Not So Cinderella

by Rebekah L. Thompson

  He pulls away and smirks at me. “You can wake me up like this anytime.” I scoff and smack his chest. Cheeky. Silence surrounds us, and I find it peaceful. I like the peace. It’s not something I often have. Usually, school, work, and the step-family gets in the way. No time for quiet.

  “So, my first fight is at ten. What do you want to do?”

  Drake sighs and wraps his arm around me, pulling me to him. “We can watch a movie, or we can go back to kissing,” he teases, wiggling his eyebrows. Again, I laugh.

  I laugh and prop myself up on my elbows, looking down at him. “Let’s watch a movie,” I tell him, getting off the kissing subject. Don’t get me wrong, I’d love to make out with him, but making out leads to other things, and I’m not ready yet.

  “Okay, what do you wanna watch?” He asks, sitting up. I think about it for a second and shrug. I’m not picky because I rarely get the chance just to sit around watching movies.

  “I don’t care as long as it’s interesting; not a chick flick, though,” I answer. Drake chuckles and gets up, shuffling over to his TV. It’s right across from his bed, set on top of his dresser. It’s nice, too. As he sets the movie up, a wave of exhaustion washes over me. I blink several times to keep myself awake.

  “Ready?” I nod, pulling myself up into a sitting position. He sits beside me, and I look up to see Cinderella Man come up on the screen. I’ve seen this before, and it’s a fantastic movie. It’s about fighting and how the underdog pushes through hard times and has to learn what he really loves in life.

  “Are you trying to hype me up for my match?” I tease. He just smiles, wraps his arms around my waist, and pulls me closer. By the time he stops moving us around, my head rests on his chest, and my side presses to his with my legs curled up under me. I could sit like this, with him, forever.

  As the movie rolls, we sit in comfortable silence. I trace the tattoos on Drake’s arm while watching the movie, my finger brushing past several quotes and a tribal tattoo as I watch. The story, much like my own with sadness, anger, and triumph, moves me. I don’t know if he knew, but this is one of my favorites. I used to watch it with my dad. That reminds me of the other night.

  “Drake,” I murmur, as the credits roll, “Is your dad coming to my fight?” Drake’s dad knows about him fighting and is trying to support Drake, so he wants to drop by. It’s a little nerve-wracking.

  “He said he was, so probably.” Drake just hums and purses his totally kissable lips. Now I have to impress Drake’s dad. Sighing, I snuggle into Drake’s side. We still have a couple of hours before the fights.

  ~*~

  “You good?” Drake asks, checking my wrapped hands. I nod my head and bounce on my feet. The Ring Master is about to call my name to fight. I’m fighting the Crusher tonight, and I’m slightly worried, only because he’s a dirty fighter. I’m not scared of him per-se since I’ve beaten him before, which means I can beat him again. The only problem is that he holds grudges as big as him; mountainous.

  “I still don’t like this,” Drake grumbles, the ever brooding and worrying boyfriend. When he found out who I was fighting tonight, he wasn’t precisely happy since this is the man that jumped Mason and me.

  “I got this, babe,” I say, kissing him quickly before walking out of the changing room. The crowd roars as I make my way to the ring. Crusher stands in the middle already, waiting for me with a smirk on his face. Crusher isn’t old, none of the guys here are, but he’s a good five to ten years older than me, probably in his mid to late twenties. He’s got light brown spikey hair and an arrogant aura, like always.

  “Little girl,” he spits when I enter the ring.

  “Big oaf,” I mutter, making him growl. Ring Master walks up between us and asks if we know the rules. We nod, and with that, the fight begins. Immediately, Crusher throws a punch, but I duck and shuffle back. He curses, and I smirk, hitting his right side. He stumbles, dropping his arms, leaving his face open, and giving me the chance to land a right hook to his jaw.

  “You little-” he lunges. His fist connects with my stomach, and I fall back. My fumble gives him just enough time to swipe my legs and send me falling to the floor. He goes for a punch, but I roll to the side and jump to my feet, bouncing around him. He eyes me, and I fake a jab, then throw my leg out in a front kick. My foot hits his stomach in retaliation, and he jerks away. Like vultures looking for the kill, we circle each other.

