Southern Attraction Read online

  After Heather and Mick were finished eating, Heather grabbed her purse while Mick grabbed her two suitcases, and they headed out of the diner. As they were leaving, Heather caught a glimpse of a young man around her age. He was getting out of his pickup truck. He was very nice looking with brown hair and brown eyes. His skin was tanned and he was very muscular. She was attracted to him at first sight. She smiled at him as he glanced at her. He didn’t smile back, and she thought that was rude. He stared at her as he passed by and then entered the diner without a hello or a smile.

  “Who was that boy?” Heather asked.

  “Oh that’s Jake, farmer John’s boy. Why do ya want to know?”

  “I was just wondering,” she replied. Mick smiled realizing that she must have liked him.

  Heather followed Mick as he walked over to a weird looking motorcycle with three wheels. Heather’s mouth dropped when she realized that the motorcycle was going to be their transportation.

  “I’m not getting on that thing,” she said.

  “Why not, it’s completely safe. Trust me. I’m not going to let anything happen to ya,” Mick replied. Heather rolled her eyes and hesitated for a few seconds watching Mick tie the suitcases to a metal plate behind the seat. Then he threw his leg over the seat to sit down. Realizing she had no choice, she jumped on to the back of the motorcycle. “Here’s ya a helmet,” Mick said as he handed her a old white helmet. Heather tried to put the helmet on, but it was a little snug. Mick hit the top of the helmet with his fist to make the helmet go down onto her head.

  “Now hold on to me tight. We’ll be there in four shakes,” Mick said as he turned the key to crank the motorcycle.

  The engine had a loud thundering sound as he turned the handle to give it some gas, then off they went, speeding down the road. Heather liked the feel of the cool wind against her face. It felt exhilarating. She had never been on a motorcycle, and it was fun. Mick tried to talk to her, but she couldn’t hear a word over the noise of the Harley Davidson trike.

  Heather noticed the small wooden houses as they rode down the dirt road. Finally, Mick approached an older looking farm house, and he turned off the motor. “We’re here,” he said. Heather took off her helmet and jumped off the back of the trike.

  “This is my farm and now yours too. Make yourself at home and look around,” he said.

  Heather turned around and saw goats and chickens roaming around. Now this is strange, she thought. She looked to the right and saw horses galloping behind a barbed wire. She walked toward them, and one of the horses approached the fence. He stuck his long neck over the fence. It startled her, so she quickly backed away. “He’s not going to bite ya. He’s friendly. Just feed him some grass and he’ll love ya forever,” Mick hollered as he walked into the house.

  “What a strange place this is? Chickens walking around free. Goats eating flowers from the flowerbed. What am I going to see next? Pigs flying around with wings or dogs driving sports cars,” she said to herself as she shook her head side to side. She walked around the house to see what she could see. Suddenly, she caught a big whiff of something stagnant. She pinched her nose as she hurried to the front door of the house to go inside.

  “Heather come on over and take a seat,” Mick said as he pulled out a chair. Heather walked toward the table and sat down.

  “I just wanted to talk to ya fer a bit. I’m sorry bout your dad and mom passin. Mark was a real nice fellar. Well, I didn’t know yer mom that well, but she seemed real nice, too.”

  “Thanks. Why didn’t you visit us? Or why haven’t I ever met you before?” she asked.

  “I don’t know. I guess cause I don’t care too much for the big city. Your dad and me kinda grew a part over the years,” Mick replied.

  “I really appreciate you allowing me to live here. I’ll try to help out around the house as much as I can,” Heather replied.

  “Well, I don’t expect too much from ya. Maybe you can help me out a little with the chores. I’ll tell ya later bout what you can do fer me. Just make yourself at home tonight, and don’t worry. Everything will work itself out later, I promise,” Mick replied.

  “Uncle Mick, they are suppose to be sending my car and my clothes tomorrow,” she said.

