Total pages in book: 121
Estimated words: 117820 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 589(@200wpm)___ 471(@250wpm)___ 393(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 117820 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 589(@200wpm)___ 471(@250wpm)___ 393(@300wpm)
“OOOOOOH!” Ren and two others cry. “BURRRN!”
Kane tenses and I burn with a raging fire.
“God,” I growl as his friends appear from around the side of the trailer. This was all for show, it was all for them. “I fucking despise you, Kane Jessop.”
“PRUDENCE SWORE! SHE FUCKING SWORE!” Ren cries dramatically. “My dick is so hard right now.”
One of his buddies pushes him onto me but I move out of the way and run after my brother, letting Kane’s heated blue gaze burn into my back.
“COME BACK HERE PRUDENCE!” Ren calls dramatically and in jest. “COME BACK AND SWEAR FOR ME AGAIN!”
That was mortifying.
Poppy throws her arms around my neck, forcing me to dance with her in the thick of around thirty other teens. Some I know, some I don’t. I drink another beer and shoot another shot. My body moves to the music naturally despite the fact I’ve never danced like this.
It’s freeing. It’s crazy. I can’t believe I’m here and I’m doing this.
“YASSSSS QUEEN!” Poppy screams for no apparent reason and everyone raises their fist to the starry night sky.
Best night of my life so far. Minus the Kane part.
And also minus the Maisy part that follows when my brother and Poppy vanish and I need to use the toilet, I brave going alone. Big mistake.
“Look at you trying to fit in,” Maisy calls as she follows me away from the crowd with two of her girls. She’s dressed to impress that’s for sure. She’s wearing the shortest skirt I ever saw and a top that ties around her neck leaving her entire back bare. I can see a piercing on her naval. I always wanted one of those. “Update, it didn’t work.”
I ignore her and continue on, frustrated when she rushes ahead and blocks my way to the trailer toilet.
“Maisy,” I say, exasperated. “I’m just trying to enjoy my night.”
“And I’m just trying to protect my boyfriend from weird little Mormons like you.”
I shake my head gently and try to step around her but she moves directly into my path.
“I seen the way you look at him.” She sneers, giving me a distasteful glance up and down like I’m dirt on her shoe and she’s wondering how best to remove me.
“I don’t look at him.” I try again to step around her but again she blocks my path, this time putting us chest to chest. I’m happy to confirm that I have better titties than she does.
Unfortunately in my drunken stupor I fail to see the hand she raises and puts to my throat. I choke dangerously when she shoves me over by my throat only. I land on my back with a painless thud, though it certainly knocks the wind out of me.
“Stay away from Kane,” she states around a laugh and they walk away, high fiving each other. They call me names as they walk away like words are supposed to hurt me right now.
I stay like this, winded and tired and drunk, just looking at the sky, wishing I was anywhere else. Well… I definitely don’t wish to be at Mee-maws. My stomach churns when I think about going home to be beaten, made to do no end of chores, have my money taken and my new clothes tossed in the trash.
No. My drunken brain doesn’t want that any more than my sober brain does.
I’d rather die.
Yes. I would genuinely rather die than go back there.
I stand up on wobbly legs and almost fall again. I am way too drunk, yet my brain has never made so much sense. This could all be over in a heartbeat. I could escape this reality. I could escape these people and this abysmal life. I could flee it all. In death.
But how? What’s the best way? A tall building? I live in the middle of fucking nowhere. There’s a cliff but it’s miles away. I could get Grandpa’s gun and shoot myself. That would be quick and it would probably make a mess in Mee-maw’s kitchen. Revenge and freedom all in one package.
But then that would look like a choice. It would look like I meant to do it. That would hurt my brother, Poppy… I don’t want them to hurt. It’d be better if it looked like an accident.
I can’t swim. I can’t swim.
There’s a dock half a mile down the way, it has a couple of rickety looking rowboats that fishermen use from time to time. I don’t know how to row a boat but I’m sure I can learn. It doesn’t look too complicated.
My feet move me in that direction and my heart begins to race, especially when the trees and brush put me out of sight of the party. It’s so dark here, I can hardly see where I’m going.
This is the best idea I’ve ever had in my entire life.