Not So Cinderella

by Rebekah L. Thompson

  “Really?” I ask, surprised, and she nods slowly. I feel like nothing could ruin this moment; finding out that the girl I like returns those feelings. I tighten my arms around her and pick her up, spinning her while also being careful of her injuries. “That’s great! I thought you hated me and wanted nothing to do with me!” I tell her, placing her back on her feet.

  “I already told you I didn’t hate you. I just didn’t trust you, but I do now,” Athena grumbles, and I can’t wipe the smile off my face. I don’t release her, and thankfully, she doesn’t move away. “Would you go on a date with me?” She looks a little shocked at my question, and when she doesn’t answer, I feel a heavy sense of rejection tug and tighten around my chest. She just watches me, and it worries me.

  Athena

  Did he just… He asked me out? Drake asked me out. I know he said he likes me, but do I say yes? I’ve never been on a date. I don’t want to say something that’ll hurt either of us. What if-

  “Athena, you okay?” Drake asks, pulling me out of my negative thoughts. I blink and shake my head a bit, looking up at him. He’s probably the sweetest guy in the school, so why not give him a chance?

  “Uh, sorry. Yeah. I’d love to go out with you,” I reply, deciding to leap. What have I got to lose? Drake smiles down at me, and before I know it, his lips press to my forehead. He lingers there like he doesn’t want to pull away, his lips soft and warm against my skin.

  Sadly, he pulls away, and my eyes remain on his lips. Wishing.

  Why didn’t you kiss me?

  The thought enters my mind before I can stop it. Then I blush.

  Neither of us says anything as we stare at each other. Silence rings in the room. It isn’t a grim silence, though. It’s comfortable, and I don’t feel the need to fill it. Drake opens his mouth to say something, but someone beats him to it.

  “What’s going on in here?” Mason asks. I spin around to see him standing in the doorway, a smirk on his face. Stupid smirk. I feel like a kid who got caught with her hand in the cookie jar. And I hate that feeling.

  “Nothing,” I blurt, making him laugh. Mason walks towards us, glances at Drake, then smirks at me again. “I knew you liked him,” Mason teases, and I can feel my cheeks heat. Why’d Mason have to say that? I’m going to kill him, I think as Drake chuckles and grabs his jacket.

  “I have to go. Don’t wanna keep Mrs. G waiting,” Drake says, kissing my head before he leaves.

  “What was that? I walk in, expecting awkward tension, but I find you without your contacts and your wig on instead. Also, I see you guys so close you could’ve kissed,” he tells me, and I plop down on the bed. Were we that close? I look up at my brother, who is still smirking.

  “He asked me out,” I tell him, and his eyes widen. He sits on the chair and scoots it forward.

  “What the heck happened while I was at school?” He questions, eyebrows raised in either suspicion or interest. I bite my lip. Just from that look on his face, this is an ‘I told you so’ moment for him. Stupid brothers who can read sisters, I silently grumble.

  “I-I told him everything,” I finally mumble, and Mason touches my hand.

  “Everything?” I can practically feel the curiosity swelling in the air. I nod my head and look down.

  “I told him about fighting. I told him about dad and about what happened when I was thirteen,” I whisper the last part.

  “Really?” He balks. I look up, nodding. Mason knows I keep my feelings and thoughts close to the chest. It shows in his wide eyes and flapping mouth. I chuckle at his silly expression.

  “I trust him. He’s the first person I’ve felt like I can trust, besides you, since dad died,” I state, and he smiles. I wipe a fallen tear away just as Mason gets up, pulls me into a hug, and squeezes.

  “I’m glad you’ve found someone you can be with,” he smiles, squeezing my hand in support. Then he freezes. “Wait, you did agree to go on a date, right?” I laugh for a second before the pain spears me again.

  “I like him, and he likes me, so I said yes.” Mason smiles at this. I know he’s worried about me. Mason tries not to show it, but I can always see his emotions. He’s afraid I’ll risk my life in the fights and end up like my father. I’m doing this for my father, which I’m not sure he fully understands. I don’t know what I’ll do if I come across the man who killed my father- the man that haunts my memories, but I want to be ready if or when that day comes.

  “When’s the date?” He asks, making me think.