  “Don’t worry, I’m sure they’ll get here. I’ll keep my eyes open fer em,” Mick replied.

  Heather took a deep breath as if a burden had been lifted off her shoulders. She was glad they talked. She felt a slight kinship to him. He resembled her father a little. He sounded a little like him, too, except for his southern twang. He sounded like he didn’t have a lot of education, but he was down to earth. She felt more at ease with him and wanted to make the best out of her situation.

  “Your room is the second room on the right down the hall. The toilet is the first room on the left. I’m sorry, but I only have one toilet so we’ll have to share,” Mick said.

  “Thanks again,” Heather said as she walked toward her new room. “Great, one bathroom,” she murmured. She opened the door to her room and looked inside. It was an average looking room, but it was much smaller than the one she had in Manhattan.

  The walls were painted a tan color and a flower border lined the walls. “I think I can handle this,” she said as she surveyed the room. One twin size bed was against the wall, and it had a floral bedspread. “That will have to change,” she said referring to the bedspread. She saw a desk on the far side of the room. It was small but workable. A small 19 inch television with an antennae sat on top of the desk. Next to the television was a note pad and a few pens. She sat down and started to write a note for her friends in Manhattan.

  Heather began to write a letter explaining everything to her friends. She wrote about her new home and about the town. She told them why she had to leave the city so suddenly. She wrote about Mick and all the other people that she had seen in the town. She called them rednecks to describe them. After she finished the letter she laid down on the bed to take a nap. She was tired from the long trip.

  Chapter Four

  Heather was awakened by a rooster crowing early the next morning. She was confused when she woke up, because it took her a while to figure out where she was. She had slept extremely well, and sleeping that hard made it more difficult to regain her bearings. After a few seconds, she remembered where she was. She didn’t want to get out of bed. She wanted to stay there forever. She did not want to face the fact that she lived in the country with a man she barely knew. She closed her eyes because it was still dark outside and she fell back to sleep.

  After a much needed rest, Heather woke up feeling better about the day. Today has to be better than yesterday, she thought. She jumped out of bed and walked down the hall toward the living room. Mick was no where in sight, but she spotted some of her suitcases on the floor. She ran to the door and opened it. There in the graveled driveway was her shiny red Camaro. “At least something is going right,” she said to herself. As she walked outside she heard Mick in the distance. She walked toward the sound of his voice and found him in the barn. He had been singing the song, What A Friend We Have in Jesus. Mick was startled when he looked up to see Heather standing there.

  “Oh boy. You scared me. Whew, I think my heart just skipped a beat,“ Mick said.

  “Sorry, do I need to sing too, so you will hear me,” Heather replied with sarcasm.

  “Ah nah, that’s alright. How ya feel this morning? You must have been pretty tired. You slept all day, well most of the day anyway,” Mick replied.

  “Better,” she said as she stretched.

  “Well good. Come here and I’ll show ya how to milk Molly.” Mick was sitting on a small stool next to a cow.

  “Ah no. Sorry, but I don’t milk cows,” she replied.

  “Well, you are going to learn now. Come on, might as well get used to it,” he said.

  Heather rolled her eyes as she kneeled down beside him. “This is how ya do it. You pull these down and milk comes out. That’s it, nothing to it,” Mick informed. He
ather looked at him like he was crazy.

  “Go ahead, it won’t hurt her. Go ahead and pull down slowly and gently,” he told her. Heather did as Mick instructed and soon she saw milk squirting into the bucket. “See there, yer a natural,” he said.

  “I guess I am. This is kind of fun,” she replied.

  “Great, then this can be yer job from now on,” he informed.

  “Great, just great,” Heather said sarcastically.

  While Heather milked the cow, Mick got a shovel and cleaned the horse’s stall of manure. Heather gagged at the smell of the manure because the smell was pretty potent. Mick didn’t seem to mind. He didn’t even snarl his nose.

  “After we finish this, then we can go and make us some breakfast,” Mick said.

