Cowgirl Boots: a Cinderella Story

Chapter 3

Grace's older brother, Roy, sped way past the speed limit in their mini-van.  The sun had begun to set, causing the sky to turn deep orange.  Alicia and my step-sisters followed us in our truck.  My heart pounded faster and faster as I prayed and prayed that Father would be alright, but when we pulled into the farm yard, Father had already died.  Tears ran down my face as I tried to control my unstoppable sobs as I had knelt next to my Father's still, slightly bloodied body.  Grace tried to comfort me with a hug and I clung to her so hard I feared I would kill her too.  I pulled away, letting my head fall on her lap.  

"I'm so sorry, Iris."  Grace whispered, tears glistening in her own eyes.  

Father had been loved and known by many as a good friend.  We would all miss him terribly, but I couldn't bare to think of my life without my father.  I just cried, blocking out everything around me, even as Alicia tried to tear me away from Grace.  

"Leave her alone!"  I heard Grace yell.  

"She is my daughter, you imbecile!"  Alicia snapped, slapping my best friend's cheek.  

I opened my eyes at the sound of Grace's gasp and immediately stood up, clinging to Grace's shoulder.  

"Leave her out of this, Alicia!"  I growled, tears still streaming down my cheeks.  

"You are forbidden from speaking to anyone in this family again."  Alicia snapped.  

"I knew you didn't care about Father!"  I yelled.  

Grace's mother came running to my side.  

"Listen, sweetie."  She told me, wrapping her arms around me calmly, "we'll take care of you.  Don't worry about anything."  

Alicia jerked me out of my best friend's family's arms and practically dragged me to the truck.  

"I can walk by myself, Alicia!"  I cried.  

"I don't care."  Alicia growled, her stony eyes flashing.  

Alicia threw me into the back seat, where Georgie tried to catch me from falling onto the floor.  Georgie's eyes glistened with tears, as she held me close to her.  My mind throbbed.  Why was this happening to me?  God, how could You let this happen?!  I tried to blink back the tears again, but I couldn't.  I cried into Georgie's shoulder as she tried to stifle my sobs.  

"Grow up, girl!"  Alicia scolded, "this is not the way a young woman should act!"  

I ignored her, however much her words still stung.  

"Your father probably didn't hold on long enough to see you, only because he was ashamed of you.  You're to weak."  Alicia continued, her eyes blazing.  

I cried louder, no longer caring if Alicia disapproved, as I felt Georgie stiffen.  How could she say that?  My father would never be ashamed of me!  When we pulled up in the driveway, Benjamin stood in the door frame to the house, confusion etched on his face.  I scrambled out of the truck and ran toward him.  I wrapped him in a huge hug and squeezed him with all the might I had left.  

"What's wrong, Iris?"  He asked earnestly.  

I just continued to cry.  

"Mr. Thompson died."  Georgie told Benjamin softly, placing a hand on my shoulder.  

"Oh no, how?  I'm so sorry, Iris."  Benjamin whispered horsely, squeezing me tighter.  

I told myself to calm down, but crying wasn't going to help anything.  I would let myself cry all night, but right now, I needed to know how Father died.  But Alicia forbade me from talking to Grace, and how else was I supposed to find out?  What was going to happen now?  I pulled away from Benjamin, meeting his watery eyes.  Alicia and Selina came up behind me, Alicia shoving me into the house, and Selina followed, slamming the door behind her so neither Georgie or Benjamin could follow us.  I demanded myself to stand up tall; they would never get the best of me. I took a deep breath and jerked away from Alicia's hold.  

"What do you want, Alicia?"  I demanded calmly, leaving my tears to dry on my cheeks.  

"Do you see how Georgie works for me without question?  How Selina never tires from long days of submission to me?  That is what I want of you."  Alicia replied, deadly quiet.  

My eyes burned.  What choice did I have?  I nodded stiffly, forming fists with my hands.  Benjamin and Georgie barged in from the kitchen door.

"Your fired.  Never step foot on this property again."  Alicia commanded Benjamin, not even bothering to glance at him.  

When he didn't move, I met his gaze and nodded for him to leave.  I knew he would never leave me unless he was forced to, but I needed him to go so he didn't get hurt.  Benjamin gulped and lowered his teary gaze in defeat.  

"Yes, ma'm."  He answered, his voice cracking slightly, before disappearing into the kitchen again.  

Georgie glanced at him as he left, blinking back her own tears.  I took a deep breath.  We were in this together now.  

"What are you waiting for, Iris?"  Selina asked coldly.  

I straightened my shoulders and walked into the kitchen, finding the plate of hamburger patties exactly where I had left them.  I blinked back tears and forced myself to warm them up.  When I had finished, Georgie called Alicia and Selina, for I couldn't trust my voice.  The meal was unfriendly and deadly quiet.  Father wasn't there to make Alicia fake politeness and Benjamin wasn't there to break the ice.  I kept my head down as I served them, not daring to meet any of their gazes.  Georgie finished first and began helping me clean up, but Alicia never gave me the chance to eat.  

I cried myself to sleep that night, as I did every night for weeks.  Alicia sold the farm, but I insured that Thunder didn't go anywhere and that he would come with me.  We moved to a small house on Alicia's stable property.  I didn't talk to God the entire time.  Alicia forced me to pay for Thunder's keep in one of the stalls in her stable, forty dollars a week.  I took a night shift at the only McDonalds in town.  Then school started, and everything just got worse.  

HEY EVERYONE!  THANKS SO MUCH FOR READING!  IF YOU ENJOYED, PLEASE COMMENT AND VOTE!:)  BTW, DO YOU GUYS THINK I SHOULD MAKE THIS BOOK MATURE?  OR DO YOU THINK THAT EVERYONE ON WATTLED SHOULD BE ABLE TO READ EMOTIONAL AND LIGHT PHYSICAL ABUSE?