Just Another Summer Fairytale: Zoei's Country Romance

Stephanie's News

"Crazy single step-mother say WHAT?"

Stephanie looks at me as if I have lost my mind. Which I think I may have! "Honey, look it's only for a while. Just until I- we get settled again," she says, trying to explain.

I glare at her. "No. You're a liar!" I say, eyes like steel. "You are too much of a whimp to stay here and confront my Dad for cheating on you." Stephanie flinches as if I had hit her. I begin to feel sorry for her, but then, I remember what she did without even asking me.

"Zoei, please-"

"No! I hate you! Don't you get it! You will NEVER replace Mom!!" I scream, turning and running straight to my room. I slam my door shut and throw myself on my bed. I hate her. I hate her!

I stay in my room for another three hours, and I don't come down for dinner. At 9 o'clock, Dad should be walking in and giving Stephanie a huge hug and kiss, and he should be spinning me around and asking his little girl how her day was. But, it's now 9:34 pm and Dad isn't coming home. He's at some other girl's house. This girl stole my Dad from Stephanie. And Dad has caused Stephanie to take me from here.

My home. The place I've been all of my life. Stephanie is taking me from my friends. I hate her, and I know it's not nice to say that, but I do. My life is miserable.

I remember Mom clearly, even though I was six when she died. Cancer took her away from us. I look like her: long, dark brown hair with silver-green eyes. But, I'm taller than she was, 5'6". Mom was only 5'3. She was so much tinier than Dad, who is about 6'7".

I miss mom...she's always in my thoughts and on my mind. Would she be proud of the woman I was becoming? Or would she be disappointed in the mess I was? Though I had been you, she and I were closer than Dad and I. He was always working, was always away. For a long time, I was quite convinced I didn't have a dad. Only in the last year or so have I been getting to know the man my father actually is.

My phone rings, pulling me out of my tumultuous slew of memories. I pick it up, opening the little flip phone with a flick of my wrist. "Hello?"

Hey, beautiful. Want me to come and pick you up? One last night of going crazy and losing all control?

I blush slightly. "I dunno Danny. Stephanie might-"

Dammit, Zoei, you're leaving tomorrow! And I need to see you at least one more time. You're my everything, and my world is going to be void without you in it. Danny's voice is filled with sadness and longing. Who's Danny? My first boyfriend ever. We've been dating since my freshman year of high school. He's a senior this year, and I'm a junior. And besides, he insists, why should YOU care what Stephanie thinks? She's taking you away. From your friends AND from me.

"Danny, you're right. Screw her. Come and get me. I'll be ready in five minutes."