Haha awesome! I love the way you write! Very good imagery and stuffs.
Just one thing--what you said about New Jersey, "Around here, everyone is abnormally weird, distinctly original, or possibly even half insane." No way! Over here, everyone is outstandingly ordinary. But still, you're right, no one would be bothered by a seventeen year-old talking to herself or anything. Because here in NJ--well where I live--people just don't care about others. They don't have the time! Everyone's busy with their own lives to even wave a simple hello. It's like that in Belleville too, my cousins live there. But I understand that this is fiction so...awesome job! I loved it!
But I also think that there could be so much more to this story! Will you think about continuing it?