From the day
Perspective: The Teenager · Sight
The neon glare of the mall’s arcade is totally blinding, reflecting off my side-swept bangs and the shiny plastic of a Wall-E animatronic I'm dying to grab. I’ve got Leona Lewis’s "Bleeding Love" blasting through one earbud while I roll my eyes at the cashier; I just handed over five bucks for snacks and realized a single loaf is up to **$1.37** now—absolute robbery. Mom thinks I’m a total newbie at managing money, but I’m too busy staring at the gold price headlines on the newsstand and wondering if I can trade my old jewelry for a new iPod. Everything feels like it’s vibrating under these fluorescent lights, and honestly, if I don't get out of this skinny-jean-clad crowd soon, I’m going to lose it.