Accepting Cherry Read online

  Accepting Cherry

  A novel by:

  Chrissy Snyder

  Copyright © 2014 T. Snyder

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form without written permission or the author. This book is a work of fiction; any resemblance to any person alive or dead is purely coincidental. The characters and story are created from the author’s imagination.

  Contributors:

  Cover photo provided by Shauna Kruse, Kruse Images Photography

  https://www.facebook.com/KruseImagesandPhotography

  Cover model: Lance Jones – Tattoo Model

  https://www.facebook.com/LanceJonesTattooFitnessModel

  Illustrator: Clarise Tan with CT cover creations

  https://www.facebook.com/CTcovercreations?ref=br_tf

  Editor: Charisse Spiers with Keeping Romance Alive, one book at a time

  https://www.facebook.com/keepingromancealiveonebookatatime?ref=br_tf

  For Mature Audience Only 18 +: Contains graphic sexual content, situations of abuse and rape.

  This book is dedicated to Todd Snyder, my loving husband.

  Thank you for your unfailing support and your belief in me and my abilities.

  I love you, and I will never love another.

  Love comes to those who still hope after disappointment, who still believe after betrayal, and who still love after they’ve been hurt.

  -Author Unknown

  Prologue

  Cherry

  “It’s now time for the father to dance with the bride. Please take the floor.” I hold a section of my ball gown in my tiny fists, picking it up enough for me to walk onto the dance floor, my heart beating happily in anticipation. I arrive at the center and stop, waiting on my daddy to take my hand, a large grin on my face. He positions me in his arms, smiling at me softly while waiting for the music to start. As it does he starts to move, expertly twirling me around the floor. We’ve practiced dancing for months to get this right. This is my day, the day to feel like a princess, and I do. I feel like Cinderella dancing with her prince.

  Daddy and I have always been close. We have a lot of similarities. I have the same radiating dimples as he does each time I smile. Like my daddy, I’m a dreamer and I love to lose myself in books, dreaming of living a fairy tale life for my very own. As he twirls me around I see Grams, sitting at the head table, looking all spruced up. The only grandparent I have on my mama’s side is Grams, because my granddaddy left Grams way back when Mama was born, which was unheard of back in the day. Grams said the war changed him and he was an angry man. She said it was all for the best that he isn’t around. I never knew my Gram or Granddaddy on my Daddy’s side, because they died in a car crash before I was born. Daddy said that they would have loved me like crazy and spoiled me to boot.

  I’m spinning happily, smiling at all my guests as my daddy leads me around the dance floor. I spy Mama, standing off to the side with a smile on her face and a hand over her heart. Everyone says that I look just like her, with my blonde hair and big blue eyes. I know she’s so happy for me today of all days, as it’s my special day to shine like a Princess. Mama had her time to shine; her and Daddy were always known as the “dream team.” My mama and daddy were high school sweethearts. Mama was a cheer captain and Daddy the quarterback for their high school team. They were madly in love and couldn’t wait for the day they would be married; nothing else was ever a thought. Grams convinced mama that she should at least wait till high school was over. Grams told me that she worried people would think Mama got knocked up and had to get married. I know Grams was thankful that Mama listened and they waited until they were done with high school, because she often told me so.

  I love looking at all the wedding pictures. Mama was so beautiful in a white princess dress that had a big poufy bottom like mine and Daddy was her very own Prince Charming. Mama often got lost in a dreamland telling me stories of her magical night and how they danced till dawn. I can’t wait to see how my photos turn out; each special moment captured forever.

  I lay my head on Daddy’s shoulder as we slowly sway to the music. I smile as I think of the stories Grams loved to tell about Mama and Daddy. Grams would cluck her tongue when she told me how smart Mama was, and how she went to college to become a nurse. Grams called Mama practical, and Mama called Daddy a dreamer. No matter what, Daddy would just smile at Mama and make her laugh, causing her to forget whatever it was she was upset or angry about. Even though Daddy was a dreamer, he too was smart, completing his degree and became a Chartered Accountant. I’ve always cherished the love they have for one another.

