Regina put the smelly swine bucket down by the spigot and washed her hands under the freezing water.

She would never imagine enjoying this shit hole of a town, but after a sweltering summer spent in the American midwest with a trashy sister and a whole lotta hogs, Reggie found herself looking forward to public school in two weeks.

Final stretch of the summer.

It took some adjusting to workboots, jeans, and a constant layer of sweat, as accompanied by some of the most vulgar and brutish teen girls she'd ever met, but standing here and waiting for lunch after a birthday party made it almost worth it.

She smiled and let out a sharp breath, looking over the garden as Grampa's pigs gobbled down slop in their pens.

Her stomach growled, making her remember that she hadn't gotten breakfast.

Regina grabbed a trash bag and began finding bits of last night's fun.

Y'know, at St. Rupert's, her roommate hid a lab mouse in her bed.

And the girl sitting next to her in Algebra stole her Valentine's candy.

And before Rupert's, their was St. Maria's, and there, a friend of hers said she deserved to get pushed into a nasty, frozen puddle because she was so damn mean.

At the time, it made no sense to her, but now, Reggie could see that maybe she wasn't better than everyone else.

Like all the servants who'd raised her had said she was.

After dinner, Grandpa had promised to teach her to drive, just like Dollface did.

Exciting.

Regina always had a ride ensured, and was told that she'd always have a chauffeur.

She'd never have to drive herself anywhere, never buy her groceries, worry about cooking, cleaning, or really anything.

That all changed when Mother sent her here.

At first, that seemed like a nightmare.

A monthly shopping trip, constant gardening and canning, everything was on a time limit, the juices at the bottom of a pan was considered liquid gold, and to leave something on the floor for too long was a sin worse than the ones in the Bible itself.

Church was always on Sundays, work came before play, and knowing what to do with a needle was vital.

Reggie was catching on, not very quickly, and initially, she'd fought it.

But those warm evenings on the porch when Grampa played his trumpet or a boiling afternoon under a tree with Dollface lazily strumming a ukulele was like Heaven on Earth.

Move over Belinda Carisle, Regina knew something better than a boyfriend!

Regina picked up a paper plate on the front lawn and stuffed it into the trash bag with a sigh.

Everything looked like a fairytale last night, with streamers hanging from the trees overhead and the porch lights on!

Regina looked away from the remains of a bright red streamer hanging from a branch.

"Mama?"