Cowgirl Boots: a Cinderella Story

Chapter 15

Selina's POV:

I walked around to the far side o the barn, fighting tears and folding my arms.  I sat down on one of the quads, which I guess happened to be sitting there.  

The memory of the night it all happened came back to me.  Jacob had been avoiding me all night, but I didn't really care.  I sat down in one of the benches in the corner of the barn, waiting for the time to go home.  I was exhausted, the horse I had been working with earlier had given me nothing but grief.  I saw my mother excuse herself from the man she was flirting with and make her way to the door.  Of course she would leave without us, I had thought and hurried after her.  

By the time I had caught up with Mother, she had already started the truck and had begun to pull out of her parking space.  So naturally, I jumped into the back and crouched down. 

Now I couldn't regret that action more; because when Mother pulled the truck to a stop and got out, I decided to see what she was up to.  I watched her pour gass around and through the house, then strike a match and light it on fire.  I sat frozen in the truck, to scared to do anything.  Then suddenly, I heard screams that sounded like they were coming from Iris, and I remembered that she was probably sleeping inside the house.  I didn't know what to do.  All I could do was cry.  Then Iris came running from the horse pens in a white dress.  I watched her and Mother fight, I watched Iris try to put the fire out.  I watched Mother try to kill Iris.  All I did was watch.  

I let my tears run freely down my cheeks as I sat on the quad.  What could I do?  I hugged myself and sank against the side of the quad, letting myself sob.  Who could I trust?  

"I don't know what to do."  I whispered, hugging my knees close to my chest and letting my hair fall over my shoulder, attempting to hide from the world.  

About ten minutes later, I heard someone faintly calling my name.  I remembered that I was supposed to be at lunch.  But, who really cared if I was there?  I'm a coward.  Just a pathetic coward.  

"Selina!"  I heard my name being called again by a voice I didn't recognize.  

Then, the boy who had greeted me when I had been slicing the bread came around the corner.  I met his eyes, which were immediately filled with sympathy when he saw that I had been crying.  I hardened my features and stood up, sipping the tears off my cheeks.  

"I'm not hungry."  I snapped, hoping to scare him away like my Mother had been able to do to me.  

The boy stepped back defensively.  

"Well at least come to pray with us."  He replied softly.  

Who am I kidding?  I'm no better than Mother.  

"No."  I answered, shaking my head, "good bye."  

I turned around and hoped desperately that the keys were in the ignition of the quad.  I found them and hopped on, starting the engine.  I ignored the boy when he took the quad next to mine and just pressed the trigger, letting the quad jump ahead.  

I headed for the small path between the fields, hoping I would be able to go as fast as I wanted to.  I reached my hand up behind my head and let my hair out of it's ponytail.  The wind blew through the tangled mess that I called my hair.  I didn't think, I just focused on steering the quad.

I came to the end of the path sooner than I wanted to, to lazy to open the gate which led to the highway.  I turned the engine off and stared blankly at the view before me.  There were fields spread out between farm houses and a few trees, which ended in mountains.  

I was only faintly a where of the boy coming up behind me.  He stopped his quad and walked up behind me, leaned on the quad behind me and just watched the view in silence with me.  Half of me wanted to shoo him away, but if he had followed me, and wasn't hurting me, then the other half of me wanted to trust him.  

I took a deep breath and glanced over my shoulder at him.  His gaze still rested on the mountains.  

"It's beautiful, isn't it?"  He remarked quietly.  

"I guess."  I choked out, stifling my sudden urge to scream.  

I glanced at the boy again.  He was a little taller than I was, looked strong, yet had a peace in his eyes that I wanted to know.  It was probably from his perfect life.  I will never deserve a perfect life.  

We just sat there for what felt like an hour, but was probably only five minutes.  

"They're going to worry about us if we don't head back soon."  The boy reminded me.  

I raised an eyebrow.  

"Georgie and Iris would be glad if I didn't return; Your the only one who would actually be missed."  I answered in an aggressive tone.  

"I don't believe you."  The boy answered, folding his arms and meeting my eyes.  

I glared at him.  

"You go eat your lunch.  I'm fine by myself."  I snapped.  

"I don't believe you."  He answered simply again.  

What was his problem?  I jumped off the quad and raised my arm to strike him, but hesitated.  He just stood there, looking at me.  

"Go ahead."  He whispered, "it won't hurt me."  

"Now I don't believe you."  I whispered back.  

"It might give me a bruise, but I have eternal life in heaven to look forward to, no matter how much you might hurt me."  I answered.  

I hit him.  He was religious, just like the rest of his family.  How could I have not seen that coming?  He just wanted to trick me into believing what he did.  A lie.  How did I think I could trust him?  

"Get out of my way."  I demanded, starting the quad as I slid back onto the seat.  

He obeyed me and I drove back to the barn.  Maybe eating lunch wasn't so bad an idea after all.  I stalked inside, drew up a chair and grabbed a sandwich.  

HEY GUYS, SORRY THIS CHAPTER'S A LITTLE SHORTER THAN USUAL, BUT I HOPE YOU ENJOYED IT ANYWAY!  PLEASE CONSIDER VOTING AND/OR COMMENTING IF YOU DID LIKE THIS CHAPTER!  THANKS FOR READING!  HOW DO YOU IMAGINE SELINA, IRIS AND GEORGIE LOOK?