  A frown forms on my face at the question. Crap. “Uh, Drake didn’t say,” I answer. I guess we were so busy agreeing to the date we didn’t get any further. Whoops. Mason laughs, shakes his head, and mumbles something. I sit back on my bed and sigh, “I’m sure he’ll let me know.”

  Drake will figure it out. Right now, I need to focus on getting better. Speaking of which, I ask, “Do you know when I get out of here?” I’m fed up with this dull room and the boredom that comes with being stationary.

  Mason stands, saying, “No, but I can go get the Doctor.” With that, he leaves me all alone in the room. I sit on the bed and speculate about the date while waiting for Mason to come back. Where will Drake take me? When will it be? What will we do? I hope it isn’t anything too strenuous because of my injuries.

  “Miss Hale, how are you feeling?” The doctor inquires as he enters the room. I sit up at the unknown voice and look toward the man.

  “I feel great. My stitches hurt a bit, but nothing I can’t handle,” I answer, and the doctor studies his clipboard.

  He hums a response before peering at me again. “Well, your charts look good, so if there are no more complications tonight, you’ll be leaving us tomorrow,” the doctor tells me. My heart leaps. I’m almost out of here.

  “I’d really like that. Thank you.”

  Drake

  “Just a few more things, and then you can go, honey,” Mrs. G says. I’ve been here for a few hours, and all I’ve done is move around mulch, unload flowers from the drop-off van, and help clean. The job is simple and the company sweet. I’ve grown to like Mrs. G. She’s one of those old ladies you can automatically connect with because she’s like a sweet little grandma.

  Mrs. G makes me think of a flower child. Perhaps because she grew up in that time period. She wears what I’ve heard Kim appoint ‘bohemian style or boho’ clothes, like her flowery dresses, headbands with beads, sandals, and little hats with her hair in braids. The look is adorable on her, and honestly, it makes me like her even more. The outfits fit with her flower shop.

  From somewhere in the room, Mrs. G makes a sound of protest, so I look up. She’s watching out the window, something I’ve caught her doing multiple times. No one is there.

  While I was bringing in mulch earlier, I noticed a man hanging around outside the shop; however, it wasn’t the same one from the other day. When he saw me, he quit skulking around. I don’t normally enjoy scaring people, but after what Athena told me, I’m kind of okay with it.

  When I check my phone, I see it’s 8:22. I grab the last bag of dirt and set it on top of the growing pile. Wiping the sweat off my forehead, I straighten and head to the front where Mrs. G is watering some flowers. She looks up when I walk in. “Oh, could you put these two hanging plants right up there for me, sweetie?” Mrs. G asks, pointing up at two hooks screwed into the ceiling. I grab the plants, like she asked, and hang them.

  “Anything else?” I ask while she shuffles to the check-out counter and gathers her purse.

  “No, I think that’s it. You can go on, honey. I’ll just finish with lock up and go home,” Mrs. G tells me, but I don’t leave. What kind of person would I be not to walk an old lady to her car when I know there are potential thieves or hoodlums- a word I picked up from her- hanging around?

  “Mrs. G, can I have one of those roses?” I ask, pointing at the new shipment we received today. The rose is a light purple with blue saturating the edges of the petals. She tells me I can take one, telling me with a
wink that for me, it’s free. I gently take the flower and wait patiently for Mrs. G to lock up the register and turn all the lights out. When she finishes, I walk her out, and she locks the store door.

  “Have a lovely night, Drake. I’ll see you tomorrow,” she says as I open her car door for her. I smile at the little old lady. She really is sweet. She reminds me of my grandmother on my mom’s side. I’ll have to text Mom and let her know about the new job and Mrs. G. She’ll be glad I’m doing something other than fighting.

  “You too, Mrs. G.” I close her door and wait until she’s driven away before climbing into my car.

  ~*~

  Freshly showered, I change into black sweats and a t-shirt. I slip on my black vans and head out to my car. Mason comes running out of their house just as I’m about to drive away, waving his arms above his head, so I roll my window down when he reaches my car. “Hey,” he smiles, leaning down to my window. “Are you going to visit my sister?”

  “Yeah. Why? Is something wrong?” Nobody had better hurt her. If something-

  Mason waves it off. “No, she’s fine. Actually, she can come home tomorrow, but I was wondering if you’d take this to her.” He holds up a bag I’m assuming has clothes in them.

