A/N: Hey guys!! Thank you so much for reading and commenting! Can I seriously just take a moment and squeal over the fact that there's now 557 READS!!!!!!! Like, OMG you guys, I love you all so much, thank you, thank you, thank you!!!! I want to do a quick dedication to two really awesome girls, @SHEYNAMILLIE for the awesome fan art you see above and @chermyshortcake for the awesome new cover of the book!!! I also wanted to let you know that I'm going to start a schedule of updating every Wednesday. Now, if I get 10 votes before Wednesday comes, I'll update sooner. Don't forget to comment cuz those just make my day. Anyway, here's your chapter!!!
P.s. There's a reference to a movie in here, whoever comments and gets it right gets a dedication next chapter! :-D
Stephanie's POV
"Mommy!" I yell. I run to the kitchen with sunflowers grasped in my little fist while giggling at my dad who's chasing me. I reach the backdoor of our house and run in looking for mommy. I expect her to be cooking or baking in the kitchen, but she's not there. I shrug, not really worried, and daddy comes and scoops me up, tickling my tummy. He growls and I laugh.
"How dare you laugh at me!" He says with a funny face on as he keeps tickling me until I beg for mercy.
"Alright, let's go find mommy okay," he tells me. I nod and we walk around the house hand in hand looking for mommy. We finally find her in the sunroom dancing and singing like an angel to her favorite song "I'll be". Daddy smiles and lets go of me to go twirl mommy. She laughs loudly as they twirl around the room, and I smile at the love between them. God, I pray inside me, can I please marry someone like daddy when I grow up? Thanks! I'm suddenly taken by my parents to dance with them to a more upbeat song, and we all laugh and sing with joy.
"Stephanie" I hear. I look at mommy and daddy, but they're blissfully dancing.
"Stephanie!" What is going on?
"STEPHANIE COLEMAN, get up this instant!"
I'm abruptly woken up from my amazing dream/memory, and I look to my left to see the she-witch that is my stepmother glaring at me with her hands on her hips. What did she have to be mad about? I'm the one who was woken up from the perfect dream.
"What's your problem?" I say grumpily. Here's the thing, I'm not a morning person. Especially not when it's the weekend. Honestly, if you ask me, sleeping beauty had a good thing going for her. She could just sleep for years, and she'd still look perfect when she woke up by a kiss from an equally perfect prince. I mean, seriously, how is that even considered a curse?
"Don't take that tone with me, young lady. Today is the first meeting of the dutiful debutantes, and you promised both your father and I that you'd go. Stacy has already woken up and gotten showered. You haven't even woken up yet and you only have an hour left to make yourself presentable and eat. Honestly, Stephanie, you need to learn to prioritize."she says with a disapproving frown.
I look at her like she's crazy. Is she for real? Who needs more than one hour to get ready? It's not like I even want to go, Amy guilt tripped me into it, because her mom made her go and she doesn't want to go alone. If it wasn't for her, I wouldn't be stepping within 50 feet of that place. I shudder just thinking about the stick thin, 40 year old founder of the organization who'd looked at me and Amy up and down with distaste when we'd gone to register. She'd said, "well, making you girls into ladies won't be easy, but miracles have been known to happen." Let's just say that if Amy hadn't dragged me away after signing our names, I'd be in jail for homicide.
Anyway, here I am with Carrie who's walking around my room after I'd showered and shaved, as she picks out the dress that's "the perfect combination of ladylike and hot." I just sit on my bed with my silk robe on yawning, and trying not to think about the inviting Egyptian cotton sheets of my bed.
She finally finds the dress she thinks is best and I put it on once she's left the room. It's a light blue, tight strapless dress with a sweetheart neckline that goes to just above my knees. Carrie's paired it with 4-inch designer heels that I know will give me blisters by the end of the night, and a white, flowy cardigan. I look at myself in my full length mirror and sigh. I know I look good, but I just can't get excited about this. I don't care about it; I'm not from this world. Admittedly, having money can be pretty great, but it's not what I want. A house full of chandeliers and grand rooms doesn't mean much to me if I can't fill it with the kind of love my old, modest house had.
I think about my dream as I walk downstairs, and can't help but compare my father from that memory to the person he is now. He's nowhere near as loving or dedicated to family as he was before. He used to be home from work at 6 pm on the dot, and now it's a miracle to see him before 10. When mom died a part of me died, and I know my father feels the same way, but it's like he just gave up. He married the she-witch a year after her death, and worked his way up in his law firm. He isn't my sweet daddy who'd dance with me for no reason, anymore. I can't even remember the last time I had a real talk with him that wasn't just a hello and a goodbye. Now he is father, and I'm not sure how to get back the man who made my mother fall in love all those years ago.
