At the touch of you,

As if you were an archer with your swift hand at the bow,

The arrows of delight shot through my body ...

You were spring

And I the edge of a cliff--

And a shining waterfall rushed over me.

By Witter Bynner

Along with billions of other little girls in the world Cameron Evans dreamt about her wedding day wondering if the event would take place in a church with a pastor waiting for her and her future husband to say their vows declaring their love for one another or would an organ player perform the traditional here comes the bride as she made her way down the aisle in front of friends and family members. Would she have a wedding in a meadow while greenery surrounded her  while fresh summer air would enter her lungs without resistance as birds chirped in harmony along with sun that would warm her face ever so lightly. Cameron could even envision the dress she was going to wear a strapless Vera Wang with floral detailing towards the hem of the dress that would be carried out through her veil. Her hair would be down in beautiful waves circling her shoulders and her mind would be racing of thoughts of the life she was about to share with the one person she could call her own, the one person she could love and in return he would look at her as if the everything and everyone else didn’t matter as if he couldn’t see anything but her.  His eyes would warm with a gentle fire when she would say the golden words “I do.” And his kiss would become so passionate to the extent that it would be hard for her to even see straight. Their honeymoon would be exotic bringing adventure to their lives keeping them intrigued by the beauty that would surround them marking the beginning of their newfound lives together. But her options for her dream to ever become reality had officially disintegrated in one day    any notation of marrying for went soaring out the window comfort is what she had to look forward to being comfortable in her life was something she was going to have to accept her parents no longer cared about what she wanted out of life her dreams no longer mattered to them and now her goals would now revolve around what her new fiancé wanted.  She could remember reading the famous Jane Eyre trying to keep the anxiousness she felt creeping up her back making its way to the pit of her stomach as she heard her Tamara’s stilettos clinking on the hard would floor inching closer to her bedroom door.

Tamara Evans carefully opened Cameron’s bedroom door and inspected the surroundings before making her way inside.

“Cameron we have some important things to discuss.” She said as she placed herself at the edge of the queen sized bed.  Tamara’s hair was pulled into a tight bun her lips maintained their signature red coat,  she wore a black pencil skirt that accentuated her hips with a  white blouse that had a ruffled neck collar. Her face with held no emotion which Cameron was accustomed to seeing all too often.

 Cameron studied the features of the women that stood before her ,Tamara Evans embodied everything Cameron never wanted to become she was cold, narcissistic, selfish, the only job she held was spending money on unnecessary bullshit that held no meaning, along with being a professional manipulator .  Cameron never expected Tamara to act like mother nor did she ever refer to her as one. It was instilled in her at a young age that she was to refer to her mother by name and that she were to always call on their maid Antonia if she needed anything. Her father spent most of his time attending to business matters across the globe rarely taking notice to the daughter who felt like she was suffocating in the house she had yet to acknowledge as ever being a home.

“Cameron as you know me and your father love you dearly.” Tamara started her words sounding calculated her voice calm and smooth like silk.  But Cameron knew better she would never mistake Tamara’s kind voice for actual kindness. At the very mention of love coming from Tamara’s mouth made Cameron want to scoff. Her father maybe but never Tamara a mother that was filled with love for her child would never allow another woman to raise her especially not hired help. Cameron loved Antonia dearly she was the only person she could truly call friend the only person she could call mother. Even though Tamara gave birth to her and even that knowledge made Cameron skeptical of the actual truth of it all. It would never actually make her a mother Antonia was Cameron’s mother and she accepted that.

“Even though we realize that this is your last year of High school your father and I have decided that to ensure your future…” She paused searching for the right words to say approaching the subject carefully.

“There is a lovely family in Canterbury , England  that would love nothing more than for you to spend your last year of schooling with them. Isn’t that what you always wanted to study abroad, this would be a great opportunity for you would it not?” Tamara said plastering a false smile onto an already plastic face.

Cameron knew there was a glitch in the idea of it, it was all too simple  studying  abroad had always been something she wanted to experience. She had never been to school with other students her father thought that she shouldn’t fraternize with the children that went to public he felt that she wouldn’t have learned anything and private had always been too far for her to attend so he had settled on her being homeschooled .

Cameron narrowed her eyes.

“What’s the catch? You wouldn’t be sending me off if there wasn’t one.” She said voice laced with suspicion. Tamara clasped her hands together and looked at Cameron intently.

“Your father and I have discussed the topic carefully and we have come to an inevitable conclusion.” Tamara turned her vision towards the window.

“And what exactly was that conclusion?” Cameron was never one to keep quiet when silence was undoubtedly needed.

“We have come to the conclusion that you and the young man of the family that we are sending you to will have a future together.”  Tamara said calmly without any hint of emotion nor sign that she cared.

Cameron could do nothing but stare she wanted to slap sense into Tamara seeming as though she has lost her mind.  She began to wish for something completely different from the unbelievable reality she seemed to be living in.

“ When you say future you mean what exactly?” Cameron couldn’t shake the grim feeling she felt in the pit of her stomach.

“Let’s not play coy about things dear , Ah.” She sighed

“I must explain myself then Worthington’s are one of the most prestigious families in the UK  your father and Samuel Worthington have a history together.” Tamara said uninterested looking at her nails. “Supposedly they made a pact when they were both attending school at Oxford University.  Would like to know what the pact was?”