  I giggle as Daddy murmurs in my ear, reminding me that I came along after they had been married for seven years; Daddy’s little girl. Like any child with a good family, I was told that I was loved before I was even a thought in their hearts. I always wished I had brothers or sisters, but I wasn’t lonely, because I knew that Mama and Daddy loved me like crazy. When I came along, Daddy didn’t want to put me down, carrying me everywhere he had to go. To him I was the world. Apparently Mama and Grams barely got a turn to hold me or love on me like he did.

  Chill bumps arise on my skin as Daddy sings our song in my ear, his whisper tickling my neck. He reminds me of all the dreams I dreamt of in my childhood bedroom. I grew up in a small town in Georgia and Grams lived with us. We had a nice house in a nice neighborhood. Mama always said that good neighborhoods meant good people and that good people meant good friends.

  My room was my castle and I had it decorated so. It was painted a soft purple and green with white princess furniture and a canopy over my bed. I would lie in bed and daydream about my Prince Charming sweeping me off my feet. I often pictured in my mind exactly how I would look as a princess; a tiara on my head and dresses with full skirts. I loved to twirl and twirl; making my skirt swirl up, sometimes high enough to see my panties. Mama didn’t like it when I showed my panties, saying I was unladylike, but today I’m as classy as they come.

  Daddy continues humming in my ear, the song coming to an end, when I jolt awake. Instead of a beautiful venue, I’m in a dark room on a rickety, old bed, covered in sweat. You would think it’s the middle of the summer, but it’s not. It’s actually quite cold out. Dreaming can be a cruel thing. It’s a shame my daddy never saw it for what it really is. Here I am, dreaming about something I’ll never have. I was supposed to get my Cinderella ball. I was supposed to be a princess for a day. I had the perfect fucking life until it was ripped from me. I was supposed to walk down the aisle and be handed over to the love of my life by my father, but instead I get the life of an orphan, thrown out as garbage and important to no one.

  This isn’t a dream at all; it’s a nightmare.

  Chapter One

  Cherry

  14 Years Prior…

  A look in the past…

  My name is Charisa Martin and I’m the pretty Princess, or so my daddy says, but I like to go by Cherry, because my daddy gave me that nickname. My Daddy calls me Princess Cherry Berry.

  I’m so excited, because tonight I have dance class and I get to wear a pink bodysuit and a tutu. My mama signed me up for dance, gymnastics, and cheer classes. I love them all and I can’t decide which one is my favorite. I do like the pretty outfits in dance class, all sparkly and bold, but I love using the pompoms in cheerleading.

  When I left for school the whole house smelled like birthday cake. Grams made my favorite, vanilla and chocolate swirl with lots of chocolate icing. Grams wrote on it in pink icing, “Happy Birthday Princess Cherry Berry.” I clap my hands as I take my seat on the bus. I’m so excited. I don’t think I’ll be able to wait until tomorrow. One more day of school and then it’s Saturday. That’s when all my friends are su
pposed to come over.

  I kept dancing around all morning, twirling and singing out loud. Mama was constantly telling me to stop, because I was driving her crazy. I think when the school bus showed up she actually smiled at the stupid yellow bus, waving at the driver like a crazy person. It was embarrassing. I wanted to roll my eyes at Mama, but I know that would only get me into trouble; still, sometimes it’s hard for me to remember. Mama always says I’m full of sass.

  Our bus driver is Mr. Stiller and he is always silly, playing along and joking constantly. He has really bushy eyebrows and hair that grows out of his nose and ears. I didn’t know we had hair in our ears. I think it’s weird. I’m sitting in my seat, kicking my legs back and forth, and thinking about my party. I can’t hold in my excitement for tomorrow. I think the party will be so much fun. I’m looking out the window when I feel the seat beside me bounce. I look over and see that it’s Hunter from my class. “Hey Charisa,” he says poking me in the arm. “I heard you’re having a birthday party tomorrow.”

  “Yes,” I tell him, clapping my hands happily. “I can’t wait because Mama ordered me lots of balloons and special decorations,” I say smiling.

