1
"How DARE you!"
"But..but I didn't do anything - I swear!"
I stepped backwards, but she was only getting closer. Closer and closer, her hands grasping my shaky body....until I fell. Down, down, tumbling backwards into total blackness.
My eyes flittered open. I wasn't at home....but she was there.
"Don't hurt me!" I whispered.
I realised that I was in the hospital, and my mouth snapped shut again. The doctors stayed oblivious; but she shot me an angry glare. She who almost killed me every day, she whos fault it was that Dad was gone. She: my evil stepmother Annette. Her name sounded innocent enough,but her words were like poison that no medicine could get rid of. Words that haunted me day after day, words that drove me to tears. Nobody understood..it was just me on my own with nobody to hold onto,nobody to stop Annette.
"So, what happened to this little 'un?" asked a doctor.
"Oh yes, Cheyenne - explain how you FELL DOWN THE STAIRS!" Annettes fake smile made me want to throw up, but I didnt dare say anything. It would only lead to the worst.
"Um..I just fell," I told the doctor. "I don't remember anymore."
Where did my life go wrong? When did I become to scared to speak the truth? I burst into tears. It had been coming all day, but only now had I not been to scared to let it out.
"Oh, don't worry, honey! It'll all be ok, soon you'll be hopping, skipping and jumping back home!"
I only cried even more. The doctor was so lovely! I looked at the bruises on my weak arms. The doctor noticed them to. Before she could say anything, Annette jumped in:
"She keeps falling off her swing. She such a Dolly Daydream sometimes! Nearly got hit by a car the other day!" Annette rubbed my head, digging her pointy nails into my scalp. I didn't dare to make a noise. I would only be slapped the next time we were alone if I did. We, as in Annette and I. And I promise you, it will be another memory for me to treasure forever, along with a scar to prove that it wasn't just my imagination.
"Ahh, righty! Dont worry-Cheyenne,is it?- we have alot of little girlies like you coming in with broken bones and scars! Hmm...thinking about it, you are covered in them. Are you being bullied or something...?"
Annette grabbed my wrist and secretively dug in her nails; I knew I wasn't to speak the truth.
"Well, doctor...I was bullied..."
Annette stared at me. Her eyes said: "You're in for it"
"....Bullied by these girls at school," I struggled to think of a suitable names for them all."Daniella, Posie, and Chrystal,their names were. But my...Mum here, sorted them out!"
I said Mum extra loud, hoping to keep Annette satisfied. But then I remembered: Annette told me never to refer to her as Mum, she would never want to be the mother of a putrid creature like me. Now I was definately gonna die - somehow, at least.
"But..but I didn't do anything - I swear!"
I stepped backwards, but she was only getting closer. Closer and closer, her hands grasping my shaky body....until I fell. Down, down, tumbling backwards into total blackness.
My eyes flittered open. I wasn't at home....but she was there.
"Don't hurt me!" I whispered.
I realised that I was in the hospital, and my mouth snapped shut again. The doctors stayed oblivious; but she shot me an angry glare. She who almost killed me every day, she whos fault it was that Dad was gone. She: my evil stepmother Annette. Her name sounded innocent enough,but her words were like poison that no medicine could get rid of. Words that haunted me day after day, words that drove me to tears. Nobody understood..it was just me on my own with nobody to hold onto,nobody to stop Annette.
"So, what happened to this little 'un?" asked a doctor.
"Oh yes, Cheyenne - explain how you FELL DOWN THE STAIRS!" Annettes fake smile made me want to throw up, but I didnt dare say anything. It would only lead to the worst.
"Um..I just fell," I told the doctor. "I don't remember anymore."
Where did my life go wrong? When did I become to scared to speak the truth? I burst into tears. It had been coming all day, but only now had I not been to scared to let it out.
"Oh, don't worry, honey! It'll all be ok, soon you'll be hopping, skipping and jumping back home!"
I only cried even more. The doctor was so lovely! I looked at the bruises on my weak arms. The doctor noticed them to. Before she could say anything, Annette jumped in:
"She keeps falling off her swing. She such a Dolly Daydream sometimes! Nearly got hit by a car the other day!" Annette rubbed my head, digging her pointy nails into my scalp. I didn't dare to make a noise. I would only be slapped the next time we were alone if I did. We, as in Annette and I. And I promise you, it will be another memory for me to treasure forever, along with a scar to prove that it wasn't just my imagination.
"Ahh, righty! Dont worry-Cheyenne,is it?- we have alot of little girlies like you coming in with broken bones and scars! Hmm...thinking about it, you are covered in them. Are you being bullied or something...?"
Annette grabbed my wrist and secretively dug in her nails; I knew I wasn't to speak the truth.
"Well, doctor...I was bullied..."
Annette stared at me. Her eyes said: "You're in for it"
"....Bullied by these girls at school," I struggled to think of a suitable names for them all."Daniella, Posie, and Chrystal,their names were. But my...Mum here, sorted them out!"
I said Mum extra loud, hoping to keep Annette satisfied. But then I remembered: Annette told me never to refer to her as Mum, she would never want to be the mother of a putrid creature like me. Now I was definately gonna die - somehow, at least.
2
I cowered away from Annette during the journey home. I usually liked sitting in the front of the car(Annette didn't mind, but she preffered me in the back),but today I hid in the back. Annette didn't open her mouth, but I knew that she was just plotting what she was going to say and do to me.
Our dreaded arrival at our house soon came, and as I hang up my coat I bit my lip.
"So, Cheyenne....I am your mother, am I?"
Oh no...it was starting again.
I glanced out of the open window, so I didn't have to face Annette's dreadful glare.
"LOOK AT ME!"
I slowly swivelled round.
"Sorry Annette.....I-"
"Ha! You think you can behave like that and get away with a sorry!? You must be stupid! Oh wait, you are. Like all of the other imbosiles that have been re-named children in an act of kindness! "
"But Annette - I promise I didn't mean to cause a offence! I swear, don't hurt me please!"
Annette laughed.
"Pathetic!"
She grabbed me by the shoulders and dragged me into the living room. ..or now I knew it as the slowly-dying room.
"Please Annette!! No, PLEASE!!!!"
It was to late. All I could hear was the slap of Annettes hand on my red skin and my loud sobbing.
"So Cheyenne. I hope you have learnt a lesson. Being naughty never means any good. Now go to your room. You can stay without dinner tonight."
I ran upstairs, eager to get away from Annette. She was the one who should go without dinner, not me. How I hate my stupid, unwanted life. Kill me now somebody, then I could join Mum and Dad and smile once more.
Our dreaded arrival at our house soon came, and as I hang up my coat I bit my lip.
"So, Cheyenne....I am your mother, am I?"
Oh no...it was starting again.
I glanced out of the open window, so I didn't have to face Annette's dreadful glare.
"LOOK AT ME!"
I slowly swivelled round.
"Sorry Annette.....I-"
"Ha! You think you can behave like that and get away with a sorry!? You must be stupid! Oh wait, you are. Like all of the other imbosiles that have been re-named children in an act of kindness! "
"But Annette - I promise I didn't mean to cause a offence! I swear, don't hurt me please!"
Annette laughed.
"Pathetic!"
She grabbed me by the shoulders and dragged me into the living room. ..or now I knew it as the slowly-dying room.
"Please Annette!! No, PLEASE!!!!"
It was to late. All I could hear was the slap of Annettes hand on my red skin and my loud sobbing.
"So Cheyenne. I hope you have learnt a lesson. Being naughty never means any good. Now go to your room. You can stay without dinner tonight."
I ran upstairs, eager to get away from Annette. She was the one who should go without dinner, not me. How I hate my stupid, unwanted life. Kill me now somebody, then I could join Mum and Dad and smile once more.
3
The night was long and Annette wasn't forgiving me any quicker.I decided in the end to escape away to school early, at at least 8:00. I spent a painstaking , freezing 45 minutes in the cold before the other pupils started arriving. The first person to arrive was quiet,teachers pet Anya, who was completing her homework.
"Anya, you do know that homework doesn't need to be in till Wednesday!" I told her, confused. "Why do it now?"
"Well, Miss Macbeth likes it when I do.So shut up, Cheyenne Henson!"
Anya marched away with a nod of her head. Oh, how I hated that annoying girl!
My friends Karina Hues and Opal Maystone soon arrived. I ran up to them and said a bouncy hello.
"Oh hi, Cheyenne. Me and Karina were just talking about maybe joining friends with Debbie Eaglefire or Sasha Del Marr. What d'ya think?"
They smiled at me earnestly, but I wondered why. Firstly, Debbie was the meanest girl in the class who was always bullying me in a disguised way. For example, the other day she 'complimented': "Wow, thats really good art, bighead!"