Tamara turned her attention towards the young teenager that sat in front of her. It took Tamara six years after giving birth to actually acknowledge that the little girl was indeed hers. A part of her didn’t believe it was true she assumed it was a nightmare that felt all too real. When Tamara found out that she was pregnant the world that she had created for herself seemed to have burned down with the two blue lines that were displayed on the stick she just urinated on.  To her God wouldn’t  curse her with the unimaginable , a child that she wasn’t for one prepared , and two she didn’t want. Tamara knew that she had to get rid of it somehow but fate had already decided. When she sat on the bathroom floor staring at the device that had made the golden life she had paved for herself turn into ash her new husband Robert Evans walked in. Tamara’s biggest mistake she had made in her life was never locking that dreaded door. Robert had taken the pregnancy test out of her hand and looked at the instrument intently studying the answer that was laid in front of him. A smile had grown so wide on his face that Tamara was almost certain that it would be frozen that way for the years to come and essentially it was.  The little girl that had been born on January 4th 1995 stole the heart of the man who Tamara already held claim to. Cameron Elizabeth Evans was the daughter Tamara resented who did everything and yet to nothing to ruin her life. No longer was Tamara the center of Robert’s life but work and this little child had become the only things that it revolved around maybe if he had paid a little more attention to her every once in a while she wouldn’t have  grown to hate the innocent  girl. Tamara had found herself become cold, calculated, and selfish the only thing that had comforted her was her growing shopping addiction and sleeping in another man’s bed in the evenings. They would hold her in ways she had always hoped her husband would but work had soon had required his full and undivided attention. Robert also forgot his priorities especially the one he called daughter and some part of Tamara was thankful for that soon the little girl would also learn what it meant to be truly alone. Robert had decided that homeschooling was best for her. He felt that that the local schools weren’t adequate for his angel he thought that she would excel in her studies if she had one on one teaching.  Little did the great and wise Robert know he had isolated the girl. The only friends that she had were the help. The maid Antonia had decided that she would play mother to girl seeming as though Tamara had refused. It was all quite sad Tamara thought even she thought it would have been best for Cameron to go to regular school. When Robert had told her about the deal he had made with his friend Samuel she had nearly jumped out of her seat in joy.  She didn’t care why or when the deal was made only that it was made. Tamara wanted the girl gone she wanted her gone from the moment she found out that she was pregnant. But she thought that it would also be good Cameron to be somewhere else to be around people that would most likely treat her better than she ever would. Tamara didn’t want to admit that she  semi cared for what the girl would go through but she did.  She had hoped that Cameron would meet other teenagers her age so she would have somebody to relate to someone she could converse with. Even as the young girl looked at her with round shaped hazel eyes she couldn’t help but care slightly.  It seemed as though the girls dark  mahogany skinned glowed with anger as she looked at her. The girl hated her Tamara knew that for reasons that she wasn’t ignorant to.

“Of course I want to know what the pact otherwise I wouldn’t be questioning you would I ?” Cameron was fuming Tamara knew that much. She almost wanted to smile at how sarcastic she was.

“Well let’s put it this way you are to marry the young boy Bastien when you both come of age that is quite handsome I might add except his condition.” Tamara smirked poor girl she thought she was going to be in a world of shock.

“Condition what kind of condition.” Cameron was no longer angry but fear replaced it all how could her father sign off on this without even talking to her.

“I’m not going. I refuse I don’t care if I’m homeschooled for another year it’s not that big of deal.” Cameron stated her decision already made.

“I don’t think I was clear Cameron there isn’t any negotiating I wasn’t asking if you wanted to go I was telling you that you are going. The decision has been made and since you are still a minor your father and I can make you go where ever we want you to under our consent.” Tamara couldn’t fight the smile that was beginning to form at the corner of her lips.

Cameron couldn’t believe that she didn’t have a say in the matter that the future she had planned for herself was stripped away from her in a matter of minutes. The only thing she wasn’t surprised about was the cruelty that was exhibited by the wicked bitch of the east.

“I’m going to discuss this over with dad when he comes home.” Cameron stated putting  the one book that kept her sane through everything down and began walking towards the door motioning for Tamara to make her  exit.

“I truly wish you luck.” Tamara as she brushed passed glaring teenager. They were almost the same height Tamara being slightly taller than teen.

Cameron slammed the door behind her she wanted to scream but her voice had abandoned her. Instead tears of anger came rushing down her cheeks staining them. There was always something life presented her that would make things more complicated then need be that would  make her more miserable than she already was. She picked up the one thing that made everything right again. Cameron pulled down her ponytail from restriction and let the waves of jet black hair fall to her shoulders before planting herself down onto her bed. Cameron must have read the book Jane Eyre a million times before she really found the meaning behind it all. Jane Eyre seemed to be moving through a life that had been planned for her. It wasn’t until she had met Mr. Rochester a man that had challenged her that made her believe in things bigger than herself that inevitable she couldn’t help falling for him. She lost him only to regain him in the end she found her place in life with him and for him. Besides the romantics of it all alike to Jane Eyre she found herself living a life that was already planned for her that her own goals and aspirations where taking backseat to what her father or Tamara wanted for her. Jane was fighting society and Cameron was fighting her parents. Cameron had fell asleep to her bitter thoughts with book in hand that night.