  “I heard Missy is coming,” he says, “Because I get to play with her brother while she is at your house.” Missy has a twin brother and he is always around bugging us. I’m happy he has something to do tomorrow, because sometimes Mama makes me include him when I don’t want to. I nod and look out the window again, trying to avoid more conversation. Boys are weird. They like to catch bugs and other gross animals. I notice that we are already at school. Mr. Stiller makes sure that the bus is stopped safely before he lets us stand up and get off the bus.

  I’m in second grade at Porter Elementary. Ms. Grange is my teacher and she looks like Belle from Beauty and the Beast. She’s so prim and proper, always dressing fancy. I love princesses, everything about them. I will be one when I grow up and I’m going to marry prince charming someday, because every princess gets a prince. All of my storybooks say so.

  I take my seat and pull out my books and my pencils, ready to start my day. Missy sits in the seat beside me and she comes running in, giggling and waving her Princess invitation that I sent her. She wanted to be Cinderella, so that’s the card I sent her. “Hey Cherry,” she says breathless. “I can’t wait for your party tomorrow.”

  “Me too,” I say, giving her a big hug. “Mama bought me a new Ariel swimsuit to wear!” We both start jumping up and down, acting silly. Missy is my best friend. We’ve lived beside each other since we were babies and we’ve been best friends since then. I can tell Missy anything and she loves me anyway. I could never imagine not having her as my best friend.

  “Thank you for my Cinderella card,” she says while waving it around.

  “You girls are stupid,” shouts Connor, a boy from my class. “Look at me,” he says pretending to be a girl. “I’m a girl and I’m yucky.”

  Missy and I both shoot glares at him. “You’re just an icky boy,” says Missy in her best snooty voice. She always has my back.

  “Girls and Boys,” shouts Ms. Grange. “Time to take your seats please.” Missy and I will have more time to play and chat at recess when we get to go outside and sit under the big tree. It’s fun to share the snacks our mamas made us before school. I have so many friends, but my very best friend is Missy. She’s going to be a princess too. I’m so happy we get to play together every day and sometimes we’re allowed to have sleepovers. Ms. Grange gives everyone one final warning, and we all scurry to take our seats.

  Sending one last smile Missy’s way, I turn to face Ms. Grange. She is pretty, and her voice is so soft. I love listening to her, especially when she reads out loud to us. My favorite subject is English. Once a week, during class, we get to go to the library and checkout books. We are only allowed five, and I read mine really fast, always finishing them all before our next visit. I wish I could checkout more at one time. I love to read my storybooks. I think they are magical. My least favorite subject is math. Daddy says numbers aren’t for everybody, but they are predictable. I’m not sure what predictable means, but if Daddy says it’s so, then it is. I have to work hard to listen today. My mind keeps wandering and thinking about my party. Somehow or another I will make it through the day, even with all the ants in my pants.

  ***

  I walk in the door and dump my bag at the front door, kicking my shoes off and leaving everything in a big heap. “Cherry sweetheart,” Grams says, “Please bring me your lunch bag so I can get everything washed up.”

  “Yes Grams,” I sigh out dramatically. I rummage around in my backpack till I find my lunch bag and hurry to dump it in the kitchen where Grams is.

  “You need to hurry up and get ready for dance,” Grams reminds me. How could I forget? I love my dance class. I rush up the stairs and pull out my tights, pink bodysuit, and tutu. I have special ballet flats that we wear during practice, conformed to my feet in the same light pink, making it easy to twirl and jump. Dressing as quickly as I can, I grab my dance bag and run downstairs to the car idling in the driveway.

  Grams drops me off at dance class and I waste no time getting to class, so I can see my friends before class begins. Madame Purty is our teacher and she is strict. The poster of studio rules attached to the wall proves it. She scares me, a lot.