  The yells of the crowd get louder as he lands a kick to the top of my arm. Quickly, I slam two punches to his chest and a kick to his left side. He stumbles back when I kick him again, making him pitch to the floor. The mountain has fallen. Crusher, faster than I thought he could, jumps up and lunges. I duck and sidestep his hits. I kick my leg out again, but he catches my ankle and holds onto it.

  “Got you now,” he snarls, punching my thigh. I gasp at the pain that radiates up my thigh, and when he lets go, my leg buckles. He’s gotten better. He must’ve trained since the last time. I use the ropes around the ring to pull myself up, and I glare at Crusher.

  “This is over,” I yell, ignoring the pain as I run forward. I use my strength in my left leg to jump. I land with my knees and thighs on Crusher’s pelvis, wrap my arms around his neck, and pull. I use my knees' momentum in his waist and my pulling to flip backward and slam Crusher into the floor.

  Twisting, I bring my fist down on Crusher’s face, immediately knocking him out and effectively silencing the crowd.

  After a second, yelling erupts across the room like a wave. A smile spreads across my lips, and I raise one hand while my other holds onto my right leg, which hurts terribly. I don’t think it’s broken, but the way Crusher hit me… dang.

  Ring Master hops up next to me and yells into his mic, “And your winner… is... Cinder Wolf!” Everyone cheers again as I limp to the side of the ring.

  “That was awesome,” Drake compliments, gripping me by the waist and helping me down.

  I wince slightly when my feet land on the ground. “Thanks.”

  He places his hand gently on my back as we walk to the guys, who are all smiling. They all congratulate me. Ignoring the worried looks they flick to my leg, I thank them all and sit down at the table. For a second, I massage the part in my thigh that the Crusher hit. There’s going to be an enormous bruise there.

  When I give up on trying to rub the pain away, I turn to look at Drake but find him gone.

  “Where’d Drake disappear to?” I ask, looking around. Before they can answer, I see him at the bar with an older man. “Oh, never mind, he’s with his dad.” Mr. Morgan has a smile on his face, and Drake has an ice pack in his hand. They reach us quickly, and I stand.

  “Mr. Morgan, hi,” I greet, holding my hand out. He laughs and grabs my hand, pulling me into a hug.

  I’m surprised for a second, but he pulls away before I can say or do anything. “That was amazing, young lady,” he says, “The way you recovered and flipped that guy,” he waved his hand around in circles, “That was incredible!”

  I flush hot and move closer to Drake. “Thank you, sir,” I reply, and he nods. I take this chance to compare him and Drake. Unlike Drake, Mr. Morgan has brown eyes. Also, Mr. Morgan’s hair seems lighter brown than Drake’s, with a light dusting of salt and pepper at the temples. I guess Drake gets his darker hair from his mother, maybe, but I remember the blonde roots barely poking out of her brown hair. So maybe not?

  Drake and his Dad’s build are similar, not considering that Mr. Morgan is larger because of his age. I can see where Drake gets his muscular frame. It’s odd thinking of this man as the owner of a fashion company. I mean, he dresses impeccably, but still.

  The major difference between them is that Drake is covered in tattoos.

  “You should sit down, babe,” Drake tells me and guides me to go sit down. I sit next to Chase, and Drake passes the ice pack to me. I quickly lay it on my leg and sigh in relief as it soothes some pain. Drake sits next to me and takes my hand in his while his dad sits across fr
om me.

  I lean into Drake a bit and look up at Mr. Morgan. “So, Mr. Morgan, you didn’t bring your wife?” I ask, knowing that it’s a stupid question as soon as it comes out of my mouth.

  Mr. Morgan stares at me with an incredulous look. “Please call me Andrew. And, no. Anissa would’ve been very uncomfortable around so many….” He looks around as if unsure what word to use. I have a feeling this man isn’t speechless often.

  I laugh. “So many wild and dangerous people?” He nods. I smile and nod along with him. “I understand, but in case you ever want her to come along, I can personally guarantee her safety, and I’m sure Drake and the guys would never let anything happen,” I tell him.

  I feel Drake straighten up, slipping on his protector hat, and he nods his head. “Of course.”

  “Well, I’d stay longer, but I told Anissa I’d head home right after your fight,” Mr- Andrew tells us, standing and straightening his shirt. I stand, feeling less pain than before, and set the ice pack down.

