Cinderella's Twist

chapter twenty-two: you're just...gorgeous, you know?

"This is your fault we have to wash these stupid cars. Since when do we own these many cars?" I ask scrubbing mine down.

"Since mom and dad each own two cars and bought all of us one," Ricky answers.

"This is so stupid. I wasn't even involved in this stupid mess. I just woke up and wanted to get my coffee but no I have to--" I'm cut off when one of them hits me with the hose. I'm soaking wet and freezing cold. I turn around and look at them.

Sander snorts and covers his mouth and my eyes land on Derek who has the hose in hand.

"She looks mad," Sully says.

"Oh, I am far past mad," I say and charge at them with a bucket of soapy water. I miss Derek and hit Sanders.

"Water fight!" Brian calls and throws his sponge at me and it slaps me across the face.

When it comes to arguing, fighting, or anything competitive, you want to stay far away from my family. No matter what it is we will fight until one of us wins. I think it was Thanksgiving three years ago, we were playing monopoly aka the longest game to play. I was so close to winning but then Derek bought out an entire side of the board and I had a feeling I was going to lose but I didn't. I slowly started getting more and more money but then so did Derek, This whole thing went on until like one in the morning. I won. I always do.

The point is, this water fight is going to end up having rules established. It's going to go on longer than intended.

Two hours passed and people are supposed to be showing up for Chances birthday in exactly twenty minutes. One car is washed. That's it. All of us have taken cover and split up in teams. The better team is mine. I have Chance. I basically win anyway. Whenever Chance is on a team with someone mom said you have to let him win because he's sensitive. I also have Ricky, Sanders, and Sully.

"Stop," dad says just as Chance was aiming the hose at the back of Derek's head. 

Derek turns around and looks at us and his eyes go wide at Chance and then he looks at dad. "Oh, hey dad."

"All of you, inside. I knew it was stupid to let you guys clean these cars," dad mumbles the last part.

I throw my sponge on the ground and pull my hair out of its ponytail.

"We were so close to winning," Sanders whispers. 

"I know!" I agree ad the two of us laugh.

"Guess I came a little overdressed," I hear Noah say and I turn around and see him with a blue bag with tissue paper in it. He's dressed in a white button-down that's not tucked into his skinny khakis. He's wearing converse. Not surprised. Man, was I blessed with a good-looking boyfriend.

"You're here early," I say and kiss him.

"Yeah, I needed to leave my house. My mom had all of her friends in town for her high school reunion," he explains as we walk inside.

He follows me upstairs. "Well, that just sounds horrible, you poor thing."

"Why are you soaking wet?" he asks me as I look through my closet for the short zip-up skirt I was going to wear and white crop top.

"That's a long story," I say finding the outfit and taking off my wet clothes and putting on my dry ones.

"Gosh, I love your family," he says sitting down on my bed and I laugh.

I walk into the bathroom. "Ha, that's debatable."

I turn on the blow dryer and use it to straighten my hair. I roll the mascara brush over my eyelashes and put my contacts back in. I walk out struggling to put a wedge on my foot. Noah smiles at me and I furrow my eyebrows.

"What?" I ask.

"Nothing you're just...gorgeous you know?" he smiles.

I feel myself blush and I smile. "Thank you."

"Don't thank me, Red." he says smiling and standing up and walking over to me. He tilts my head up with his chin and presses his lips to mine.

"Come on. Chance has been waiting for you all day," I say pulling his hand down the stairs.

"All day huh?"

"Oh, definitely. You have a fan club in my family now," I say with a smile.

"That fan club consists of?" he asks slightly amused.

"Everyone," I say turning around. I drape my arms around his neck. "Including me."

"Oh, well in that case," he says and just as he's about to kiss me my mom walks in and makes the grand announcement that Noah is here.

"Noah!" My mom says and basically wedges herself in between us and hugs him tight. "I'm so glad you made it."

"I am too. Have you seen Chance? I want to give him this," Noah says holding up Chance's present.

"He's been asking for you all day," my mom says. "Chance!"

Within seconds this little boy comes bounding in and jumps into Noah's arms.

"You came!" he shouts and huge him and I laugh.

"Of course, Bub. Here, this is your present," he says and hands him the small bag.

Chance grabs it and rips through the tissue paper and takes out a key. "Is this for my motorcycle?"

Noah smiles and nods and Chance runs outside with us following him. There's a small toy motorcycle next to Noah's. i smile as Noah walks Chance over to it and shows him how it works. Chance has been asking Noah how to ride a motorcycle for weeks now. Noah said that he'd get him one for his birthday since he wasn't big enough to ride Noah's. My dad told Noah he didn't have to do that but he insisted.

My mom wraps an arm around me. "He's a good guy."

"Yeah, he is."

Noah claps once Chance figures out how to get the motorcycle started. Chance jumps up and hugs him.

"Still haven't told him?" she asks me.

I shake my head. "Chance is in Stage Two. There's still a chance for him after this round of chemo."

"If it doesn't work this time, Lynn, you have to tell him."

I look back at them and smile sadly. "I know. "