  We’re practicing for a special recital and our dance includes boys. Ew…she should have a no boys rule. We each have to partner with someone. I got stuck with Carter. He thinks I’m cute and tells me so constantly. He also pokes me all the time. He’s really starting to bug me. “Hey,” he says poking me, “Bet you couldn’t catch me.” He takes off running, laughing hysterically. As if I would ever run after him. Please. Boys are icky. I want a Prince someday, not all these frogs. A prince doesn’t act like that. They are proper, making the princess feel pretty. That’s what Daddy always tells me; that I shouldn’t waste time on frogs.

  Carter comes running back, his cheeks bright red and his eyes shining. “I think you’re so pretty,” he says in a singsong voice.

  “You’re silly, Carter.” I tell him, all while shaking my head. “You need to stop bugging me,” I say while shaking my fingers in his face. He gets a gleeful look on his face and quickly grabs my finger, pulling my hand to his mouth, kissing the back with his wet lips. “Gross,” I shout. “Carter, you’re disgusting.” We don’t have time to say or do anything else, because Madame Purty is ready to start class, clapping her hands to get our attention. She never raises her voice. Even Carter doesn’t act out in her class. Again, she is super scary.

  Pirouettes across the floor for each student signals class is over. The girls and I jump up and down, squealing happily as we discuss party details and gather our belongings. All the girls that are coming to my party are in my dance class, because we’ve been in the same dance class since we were little. “I think you’re going to really like what I got you,” says Kelly.

  “Oh yes,” Brandy chimes in. “You’re going to love my wrapping paper. My mama put a special bow on and it looks so pretty.” I’m grinning so big my dimples are visible. I don’t know how I’m going to be able to sleep tonight. I’ve been waiting on this day for months.

  I don’t have to wait long before Mama and Daddy are here to pick me up. I come running out to the car with a huge smile on my face and start chattering the minute I get in. “Breathe, Prince Cherry Berry,” says Daddy while smiling at me in the rearview mirror. “You’re going to tire yourself out and you won’t be able to enjoy your party tomorrow.

  “Daddy,” I scoff. “There is NO chance of that happening.” I see Mama shaking her head from side to side, but even she is happy with a big smile on her face. “May 31st is the best day ever,” I sing out happily. “I just wish I could have invited more than nine friends,” I tell Mama.

  She turns to look at me with a smile on her face. “I know Cherry,” she says. “But remember I told you it isn’t safe for too many kids to be in the pool with only a f
ew adults to supervise.”

  “I know Mama,” I grumble. “I just wish everyone could come. You know I have lots of friends.”

  I see Daddy smile at Mama and grab her hand to kiss it. “Yes, you certainly do,” she says. “Maybe at the end of the school year we can invite your entire class for a swim and some grilled hamburgers.” I clap my hands happily. Mama and Daddy are the best. I know how much they love me. Mama made sure to make my party special by making official party invitations on Princess cards, and each girl got a different Princess on her card to make her feel extra special.

  We’re going to have so much fun! My friends like to play princesses too. Since it’s a pool party, I’m going to pretend I’m Princess Ariel and I’m going to swish my mermaid tail for everyone to see. Princess Ariel is so beautiful, and I love listening to her sing. She is one of my favorites, because she is curious, always getting into something or finding treasure in the simplest items. I think I’m a lot like her, always causing mischief and making Daddy crazy. Even my swimsuit is covered in Ariel, as well as my beach towel too.

  When I get home I quickly run upstairs to try on my new dress for Daddy. He thinks I’m pretty and tells me so all the time. He says I’m his little princess, Princess Cherry Berry; only I’m not little anymore. I’m getting bigger every day. I walk downstairs, slowly, like a princess being announced for all the others to see, holding the bottom of my dress as I descend. Daddy even does a bow at the bottom and takes my hand like the Prince always does in the fairytale.

  After I twirled in my pretty pink dress he took a seat. “Come here Princess and let Daddy love on you before bed.” I skip over to where he is sitting and jump in his lap. “You remember what I’ve always told you? I love you to the moon and back, and you shouldn’t fall in love with a man until he can promise to love you to the moon and back too.” He tells me in a soft voice while adjusting me on his lap, so that we are both comfortable.