The Monkees: Gold Rush

You Should Have Heard the Things She Said

Mike found a double barreled shot gun pointing down at him.
"You are going to marry my daughter."
Mike opened his mouth a few times, but the only sounds he could manage was a few gargled noises. He looked past the gun and at June. She was looking down at the ground. Her eye was black and swollen like she had been beaten around. She looked ashamed.
"It isn't mine!" Mike finally managed to shout. "I haven't done anything with your daughter!"
"I don't care whose it is. My daughter ain't gonna be shamed by this. You're gonna marry her or I'm going to shoot your head off!" June's father shouted.
The double barreled shot gun pointing at Mike made any argument that Mike might have had slip from his mind. June looked like she had been crying. Mike didn't want to die so he did the only thing that would save his hide. "Okay..." He said helplessly. "I'll marry her."
The double barreled shotgun lowered. Mike finally started to breath again. June's father was an old man. His hair was grey, but he didn't look weak. He looked like he could still knock Mike out in one hit if he wanted to. Mike had an idea who gave June the black eye.
June looked fragile and sick. The black eye made her look even more fragile. Mike felt bad for her, but he didn't want to have to marry her, especially not because of this. June's father used the gun to lead Mike towards a large ranch house. June followed behind looking at the ground.
Mike reached the house first, next came the double barreled shot gun, then June's father, and finally June came along dragging behind. There was a young man sitting on the porch cleaning a rifle. He glanced up and watched Mike and his father and June enter the house. He went back to cleaning his rifle.
Mike was corralled into the main room of the ranch house and towards the large cushioned couch in the middle of the room. He sat down quietly. June sat down beside him with as much space between them as she could manage. She wouldn't make eye contact with him. Her father took a seat on a large brown leather chair. The gun was rested across his lap.
"The wedding will be this Sunday," June's father said. "If you try to get out of this town before then me and my boys will hunt you down."
Mike swallowed even though his throat was dry then nodded his head.
"In fact, you're gonna stay here 'til the wedding," June's father said.
"I'll need to get my things from the hotel," Mike said.
A tall boy that looked about nineteen walked in. He was wearing a red flannel shirt and denim pants.
"I'll send James with you to get them," June's father said. "You won't say anything to anyone."
The boy looked over at his father. He walked out of the room for a moment then walked back in wearing a gun belt. His gun had pearl handles and it was bright and shiny like he had spent a lot of time polishing it. June's father pointed to him.
"This is my son James," He said. "He's the fastest gun in this town beside the sheriff and the deputy."
James smiled sheepishly. Mike looked over at the young man.
"You'll go to town with him to get your stuff right now," June's father said.
Mike nodded and stood up. James walked beside him and they headed out to the barn to get two horses. Mike was forced to put the saddle on his horse and mount first then James did the same. They both rode into town. James rode behind Mike to make sure he didn't try anything dumb. Mike wouldn't have dared anyway. He believed what James and June's father said. He didn't want to try James's gun hand.
Mike and James rode through town to the hotel. Mike dismounted then James dismounted. They walked into the hotel. Davy was sitting at a table. Davy waved at Mike and tried to get him to walk over to the table. He had to tell Mike that Peter wasn't coming back.
Mike walked past Davy. James followed behind. Davy stood up from the table and followed Mike and James up the stairs of the hotel. Mike unlocked his hotel room. He and James walked in, and Mike started to grab his things from around the room. James helped a little, picking up odds and ends and putting them into a large, worn leather bag. Davy peeked into Mike's room. He opened the door all the way.
"What are you doing?" Davy asked.
Mike looked over at James. "I'm leaving," Mike said shrugging.
"Leaving?" Davy asked.
"He's marrying my sister!" James said smiling.
Mike nodded his head. "Who's his sister?" Davy asked confused.
"June," Mike replied.
"You're marrying June. You barely know her," Davy said.
Mike shrugged. "What are you doing in my room anyway?" He asked.
"Peter isn't coming back," Davy said. "He decided he wanted to stay with Aponi."
Mike stared at a shirt he had just picked up. "Well good for him," He said crumpling the shirt in his hand.
Davy tilted his head. "You're taking this better than Micky did," He said.
"I have other things on my mind," Mike said.
James was smiling an annoyingly happy smile. Mike wanted to hit him. He threw the shirt to James to put it in the bag. Soon Mike and James had packed everything in the room that was Mike's. Davy watched them. He couldn't understand why all this was happening.
After everything was packed Mike and James left the room, and Mike gave the key to the man behind the reception desk. "How much do I owe you?" Mike asked.
"Fifty-seven dollars," The man replied.
Mike pulled out his wallet and handed the man three twenty dollar notes. "Keep the change," Mike said.
Davy stood a little way away listening. Mike was then corralled out of the hotel and back onto his horse. James and Mike rode back to June's house. Two more boys were sitting on the porch. They watched Mike as James forced him back in the house.
Mike stood in the main room of the ranch house. June's father was still sitting in the room with the gun across his lap.
"I suppose you can sleep in the same room as June since you two will be getting married soon," June's father said. "June take him to your room."
June stood up. Mike followed after her to her room. They walked up the stairs to a small hallway with a few doors. She opened the first door on the left and walked in. Mike followed.
The room was dark. It had a large bed with a nice headboard and a large blue quilt across the top of it. June stood by the door as Mike laid his bag beside the bed and sat down.
"So, I want to know why I'm being forced to marry you," Mike said. "Who's the real father?"
June closed the door softly. There wasn't any light in the room. Mike heard some shuffling then a lamp was lit and there was a little light in the room. June was still standing up. She wouldn't look Mike in the eyes.
"I don't know..." June said quietly.
Mike frowned. "So I am being forced to marry you and you don't even know who that damned father is?" Mike exclaimed angrily.
June looked up at him. This was the first time she looked him in the eyes since her father forced the marriage on Mike. "Oh shut up! The only reason you know it isn't yours is because we only had sex for the first time yesterday!" She exclaimed. "It might as well be yours cuz you're just as bad as every other guy."
Mike stood up and prepped his arm to hit her. She turned her head so he would hit her black eye. "Go ahead, beat me! I get enough of that around here, one more hit won't do anything! Might as well get some practice in before we get married!" She hissed with a venom.
Mike lowered his hand and slumped down on the bed. He groaned. "Damn girl..." He said.
June stared at him for a moment.
"Well, can't change the facts now. Your dad's gonna force me to marry you whether I like it or not," Mike said. "Might as well make the best of it..."
He patted the spot beside him. June sat down beside him nervously. "I'm sorry for yelling at you," June said.
Mike shrugged. "Let's just call it even," He said. "Guess we'll be married soon, huh."
June nodded. "I'm sorry about all this," She said.
Mike looked over at her. "I'm sorry about all this too," He said.

(My phone shut off halfway through Folsom Prison Blues. I'm now sad. Um... All this stuff happened. Lots of stuff and things. I've actually just started working on another one of my stories, That Little Flower Child, for the first time in ages. Been a long time since I worked on it, but I seem to have a bunch more ideas for it. I should stop writing so many stories about hippies... Should do more with greasers and punks, they're fun to write about, or maybe some more westerns. I love cowboy stories. That's all for this chapter. I hope you enjoyed it.
I should probably say something witty here... ~ Adde Away!)