She's a Major City Girl - He's a Pure Country Boy. Who Knew?

"W-What?" Essie's glittery gold covered eyelids squinted in raw confusion.

"You heard me," Aunt Kate glared, shoving a black suitcase towards Essie. "I've had enough. All me and your uncle have ever done is take you in when your mother died, put food in your stomach and a roof over your head, and pamper you with huge allowances, and all we get in return is THIS! A whiny brat that's failed five drug tests this year, been arrested twice, is drinking and smoking underage, and for all I know, sleeping around with every guy that asks--"

"--No I'm not!" Essie hissed defensively, folding her arms in front of her. She still refused to grab the suitcase that Aunt Kate held out for her.

"Esther Shilling!" Kate snapped, her dark eyes narrowing to tiny slits. Essie winced at the sharp trenchant of her aunt's tone and the use of her real name.

"Me and your uncle have already made up our mind. We made arrangements the last time you got arrested to send you away for a little...break. We let you off then, but this time..." Kate shook her head, her dangly earrings slightly jingling. For a moment her face softened. "Its for your own good Essie."

Essie, however, was past sofetening. "I think I know what's best for my own good!" she snarled, her lipsticked mouth curling.

Kate frowned, angrier than before. "No you don't." she spat. "You have no idea what's best for you or you wouldn't be in this situation. All you've ever done is cost me and your uncle stress and money, whether we're bailing you put of jail or picking you up from a club where you passed out stoned. And have you ever said a "thank you"? No, you haven't. You just dust off your pretty little self and do it all over again, and I'm SICK of it. WE'RE sick of it." Kate shot a look at her husbad to make sure the point got across.

Essie looked at her uncle, her baby blue eyes willing him to stick up for her. Instead, he shook his head gruffly. "Dont you look at me like that, Essie. You won't be gone forever, just enough for you to straighten some things out, you know?"

Kate nodded, satisfied, and continued to hold the suitcase out towards her niece. When Essie tossed her a final defiant glare and ignored her, Kate hurled the suitcase toward the teenage girl.

Essie caught the case at the last second and stumbled backward, falling on to the leather sofa with a soft thud. "Now go and pack," Aunt Kate ordered, way past her normal level of patience, "You'll leave in the morning. I have to go make a call."

Essie stood up slowly and dragged herself up the stairs to her second story bedroom. With a dry sob, she fell into her bed. To her disgust, even her own bed seemed unfriendly. The sheets were cold and the matress was too stiff, as if Kate's declaration had caused everything in the whole house to hate her.

With a groan, she pulled herself around so her feet hung off the bed's edges. As stress settled in over her, Essie reached into her bra and pulled out the last cigarette she had stored there. Lighting it up with her pink lighter, she took a few deep drags, letting the smoke filter out of her mouth in a steady puff.

As her nerves cooled, Essie ventured to take a quick look in her vanity mirror. The relection she saw staring back at her was scary. And not in a good way.

Esssie's mascara and eyeliner had melted down around her eyes during the night, making it look like she'd gotten into a recent fight that she lost. Her red lipstick was smeared off her lips, and Essie licked a finger in an attempt to rub some o the excess off. It didn't work.

Essie's eyelids were still sparkling with gold powder, but her long, dark brown hair was dull, dirty, and fell in knotty waves around her shoulders instead of its normal glossy tresses. The gold foil minidress she'd put on hours before ha lost it's form, and no longer complimented her figure, but hung on it like a tablecloth.