I reach the kitchen, where my father is reading a newspaper while drinking coffee, and Carrie is eating a mini fruit bowl while inspecting her nails. I shake my head, and go to Matt whose taking muffin trays out of the oven.
"Oh my God, please tell me those are the jumbo cinnamon muffins I love so much," I beg as I salivate over the smell of sugar and cinnamon goodness. Matt laughs.
"Yeah, I figured you needed some sustenance before you left. You've been whining about wanting these muffins for weeks, so I figured I'd give them to you before you went to the land where lettuce bowls are considered fattening." He tells me with a Cheshire cat smile. I grin and grab one of the muffins, biting a piece of the sugary crust before sitting at the table. I moan at the amazing flavors, and proceed to devour it.
"Honestly, Stephanie, you should take better care of your figure. You haven't even been running this week like you normally do to counteract all this food. No man wants a heavy girl, so you need to stop while you can." Carrie says.
I look at her with a defiant expression, and plop a big piece of muffin in my mouth. I chew extra loudly just to grate her nerves, and she shakes her head in disgust.
I look over at my father and I'm suprised to see him looking at me with an amused and nostalgic expression on his face. That's the first time in years I've seen him show any emotion. He comes over and kisses my forehead as I sit there stunned.
"You're just like your mother, baby girl." He says in a soft voice. I look at him with tears begging to brim out of my eyes. He gives me a small smile with pain filled eyes and walks away. I blink rapidly to get these dumb tears to go away, and see Carrie sitting with a hurt look on her face. She gets up, her fruit bowl barely touched, and walks away also. I stare at the door for a long time trying to figure out my dad's sudden emotional moment. Why wasn't he like this before? He just shut out the world when mom died, and tried to move on as quickly as possible, barely acknowledging his heartbroken daughter.
I shake my head and gather myself up to go get Amy. She won't want to be late, and there's no way I'm going to that dumb society without being completely put together. Those girls are voltures, and if I show any weakness they'll pounce.
***
Amy and I reach the society's building and I sigh as I give my keys to the valet. I don't want to be here, but I promised Amy to not let her go through this alone so I have to do this.
We enter the grand ballroom where girls from the high society are all tittering about in their designer clothes, talking about things that mean nothing. I look at Amy who looks just as gloomy as me at the prospect of having to go through these rite of passage with all these fake girls. Even gloomy, though, my best friend is looks dressed to kill in a flowy white sundress that's fitted in the bodice with gold gladiator sandals. We both put our hair into chignongs and painted our nails a "demure" pink.
We look around and spot a gorgeous, model-looking hispanic girl sitting at a table by herself with an angry look on her face. I watch as a brave blonde goes over to try and talk to her, and the girl just glares and the blonde scampers away.
Amy and I look at each other with identical smiles. Anyone who doesn't like these bimbos is someone we'd definitely like to know.
We walk over to her, and she glares at us in the same way. I smile and Amy snorts.
"Girl, please, I've lived with four older brothers. You glaring or grouching at me won't scare me." She says with a smirk.
The girl looks at us suspiciously. Then, out of nowhere, she smiles. Geez, when I try to smile with all my teeth like that I look like I'm some deranged psycho, but when she does it she looks angelic. She holds out her hand and says, "hi, I'm Jessica, but most people call me Jess. Sorry for the glare, but it keeps away the plastic ones."
We laugh and talk with her while waiting for the director. We learn that she's from Puerto Rico and she loves to model. Just as Amy and I fully introduce ourselves, a hush falls over the room, telling us the director is here.
The statuesque middle-aged woman goes to the podium with the grace of a model or athlete. She looks at us with contempt and begins to speak.
"Good morning ladies. My name is Mrs.Benson. As you all know, this is the first meeting for the dutiful debutantes. It is a big honor to be allowed entrance here, so I suggest you take this seriously. To begin, there'll be a group of high society gentlemen who've volunteered to be escorts during the duration of this ritual, coming in. One will be assigned to each of you. Now, I'll ask Mrs.Miller if she could please let the men in?"
A plump woman walks over to the french doors on the right side of the room to fetch the "men", and there's a flurry of girls pushing hemlines up and necklines down. Jess and Amy roll their eyes while I smirk at the pathetic view.
Then, a procession of handsome and wealthy looking guys our age in fitted tuxedos come through the doors. Both Amy and I sit up and gawk when we realize that among them are Collin and Noah. Jess seems to be drooling over a ripped, black guy walking with them that is almost devastatingly handsome. A few girls squeal when they see Noah and Collin, and the boys smirk in their direction.
