River could feel the gravel beneath her feet poke through the thin soles of her moccasins. Just a quick run to the store on the rez, but she still needed a shirt and shoes to be served. She grabbed some hamburger buns from the slightly rusty silver bread rack. Then she made her way through the narrow aisles cluttered with non-perishables and travel-size convenience items.
She grabbed some gum at the counter and tapped her debit card against the machine. As she left the store, she unwrapped a piece of gum and shoved the tiny silver wrapper in the little pocket in her jean shorts. Her red bandana peered from her pocket. Geez, I thought I left this at home, she thought.
“Hey, farm girl!”
River looked up. There were two girls sitting on the ice box beside the store. It was the taller girl with broad shoulders who was calling to her.
“You’re not from around here, are you?” the girl asked.
River shook her head no. She was still standing with the hamburger buns in both hands.
“Who do you think you are, posting pictures like that on the internet?” asked the other girl. She was shorter and heavier, and had a blonde streak in her long black bangs. She had resting grouchy face, which made the hair on River’s arms stand up.
“You got a problem with us?” the blonde-streak girl yelled. She spat on the ground near River’s feet.
“No . . . I . . . I’m sorry. I had no idea what I was doing.” River’s voice was hoarse.
“We don’t like girls like you coming into our rez. Do we, Brianna?” The broad-shouldered girl checked with the girl beside her. “You think you can pretend you’re one of us? When you are not.”
“Look at how white her skin is, Steph,” said the other girl, then turned back on River. “Bitch, you’re whiter than a damn Métis. You’re not one of us, you didn’t grow up here. You don’t know our struggles. How dare you pretend you are like us. Probably just use your status card to get out of tax and for a free education.”
“What the hell are you talking about?” River blurted.
“You got something to say to us, white girl? You damn apple. Red on the outside, white on the inside!” Steph taunted.
“What? No! What’s happening here?” River took one step back as the two girls stood up and approached her.
“This is what’s happening, bitch!” Brianna ploughed toward River and swung with her fist, which met with River’s jaw.
Blood smeared the side of Eric’s car window. River had never been punched in the face before. She grabbed her jaw and bent over in pain, dropping the hamburger buns on the gravel.
Steph’s boot struck the back of River’s knee. River fell to the ground, screaming in pain. Both girls stomped on River’s foot and calf. All River could do was curl into the fetal position beside her dad’s car. She wept. What is happening? Why is this happening? What is happening? The thoughts raced on a loop through River’s mind.
“Take a selfie now, bitch, for all your little white farm friends to see,” River heard. Then the girls stood back and walked away.
A woman came out of the store and ran over to River’s side.
“Oh my god! Are you okay, hon?” the woman asked. “What the hell is wrong with you two?” she screamed at the girls, who were now running.
River winced and sat up. “Yeah, it’s nothing, I’m okay. I just want to go home.” She dug for her keys, but instead found the red bandana. She carefully wiped the blood from the car window. She fiddled for the keys in her pocket as she got in. Her hands shook as she started the car and pulled away from the store.
“UGHH!” River screamed as she drove away. She slammed the palm of her hand against the steering wheel. What have I done, what have I done, what have I done?
Knowing she needed to calm down, she pulled over to compose herself. She got out her cell phone and noticed there were several new notifications.
Someone had taken a snapshot of her profile picture. It showed her wearing a red bandana.
So this is the bitch who originally posted the fight at the 49. A damn apple. She’s not even from our rez! She’s an apple from the Wanabe Tribe.
@Riverrunsthroughthefarm
#lookatthisbitch #deadfarmgirl #justdoitalready
Her name was tagged and the threats in the comment threads were growing by the minute.
AnneKOIxo_: @Riverrunsthroughthefarm Go back to where you came from you dumb bitch!
GINA99: @Riverrunsthroughthefarm You’re f**king dead you wannabe.
AllinaLove: @Riverrunsthroughthefarm You are gonna wish you killed yourself, after you find out what they are going to do to you
Sassy_jules_rules_da_rez: @Riverrunsthroughthefarm What you got today was just the beginning, watch your f**king back white girl
Mia.is.da.bomb: @Riverrunsthroughthefarm This is our turf SLUT. We saw you sleeping with Russell in the North End. Stay away from our boyz!
River’s hand shook as she scrolled through. Her heart was pounding, and her leg started to shake her foot on the brake. She threw her phone on the passenger seat and sped back to the house.
As she pulled up the driveway, Eric came out to meet her. “What the hell happened to you, River?” he asked when he saw her face.
“Oh, nothing, Dad.” Her chuckle sounded fake, even to her. She babbled as she followed her dad into the house. “I am so clumsy sometimes. I tripped and fell. I hit my chin against the car. I didn’t put my hands out because I didn’t want to squish the hamburger buns. I feel so stupid . . . I was wearing my mocs and I just tripped I guess.”
“Oh . . .” Eric sighed. He raised one eyebrow. “You know, I’m not convinced.”
River mustered another fake laugh. “Dad, really. I can’t believe I just fell like that!”
Eric didn’t take his eyes off River as he set the table. “So did you cry?”
“No, I’m a farm girl, Dad. I can handle a little tumble in the dirt.”
“Then why is there mascara running down your cheek?”
River hung her head. “Dad, don’t worry. It’s nothing. I’m fine.”
“River, word travels on the rez. It’s like there’s instant smoke signals or something. And the moccasin telegraph doesn’t take long, you know. Either you tell me . . . or I’ll find out the gossip from my neighbour Penny, in like, a minute.”
Tears streamed down River’s cheeks. But she didn’t make a peep. “Dad, can I just skip dinner tonight?” she pleaded. “Can I just rest for a bit? And then I’ll tell you everything.”
“Okay, but I need to know if you are okay first. And who did this to you.”
“Dad, just let me clean up first.”
“Okay. Well, let me get you a cloth at least.”
“Where’s Nokomis?”
“She’s at bingo.”
“Oh, good. I don’t want her to know.”
“Know what?”
“Dad!”
“Okay, okay. Go rest for a bit. But when I come up, I’ll be expecting an explanation.”
“Okay.”
“Pinky swear?” Eric held out the smallest finger of his right hand.
River latched hers to his. “Pinky swear, Dad.”