Forever Always (standard:romance, 9242 words)
Author: A. G. Sanchez	Added: Apr 10 2001	Views/Reads: 7308/4313	Story vote: 0.00 (0 votes)
Forever Always is about an orphan girl who is sent to live on a farm with her relatives and ends up finding true love...i would love feedback...thanks! Hope you enjoy!

Click here to read the first 75 lines of the story

home and watch soaps kind of person. They tried to dump me onto my 
grandma Carla, my mom’s mother, but she said she didn’t have enough 
room, so they were stuck with me. 

My parents priceless possessions were either thrown away or taken by
relatives, not asking me what I wanted. I did care at that point and 
had a fit. Everyone looked at me with sympathy and pity. That made me 
even angrier, and I had to be dragged to my room to sleep by my Uncles, 
David and Mark. But I slipped out at one point to go into my parents’ 
bedroom and grabbed my mom’s gold charm bracelet and my dads class 
ring. I grabbed their old wedding rings from a secret draw that I only 
knew about. They had bought new rings for each other on their 15th 
anniversary. I went into their huge walk-in closet to a secret 
compartment under the floor that no one knew about. I grabbed the purse 
that held money in it and grabbed the photo albums from the top shelf. 
I hid all of that in my room, until it was time to leave. 

All of that was a big blur now. The sun was finally going down, making
everything dark and gloomy. With the towel still wrapped around me, I 
laid down in bed and thought of my past. My life once filled with love 
and hope, now felt more like a duty to live. I reached over and grabbed 
my family picture of my dad, mom and me, off of my nightstand. I looked 
at it and felt my tears rising again. I held the picture close to my 
heart and felt comforted somehow. I fell asleep and dreamed of a sunny 
day with my parent’s laughter suddenly taken over by a thunderous storm 
with my aunt and uncle’s hatred. 

Chapter Two 

The next morning, I awoke to the sound of yelling going on downstairs. I
was confused at first at where I was but the truth suddenly dawned on 
me. I yawned and rolled over looking at the clock on the nightstand. 
Only six in the morning. I moaned with dread at what the day would 
bring me. I noticed I was only wrapped up in a towel and got up to get 
dressed. 

When I went downstairs to see who was yelling, I found the house empty
and quiet. On the breakfast table was a glass of orange juice and 
toast. I didn’t touch it since I wasn’t hungry. I opened the back door 
to be greeted by the smell of fresh grass and hay, a major difference 
from car exhaust and fumes. I walked out onto the porch to hear birds 
chirping and see my uncle off in the distance riding a horse with some 
range helper riding alongside him heading somewhere. 

I looked to the trees on the left of the house and couldn’t help but
long to wonder what was in there to take pictures of. Ever since I was 
able to hold a camera, I would take pictures of anything and 
everything. My parents thought it was cute, but I took it seriously. I 
wanted to major in photography in college and even took courses at my 
old high school for it. My parents realized then that I was serious and 
took it just as serious, helping me pick colleges that looked great for 
that sort of thing. At the thought of my parents, tears suddenly 
clouded my vision. I ran back upstairs to my new room and flung myself 
on the uncomfortable bed and cried. 

I woke up two hours later, after having a nightmare of me being in the
car and being killed instead of my parents. I went into the bathroom to 
rinse my face, and got my camera out of my suitcase under the bed. I 
looked at it adoringly since it was a very expensive gift from my 
parents on my fifteenth birthday. I hugged it to my chest and rocked 
back and forth. No tears came this time since I had already cried a 
river in the past four days. I put it back in the suitcase, hating the 
memories of it. 

I stood up and walked back outside to feel the sun on my face. I walked
off in the distance towards the trees that promised shelter from the 
world that I despised. I climbed over fallen logs and quiet rivers, 
looking at interesting animals, plants and other things. I found a big, 
flat rock to sit on and rest. As I sat there I observed my 
surroundings. Tall trees reached up high while animals skittered back 
and forth across the branches. Birds were chirping somewhere up there. 
On the ground level, bugs walked along, as if they didn’t know how big 
the world really was. 

What only seemed like minutes in the forests, turned into hours. I
didn’t realize I was out here that late and suddenly with fright 
noticed that I didn’t know the way back. I swallowed down my fears and 
headed in the direction I hoped was the way back. 

After an hour of walking, and still no site of the house, I started to
panic. I turned a complete circle and realized once again I didn’t know 
what way I had just come from. I cried out in anger. No matter what I 
did, the world would find a way to ruin it. I started to run in one 
direction, not caring if it was the wrong way. I heard something crack 
behind me and stopped instantly. I whirled around, fearful of what it 
might be, but nothing was there. Then off to the right, I heard 
something else crack. Oh, no. My mind suddenly screamed. What if it’s a 
hunter? Or a poacher for that matter. Maybe something worse, like a 
cougar or panther. Now totally afraid, I started to run full speed 
again only to slam into something hard and tall. 

A face swam in front of mine asking me something. I saw darkness and
stars swimming in my line of sight. After a few minutes, everything 
cleared and I realized I was on the ground laying on my back with a 
boy’s face above mine asking if I was all right in a western accent. I 
noticed that he wasn’t a boy, but a man. 

My age probably and really handsome. His blue eyes had worry darkening
them. His face was deeply tanned. His nose wasn’t long but not short 
either. Just right for his perfect features. His mouth was in a thin 
line, but looked as soft as his hair. His head had a beige cowboy hat 
settled on, covering his short blonde hair. He had on a white t-shirt 
that covered huge, football player shoulders and black jeans that 
covered long, lean legs. I noticed that he wasn’t wearing cowboy boots 
but regular black sneakers. I sat up dizzily, feeling the man’s strong 
arms help me stand up. I wiped my light brown hair out of my face and 
realized that my cheeks were wet with tears. Embarrassed, I turned my 
face away. “Sorry bout that.” He said wiping his hands on his pants 
after letting me go. I just shrugged. “Are you Joni Hives?” He asked 
me. “Yea.” I said silently. “The names Conner Naemos. I help out on the 
ranch.” He informed me. “Your uncle sent me out here to look for ya. 
Fiona said she saw ya head this way earlier today.” 

For awhile we just stood there staring at each other. He looked me over
from head to toe then back up as if seeing me for the first time. When 
he did that I felt as if he was touching me where he looked. I shifted 
uncomfortably. He motioned with his hand for me to follow him. 

“Well, we should be headin back now. Come on.” He said and turned around
leading the way. I followed silently behind him. Conner was silent the 
whole time. After about thirty minutes of walking, I tripped over a 
rock that couldn’t have been seen from where I was walking. I went down 
hard on my hands and knees, having the wind knocked out of me. 

“Hey, are ya all right?” Conner rushed to my side, trying to help me up
but I pushed him away wanting to be left alone, not wanting any help. 
He shrugged and backed away looking elsewhere. I crouched on my hands 
and knees getting my breath back. I tried to stand but fell back to my 
knees when my left ankle gave out. Conner reached out to me to help me 
up but once again, I slapped his hand away from me. “Don’t touch me.” I 
said through gritted teeth. 

“Fine. Be that way.” He said and started to walk away. I felt tears
clouding my eyes and escaping, but I let them be, not caring anymore 
than I did before. I had a strong urge to call for him to come back but 
I kept my mouth shut. I got up and walked slowly towards the way Conner 
had just walked. 

I thought about how nice Conner had tried to be, but pushed away the
thoughts. I didn’t need help from anyone, I told myself over and over 
again. Never again would I allow someone to help me in any way. But a 
voice in my head suddenly said to me sarcastically, “Just keep telling 
yourself that, Joni...” 

I finally caught up to Conner, not only because he stopped but because I
could walk a bit faster too. He was leaning against a tree, facing the 
way we were going. His big hands were in his pockets, and he was 
chewing on a piece of grass. 

“I heard about your folks.” He said suddenly, knowing somehow that I was
there. He turned around and I immediately saw the pity in his dark blue 
eyes. My anger rose suddenly, not wanting his pity. I pulled my chin up 
and walked ahead. 

“My folks are gone too.” His words stopped me. He said it so naturally,
as if he had said it many times before. “How?” I heard myself whisper, 
not thinking he heard me but he did. “My pa killed my ma with a shotgun 
in a drunken rage and then killed himself with the same gun.” He said 
again in that same tone of voice. So...empty. 

“I...I’m sorry to hear that.” I forced out. “I never really cared. They
always fought anyways. I ran away twice and was brought back twice by 
my pa, being smacked the whole way.” He took a deep breath, seeming to 
want to get this off of his shoulders. “Once they were gone, I had no 
where else to go. But I found work here at your uncle’s place and I 
stay in the hayloft in the barn. Better than the shack I used to live 
in. At least I get food. And money.” “Why are you telling me this?” I 
asked him, acting as if I didn’t want to be bothered, but really caring 
for his feelings. 

“Just wanted you to know you’re not the only one out there who has it
rough. I think I’ve had it more rough than you could ever imagine.” He 
said with a sneer. “Sorry about the way I acted back there. I’m just in 
a depressed mood.” I said, truly sorry for the way I had acted. 

“That’s to be expected if the people you love are suddenly ripped away
from your life.” He said in a tender sort of way. Who did he care 
about? I asked myself, as I felt a pang of jealousy. Not my business, I 
told myself immediately. He motioned with his head to keep walking 
forward. Again, we walked in silence, this time with me in the lead and 
him behind me. 

For what seemed like forever, we finally reached the end of the tree
line and the house stood where it was earlier when I left. As we walked 
up the porch steps, my cousin Fiona came outside suddenly. She looked 
exactly like my aunt. Same black hair and gray eyes. “Do you know how 
long you’ve been gone? Mother’s very upset and Father just about had a 
cow.” She said in her annoyingly westerly accent. I thanked Conner 
quietly for leading me home and walked right on past Fiona into the 
house. I walked up the stairs slowly to my room and I noticed that the 
clock said it was nearly seven in the afternoon. I just shrugged and 
lied down on my bed. 

Fiona charged in five minutes later. “What were you thinkin, goin off
like that?” She cried. I sighed, deeply bothered by her voice. Conner’s 
voice was soothing somehow while Fiona’s was annoying. “I was bored. 
I’m used to doing things on my own.” I answered silently. “Do ya always 
speak so quietly?” She demanded in her loud obnoxious voice. “As long 
as I’m heard, I don’t care.” I said, turning my back on her. She 
slammed my door loudly, but I smiled, knowing that I had won our first 
of many wars. 

Chapter Three 

I opened my eyes to the pounding on my door. Thinking it was Fiona once
again, I yelled, “Go away!” But to only wish the words back inside my 
mouth when my Aunt Terri stormed into my room. Her face was as red as a 
cherry and her eyes were blazing. “Aunt Terry! I’m sorry, I didn’t know 
it was you!” I blurted out. “You! It’s your entire fault I missed one 
of my soaps!” She raged. “What are you---”? “Were you planning on 
running away? Is that it?” She shouted. “No, I just wanted to walk 
around!” I shouted back. She stormed over to me and pulled me out of 
the bed. “You ever do that again and you’ll regret it.” She said 
between gritted teeth. 

“You can’t tell me what to do!” I screamed. She pulled my head back by
grabbing my hair and making me bite my tongue. “As long as you sleep in 
this bed, and under this roof, you will do as I tell you! Your parents 
are no longer here! They’re dead! They deserved to die at what they did 
to me! They’ll never be back to let you do whatever you want!” Oh, that 
hurt me big time. I felt like slapping her ugly face really hard, but 
then where would that put me? Instead I said what was on my mind. 

“Don’t worry, I won’t be here much longer. I only have one more year to
go and then I’m out of here.” She let go of me and just glared. “If 
only you knew the secrets your parents held back from you...if only you 
knew, you wouldn’t feel the way you do about them.” 

“What secrets?” I asked, half believing her. She smiled, knowing she had
me there. She walked out the door, slamming it like Fiona did. But not 
before I saw Fiona’s smirking face poking out of her bedroom door. I 
felt like I wanted to scream. My aching head reminded me of her words 
so I ran out of my room, out of the house and onto the front yard, 
heading towards the little pond off to the left of the house, crying 
the whole way. 

I sat down on the soft grass and just stared into the murky water. My
aunts angry, horrible words spun around in my head. What did my parents 
do to her? I thought miserably. Tears rolled down my cheeks, hitting my 
lap. I missed my parents so much. I didn’t care how much hate my aunt 
had for them, I would still love them no matter what. 

I didn’t hear Conner come up behind me until he sat down next to me,
silent as he was before. But his silence was comforting, as if he knew 
what I was feeling and just wanted me to know that he was there. We 
just sat there and watched the sun start to set over the horizon. 

“I hate my family.” I said suddenly without meaning too. Conner sat
there as if in deep thought. Maybe he didn’t hear me, I thought to 
myself. I was afraid he would tell them whatever I said. “You’ll get 
used to their ways.” He answered, killing off my hopes. “Is my aunt 
always that moody?” I asked, not caring anymore what I said about them. 


“When she misses her soaps, yea.” He chuckled. “And believe me, you
don’t wanna to be around her when cable goes out.” I couldn’t help but 
laugh. “You have a cute laugh.” Conner said quietly. I looked over at 
him, blushing slightly and noticed he was blushing too. I smiled to 
myself. “Tell me, is Fiona the selfish type?” I asked, tilting my head 
to the side. 

“Why are you askin me this? They’re your family.” “This is the first
time I’ve met them.” I admitted. He looked at me with a surprised look 
on his face. He suddenly squinted his eyes at me in a questioningly 
way. 

“How do I know you won’t go and tattle on me about what I’m sayin bout
them?” He asked, surprising me at thinking what I was thinking he would 
do to me. “How do I know that you won’t tell on me to them about what I 
just said?” I retorted. “I can barely stand the site of them. Do you 
think I would talk to them at all?” I said, my anger boiling. 

“Well, I barely know ya. Wait ‘til I know ya better, then I’ll answer
all the questions you have about your family. Alright?” How could I say 
no? He was looking at me with such a soft look, I could only nod. He 
broke our stare and just looked out at the now gone sun. Stars started 
to twinkle in clutters. 

“I’ve never seen so many stars grouped like that before.” I whispered.
“Well, there ain’t any buildings in the way and not as much lights out 
here.” 

“Yea, I guess that could be it...” I felt dazed, captivated somehow by
the night sky. I started to shiver and Conner must have notice for he 
said, “It gets real cold out here at nights. You should head in anyways 
‘fore your relatives come out here.” We both stood up, him walking one 
way and me walking the other. 

***** Once I opened the front door of the house, I could smell something
burning. I raced to the kitchen to find no one there, but saw smoke 
coming out of the oven. I turned it off, opened the door and smoke 
immediately filtered out, causing me to cough and choke. I pulled out 
whatever was in there, burning my hands in the process. I cried out in 
pain but slammed the pan on top of the stove and shutting the oven 
door. I was still coughing when my aunt and uncle ran into the kitchen, 
hearing the commotion going on. 

“What did you do to my roast?!” My aunt screamed at me, running over to
the burnt dish. My uncle just stood there, staring at me intently. “I 
didn’t do anything. I had just come into the house and I could smell 
something burning so I came in here to see what was going on---” 
“That’s enough of your nonsense! You ruined dinner!” My aunt cried. 
“I---” I started. 

“Just shut up!” My aunt raged. Her face was really red now. My uncle
still just stood there, looking on, saying nothing. Aunt Terri came 
storming over to me. She grabbed my burnt hands and threw me onto the 
floor knocking the wind out of me. She raised her booted foot to kick 
me but my uncle finally stepped in. 

“Wait just a minute.” Was all he said and dragged Aunt Terri out of the
kitchen. I sat there trying to get my breath back. A few minutes later, 
Aunt Terri stalked back into the kitchen and said to me with her fat 
hands on her fat hips, “We’re orderin out. But you can’t eat since you 
ruined this dinner.” She said it so smartly, that I wanted to slap that 
ugly smirk off of her face. 

“Like I care. I’m not hungry anyways.” I lied. I stood up and walked up
to my room, with my stomach grumbling in protest. I ignored it and 
walked into my room, and locked the door behind me. 

I went into the bathroom connected to mine and Fiona’s rooms and wrapped
cold wash cloths around my hands to try and cool them down. I went back 
into my room and sat on my bed, thinking how hard my life here would be 
from now on until I could leave on my own. 

Chapter Four 

School was starting once again from a four-day weekend. That morning I
was rudely awaken by Fiona’s off key singing in the shower. My aunt 
pounded on the door to wake me up to tell me that she decided that 
today was the day for me to start school. I got ready with the slowness 
of a snail, but we got to school on time. 

Everyone was staring at me as soon as I walked into my homeroom. I saw
Conner sitting in the back with an another guy and two girls. I caught 
his eye and he must have seen my terror for he motioned with his hands 
to come sit next to him in the empty seat. The teacher, Mr. Plum, just 
took my note and told me to take a seat. 

When I sat down in the empty chair, the guy was staring at me with
interest and one of the girls was looking at me with something that 
looked like envy or jealousy. The other one looked sort of happy. I 
tried to smile, but such an easy task had turned into an even harder 
one. Conner smiled his sweet smile at me and just about melted all the 
bones in my body in the slow process. 

“How ya feelin?” He asked me in his sweet voice. “Fine.” Was all I said.
The girl, who had looked at me with envy, snorted. “Well, this is Billy 
Tooth.” Conner said, indicating the black curly hair boy. I noticed he 
had nice green eyes. His smile was on the cute side. “Rita Holmes.” The 
envious girl with red hair and brown eyes. She had a lot of freckles on 
her nose. “and Michelle Hill.” Dark brown hair, light skin, 
bluish-greenish eyes. “Friends call me Mickey.” She said holding out 
her hand. I took it slowly but her blue eyes were still happy. “First 
day?” Billy asked. “Yea.” “Nervous?” Rita asked me smartly. “Actually, 
no.” I said, telling the truth. I wasn’t nervous, I was scared 
senseless. 

The bell suddenly rang and I soon found out that my whole homeroom moved
together from one class to another. The school wasn’t that big and 
Conner told me as we walked to first period that there were only 50 or 
more students there. 

After three class periods, it was time for lunch. Conner invited me to
sit with him and his friends, but once I saw the look on Rita’s face, I 
changed my mind on the answer and went outside instead to sit and wait 
for fourth period. 

It was a nice day, with a gentle breeze. White puffy clouds were
scattered in the huge, blue sky. Flowers were blooming, green trees 
were swaying with the wind and birds sang and flew around, from one 
tree to another. I realized that I was like a bird. Birds lived in so 
many places, they didn’t know where home was. Just like me...I didn’t 
know where my home was now. That thought got me crying once again, and 
I hated myself for not being able to control my feelings. 

I sat down on the tall, green grass and cried. This time, the tears
weren’t for my parents, but for me, for the first time since the bad 
news came, I cried for myself. I didn’t know how my future looked like 
now. I had a set course once, but in just one day, it was suddenly 
ripped right out from under me. I had felt so safe and secure, as if 
nothing could ever happen to me. I hated God for taking my parents from 
me. They weren’t bad people...at least, as far as I knew they weren’t. 
“Hey, Joni? Are you okay?” I heard Conner’s sweet, silent voice say 
from behind me. I tried to stop crying, but they wouldn’t cease. Conner 
sat down next to me and took me into his arms while I cried like a 
baby. He said nonsense words in his soothing voice and calmed me down. 
“Now, what started the water works?” He asked me as soon as I stopped 
crying. 

“I don’t know. It’s just the fact that my future looks so uncertain now
than it ever did.” I said, wiping my eyes with the palms of my hands. 
“Why’s that?” He asked me calmly and finally letting me sit up on my 
own so we were sitting face to face. “Before my parents died, I was 
doing great in school, getting good grades and everything. I knew what 
I wanted to do as soon as I got out of high school, what college and 
everything. But now...I’m not so sure I could do it anymore without my 
parent’s encouragement.” “Joni, just because they’re not here anymore 
doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t go on with your life.” Conner reasoned. 
“I know that, but it’s just the fact that when and if I graduate, who 
will show up for me for support? Certainly not my aunt and uncle.” I 
said in disgust. 

“At least you have family. I have no one, Joni, and you don’t see me
crying bout it.” I looked down at the ground, my eyes itching to cry 
once more, but I willed them back. Conner must have seen the sheen of 
tears in my eyes for he took my chin in his hand and made me look at 
him. 

“I didn’t mean it like it sounded. What I mean is I have no one that
cares about me family wise. You have other family out there.” He said 
with an impish gleam in his eyes. I looked at him quizzically. “What do 
you mean?” “Let me show you.” He stood up and pulled me up with him and 
we started walking towards the tree line. “What about school?” I asked, 
suddenly afraid that we would get caught skipping. “We have an hour and 
a half for lunch. We have about an hour or more left.” “Why so long?” I 
asked. “Most of the kids go home to eat and they live like thirty miles 
or more away so the principal gave us that long for lunch.” 

As we walked through the trees and bushes, I saw animals scatter and
bugs hide. Just the freshness of the forest made me feel as if I had 
come home. Before my parents and I had moved to New York, we lived in 
Virginia, where summer and fall were beautiful and winter and spring 
were gorgeous. I loved taking pictures of the trees and animals around 
me. We lived on thirty acres of land in an average home. I loved taking 
walks in the forests as soon as I got home from school and doing 
nothing but sit and listen to nature go on around me. But as soon as we 
moved to New York because of a job transfer my parents had, there 
weren’t enough trees around to go walking by. 

But now, in Montana, the trees were everywhere you looked mostly. I felt
at peace when I was in the middle of a forest, except when I didn’t 
know the way back. Conner led the way into the forest. About fifteen 
minutes later, we came to a huge stream that was flowing silently. My 
hands itched to hold my camera to take pictures of the beautiful site. 
I knew my eyes were gleaming from the beauty around me. “This is 
so...breathtaking.” I managed to whisper. 

“This is your family.” I heard Conner say. I gave him a puzzled look.
“You love nature. I knew it when I first saw you lost in the forest. 
The animals in here, the plants, the trees, the streams and rivers, 
they are all a part of you.” 

“How do you know so much about me?” I asked him suddenly. “I saw the
look in your eyes when I first saw you and just now. I know that you 
love this place. Don’t ask me how I know, I just sense it.” I turned 
away from his eyes, knowing he was right. I sat down on a rock that was 
by the water and just watched nature go on around me. Conner walked 
away for awhile and came back all too soon and said it was time to go. 

“Can we come back to this spot sometime later on?” I asked hopefully. He
smiled. “Sure. Come on or we’re goin to be late.” I knew the next time 
we would come back here, that I would bring my camera with me. Conner 
was right; even though my parents were gone, I wasn’t and had to 
continue on like I had planned. No matter what... 

Chapter Five 

Conner and I had been spending a lot of time together ever since he
showed me that stream. I felt closer to him somehow. I guess because we 
both were in the same situation. Meanwhile, Fiona had been getting into 
trouble at school for skipping her classes and back talking the 
teachers when she is there. My Uncle David threatened to stop her 
allowance money if she didn’t stop acting up. 

My birthday was in five days and nobody knew about it. I didn’t want
anyone to know. I didn’t expect anything from anyone since I didn’t 
want to repay them with anything. I wanted a job, but no one in town 
was hiring and I never could work up the courage to ask my uncle if I 
could help him out. 

The days went by much quicker when I was busy with schoolwork, trying to
keep my grades up high, but my birthday still came. Before I knew it, I 
was 17 finally. Only one more year to go on the farm and I was going to 
college. 

That morning was the morning I would never forget. Fiona had somehow
turned off my alarm the night before and I woke up later than usual. I 
cursed silently as I hurriedly got dressed. I saw my bus drive away and 
I noticed Fiona was sitting in my seat next to Conner. I ran after it, 
but didn’t catch it. How could I have been so stupid! I usually heard 
every sound around me at night, but I must have zonked out. Happy 
Birthday to me. I thought to myself, bitterly. 

I walked along the side of the dirt road heading for school. About
fifteen minutes later, I heard a truck coming up behind me and I moved 
over. I didn’t look back, just kept going. A red truck pulled up next 
to me and stayed at my pace. I looked inside the passenger window to 
see a very handsome man smiling back at me. I suddenly realized that it 
was Billy Tooth from school. “Miss the bus?” He asked me, grinning all 
the while. I couldn’t help but smile back. It was contagious. “Yea, my 
alarm didn’t go off.” I said. I didn’t want to mention Fiona’s little 
prank to him. For all I knew, he could have been friends with her. 

“Is that why your walking?” He asked me. His eyes gleamed. From what I
knew not. “Yea, I would rather go to school than spend the day at the 
house.” I said suddenly without realizing that I had just revealed 
something that I didn’t want to say. 

“Well I’m heading over that way. Want a ride?” I kept walking, looking
down at the dirt road. I didn’t say anything. My stomach did flip-flops 
when I noticed he was staring at me. There was something about his gaze 
that made my nerves go on end. Different than the way Conner’s gaze 
did. Somehow, I knew he couldn’t be trusted. A woman’s instinct I 
guess... “I asked--” “I know what you asked.” I snapped. “I just don’t 
take rides from strangers.” I did not want anything to do with him. He 
eyes narrowed at me. “I’m not a stranger and you know it. I’ve known 
you what? Two or three weeks now?” 

“Not enough time.” I sped up walking but he kept with me. “The school is
fifteen miles away from your house. You’re not going to make it on time 
if you are walking.” He said in a parental tone. “That’s my problem to 
worry about, not yours.” I wasn’t in the mood to argue or say anything. 


“Conner is going to kill me if he finds out I didn’t pick you up and
besides, it’s going to be raining soon.” “Thanks for the weather tip, 
now how about the news?” I said sarcastically. 

“Rita’s right, you are a spoiled brat.” He spit out at me. I stopped
walking suddenly. I narrowed my eyes at Billy, but he drove away. Well 
you did it again, Joni. You didn’t know how to keep your big mouth 
shut, I scolded myself. I kicked at the road, muttering curses as I 
continued walking. Billy was right, it was going to be raining soon. 
Big, dark thunderous clouds seemed to be crawling over the sky. Some 
birthday. 

About thirty minutes of walking, the big clouds suddenly opened up and
let the rain fall down. It was all Fiona’s fault that I was in this 
mess in the first place. She was probably laughing about it at school 
with her dorky friends. A little ways down, I saw twin headlights in 
the cloud of falling rain. I got off the road into the muddy shoulder 
and continued walking. It was Billy’s red truck that came down the road 
but it wasn’t Billy behind the wheel. 

Conner slowed down right by me and opened his window. “Get in the truck,
Joni, before you make yourself sick.” He said through clenched teeth. 
“No, I’m fine walking and I’m not going to stop now.” I knew I was 
being stubborn, but I didn’t want help, not anymore. 

“Joni!” He yelled over the pouring rain. “If you don’t get in this
truck, I’m coming out there after you and you know I’ll get you in 
here.” I looked at his eyes and saw that he was barely holding onto his 
anger. I sighed and went around to the passenger side of the truck and 
got in. My clothes were soaked through and through. My shoes were all 
mudded up and my socks were soaked also. My books in my pack were 
probably ruined. I turned to look at Conner only to see him gripping 
the steering wheel tightly and his handsome face clenched closed. 
“Conner--” 

“Billy was only trying to help you out and you know that!” He suddenly
roared. He drove the way I had just come from. “I didn’t trust him!” I 
yelled back. “There’s something about him that makes me nervous!” He 
glared at me. 

“What makes you say that?” He asked suspiciously. “I don’t know, it’s
just the way he looks at me.” I looked outside the window. “Where are 
we going? School is that way.” I said and pointed behind us. “I’m 
taking you back home to get changed. You’re soaked.” He said with 
concern. We were silent for awhile when I said suddenly out loud, “Some 
birthday this is.” 

“Today’s your birthday?” Conner asked me, glancing at me. I could have
kicked myself if I wasn’t sitting down. “Yes. I’m seventeen.” I said 
quietly. “You’re just a few months younger than me.” Conner noted. 
“Happy Birthday.” “Thanks and if you don’t mind, please don’t tell 
anyone else. I didn’t want anybody to know.” “Sure, but why not?” 

“I just don’t, okay?” I snapped. I bit my tongue back. “Okay fine,
geez.” “Conner, I’m sorry for the way I’ve been acting. It’s just that 
this week hasn’t been going all to well.” “What happened this morning? 
Fiona told me that you were sick and stayed home. I wanted to go check 
on you but she said that her mom was taking care of you.” 

“That little liar! She turned off my alarm this morning so I woke up
late and by the time I got to the bus stop, it was already going.” 
“It’s okay, this gives us time to talk.” Conner said and gave me his 
sweet smile that melted my bones. I turned back towards the window once 
he broke our gaze. 

The rain was coming down really hard just then so that we couldn’t see
anything. I started to get worried about hitting something or someone 
for that matter. I looked at the dashboard and saw that it was going on 
10 o’clock. “Why don’t you drop me off at the house and then go back to 
school. I might as well stay home today.” I stated without looking at 
Conner. “If you are staying home, then so am I.” “But--” 

“There’s no point in going back now. We’ll just stay at the house and
besides David is going to some business meeting today and your aunt is 
going to some soap opera meeting thing with some of her friends. So 
it’ll be an empty house. Alright?” He asked me as he drove carefully 
down the road. I only nodded as a deep boom of thunder blasted 
suddenly. Then, out of nowhere, came a flash of lightning that hit a 
tree on the side of the road. 

“Conner! Look out!” I yelled as the huge tree fell onto the road in our
path. He swerved, trying to get out of the way only to go through the 
fence on the side of the road and into a ditch. My head hit the 
dashboard and that was the last thing I remembered. 

Chapter Six 

I opened my eyes to see my parent’s faces hovering above me. “Joni, you
need to get up. It’s not your time yet.” They said without moving their 
mouths. I looked around me but all I saw was white. Blinding white 
light. Joni...Joni... I heard from afar. I felt as if I was floating 
towards it, hearing it get louder and louder every second. 

Slowly, I opened my eyes. I saw a white tiled ceiling above me and heard
beeping noises coming from somewhere. I tried to look down but couldn’t 
move my head. I blinked, trying to focus my eyes, but couldn’t. 

“Dr. Moore, please report to surgery, Dr. Moore, report to surgery.” I
heard a voice say over an intercom somewhere around me. I moved my eyes 
downward to see a white sheet covering my body and IV’s coming out of 
hands, more than likely going up to a machine. I took a deep breath and 
realized I had an oxygen pipe to help me breathe. I knew where I was. I 
was in a hospital. 

I must have fallen asleep again because when I opened my eyes, I saw my
Uncle David looking down at me. “Terri! She’s awake!” He shouted out 
the door. I heard shuffling and then my Aunt Terri came into the room 
with Fiona right behind her. “Look what you got yourself into now!” 
Aunt Terri said angrily. “Now now, Terri, you know it wasn’t her 
fault.” I heard my uncle David say. 

They started to argue about it. I sighed deeply, wanting them out. What
about Conner? I suddenly thought the worst and that he didn’t make it. 
My heart was going a mile a minute. I struggled with words. I couldn’t 
get my mouth to form the words I wanted. Instead I made grunting 
noises. 

“Shh! She’s trying to say something!” My uncle said. Somehow I got out
“Con....ner.” Slowly, but got it out. “He’s in the room next door. He 
has a few broken ribs and a bruised head like you. Other than that he’s 
okay.” My uncle replied. As if reading my thoughts, he answered my next 
question. 

“You just have a head injury and 15 degree burns. You’ve been in a coma
for about four days now.” I closed my eyes, and nodded of to sleep. In 
my dreams I saw the truck catch on fire and burn my face and arms. I 
saw Conner grab me and throw me out of the truck and then get out 
himself. We laid there side by side for a long time in the pouring 
rain, before some farmer drove by and took us to the hospital. 

It was five days later that I was out of ICU and into a regular room. My
aunt kept raging about the bills. Fiona never came back after the first 
time and I hadn’t seen Conner since the day of the accident. My eyes 
burned for a long time but a nurse said that was normal after getting 
burned. 

It was a couple of days later when I had just opened my eyes and saw
Conner sitting next to my bed, sleeping in the chair. He had a white 
bandage on his head covering his blond hair. I tried to smile but it 
hurt to even move my face. I raised my hand and touched his cheek. He 
opened his eyes immediately. 

“Joni, I’m so sorry.” He sobbed. I coughed trying to say that it was
okay but he put a finger to my lips, shushing me. “I know you are going 
to say that it is alright, but it’s not. I shouldn’t have swerved.” I 
cupped his face with my one hand, making him look at me and said all 
the words that needed to be said with my eyes. “But--” He said, 
understanding me fully. I shook my head, meaning for him to be silent. 

“I could have killed us you know...we could be dead right now.” But
we’re not, I said to myself. My eyes started to water with tears and so 
did Conner’s. We both cried silently and he took my hand into both of 
his, covering it. I knew we were both lucky to be alive at all, but I 
couldn’t help but wish I were dead. At least I would be able to see my 
parents. I would be away from my awful family and with Conner if he 
died also. Stop it, Joni! A little voice from far away in my head said 
to me suddenly. You have your whole life to live out. Don’t stop now! I 
nodded to myself and decided that once I was out of this hospital, I 
would start photography once again and send them the colleges to apply 
for the best one. 

Two weeks later, Conner and I were able to go home. I still wasn’t able
to talk since my throat was still swollen from the smoke from the fire. 
 It was hard for me to walk, but I did it with Conner’s help and 
support. Uncle David picked us up and drove us home. Conner had his arm 
around my shoulder to assure me that I would be okay. 

When we got home, Aunt Terri or Fiona didn’t even come out to help us
inside. Conner would be staying in the Fiona’s room and Fiona would be 
in the bigger spare bedroom farther down the hall. As soon as I got 
into my room, I fell onto the bed and was knocked out from just the 
little walk from the truck to the bed. 