Unfortunately, Miss Macbeth didn't hear the bighead part and praised Debbie for her 'kindness'.
I tried to do the same back to her but go sent to the headteacher, worst luck. And Sasha?Well Sasha woukd never want to be friends with someone like me, I know that for SURE.
"Come on guys! I thought we were happy in our little group! We're the Awesome Threesome!"
"Foursome ryhmes more. And you know what? Fine. If you want to be extremely self centered, we don't mind. We will just go and make new friends without you."
Both of the girls turned away - and went over to Debbie! I had just lost the only people that had ever meaned something to me since my parents passed now.
I was down in the dumps when the bell went for class. Karina and Opal deliberately ignored me; it turned out they became friends with Debbie and Sasha. I was busy doodling sad faces in my jotter when Miss Macbeth handed me a private note saying:
'See me at the end of the lesson'
I felt like crying! No, screaming. No wait- DYING.I tried to sneak out at the end of the lesson but Miss Macbeth called my name and beckoned me towards her.
"Miss Macbeth I wasn't...-"
"Cheyenne. I'm not going to tell you off! I just wanted to ask...is everything ok?"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean at school and at home.You've been looking a bit down in the dumps lately. Is everything alright?"
I stayed silent.
"Anya, you do know that homework doesn't need to be in till Wednesday!" I told her, confused. "Why do it now?"
"Well, Miss Macbeth likes it when I do.So shut up, Cheyenne Henson!"
Anya marched away with a nod of her head. Oh, how I hated that annoying girl!
My friends Karina Hues and Opal Maystone soon arrived. I ran up to them and said a bouncy hello.
"Oh hi, Cheyenne. Me and Karina were just talking about maybe joining friends with Debbie Eaglefire or Sasha Del Marr. What d'ya think?"
They smiled at me earnestly, but I wondered why. Firstly, Debbie was the meanest girl in the class who was always bullying me in a disguised way. For example, the other day she 'complimented': "Wow, thats really good art, bighead!"
Unfortunately, Miss Macbeth didn't hear the bighead part and praised Debbie for her 'kindness'.
I tried to do the same back to her but go sent to the headteacher, worst luck. And Sasha?Well Sasha woukd never want to be friends with someone like me, I know that for SURE.
"Come on guys! I thought we were happy in our little group! We're the Awesome Threesome!"
"Foursome ryhmes more. And you know what? Fine. If you want to be extremely self centered, we don't mind. We will just go and make new friends without you."
Both of the girls turned away - and went over to Debbie! I had just lost the only people that had ever meaned something to me since my parents passed now.
I was down in the dumps when the bell went for class. Karina and Opal deliberately ignored me; it turned out they became friends with Debbie and Sasha. I was busy doodling sad faces in my jotter when Miss Macbeth handed me a private note saying:
'See me at the end of the lesson'
I felt like crying! No, screaming. No wait- DYING.I tried to sneak out at the end of the lesson but Miss Macbeth called my name and beckoned me towards her.
"Miss Macbeth I wasn't...-"
"Cheyenne. I'm not going to tell you off! I just wanted to ask...is everything ok?"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean at school and at home.You've been looking a bit down in the dumps lately. Is everything alright?"
I stayed silent.
4
I didn't like Miss Macbeth anymore. Who does she think she is, poking her nose around in everybody's private buisness? She can poke her nose in her own buisness, thankyou very much!
I decided to hang around in the park for a while after school. Everybody was staring and whispering stuff, and I knew Annette was gonna kill me for being late, but I was past a point of actually caring.
At one point I noticed Karina, Opal, Debbie and Sasha saunter pass arm in arm; thats when I couldn't take it anymore. Why was life so mean!? And,why was life so mean to me!? I started to cry again, and as the park started to empty, I found myself all alone. So it was true. Nobody did like me.
My head lowered, I walked home. Various strangers walked past, and I kept my distance from them....
"Cheyenne!"
Startled, I started to run.
"Cheyenne, please...it's me, Miss Macbeth!"
I turned around and surely, there behind me, was a panting red faced Miss Machbeth.
"What do you want?" I asked miserably.
"Cheyenne, about earlier...."
"Look, Miss Macbeth, there is nothing going on and there never will be!So stop poking your nose in my buisness!!!"
Miss Macbeth looked hurt; I just turned and ran.
"But....Cheyenne...."
Miss Macbeth sounded extremely dismayed. I thought about turning around and apologising, but she was gone before I could do so.
