Life isn't fair. At least that's what Jenny's mother always told her. How far in the world you go depends on looks. Another jewel of her mother's wisdom. And Jenny was not beautiful, according to her stepfather. Jenny would have to depend on intelligence to take her places, if only those places were the local McDonalds.
Jenny Sue Prest had a thick mane of red gold hair and large brown eyes. Her face was a heart-shaped oval, reminiscent of an old-fashioned valentine. A generous mouth that occasionally gave in to a shy smile hid straight, shiny teeth. Her snub nose gave her the look of a tomboy, giving a hint of the boyish fun she enjoyed. She usually wore her long hair back in a pony tail, because that was simple and McDonalds' regulation for all of their employees. Jenny hated the greasy smell that never seemed to leave her hair and clothes. Nauseating customers with grimy hands and unkempt hair would leer at her and make disgusting comments. Jenny shrugged her feelings of misery off. She knew better days were coming--very soon.
Fuzzy, black and white memories haunted Jenny. Memories of a time when she had been ecstatically happy. The time when her father had been alive.
He had been nearly seven feet tall or so it seemed, with a booming laugh that was contagious. At bedtime, he was the perfect narrator for "The Three Little Bears." He had a growly voice that made her want to check under the bed to make sure those big, mean bears weren't lurking there. Puppy dogs and little girls were among his favorite things and Jenny felt most loved when he was nearby. She received her last gift from him on her fifth birthday. That gift became her comfort and confidante when her father died. The small Welsh Corgi was a lively, happy dog and knew exactly what to do to cheer Jenny up. Wherever Jenny went, little Lucky was sure to follow and protect her from all of the world's beastly dangers. Jenny thanked God every day for Lucky. He was her light in this dark tunnel she called life.
Not long after her father died, her mother remarried. The man she married was a bitter man who enjoyed picking fights with Jenny. He was lazy, and regularly lost jobs that took months to obtain. Jenny and her mother were the only ones who had a steady income in their family, and could honestly claim him as a dependent. He loved the fact that the women provided for his lifestyle. Dan O'Kelley was his name and he did not inherit the hard-working nature of the ancestors who had left him a large monetary inheritance. He felt he should not have to work since he would be a millionaire at the age of 40. At the age of 39 he was growing more and more cocky...as if he had something to act cocky about. His hair was a matted and dingy brown with a matching limp mustache. Ignorance could be glimpsed in his dirt-colored eyes and was reinforced by the fact that he was nearly illiterate. His lanky build gave the impression of a natural athlete; even though he was incredibly out of shape. And his favorite hobby was telling Jenny how ignorant she was and that she didn't have a future.
Jenny listened to all of it. Her mother never defended her. No, Agnes felt that she should not go against the tide. Dan was the one person she did not want to anger and so she left Jenny to fend for herself. Agnes also chose Jenny's entire wardrobe. Stuffy blouses with long sleeves and frills along with little girl jumpers filled her closet. Jenny longed to wear jeans like the other teenage girls at school, but her mother flatly refused. No wonder Jenny was a shy introvert at school. She never felt good about herself and worked hard at getting good grades. In her mind the only way to achieve respect, love, and acceptance was to earn straight A's.
She even sought a part-time job and was hired at a local McDonalds. The pay was lousy, the customers were rude, and the managers were bossy and obnoxious. But Jenny was happy about one thing--she had to wear slacks at the job and her mother allowed her to on the condition that Jenny would wear pants only to work.
Jenny longed for something; something unattainable and out of reach. She longed for recognition of herself as a person.
Lucky knew one secret about Jenny that no one else knew. Because she was allowed her own small income, she could afford to take lessons secretly--in kickboxing. She enjoyed venting her frustrations on the defenseless bag. It kept her in good shape and made her a formidable opponent if angered. If she felt stress, all she had to do was picture Dan's face on the bags and she was unstoppable.
