An Arranged Marriage Will I Love Him?

I tapped my pencil so many questions, thoughts, and concerns where going through my mind. I couldn't stop thinking about last night. If only it had never happened. I mean wasn't this what I had been asking for, was to see him? Yes, but it didn't happen the way I wanted it to. 

"Miss Cassandra Draper are you going to present with your partner or just sit there in La La Land?" Ms. Grange said.

I blinked getting out of my thoughts, and then I blushed for I realized what she had just told me. I got up carefully, I was shaking all over; not because I was sick or nervous to stand in front of everyone and speak, but because of last night. My stomach was churning when I got up there, "sorry," I whispered to my friend Madison.

"It's fine, let's just get this over with," Madison whispered back.
Madison started talking about our topic, and what we thought about it. I stopped listening, my mind was somewhere else today, I didn't want what was coming, and I didn't want any of this. I wanted to be here presenting confidently like I always do, but he ruined it. He ruined our lives. My stomach did a dance, all a sudden all eyes where on me, why where they staring at me? They didn't know. Then the room started getting blurry, and the last thing I remember before going unconscious was a scream.

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I got home from my hard day at and work; my work is called Sweet Cupcakes and I usually got off at around five o'clock. I took off my pink apron, my pink hat with the cupcake logo on it when I heard someone come dashing in. "Cassy, Cassy, Cassy!" Rushing in came my little eleven year old sister Sophie, "Guess what! Guess what!"

Sophie jumped up onto the dingy counter sitting up tall trying to be the same height I was.

"What?" I asked.

"I got an A on my spelling test!" Sophie twisted the paper in her hands and handed it to me.

I looked down over all the words, "Wow Sophie your smarter than me."

Sophie blushed grabbing the paper back; "No one is as smart as you Cassy, besides mom of course." Sophie walked over to the fridge where a picture of the three of us at the park, and a bunch of good grades, and tests where hanging on the dingy fridge, "Can I put it on?"

I grabbed a black magnet at the top, and handed it to her, "Of course!" 

Once that was done Sophie looked up with her black sparkling eyes, "does that mean we get pizza tonight?"

I laughed, "Yeah, let me just call mom, and ask."

"Yes!" Sophie ran out of the small kitchen and into the one bathroom we had, and started singing.

I reached out my cheap, beat up phone, and called mom, "Hey mom, Sophie got an A on her spelling test and she is wondering if we can get pizza tonight?"

"I don't think we can afford it tonight," Mom sighed.
Poor mom she'd struggled taking care of three kids for the past nine years only to have one of her kids taken away from her three years ago. If it weren't for the fact that I'd gotten a job then Sophie would have been taken away too. I looked down at the money in my hand, "It's okay mom I got my pay check today."

"Oh all right, but get the cheap pizza I hate having you pay," Mom clicked off.

I practically paid half the bills, I still couldn't figure out why my mom hated me buying pizza. I tucked my grey phone away I only had twenty minutes left for this month other wise I'd be paying more than I could afford. I picked up the house phone dialing for the $3 buck pizza place and ordered one pizza. Ten minutes later the door rang, I went, and opened the door, "that'll be $3.50." The delivery boy said looking up his face was taken a back. Oh boy not another judgmental person, "Here is seven dollars and yes I've got blue hair and I like it." I slammed the door in his face irritated with him. That's right I have blue hair, I meant to dye it something else, but lets just say there was a mix up with the dye, and every time someone new saw me they thought I was part of a gang because of it, but I am certainly not in a gang or emo for that matter.

"Pizza! Pizza! Pizza!" Sophie came running out while I put the paper plates down. We couldn't afford paying to wash dishes so we ate off of paper plates, cups, and so forth. The rest of the afternoon went by usual by seven my mom got home, I had her pizza warmed up, and ready.

"Thanks kids," mom sighed, she sounded tired.

"How was work mom?" I asked.

"Not good I still haven't sold a single piece of furniture this month," Mom bites into her cheap pizza. My mom was a sales woman for a furniture warehouse store, and if you didn't sale anything at least once a month you wouldn't get a raise and sometimes you'd get fired. "I'm not cut out for this job Cassandra."

"Just stick to it. I know you'll do better," I said.

Mom chewed her pizza, "Yeah I guess." Mom flipped her brunette hair, "How is school."

"Good as always all B's and one A," I smiled. The A was in art, anything artsy was my type of thing.

"Good I want you to graduate High School," Mom said.

"Mom it's two weeks away its official I'm graduating don't worry," I reassured her.

"Mom I got an A on my spelling test!" Sophie interrupted our conversation by sitting on moms lap, and giving her a hug.
Mom smiled, "Wow you're quite the smart girl aren't you?" Mom looked in Sophie's eyes tickling her. I sighed they both had black sparkling eyes, my eyes where dark blue meaning I had to have gotten them from my dad. I didn't want my dads eyes he left us when Sophie was only two, Tanner was six, and I was nine. Mom said he couldn't handle being a husband and dad any more so he left. Six years we struggled, when mom finally got a descent job it was too late the state got involved, apparently they didn't like the fact that mom couldn't take care of all three of us so they came by, and told us they had to take one of us away. It was horrible, Sophie was only eight she didn't fully understand what was going on, but Tanner and I did. Just as I was about to volunteer Tanner stepped up, and said, "I'm the man of the house I'll take the responsibility."
I gawked at him, "No I'm the eldest I only have three years until I'm eighteen then I'll come back."

"Sorry kid I can only take one of the two youngest," the lady said.

Sophie started to cry, Tanner looked up at me, "I have to do this for the greater good of the family."

Tears ran down my face, "We love you too much to let you go."

"I'm sorry but this is how it is," The lady who was taking Tanner away said.

All of us gathered one last time as a family, and gave good-bye hugs. With his small suitcase of very few items Tanner left. He was only twelve. if only they would have waited a year I would be eligible for a minimum wage job. That day I blamed my dad if he had stayed and helped we would all still be together, but no he left. Three years Tanner has been gone, and we still don't know what happened to him. That's why I'm not a fan of my eyes there pretty I'll admit, but when I see my eyes I think of him, and how he has never been there for us. Sophie spoke breaking my thoughts, "will you draw my bath Cassy?"

I blinked away tears I wasn't going to cry for someone who meant nothing to me. I put a fake smile on, "Of course." I went into the bathroom, plugged the drain, and got the water the way she liked it; hot. "Now make sure you scrub your ears," I said shutting the door behind me.

I walked into the tiny living room; I started picking up backpacks, notebooks, and shoes. When a knock came, "Cassandra will you get that!" My mom yelled from hers and Sophie's bedroom. Putting everything down I went over to open the door thinking it was Dylan. Opening it I was surprised to find a well dressed man and (who was surprised to see my blue hair;) the man looked like he had just shaved, was at least 6ft 1, has black thick hair, and has fair skin. Then I got to his eyes and staring back at me where these deep dark blue eyes, my eyes.

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Hey up top is a picture of Cassandra Draper and what she looks like. She looks exactly like she does in the picture as she does in the story. Vote/comment.