"Settle down please," Mrs.Benson (or Cruella as I've decided to name her) says. "The gentlemen will choose themselves whom they'd like to work with. There will be music and appetizers now while we take a small break for you all to get to know each other and for the men to make their decision. So, socialize away!"
Immediately, a group of girls flock Noah and Collin, to the disappointment of the other guys. Jess, Amy, and I head to the appetizer table and converse a little. Soon enough, though, we're super bored and Amy convinces us to sneak into one of the soundproof dance rooms. We enter and see a spacious room surrounded in mirrors. Amy clasps her hands together in delight and takes off her sandals.
"Steph, can you pleeaassee sing something? I'm desperate to dance, and actually you guys should dance with me. It'll be so much more fun than being out there, don't you think?" Amy asks. She gives me her puppy eyes and I give in.
"Wait, so you can sing and you can dance?" Jess asks, pointing to us individually.
"Yeah, but don't tell anyone about Steph, she doesn't really want anyone to know." Amy tells her. Well, gosh Amy, yeah I didn't want anyone to know but you just blab it to the first girl we meet. Such a nice friend I have, huh?
"But why? If you have a talent, why hide it? " Jess asks again. I sigh. "It's honestly a long story. Let's just have fun for now." Jess looks at me curiously, but nods her agreement. We all take off our shoes to dance better, and the perfect song to dance to comes to my mind. I get my purse and reach for my ipod, and plug it into the stereo with the song I want on karaoke. I smile as the opening notes hit and the girls squeal.
"I'm feeling sexy and free. Like glitter's rainin' on me. Your like a shot of pure gold. Feel like I'm 'bout to explode." I sing. We all let our hair out and shimmy our hips to the beat. I keep singing and laughing in between verses with the girls when suddenly, right before the chorus, strong arms wrap around my waist. I see Noah next to me has done the same to Amy who's smirking, and Jess is giggling at the guy she'd drooled at earlier.
I smile and put one hand on the locked hands on my midsection of whom I now know are Collin's. I look to my side, right into his smiling emerald green eyes and shake my hips with him as I sing again.
" Rock my world until the sunlight, Make this dream the best I've ever known. Dirty dancing in the moonlight, Take me down like I'm a domino
Every second is a highlight
When we touch don't ever let me go. Dirty dancing in the moonlight, Take me down like I'm a domino.
You got me losing my mind
My heart beats out of time
I'm seeing Hollywood stars
You strum me like a guitar.
I can taste the tension like a cloud of smoke in the air
Now I'm breathing like I'm running cause you're taking me there
Don't you know? You spin me out of control.
Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh
We can do this all night
Damn this love is skin tight
Baby, come on
Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh
Boom me like a bass drum
Sparkin' up a rhythm
Baby, come on!
Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh
Rock my world until the sunlight
Make this dream the best I've ever known
Dirty dancing in the moonlight
Take me down like I'm a domino
Every second is a highlight
When we touch don't ever let me go
Dirty dancing in the moonlight
Take me down like I'm a domino
Ooh, baby, baby, got me feeling so right
Ooh, baby, baby, dancing in the moonlight
Ooh, baby, baby, got me feeling so right
Ooh, baby, baby, dancing in the moonlight
Ooh, baby, baby, got me feeling so right
Ooh, baby, baby, dancing in the moonlight
Ooh, baby, baby, got me feeling so right
Ooh, baby, baby
Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh
Rock my world until the sunlight
Make this dream the best I've ever known
Dirty dancing in the moonlight
Take me down like I'm a domino
Every second is a highlight
When we touch don't ever let me go
Dirty dancing in the moonlight
Take me down like I'm a domino."
The music stops and I'm whirled around to face Collin and he gives me a big hug with a twirl that gets me laughing.
"God, Steph, you're such a great singer! I wish you didn't want to keep it a secret, but oh well. Anyway, I have a question?" He says while still keeping one arm around my waist.
"Okaay, what is it?" I say. He smirks and I know it's trouble.
"Did you pick such a sexual song 'cause you saw me earlier? Did I get you tight?" He asks with a twinkle in his eyes. I punch him on his shoulder, and the others laugh.
Jess' crush comes up to me with a hand out and says in a deep, sexy voice (though not as sexy as Coll- wait no, never mind, that's not important,) that his name is Blake. Gosh, he even has a sexy name, and I can tell Jess likes him by the way she looks at him with a bright look on her face.
"Seriously, though, will you girls do us the honor of allowing us to escort you. One, because you all are awesome, and two, I'm going to kill myself if I hear another screech that those girls out there with an IQ of a q-tip call a laugh, I will kill someone." