Cowgirl Boots: a Cinderella Story

Chapter 5

I walked swiftly toward the stables, assuming that Selina would go there.  I didn't find her, or Alicia.  My eyes narrowed as I walked down the aisles.  Each horse had it's hay, grain and water.  I stopped at Thunder's stall and rubbed his forehead.  

"I don't know what to do, Thunder."  I whispered.  

Well, I wasn't getting anywhere doing nothing.  Maybe I could finish my homework quickly and then go for a ride.  Maybe.  I wouldn't know until I tried, so I tried.  I gave up on finding Selina and Alicia and hurried up to my room, in the attic, and opened my notebook.  I took a deep breath and started.  

Georgie joined me after a couple hours, around eight o'clock.  I was almost finished.  

"I can't think anymore."  She complained, sprawling out on my bed.  

I began cleaning up my papers and placed them in their folders.  Georgie was silent for a couple minutes.  

"Do you ever wonder why we even try to keep living, Iris?  I mean, why don't I simply give up, why am I one of those people who won't let themselves give up?"  She asked.  

I twisted around in my chair to look at her.  

"God has a plan for you, Georgie."  I reminded her, before realizing that she probably didn't have a relationship with Christ, I added, "He made you that way for a reason, it could be that you are sill alive, just so you could find Him."  

Georgie held my gaze for a while.  Her eyes narrowed in deep contemplation.  

"I don't know, Iris.  That's what Benjamin said too."  She answered quietly, returning her gaze to the ceiling.  

"Benjamin?"  I asked, resting my chin on my arm.  

A soft smile lit up Georgie's face before she contained it.  

"I asked him if he ever wondered why we were even here, on earth, and he told me that God made us to worship Him."   She replied.  

She trusts Benjamin?  What did I miss?  

"I'll leave you alone now; we need to get up early again tomorrow, and it's getting colder so it'll take longer to do our chores."  Georgie announced, pushing herself off my small bed.  

"Good night."  I replied, standing up and preparing to go to my night shift.    

Georgie closed the door behind her and I slipped some money into my pocket.  I pushed away my exhaustion and hurried downstairs and to the stable.  I would have to ride Thunder into town.  I saddled him and prepared myself for the long night ahead of me.  

When I finally arrived at the restaurant, I tied Thunder to a tree and unsaddled him, placing the tack nearby, on a fence.  I sighed and hurried through the back door.  

"Good night, Mercy."  I told the woman who took the dish washing shift before I did.  

She smiled at me.  

"Keep up the energy, honey.  You're doing great."   She encouraged, hanging up her apron and reaching for her purse.  

I smiled wearily in return.  

"Thanks."  I replied and turned toward the never ending stacks of dishes.  

After three long hours of soaking my hands in soapy hot water, every dish had been cleaned, used and cleaned again.  When the other employees and I finally closed the restaurant up, it was a quarter past midnight.  I could barely keep my eyes open as I saddled Thunder and rode him back out of town.  Thunder knew the way home and thankfully caused no trouble.  I was more glad than ever that I had trained him to the best of my ability, for now he would never let me down.  

I crawled into bed, still wearing my cloths, and instantly fell asleep.  

My alarm beeped through the room, what seemed like only ten seconds later.  I grimaced at the sound.  Reaching over to find the alarm clock, I slammed my hand over the top.  I moaned, dreading the though of another day.  I closed my eyes again, trying to bring myself the motivation to get up.  The morning sun peeked through my curtains.  

If you don't get up, Georgie will have to do everything alone, and it would mean that Alicia will get the best of you.  I will never let that happen!  I am in this with Georgie and we are stronger than Alicia thinks.  We only have to hold on until we're eighteen, then we can legally leave home and follow our dreams.  It's time to show Alicia that you still have a lot of fire left in you.  I smiled as I remembered the Rachel Platten song.  

I sighed and pushed myself out of bed, dressing as quickly as I could.  I ignored my longing to take a shower and briskly brushed my teeth and hair, pulling it into a braid.  Georgie joined me in the bathroom as I finished.  

"Did you sleep well?"  I asked her as she rubbed her eyes.  

She took a deep breath and straightened her shoulders, meeting my gaze.  

"Well enough."  She replied gently.  

Georgie quickly brushed her shoulder-length blonde, curly hair and whipped it into a bun. 

"I'll meet you outside."  I told her, speed walking downstairs.  

I whipped baked oatmeal together as fast as I could and slid it into the oven before running outside and beginning to feed the horses their hay and grain.  We would exercise them after we ate our breakfast, then rush to school and start all over again.  I worked swiftly, pushing myself to move my fingers and arms faster and faster.  I knew the pattern so well, I was surprised I didn't do it in my sleep.  

Georgie joined me a few minutes later and we quickly finished giving the horses their feed.  We ran back to the house as Selina came into the stable, giving both of us a cold glare.  I brushed it off, deciding to focus on breakfast.  I slid the oatmeal out of the oven and onto a hot pad on the table as Georgie started setting the table.  I filled glasses with water and brought the milk out of the refrigerator.  

Selina walked briskly into the room and plopped into her seat, flipping her dark hair behind her shoulder.  I ignored her and began serving each place a bowl of oatmeal.  Alicia burst into the room and immediately began eating.  

"Selina, you will be coming with me to an elegant lunch today.  Go change into something suitable.  You two will have to walk to school."   Alicia announced.  

When Selina opened her mouth to protest, Alicia firmly informed her that she had already called the school.  So I left the dishes in the sink and just swept the floor and washed the table before  walking as fast as I could with Georgie toward the town.  We didn't talk much, as we were walking/jogging to do so.  

IM YPDATING EARLY BECAUSE I WONT BE ABLE RO ON WEDNSEDAY! :) HOPE YOU GUYS HAVE A GREAT WEEK!