Saving Cinderella

Chapter Two

Sophie crossed her arms over her shoulders. “No.” 

“Move.” 

Her spine straightened, she hoped enough to give the impression of a steely resolve she didn’t actually have. “I won’t let you exploit someone who didn’t do anything.” 

“I’m not suggesting he did anything,” Taylor said. “It’s simply a matter of him being in the right place at the right time. Besides, he’s probably used to it. He’s famous.” 

“Stop talking about him like he isn’t standing right here! It’s rude.”  

“What has gotten into you, Sophia? Your ego is inflated this morning.” 

“As opposed to yours all the time?” 

Holy crap! What was she doing? Taylor was wrong. It wasn’t Sophie’s ego that had grown: it was her courage. 

Taylor’s eyes narrowed and she raised the phone again. “Move.” 

“Make me.” 

“Don’t tempt me.” 

“It’s fine,” Keaton chimed in. “You don’t need to fight. She can tweet that I’m here.” 

This was so beyond today, beyond this moment, it was as though Sophie had to make up for years of being constantly pushed around and belittled. 

“No!” Sophie said, her jaw tight. 

“Clean out your ears!” Taylor shouted. “He said I could. Move!” 

Standing her ground was the most empowering thing she’d ever felt. “I am not moving. I won’t.”

Taylor looked smug. “Fine. Be stupid. You’ll be in the picture then.”  

“You aren’t taking that picture,” Sophie said. 

“I’m counting to three,” her sister said, “then I’ll move you.” 

“Try it. I dare you.”  As much as Taylor ran her mouth, there was no way she could follow through and if she did, Sophie was positive the adrenaline surge that her sudden confidence boost brought on was enough to hold her ground.  

“What are you going to do? One.” 

Was this actually going to resort to blows with her sister for some guy who she’d known for all of a minute and a half? It was about more than that though, wasn’t it? 

“Two,” she said.

In a split second decision, Sophie flew forward, stole the phone from Taylor’s grasp and threw it with as much precision as she could toward the tropical fish display. Slam dunk. Water sloshed around in the aquarium and the phone descended like a ribbon floating through the air. 

Taylor’s mouth gaped, her eyes wide as baseballs. “What in the actual f—?” 

Before she could finish her question, Sophie offered the same smug smile Taylor had a few minutes earlier. “There. Problem solved. Better get back to work.”  

Taylor pointed her finger. “This isn’t finished.”

“But your cell phone sure is.” 

Taylor glared and stalked off the back room where they kept the office phone.  Sophie figured she had at least five minutes before she’d be on the receiving end of a very nasty phone call courtesy of their mother or father. She’d probably be working for months to pay off the cost of Taylor’s phone. 

She spun to face Keaton. “I’m sorry about my sister. She doesn’t possess a single iota of common sense,” she waved her hand to the aquarium where the cell phone sat nestled at the bottom between two plastic plants. “Apparently neither do I.” As the reality of what she’d done sunk in, she started to panic. “Oh my God. She might actually kill me!” 

Keaton cringed at her declaration. “I’m sure she’ll realize it’s only a phone.” 

“You don’t know my sister. This is a tragedy in her world. She’s probably in there plotting revenge with MC.”

“MC?” 

“Her cat. Mad Catter. He’s diabolical. Like her.”  

He laughed, and Sophie, realizing how funny it actually was, giggled too. 

“No one has ever done something like that for me before,” Keaton said, stepping forward. “Thank you.”  

This girl was like the tiny sparrow who possessed enough valor to ridicule Zuni. She’d managed to eliminate two out of two problems he’d had that day and she did it with savvy he could admire. “It’s Sophia, right?” 

She nodded. “You can call me Sophie.” 

“Can I buy you a coffee, Sophie?” 

“I have to work,” she said, “but thanks for offering.” 

“Some other time?” 

She laughed nervously. “My sister just tried to exploit you and you want to buy me coffee?” 

“Your sister tried to exploit me and you went all ninja on her ass,” he said. “So yes, I do.”  

“Why? You’re like an actor or something. I’m no one.” 

“You’re Sophie,” he said. “That’s someone.” 

“I mean no one important.” 

“I beg to differ. You’re like a superhero. You’ve even got the glasses but if it makes you feel any better, I’m not important either,” he said. “So we can be unimportant together.” 

She smirked. “You’re so utterly unimportant you had your own mob of girls chasing you. I’m sure you’re an actor. Taylor said you were on TV.” 

“Not exactly,” he said. “She told you that if you watched more TV, you’d know who I am, not that I was specifically on TV.” 

“Well isn’t that a riddle? Look, I realize that I’m not exactly a genius but I’m sharp enough to put two and two together. You must be an actor.” 

“You’re wrong,” he insisted. 

“So how are you on TV?” 

“I’m a musician,” he said. “I can explain everything to you if you let me buy you a cup of coffee. It’s a pretty awesome story.” 

“I’m sure it is,” she said. “But I live in the real world where famous musicians who are chased by hordes of hormone fuelled girls don’t ask people like me out.” She looked down at the ground.  

He stepped closer. “What is that supposed to mean?” 

She looked up and rolled her eyes, and for a brief flash of a second, he could see the resemblance to her blonde sister even if it was only a mirrored expression. “It means fairytales don’t exist.”  

“Can I at least have your number?” 

A smile pulled at the corner of her mouth. “I’m the only one left with one of those, huh?” 

Keaton laughed. “Yeah, I guess so.” 

“Why not?” she said. “You’ll walk out of here and forget all about me anyway.” 

Keaton shook his head. “Not true. I won’t forget you.” 

She held her hand out for his phone, entered a number and gave it back. He raised an eyebrow. “This is your real number, right? Not a fake?” 

“Why would I give you a fake number?” 

“Girls do it all the time when they aren’t actually interested.” 

“I find you interesting,” she assured him, “besides, you’re like the second guy in history who has asked for my phone number and the other guy was just using me to get to Taylor. I don’t have a lot of practice handing out fake ones, that’s Taylor’s forte. That number there is as real as it gets.” 

“Cool,” Keaton said. “Would you excuse me for a second?” 

She nodded. “By all means. I’ll be at the front. I’ll lock the door until you leave, that way crazy swarms of girls can stay out and my ninja skills will remain a well guarded secret.”