McKayla probably would've never worked at The Sparrow if she hadn't looked up to 

Imogen Howe

. Now the admiration was gone, but in its place was friendship, without which McKayla would've probably already left. Where to? she didn't know. In some ways she preferred being able to blame this tie to her friend as the reason for why she wasn't living a more purposeful life.

Life felt more confusing these days. When she first learned about The Sparrow and how Imogen at barely 21 was taking over the entirety of the cafe's operations, life seemed simpler. There seemed clear rules on how to live. It was obvious what was important. Imogen Howe was doing it right: taking charge, doing what she loved; something in the real world unlike those pretentious college kids learning useless facts at school.

The years passed however. Now the cafe wasn't doing so well. The glow in Imogen's eyes seemed to have mostly vanished, and with it McKayla's admiration for doing things one's own way. She thought to herself, "what good is doing things your own way when you end up broke in the end?"

Some days she even felt bitter. Not just about Imogen and herself but also for the people who didn't come in to the cafe. Why didn't more people come? And worst of all she felt bitter for the people who did come in. Why did they not want to spend more money? Why did they expect to pay such lousy sums and expect the world to be handed to them on a saucer? "Bullshit", McKayla thought. It was all bullshit.