An Arranged Marriage Will I Love Him?

Chp 9. No fairytale Endings

You know those fairytale stories where the girl gets swept off her feet and dances the night away with an amazing, handsome man? Well let me get this straight, being here with Warren is no fairytale. I hate every second of it. He danced with me once, once is all it took. He didn't look into my eyes and get lost in them, or stutter at the fact that he was with me like they do in romance movies. We didn't talk at all and right now I was being bored out of my mind because I had to follow him everywhere and talk to "important people", as Warren would say. I however did get a kick out of it when people noticed the faint bruise around his eye, and he would tell them he got jumped in an alley. I had to bite my tongue in order not to laugh at that.

Right now though I was at the appetizers table getting food into my stomach. It was already nine thirty and I hadn't eaten anything. I might have been able to go with out food in the past, but now that I'm used to getting three meals a day (my mother fed me, but I made myself not eat for the sake of saving, my mother never found out.) Looking around I looked at all the older couples compared to their teenagers and their dates. A lot of them were models. Then out of the corner of my eye I saw Warren sneak out with some random chick. Figures, if we were to get technical we probably shouldn't go on dates, or be with anyone else considering since we have to marry each other, but it hasn't "officially" happened yet. I shrugged it off, I never thought us meeting would be a fairytale anyway. When I was a little girl I was the one who believed in fairytales; when I was little I had dreamed my life would be like a fairytale. It all changed the night I realized my father wasn't coming home. In fact when my father left I hadn't realized he wasn't returning until my mom told me. The memory instantly came and I was suddenly reliving that moment.

"Mommy, Tanner's ice cream is dripping all over the side walk," I said licking my own ice cream.

Mom started helping Tanner with his ice cream, and helped wipe it off his face. My parents had been fighting a lot lately. At the time I didn't recognize what was going on, but now I do. They where having financial problems. Mom worked part time that way she could take care of us kids when we got home. Dad worked full time, but still had enough time for us. We just wouldn't see my dad until seven, which was when dinner was usually ready. Everything was going fine until my dad was laid off due to his works budget cuts. Because of this he turned to drinking, he didn't hurt any one when he drank, but my mom hated him drinking, she was against it from the moment he took the first swig. Now because of no job, his drinking problem, depression, and financial problems my parents had been fighting a lot lately. That's why we went out for ice cream so my mom could explain to us that everything was okay and that things would get better soon. To not worry about mommy and daddy.

Walking up the steps while holding three year old Sophie mom unlocked the door to our little suburban house. It contained three rooms, two bathrooms, a small kitchen connecting to the dining room, and next to that was our small living room. It wasn't a big house, but it was doable for us.

Tanner raced inside shouting, "Daddy! We've brought ice cream!"

I rolled my blue eyes, "Tanner you're weird."

"Cassandra don't call your brother weird," Mom commanded shutting the door. Going into the living room mom set down Sophie giving her some toys to play with.

"Daddy!" Tanner shouted again.

I wonder if he's playing hide and seek! I thought. "Daddy! Come out, come out, where ever you are! Your ice creams going to melt if you don't stop playing hide and seek!" I shouted.

"Tanner, Cassandra stop shouting," Mom demanded. Coming over to us she led us to the living room. "Now you two stay here and play with your sister I'll be right back with dad. Cassandra your in charge." Mom said walking away.