Desperatelylonelyatonly17yearsoldmaynotbenormal,butsomanythingshadhappenedinmylifetomakemefeellikemyworldwascrashingdown.Growinguppoorhadneverbeeneasy,butsomehowImanagedtolivemylifearoundit.Mymother,asinglemotheroffour,wasstrugglingtomakeendsmeetworkingatourlocalMcDonalds.Iwastheoldestandjustayearbeforehadallthehopesanddreamsofanynormal16yearoldgirl.Iwasmoderatelyattractiveandat,perkyandoutgoing.Alwaysstrivingtodomybest,Imanagedtosqueezeoutsomeprettygoodgrades.Itookcollegeprepclassesinthehopesofsomedaybeinganurse.十七岁就感觉孤独无望也许并不常见，但在我生命里发生的很多事使我感到我的世界正在倒塌。自幼生活在贫苦当中是不容易的，但无论如何我还是走了过来。作为四个孩子的单亲妈妈，母亲在我们当地的麦当劳餐馆工作，艰难地维持着基本生活。我是最大的孩子。就在一年前，像其他所有普通的十六岁女孩一样，我对生活充满希冀和梦想。我长得算是迷人，有时还挺自信和外向的。我总是尽自己最大努力去拼搏，成绩也算不俗。我报读了大学预科班，希望将来成为一名护士。However,povertywhiskedmydreamaway.Mymothercouldnotaffordourfourtuitionfeesandshehadtostartmakingmestayhomefromschoolduringdayssheworkeddayshifttocareformy3-year-oldbrother.EventuallyIquitschool.Mydreamsofgoingtocollegewerewashedawayintheblinkofaneye.Iwasnowassumingtheroleofamothertomylittlebrother,takingonalltheresponsibilityofanystayathomemom.Whenmymotherworkednights,myresponsibilitygrewtotwoadditionalchildren,whowereschoolaged,andallthatitentailed.MostnightsIwouldgotobedexhaustedanddepressed.Ioftenwonderedifmylifewasevergoingtochange.IwouldnotcrytomymotheraboutmypitifullifebecauseIdidnotwishtoupsether.IwasfeelinglikeIhadnowayout.Itevenoccurredtomethatfortunedidnotfavormeandmylifewasdone.然而，贫困葬送了我的梦想。我母亲无法负担我们四个孩子的学费，不得不开始让我留在家里，好让我在她上白班时照顾三岁的弟弟。最后，我辍学了。我的大学梦眨眼间破灭。我现在担当弟弟的“母亲”角色，负担起任何留守家中的母亲所要承担的责任。当我母亲上晚班时，我还得照看另外两个已到读书年龄的孩子并担负起相关杂活。大多数夜晚，躺到床上，我已精疲力竭，满心沮丧。我常常思忖自己的人生是否会有所改变。我不会向母亲哭诉自己悲惨的人生，因为我不想让她难过。我感觉自己无路可走。我甚至觉得好运没有垂青于我，我的人生完了。Oneofmyfriendstriedtoenlightenmebytellingmethatsheworkedwithayoungmanwhohadayoungerbrothermyage,whojustmovedherefromCincinnati,Ohioanddidn’tknowanyone.Shegothisnumberandwantedmetogivehimacall.IwasnotinterestedatallbutlonelinessoverwhelmedmeandIneededtofindmywayout.Itriedtocalloneafternoonandgothisolderbrother.Thebrother,Brandon,saidthattheonewhoIwascallingfor,Scott,wasinCincinnatifortheweekvisitingoldfriends.ButheinvitedmetoapartythateveningandsaidScottwouldshowup.MyfriendandIwenttothatpartythateveningandsheintroducedmetothebrothershewasworkingwith,Brandon.Nosoonerwereweintroduced,atthatverymoment,andinwalkedaboyIhadneverseenintownbefore.Themomenthewalkedin,oureyeslocked.Ihonestlycouldnothearwhateveryoneelsewassaying.Andtomysurprise,hewaswalkingrightuptome,myfriendandBrandon.Allofasudden,Brandonlookedatme,andsaid,“Bytheway,thisismybrother,Scott!”我的一个朋友努力开导我，她告诉我，她的一位年轻男同事有个和我同龄的弟弟，刚从俄亥俄州的辛辛那提市搬到这里，人生地不熟。她拿到了他的电话号码，要我打电话给他。我根本就没兴趣。但孤独充斥着我的心，我需要找到一个宣泄的出口。有天下午，我试着打电话给他，接电话的却是他哥哥，布兰顿。他告诉我，斯科特（我要找的人）当周去了辛辛那提市拜访一些老朋...