedom lived. Live.