When I finally reached home, Annette was standing at the door watching me.
"Where have you been, Cheyenne?"
"Annette...I can explain!"
"Take your time, Chey. I was just worried about you. Thats all."
"Tell me this is a joke, Annette."
"No, it isn't."
"What?"
There was a moment of silence between us. Then:
"Cheyenne. Today I went for some coffee with an old friend of mine, called Bella. She happened to have her own daughter, Skye. And how kindly she was treating Skye! Then, something panged inside me..I thought about how bad I was treating you."
"Annette?"
"It was just my mother, Cheyenne. She told me: 'This is how you treat a child.' everytime she gave me a slap. That was often, and she also said; 'If they're really naughty they tumble down the stairs!'"
I stared at Annnette in shock. Was Annette really saying this?
"So...then I thought how wrong my mother was, and thought about Bella and Skye. And then I was like: 'Maybe that could be us..?'"
Annette smiled at me. I smiled back. Maybe, just maybe, everything could work out between us.
I decided to hang around in the park for a while after school. Everybody was staring and whispering stuff, and I knew Annette was gonna kill me for being late, but I was past a point of actually caring.
At one point I noticed Karina, Opal, Debbie and Sasha saunter pass arm in arm; thats when I couldn't take it anymore. Why was life so mean!? And,why was life so mean to me!? I started to cry again, and as the park started to empty, I found myself all alone. So it was true. Nobody did like me.
My head lowered, I walked home. Various strangers walked past, and I kept my distance from them....
"Cheyenne!"
Startled, I started to run.
"Cheyenne, please...it's me, Miss Macbeth!"
I turned around and surely, there behind me, was a panting red faced Miss Machbeth.
"What do you want?" I asked miserably.
"Cheyenne, about earlier...."
"Look, Miss Macbeth, there is nothing going on and there never will be!So stop poking your nose in my buisness!!!"
Miss Macbeth looked hurt; I just turned and ran.
"But....Cheyenne...."
Miss Macbeth sounded extremely dismayed. I thought about turning around and apologising, but she was gone before I could do so.
When I finally reached home, Annette was standing at the door watching me.
"Where have you been, Cheyenne?"
"Annette...I can explain!"
"Take your time, Chey. I was just worried about you. Thats all."
"Tell me this is a joke, Annette."
"No, it isn't."
"What?"
There was a moment of silence between us. Then:
"Cheyenne. Today I went for some coffee with an old friend of mine, called Bella. She happened to have her own daughter, Skye. And how kindly she was treating Skye! Then, something panged inside me..I thought about how bad I was treating you."
"Annette?"
"It was just my mother, Cheyenne. She told me: 'This is how you treat a child.' everytime she gave me a slap. That was often, and she also said; 'If they're really naughty they tumble down the stairs!'"
I stared at Annnette in shock. Was Annette really saying this?
"So...then I thought how wrong my mother was, and thought about Bella and Skye. And then I was like: 'Maybe that could be us..?'"
Annette smiled at me. I smiled back. Maybe, just maybe, everything could work out between us.
5
It was the first time I actually enjoyed my time with Annette. She took me to a posh resurant for dinner, and bought me the biggest ice cream on the menu for pudding. It was delicious! Thankgod for Bella and Skye, is all I could say.
Also, I managed to make friends with Debbie and Sasha!Karina, Opal, Debbie, Sasha and I now go round in a little group and it has definately topped up my cool factor 100%! Now everybody is asking to be my friend, and on valentines day I got a card from a boy I liked and we're now going out! Tasmin, Stevie and Elouisa from the school newspaper interviewed me so I could tell them how it was going with that boy (Harold Skyer) and got us to kiss for the article photo (we did that gladly!!!).
More great news- I got my room re-decorated! I love it now; I spend most of my time there.
I am sure I am the happiest girl in the world now!
Also, I managed to make friends with Debbie and Sasha!Karina, Opal, Debbie, Sasha and I now go round in a little group and it has definately topped up my cool factor 100%! Now everybody is asking to be my friend, and on valentines day I got a card from a boy I liked and we're now going out! Tasmin, Stevie and Elouisa from the school newspaper interviewed me so I could tell them how it was going with that boy (Harold Skyer) and got us to kiss for the article photo (we did that gladly!!!).
More great news- I got my room re-decorated! I love it now; I spend most of my time there.
I am sure I am the happiest girl in the world now!