  “I’ll walk you to your car,” Drake says, and I take his hand.

  “I’ll come too.”

  Andrew says goodbye to the guys, and he, Drake, and I grab my winnings before we head outside. It turns out that he parked a few blocks away, in an office building parking lot, which was a good idea because he has a nice car, like his son. It’s an older black Mustang, and it’s beautiful. We wave as he drives away. I can’t help but think that his wife isn’t the only one uncomfortable here because of his quick departure.

  “Ready to go? I can text the guys and let them know that we’re leaving,” he suggests, and I nod. Crusher was my last fight of the night, after two others, which Mason told me earlier when he informed me he couldn’t make it tonight. Drake pulls his phone out and sends a text to the guys.

  Once he finishes, we walk to his car, and, like a gentleman, he opens the door for me. I climb in, and he closes the door, walking around to the driver’s side.

  ~*~

  “So, I know that this is kind of rude, but… how old is your dad?” I ask Drake, and he sends a confused glance my way. I bet that wasn’t what he was expecting me to ask. Ever. I smother a laugh and stare up at him expectantly.

  “Forty.”

  “So why did you move here?” I mumble, laying my head on his chest. I flip through his phone, moving through Drake's pictures of him with his parents from what seems like the last few years. They look happy as they smile at the camera. With a sigh, I lock his phone and close my eyes.

  I was going home, but Alisha had a friend over, so I climbed out my window and to Drake’s after I got dressed. There was no way I was staying around to listen to Alisha ‘play’ with her friend. Barf.

  Now, Drake and I are lying on his bed. Drake rests his chin on the top of my head after pressing a kiss to my hair.

  His eyes cloud, like he’s being pulled back into the past. “We almost went to juvie two years ago, so my parents shifted their focus to help my friends and me. They realized what was happening,” he tells me. Juvie? They said they were bad boys, but from what I’ve seen, there’s not a lot of bad about them. “We didn’t take it well when we found out a girl from our last school was getting beaten up by her dad. Because Chase liked her and because she was a sweet girl, we took matters into our own hands.”

  I nod but say nothing. Drake continues, “We took our warning, to the father, a bit too far and got arrested. Thankfully, we were let go because of some amazing police work and Kim’s testimony.”

  “Wow, that’s… a lot,” I murmur. He didn’t go into detail about the others, but I’m assuming it’s because it’s not his story to tell. Honestly, I don’t care about the almost-Juvie trip. I’m just glad Kim is okay.

  “You remind me of my dad sometimes, brave, strong, and caring,” I breathe.

  At my statement, Drake’s arms tighten around me, and he kisses my forehead. “If you want to talk, I’m here,” he offers. My eyelids grow heavy, and I blink a few times, trying to keep from falling asleep.

  “Thank you, but I’m okay,” I say and close my eyes.

  Drake lightly kisses me and whispers, “Good night, Athena.” I mumble good night back, but quickly fall asleep.

  Unknown

  “Watch your back, little girl. I found you, and I’m coming for you.”

  Chapter 21

  Athena

  School. How did I forget how much I hate school? The people annoy me. The only things I like are that I have the guys, and people don’t pick on me anymore.

  Sighing, I roll out of Drake’s bed and shuffle to the window. “Babe, what’re you doing?” He grumbles, propping himself up on his elbows. I look over my shoulder to see him lying there in sweatpants, his muscular, tattooed chest on full display. It calls me back, the warmth and comfort I had there.

  “I have to get ready for school,” I tell him, but also tell myself, blowing him a kiss. He nods and lays back down, dropping his arm over his eyes. I crawl through his window and mine into my room. Moving over to my closet, I pull out black skinny jeans and a teal top. I pull the outfit on and grab my open toe, lace-up booties and slip into them.

  Making my way to the bathroom, I turn the light on and start applying makeup. I do some neutral eyeshadow, black eyeliner, and mascara. I apply a light coat of nude lipstick, then leave my hair down. Once I finish that, I grab my leather jacket and my school bag. Running downstairs, I avoid the step monsters and go outside.

  Drake is already outside waiting for me and smiles when he sees me. “Beautiful,” he whispers, kissing me softly. I melt into his arms and kiss him back. He’s not stingy with his compliments.