  I take the bag from him and throw it in my back seat. “Sure. Anything else?” I ask, and he says no, waving as he jogs back to his place.

  When I get to the hospital, I park, grab Athena’s bag and flower, and glance at the dashboard. 9:43 pm. The thought that she’s probably already asleep runs through my mind, but I push it away. She’s a night owl, staying up late to fight, so there’s a high chance she’s awake. When I get to her door, I find her light is off. Quietly, I slip into the room to see that I was wrong. She’s out like a light.

  A small smile stretches my lips as she lays there looking peaceful instead of scared or stressed. She’s hugging the elephant I gifted her. She seems small up against it. I feel like whoever made it had it in mind to cover an entire child.

  Chuckling softly, I lay the rose on the table beside her bed so she’ll see it when she wakes up. Like last night, I sleep on the couch, but I don’t mind. As long as I’m near her, I don’t care where I am.

  Chapter 14

  Athena

  The sound of my room door clicking wakes me. Sunlight shines through the window, almost blinding me, so I rub at my eyes.

  When they finally adjust to the morning light, I find a rose- a beautiful rose- laying on the bedside table. The petals are a stunning mixture of blue and purple, making me wonder if someone bred them that way or if it’s natural. I'll have to ask Mrs. G. She’d know.

  Sitting up, I gently lift the rose and bring it to my chest. A smile forms on my lips when I see a familiar leather jacket hanging on a hook by the door.

  Drake.

  I gaze back down at the delicate flower in my hand and smile again. Drake brought me a flower! Slowly, my smile grows bigger as my heart squeezes in my chest. I feel like jumping around and dancing; but of course, I don’t. He was so sweet to go out of his way for me.

  So I don’t damage it, I lay the rose back down, and when I do, I notice one of my duffle bags on the chair. Silently, I thank Mason for being the best brother ever and sending me clothes.

  Carefully, I slip off the bed, steady myself, and snatch up the bag. As I look through it, I find my extra glasses, clothes, wig- interesting- and my shower products. Thank you, Mason! I take the bag into the bathroom and lock the door. I turn the shower on, strip down, and once the water is warm, I hop in.

  Honestly, it feels incredible to shower and get clean. I run through my regular shower routine. When I deem myself sufficiently clean, I climb out, dry off, and wrap a towel around my hair. I slip into my undergarments and pull on my red skinny jeans. Next, I slip my Superman top on and tie it at the bottom.

  Once I’m dressed, I use the towel provided to dry my hair, then comb it, and leave it down, not bothering to style it. It can air dry the rest of the way. I take my white converse out of the bag, pull them on, and lace them up.

  Standing, I glance at the mirror to see nerdy Athena. Sighing, I put on my glasses and leave the bathroom. I’m so ready to leave this place.

  “There you are,” Drake’s voice startles me, making me jump. I push some hair out of my face and smile at him.

  “Hey, what’s that?” I ask, pointing at the paper bag in his hand. He looks at it and smiles.

  “I figured you could use some non-hospital food,” he tells me, wiggling the bag. Now I see the McDonald’s logo on it. Smiling, I throw my bag down and sit on the bed. Drake hops up and sits next to me, handing me a container with pancakes. Yum.

  “Thanks, for this and the rose. I love it,” I tell him, kissing his cheek. Heat floods my face when he smiles.

  “You’re welcome. Are you ready to leave?” He asks, then takes a bite of his burrito. I nod and chew on the yummy pancakes. I love pancakes; I mean, who doesn’t love fluffy bread covered in liquid sugar?

  We both finish eating pretty quickly, and when we do, Drake throws our trash away. He turns to me and jerks his thumb at the door. “I’ll go get the paperwork so you can leave,” he tells me and I smile.

  He leaves me in the room alone for about five minutes before he comes back with a folder. “Here you go. They said that insurance covers everything and all you have to do is sign,” he says, handing me the folder. I open it quickly and sign the last page, ready to be freed from this place. Just as I close the folder, a nurse walks in pushing a wheelchair.