I opened my eyes to see Conner lying on the floor next to my bed with
his arms under his head and eyes closed, facing up at the ceiling. I 
sat up slowly, not wanting to get dizzy and saw my reflection in the 
mirror over my dresser. My face was so scarred you couldn’t even tell 
it was me! I walked slowly towards the mirror, trying not to wake up 
Conner and touched my now scarred face. I had different colored skin in 
different places. Red and peeling on my forehead. Pink and pudgy on my 
cheeks. The only normal part was my chin, but that too had scarred 
marks on it. I cried out suddenly and I heard Conner get up from the 
floor and saw him come up behind me. He was so tall, you couldn’t see 
his head in the mirror. But I knew what his eyes looked like right 
then. Full of pity for me. I turned around, planning to run from the 
room, only to have Conner slip his arms around me and pull me to him. I 
felt safe in his arms. Safe and content, but still I cried. 

“Shh...” He whispered into my hair. My tears soaked through his t-shirt.
“I’m.... ug...ly.” I rasped out. “You are not ugly. You never were and 
never will be.” I leaned back and pointed to my face. “Joni, your face 
isn’t the most important feature of your whole self. It’s what in the 
inside that counts.” He reasoned in his sweet lullaby like voice. 

I got out of his embrace and walked over to the desk where a pen and
piece of paper were. I wrote, I don’t feel pretty or look pretty. 
Everyone will stare at me from now on for the rest of my life. I showed 
the paper to Conner and he just frowned. 

“If that’s all that matters to them, then they’re not worth spending
your time with. When people stare at you, they’re only looking on the 
outside when they don’t even know what you are like in the inside. Even 
more pretty. Joni, in my eyes, you’ll always be beautiful.” His words 
made my heart flutter. 

“I’m just glad that you don’t hate me for what I did to you. It’s all my
fault that happened to you.” I shook my head and wrote down, Don’t you 
even think about blaming yourself. I don’t. It wasn’t either of our 
faults. God intended it to be. It had to have some meaning to it or why 
else would He do that to us? 

“It’s brought us closer together.” Conner said as he read the note. I
cleared my throat. “We...were...always...close...We...just 
didn’t...know...it...un...til...now.” I took a deep breath. 

“Joni, I know we haven’t known each other long enough, but I know what I
feel for you. And that is...that...um...I love you.” He blurted out. My 
mouth fell open and tears formed in my eyes. Here I thought no one 
would want me now and Conner was saying that he loved me. I ran into 
his arms, weeping the whole way, but when I got there...I said the 
words that needed to be said; “I love...you too.” And that was when we 
shared our first kiss... 

Epilogue 

It’s been ten years since that day when Conner and I confessed our love
for each other. I was able to talk after that but not much. I still 
don’t talk much unless I have too. I graduated high school and went to 
UCM, University of Central Montana, and majored in photography. Since 
then I’ve been all over the world taking pictures of forests, jungles 
and sunsets. I ended up being a photojournalist, taking pictures for 
Nature and Us, a local magazine. My face did get better, but I still 
don’t mind. At the age of 27, people still say I look younger. Conner 
and I lost contact for awhile. 

Conner ended up going to college right after high school also and
majored in architecture, building buildings and bridges all over the 
United States. After five years of doing that, Conner and I met up for 
the first time in five years and he surprised me by proposing to me. Of 
course I said yes, and we were married six months later. 

My Aunt Terri never did talk to me ever again after I moved out. As far
as I knew, she was still watching her soap operas, never knowing her 
own life was one as well. My Uncle David confessed to me awhile back 
about what my parents did to Aunt Terri. My father was married before 
he married my “mom”. My dad killed my real mother in a car accident 
when he was drunk once. My real mom was my Aunt Terri’s and Aunt 
Grace’s, who I thought was my mom, younger sister. She was pregnant 
with me at the time and they saved me from dying. Aunt Terri and my mom 
were really close. Closer than anyone knew. My father married aunt 
Grace to cover up everything, and she adopted me. That didn’t mean that 
I still didn’t love them, I mean they still did raise me and 
everything, but I saw a picture of my real mom in a photo album once 
and we look exactly alike. Same eyes, hair, height, and build. That was 
why my Aunt Terri hated me so much. I reminded her of her dead sister. 
Once I knew all of this, it all fit together. 

Fiona was caught dealing drugs with Billy Tooth a couple years ago and
as far as Conner and I know, they’re both in rehab. 

Rita Holmes and Michelle (Mickey) Hill both graduated from high and went
to college. We haven’t heard from them since. 

Conner and I still live in Montana on one hundred and thirty acres of
land filled with trees. We have a five-year-old son, Cody, a 
three-year-old daughter, Brooke, and twins on the way. We don’t know 
the gender of them yet. But hoping for one of each. Conner once said to 
me that our love for each other would last forever and I replied, “Yes, 
forever, always.” The End 


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