Blackmailing Aria Original Version

14

Three weeks later:  

The hot, summer, sun blares down on my back, scorching it on fire. But I can't stop my work, grandma would just ground me. 

It's funny, even though I have graduated college, my grandparents still have the power to ground me. I guess as long as I'm living under their roof they can do whatever they want.

Like make me take over the farm chores.

I've been working since eight this morning; feeding the chickens, hauling hay, brushing the horses, cleaning the barn out, checking the fences, milking the two cows we own, and now finally, feeding the dogs. But after I'm done feeding them, I have to wash them down with the hose.

It's been like this for two weeks. Two weeks of waking up at dawn and doing the morning chores. It's all a part of my punishment. Daisy was right, everyone back home was talking about the robbery. Somehow, they found out about it, and knew that the 'damsel in distress' was me. My grandparents knew that I was in the robbery a couple days after I came home, but didn't ask me about it until a couple more days had passed, when I was actually willing to come out of my room. Then, when they asked me what happened in New York, why I was in the robbery, I broke down and told them everything. All about Xander, the deal we made, his family, Riley, Emily, Marco -who was nice enough to take me home, even though I'm pretty sure Xander made him -, and all about Holden and Sydney.

They felt sorry for me, sure, they comforted me and told me everything was going to be okay, although in the end still punished. They said that it was only for two weeks, so today is my last day of punishment, and although my back hurts and I have a sun burn and permanent dirt under my nails, I feel some sort of pride for myself for; one: letting Xander go, even though it was the hardest thing to do, and two: to let my grandparents rest. They said they've been on vacation for the past two weeks, which I'm glad about; they deserve to rest.

But I'm mostly just happy that after I feed and wash the dogs, I can take nap. I don't have work after this today - as it is my last day! -, so it's one of my few afternoons off, which I'm grateful for. Just thinking about my comfy cool bed makes me want to doze off right now on the back porch.

I hear my grandma calling me from the front of the house so I quickly finish filling up the bowls before rushing inside.

The screen door smacks behind me, but slowly closes after a century.

...we need to fix that door...in fact, we need to fix this whole place!

"Yeah Grams?" I find her in the kitchen with multiple bags in her hands. I take them from her and place them on the counter.

"Could you go get the other bags from the car, my dear?" Her voice comes out strong and not shaky like most people her age does.

"Of course," I say before kissing her on the cheek and rushing out the front door to her car. I grab the rest of the bags from the trunk and walk over to my grandpa who is lying beneath his truck.

"You should really call Dave Pop, he can get over here quickly and figure out what's going on."

From underneath the truck he mutters, "Why would I give that selfish, greedy bastard any work? He wouldn't even fix it, I tell ya. Just take my money and laugh in my face."

"Alright Pops, whatever you say." I make my way back inside with a smile.

My grandpa might curse out Dave - the mechanic in town -, but he loves him. Dave is my grandpa's, best friend's son. We practically grew up with each other, but he's a few years older than me, and for the longest time I had a crush on him. That quickly changed though when he came out in high school. Oh well, they say the first one's never last...