  “I’m sorry, but I don’t know how to cook,” Heather replied.

  “That’ll be alright, I’ll teach ya. It’s nothing to it. You just got to get your hands dirty, that’s all,” Mick replied with a smile.

  Heather wondered what else Mick had in store for her. Life couldn’t get any worse. She lost her parents and now she was living in the middle of nowhere milking some cow. What next? Am I going have to make my own clothes and scrub the floor like Cinderella? she thought to herself.

  After the cow was milked and the barn cleaned of manure, Heather and Mick walked back to the house to prepare breakfast.

  “What do ya want to eat?” Mick asked.

  “Eggs and bacon are fine with me,” Heather said.

  “Eggs and bacon, you got to eat more than that. Why don’t I show you how to make a real breakfast,” Mick replied.

  Mick went to the counter and pulled out some pots, skillets, and bowls and laid them on the table. He went to the refrigerator and pulled out some eggs, milk, some weird looking bacon, and some other things that Heather had not ever seen before. “Today we do something simple, and tomorrow we can make more if you want,” Mick said.

  “I’m on a diet. I don’t want all of that grease added to my food, like Sally added at the diner,” Heather replied.

  “That’s the best part. Grease is what gives food it’s flavor,” Mick replied.

  “It might give flavor, but it is going to clog your arteries. While I’m living here with you, let’s try to cook healthier,” Heather replied.

  Mick didn’t know what to think of Heather. He thought she was a little opinionated but appreciated her concern for his health. “Alright Missy, we’ll cook a healthy meal,” he replied.

  “The name is Heather, not Missy,” she replied. “It’s just a nickname I give ya,” Mick said.

  “Nickname or not, my name is Heather. I don’t appreciate being called anything else,” she said sharply. Mick shook his head but held his tongue afraid to say anything else. He didn’t want to make an enemy of his only niece. He knew that she didn’t have anyone else. So, he tried to make the best of the situation.

  Every time Mick tried to show Heather how to make something, she corrected him. If he put the stove eye on high, she would turn it down to medium. If he put salt in the skillet to season the eggs, she would roll her eyes in disgust. He assumed that she was lashing out at him, because she was still upset about the situation that she was in.

  After all, she had to deal with a lot more than most people should have to deal with. He was sure that it was finally taking it’s toll on her. He tried not to let her attitude affect him, but it was hard. He wanted to go pick a hickory from the Elm Tree and give her a decent whipping, but he knew it wouldn’t help the situation.

  After breakfast was cooked, they sat down to enjoy their food. “How’s your chow?” Mick asked.

  “Do you mean the food? It’s good, but a little salty,” she replied. Mick didn’t say a word, but continued to eat his breakfast.

  “So what now? Are we going to mop the floor and sweep the chimney?” she asked.

  “No, I think we did enough for the day. I need to go into town and get ya registered for school. Do you want to come and meet yer teachers?” he asked. “No, but I need to see where the school is. I plan to drive my car,” she replied.

  After Mick tidied the kitchen, he told Heather he was ready to head to town. Heather didn’t like the idea of starting a new school, but she was good at making new friends. She hoped she could be on the cheerleading squad, which would make this transition easier. She was hoping that she could slide back into her normal routine.

  Xxxxx

  Heather wasn’t impressed by the size of the school or how it looked. It wasn’t anything like what she was accustomed to. The one story, two hall school needed some decent repairs. Some of the rooms had water damage. They looked like the ceilings were going to cave in. Heather was glad it was a holiday, and none of the students were there. Luckily, the staff was there preparing their lesson plans.

  Mick introduced her to Principal Thomas and some of the staff. Many teachers knew her uncle, and that impressed her.

  “How is your football program going?” Heather inquired.

  “It’s fine, but nothing remarkable. We don’t have the funds needed to make it any better,” Coach Jones replied.

  “That’s too bad. I hope we can change that this year,” Heather replied.

