I'm No Cinderella

Chapter 1

**Huge Thank You to @vizirs for the amazing cover! **

(FIRST DRAFT)

Our New Normal

"I'm home!" I called as I walked through the front door.

My mother appeared in the entryway to the kitchen, wiping her hands on her apron. "Oh, good. Sweetie, could you come help me out with dinner? I have no idea where those sisters of yours have run off to."

Laughing, I followed her into the kitchen. "Let me guess, Lil 'lost track of time' again?" I asked as I walked to the sink, making air-quotes with my hands. My sister could be sweet and thoughtful, but that girl found ways to wiggle out of most work.

My mother sighed and began kneading the bread dough for dinner. "I hate having to ask her to give up so much of her time to help me, but there's just so much that needs to be done. I can't do everything by myself," she sighed again as she added more flour beneath the dough. "She's too young for all of this. All of you are."

I sighed too as I pulled a pot from the cabinet, "Well I don't mind helping you out when I come home from work."

"Oh, Rose," she made a displeased sound in the back of her throat, "You already do so much for us."

She wasn't wrong.

My twin, Ash, and I had stopped going to school shortly after our father died. We were already counting coppers before, and with five children to feed and care for, my mother was unable to keep a job. The two of us had spent every day since then, each working up to twelve hours at our respective jobs, so that our younger siblings could go to school and have normal lives. Or, as normal as they could have in the madhouse the world had become. The sacrifice didn't bother us, though. We knew our father would be proud.

"I told you I don't mind," I said with a small smile, "really, Mom."

She pursed her lips, but didn't respond.

"Oh, but I almost forgot," I reached into my pocket and pulled out a wad of lilac bills. "I got paid today." I crossed to the other side of the room where our safe was hidden in a cabinet, and tucked the money safely inside.

"I wish the two of you would keep some of it for yourselves." She mumbled under her breath. The familiar words had become a bit of a tradition for us.

"I have nothing to spend it on," I replied, automatically, if not a little exasperated.

With that, our conversation ended, as it usually did. I pulled out all of the ingredients, and began sauteeing the onions for a pasta sauce.

About halfway through our dinner prep, Lily finally made an appearance, rushing in through the back door, with eight year old Daisy trailing close behind. "I'm so sorry, Mom!" She exclaimed, "I was walking with Daisy and lost track of time."

My mother and I shared a knowing look as Lily pushed me out of the way and took up my place at the stove. I giggled at her and walked to where Daisy stood by the table. "It's not me you should be apologizing to," my mother began, giving the fifteen year old a stern look. "Rosalie is the one who did your work for you."

Lily gave me a sheepish smile, "Sorry, Rose. It won't happen again."

I smiled back, "It was no big deal, Lil."

While Lily picked up where I left off on the sauce, I looked down at Daisy, "You ready to go upstairs and get yourself cleaned up for dinner, Bug?"

I laughed as she made a face, "Come on, the boys should be home any minute."

She let me grab her hand and drag her upstairs. Once in the bathroom, I grabbed the stool and pulled it in front of the sink for her. She stepped up and started washing her hands. While she did that, I dug out two washcloths from a drawer. After she finished drying her hands, she turned to leave, but I put a hand on her shoulder to stop her.

Wetting one of the towels, I wiped at the dirt that she had somehow managed to get all over her cheeks. Her whole body shook with giggles as I scrubbed away at her face.

I placed the dirty towel in the laundry basket when I was done, as Daisy escaped back downstairs. I began washing my own hands, but just as the I turned the water off, I heard the front door open, followed by the booming laugher of both of my brothers.

Heat rushed to my cheeks when a third male voice joined them. I quickly assessed myself in the mirror and wet the second towel. I wiped away all of the little flecks of flour and frosting that had accumulated on my face from my long day in the bakery. My clothes were a bit of a lost cause, but I tried to wipe away as much as I could from my cotton shirt and blue jeans.

Sighing at the tired eyes staring back in my reflection, I turned and headed back downstairs. When I entered the kitchen, my younger brother, Reed, was putting away the groceries he had retrieved from town. I scanned the room, trying not to appear too eager, and blushed again when my gaze was met by a pair of warm, brown eyes.

I quickly averted my eyes and headed to the stove to check on the sauce. "Oh, I see how it is, Rosie. Don't even give your big brother a hug when he gets home from a long day of work?" My brother, Ash, said from the dining table.

I rolled my eyes as I turned around, "You're two minutes older than me, get over yourself." I laughed.

He grabbed his chest in mock hurt as I started walking over to him, "You wound me, sister."

I snorted at his antics and squeezed him hard, until he let out a little grunt, before plopping down in the seat beside him. I tried my hardest not to let my cheeks heat as I once again met the brown eyes of the boy sitting across from me. "Hey, Jax."

Ash's lifelong best friend smiled at me, and I smiled back immediately, before turning my head to stare down at the table, trying to will the blood from my cheeks and neck. "Hey, Rose," he replied.

"How was work?" I asked Ash, quickly, focusing my attention on him to avoid looking back at the boy across the table.

"Exhausting," he responded. When he turned to look at me, his grey eyes, identical to mine, showed just how true the statement was.

"Well, I've told you a million times to quit your job at the plantation." I began, knowing it was no use. We had had this conversation nearly every night, and he never changed his mind, no matter how far his job pushed him, physically and mentally. "We always need an extra pair of hands at the bakery."

Ash chuckled, shaking his head, "My job is fine. I don't need to find a new one." I pursed my lips, choosing not to push the topic any further.

"Actually, Rose," Jax said from his spot across the table from me, "I just handed in an application to your bakery this afternoon."

My attention snapped to the handsome blonde. I couldn't resist the warm feeling I got in the pit of my stomach when he smiled at me, his golden tan skin crinkling slightly in the corners of his warm, chocolate eyes. The blush returned, but this time I ignored it. "You did?"

His smile turned a touch sad, as he nodded, "Yeah, we need the extra money to help pay for my father's medicine." He chuckled bitterly, "The mutts have been raising the prices."

My stomach sank, but before I could respond, my mother came in, interrupting our conversation.

"Dinner is ready!"