* * * * *
"What did you today, Retard?" Dan sneered at her, crumpling his empty beer can with one hand. "Probably spent the whole day trying to figure out the answer to 2 + 2!" He burst out in ignorant laughter.
No, Dan, you've mistaken me for yourself again, Jenny thought. She didn't dare let the treacherous words escape her mouth. She didn't want to push her luck.
She hurried into her room and changed her clothes. Lucky wiggled and jumped with the pleasure of being with his master. She switched on her radio and pulled out her checkbook. Another well-kept secret. Her hard-earned money was put into a checking account and was scarcely used. Three years of suffering at McDonalds had brought her close to $23,000. Jenny sighed longingly. She would love to be able to spend a little of it on herself. Putting her checkbook back into her worn purse, she laughed as Lucky brought a small rubber ball to play fetch with. His little stub tail twitched with delight as she picked the ball up and grabbed her jacket. She opened her low window and squirmed out. Lucky eagerly joined her outside in a small bound. Jenny didn't want to have to go past Dan in his ragged armchair with a pile of empty beer cans forming a gigantic mound. In a drunken stupor Dan felt even more feisty than usual and didn't hesitate to swing at anyone who passed by.
The sun was setting and a cool breeze nipped her nose and cheeks, making them red as ripe cherries. Lucky twisted and leaped as she threw the ball about in their large yard. Jenny loved their home. The yard was spacious with flower beds for borders. They lived outside of Airedale, Kansas, in the country. Airedale was a moderately-sized town and had the usual entertainment centers. It had a movie theater that looked grimy and in need of repair in the full lighting. The movies would skip and black out in an irritating fashion but in the end the theater employees would manage to patch the equipment up enough to make it through yet another movie. At night the town looked even larger from her house because the thousands of lights twinkled about, giving the impression of a large city.
The wind blew a large pile of stiff brown leaves to her feet, bringing Jenny out of her reverie. She kicked the small pile and enjoyed the crackling sound as she destroyed the leaves. Lucky ran about, sniffing tree trunks and leaving various territorial claims. Jenny couldn't blame him. Wild animals such as skunks and possums were always venturing onto their yard.
"Come on, Lucky, we better go in before Dan finds out we've been having some fun." Jenny walked slowly to her window and crawled through with a heavy heart. Lucky leaped in, and promptly curled up on her bed. His short yip told her that he didn't mind coming back if it meant the comfort of her bed.
"Jenny! Get in here and start fixing supper!" Dan's voice rang out in loud, slurred tones.
Jenny shuffled into the kitchen and felt a sudden wave of resentment. Why should he get to sit around all day and make every one else work? Her mother wouldn't get home from work until 2 am and Jenny was the only one who could fix supper.
Tonight Jenny was tired, and when she felt sick and tired she felt rebellious. She pulled out lunch meat, mayonnaise, and a loaf of bread out of the refrigerator and set them on the kitchen counter. She grabbed herself a plate and fixed herself a sandwich and a glass of milk. Walking into the living room, she turned to Dan.
"I'm tired. If you want supper, go into the kitchen and fix yourself a sandwich. There are Cheetos in the cabinet, and if you don't like that idea, order take-out." With that she turned to go into her room, locking the door behind her. When Dan began to bellow, she merely turned up her radio. Lucky settled down to sharing Jenny's sandwich.
After she finished, she traipsed into the kitchen to put up her dishes. Lucky followed her, scavenging for scraps of food. As she cleaned the kitchen she realized Dan was standing in the door way. Gripped tightly in his hand was as razor-sharp butcher knife, its silver edge gleaming.
"No one disobeys me and gets away with it." He flung the knife into Lucky's side and with a yelp, Lucky fell to the floor.
Instantly Jenny delivered a blow to Dan's face. While he was reeling from her hit, Jenny scooped Lucky into her arms and walked to the door. Turning, she looked back at Dan.
"If you're smart, you won't be here when I get back." Her voice was hollow and icy, and her gaze was as polar as the glaciers of Antarctica.
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