  “I hope so. If you have any suggestions that might help us, just let me know,” the Coach replied.

  As Mick and Heather left the school, she had only one thing on her mind. It was to help improve the school football team. After all, if she was going to be stuck here, she was going to make the best of it. She didn’t want to go to a redneck, back stick, country bumpkin of a school. She wanted to go to the best school in the county, and she deserved it. No one deserves it more than me, she thought.

  Chapter Five

  Heather was awakened by the sound of her alarm. Today is the first day of the rest of my life, she thought as she stretched and yawned. She jumped up out of her bed, hit the silence button on the alarm, and went to her closet to pick out her clothes for the day. After looking through all her clothes, she sighed deeply.

  What can I wear to this illiterate, rustic school. If I dress up, then people will think I’m a snob and snub me. If I dress down, then I will blend into the crowd, and I will not be able to accomplish anything. I guess I have my answer. I need to be seen in order to make a difference, whether good or bad.

  Heather picked out her black leather skirt, a white dress shirt, a black fringed soft leather jacket and her black leather boots. At least I’m wearing boots, that way I’ll blend in somewhat, she thought. She styled her hair the way she always did and put on her makeup with a little more emphasis than usual.

  Heather heard a knock on the door, “Yes, what do you want?” she asked. “I’m going to be outside. My cotton pickin’ cow, Molly, got out of the fence, and I have to round her up. Be back after a while,” Mick said through the door. “All right, but I’m leaving in a few minutes, so I’ll see you after school,” Heather replied.

  “Okey dokey, see ya later,” Mick responded.

  “Okey dokey! I can’t believe I’m living with a redneck, dirt farmer,” she said as she rolled her eyes. Heather glanced at the alarm, “Crap, I’m going to be late”, she said as she grabbed her purse and ran out the door. The door slammed behind her as she ran to the car. She looked around for Mick, but didn’t see him anywhere. I guess he’ll realize I’m gone when he doesn’t hear from me, she thought.

  As Heather drove down the narrow gravel road she looked for the right road to take to get her to the school. She saw Mick with a belt whipping his cow. “Now I’m seen everything,” she said as she laughed.

  As Heather approached the school, a green ford truck ran right in front of her. She paused for a second after giving him the finger. I can’t believe these idiots, she thought. She pulled into the parking space closer to the front of the school, and she looked over to the green pickup truck.

  A scruffy looking guy with long hair climbed out of the truck. “You need to watch where your going. This aint New York, this is my to
wn,” he said very hatefully with a smirk on his face. “No, you need to watch where you are going, you hick. You’re the one who ran in front of me,” Heather replied as she pointed her finger at him. Heather was a little tougher than she looked. She wasn’t going to let some corn fed hillbilly talk to her like that.

  “How do you know I’m from New York anyway?” she asked.

  “That is for me to know and you to find out,” he replied as he turned away from her.

  Heather wasn’t used to people treating her this way, especially boys. She was the most popular girl in the whole school at Manhattan High School. Now she was in a place that was oblivious to the fact that she wore an eighteen hundred dollar Armani jacket and Louboutin boots. How can anyone not care about fashion, she thought. Fashion is what made her so popular. Everyone in Manhattan wanted what she had. She was the envy of all the girls at her school. Now she felt like she was an outsider looking in through a dark stained glass and no one could see her.

  Heather collected her thoughts and walked into the school. She tried to act like she was calm and confident, so no one would see how scared she really was. She wanted everyone to see a girl who was poised and full of confidence instead of a little girl lost in a crowd. She held her head high with her shoulder held back and with a self important sashay. Girls gave her a dirty look while a couple of guys looked her up and down. Now I’ve entered a cattle auction, she thought as she passed by.

  As she walked toward her first class at the end of the hall, she examined everything. She observed what the girls were wearing, what type of purses they had, and how they fixed their hair. She liked standing out, but not at the expense of everyone’s joke. She knew that she had to fit in to some degree in order to make friends.