Southern Attraction (3 page)

             
“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.  Heather 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.