  “Thank you,” I mumble against his lips. We pull away, and he opens the car door, letting me get in. Once I’m in, he closes the door, walks to the driver’s side, and climbs in. I like the small things he does, such as complimenting me, opening doors, and giving me those little stares that show his feelings. Those small things contrast with his bad-boy reputation.

  When we get to school, I reach for Drake’s hand and link our fingers as we walk up to the school. Drake pushes the door open, and I’m immediately swooped up into someone’s arms, lifted off the ground, and spun around. I laugh at Ross and smack him on the back to put me down.

  “Hello, Button,” he finally says when he sets me on my feet. A twinge of pain moves up my leg, but I ignore it.

  “Hi to you too, Ross,” I greet, then look at the other two. “Hey, Chase. Hey, Alec.”

  “Hey, Athena,” Alec greets with a smile, while Chase just nods. I’ve gotten used to his seemingly strong and silent nature. It’s comforting; in fact, he’s one of those people that even though they keep quiet, you know they’re there for you.

  The bell rings from above us, and we all head to class. We get to the class right before the tardy bell rings, and again, students watch as we weave through the desks to our seats. “So, I thought we’d skip tomorrow and take a trip to the beach since the weather will be cold soon,” Drake says softly as the teacher lectures. I glance at him. The guys nod.

  “I wouldn’t mind taking a day off to relax,” I pipe up, and they all look at me. I shrug and turn a little more towards Drake. “Can Mason come?”

  “Yeah, we can all meet in the morning and head out,” Drake suggests, and I smile. For the rest of the class, we whisper back and forth about the beach, what we’re going to do, how long we’ll be there, and who’ll go in what car.

  As we leave the class, my phone buzzes, and I look down to see a text from Mason saying that he’ll meet us in the school parking lot at six.

  ~*~

  “Why’d I agree to wake up this early?” I mumble from my sitting position in Drake’s lap. He chuckles, pushes some hair out of my face, and kisses my forehead.

  “Because we’re going to have fun today,” he reminds me. I hum a response and bury my face in his chest. We got to the school five minutes ago, at 5:50, and now we’re waiting for Mason to show up.

  I slept at his house again l
ast night. It’s so much more comfortable to sleep in a bed with someone warm and strong. I rather like it.

  Ross, Alec, and Chase are all squished in the back seat. Chase invited Kim, but she didn’t want to skip, so she’ll come next time.

  A second later, the roar of Mason’s bike reaches my ears. Ross jumps, smacking Chase in the face, and looks around frantically. “I’m awake!” He exclaims in a startled tone. Chase grumbles something and punches Ross in the arm, making Ross yelp. I laugh at their childish behavior and open the driver’s door. I slide off his lap and wait for him to get out too. Once he’s out, he wraps his arm around my waist and makes sure I don’t fall over.

  Mason hops off his bike and walks over. “What’s the plan?”

  I break away from Drake and throw my arms around my brother. “You’re going to follow us,” I tell him, and he returns my embrace.

  “Yeah, you can follow,” Drake says, “The beach is about forty-five minutes away.” I feel Mason nod as he keeps his arms around me. I’ve missed him. A lot. This trip is perfect for catching up.

  “So, how’d you get her up this early?” Mason teases, directing the question to Drake, who just laughs.

  “It wasn’t easy. I had to threaten to pour ice water on her.” I pull away from my brother to glare at my boyfriend. It’s true, though. He did, right after jumping on the bed and scaring me half to death. I hate waking up early in the mornings, even when I’m excited about why I’m waking up. “She sleeps like it’s her job,” he laughs.

  “Shut up,” I grumble, moving away from Mason so I can cross my arms over my chest. They both smirk as I scowl and stomp to the car, not in the mood to be teased. I climb back into my seat and curl up into as comfortable a position as I can before laying my head against the seat. Drake and Mason exchange a few more words before they part and go to their respective vehicles.

  My eyes droop as Drake climbs in and starts the car. He glances at me. “Go to sleep, Flower,” he tells me, and I mumble “no,” even though I’d love to sleep. My heavy eyelids droop again, and Drake sighs. “Sleep, I’ve got this,” he tells me, and before I know it, my eyes are fully closed.