The Strawberry Fields

Day One

I never really liked my family. I mean, they hated me. The nine of them, my twin older brothers, three older sisters,  a younger set of twins, one male and one female, along with my parents looked like the gods. Long black hair, golden tan skin, seething amber eyes; they were the most beautiful people I'd ever met. All of the women had great figures, the men and strong and burly, and everyone stood at well over 5 and a half feet. Their voices could clear clouds from the sky and their beauty could make even the saddest of people smile.

These traits are why they hated me.

First of all, I was short. Where as my sisters were 5 foot 11, I was inching at 5 foot 3. My skin was pale and white, and was hardly consistent, with some parts pink and other milk. My eyes were a light grey color, my hair shoulder length and an odd copper. I was as flat as a board, my figure resembling that of a six year old boy. For years, my family tested and tested on me, hoping to get a different answer. The one they received was always the same.

I was their child.

After finding out, my family did the one thing they could, avoided me. They made me work in the strawberry fields, gave me a room in the fields themselves, and sent my packages to me through the people who worked for us. My own tutor had to trek through those huge lanes just to come help me.

Honestly, it didn't bother me. I didn't have to worry about the hotel my family ran, or the visitors who came, or even interacting with anyone who happened to pass by. I sat on the steps of my hut and read. If people tried to ask me questions about anything; the fields, where our island came from, or the Greek Legends that came with our location, I simply pointed them towards the main house and they left me, the weak link alone.

That's what I was hoping for when he strolled up to me that day. I was reading one of my favorite books, The Girl Of Fire and Thorns, definitely one of the best supernatural-fantasy books on the market, when he walked right up to me.

The light above me was cut out and I sighed, looking down at my hand-me-down black Doc Martens from my oldest brother, Marcus.

"Do you need something?" I asked, pushing up my thick framed reading glasses and looking up to who was in front of me. My eyes adjusted, and when they did, my mouth dropped open.

The man was tall, obviously taller than me, and maybe taller than my brothers. His hair was black, and black stubble was on his face. He was slightly tan, but not dark. Under his white t-shirt, muscles rippled. He wore dark wash jeans and black combat boots, which shouldn't have looked as good on him as they did.

"I was looking from my hotel room and saw the fields, and also this little hut out here, and couldn't help but want to explore. And I saw you and had to stop by. So," He held a hand down to me, giving me a lopsided smile. "Hello. My name is Reid."

I furrowed my eyebrows and closed my book, standing on my step. It gained me a few more inches, but I was still way shorter than him. He still wore him smile as I slid my small hand into his. He shook it gently and I said, "Dakota."

"Well, Ms. Dakota, would you care to join me in a walk through the strawberry fields?" He joked. I was taken aback. This absolutely stunning man was asking me, a girl with huge glasses, choppy hair, no make-up, wearing my sister's booty shorts, my brother's camo green top, and his boots, to take a walk with him. I narrowed my eyes, setting down my book and looking to his outstretched arm. I looped mine in it and we stepped away from my door.

As we strolled through the plants, several workers stopped and stared at the two of us. They were used to seeing me out, and when they did, they'd smile and have a conversation with me. But seeing me out with a guest has never happened before, and they were shocked.