  Annoyance makes me scrunch my nose up. I don’t like the idea of being in a wheelchair when I can walk perfectly fine on my own. To me, it feels unnecessary, but because it’s hospital policy, I can’t leave without it. I give the nurse the papers and Drake grabs my bag. “Let’s go,” I say.

  The nurse wheels me all the way to the front doors, then tells me I can go. I slowly push out of the chair and limp away from the hospital with Drake at my side. He leads me to his car and opens my door. “Thanks,” I say, sliding in. He closes the door, jogs to his side, hops in, and tosses my bag in the back seat.

  We sit in a comfortable silence, my hand in his, as he drives me home. His thumb brushes over my knuckles in a slow motion. It is relaxing, I find. His larger, rougher hand cradling mine, yet the movement of his fingers brings an assurance he can be gentle. It’s nice. Comforting.

  It doesn’t take long, so when he pulls up in his driveway, I sigh. I wanted out of the hospital, but I didn’t necessarily want to go home. Alisha will be waiting. I’d like to stay with Drake, but I don’t think we’re at that point yet. So, when he opens my door and holds his hand out, I take it, letting him pull me to my feet. I smile at him and he takes me to my house. “I’ll see you later,” he says as I open the door.

  “Yeah, thanks again,” I call, and he smiles.

  “Anything for you.”

  I laugh to hide my faltering steps and watch as he jogs over to his house and disappears inside. Sighing, I walk into the house. My mouth drops open at the sight; dirty dishes and clothes are lying around. A musty smell reaches my nose, and I cover it. What the heck have they been doing? Can they seriously not control themselves for two days?

  “Where have you been?” Alisha’s high-pitched voice screeches, making me cringe. I turn to see her stomping towards me with a red, scrunched up, angry expression on her face.

  Instead of cowering away, I look right at her. “I was mugged and in the hospital,” I tell her, and she scoffs. Scoffs! Couldn’t she at least pretend to care?

  “I doubt that. The kid already told me that lie the other day. I saw you with that ruffian- that boy! I know you’re sleeping around and disobeying me!” She sneers, stepping forward and poking me in the chest.

  “I was not!” I shove my medical bracelet in her face as proof. “And just because I wasn’t here doesn’t mean that you and your brat should trash the place!” I yell, and her eyes widen. A stinging sensation firing across my cheek shocks me and makes me
regret the words.

  “I warned you what would happen if you didn’t listen to me!” She screeches before turning around and grabbing her phone. She dials a number and raises the phone to her ear.

  “What are you doing?” I demand, reaching for the phone. When she pushes at me, I wrap my arms around my torso for protection. Not that she could do usually much to hurt me, but I still need to be careful.

  Apparently whoever she’s calling answered, because she speaks. “Hello, this is Alisha Tremaine. We’ve spoken previously,” she informs. “I have a sixteen-year-old boy who I foster that is causing me too much trouble. I simply can’t house him anymore.” I launch forward.

  “No, you can’t do this!” I yell and try to grab her phone, but my side smarts, and she shoves me away. I stumble back, hitting the wall with a thud and a groan.

  “Yes, he’ll be ready to leave after school today. Yes... okay... thank you,” she says, then hangs up.

  My mouth falls open as tears fill my eyes. Anger, hurt, and fear stall my heart as I push away from the wall. “What is wrong with you!?” I yell. She merely smirks.

  “I’m teaching you a lesson. Honestly, it’s something I should have done long ago.” With that, she leaves the room, leaving me there to drown in my tears. She always threatened me with the knowledge she never actually adopted us. I didn’t think she was so calloused. A threat is one thing, but going through on it is something entirely different. Her words filter into my mind, and I bite back a sob. They’re taking him away... today... after school.

  Quickly, I grab my phone and, through blurry vision, text Mason. Once I hit send, I run... well, hobble as fast as I can, up to my room. I slam my door shut, flop face down on my bed, and scream into my pillow. Why us? Haven’t we been through enough? My tears soak into my pillow. My heart clenches like someone’s reached in and grabbed it in their fist. He’s all I have. I’ve tried so hard to keep us together, and now he’s being taken.

  “Athena!” Mason’s voice yells from downstairs. I shoot up and cross to my door, ignoring my pained side. I swing my door open and throw my arms around him, crying even harder. Will I see him around? Is he going to stay in the town? Oh, god. Will they take him out of state?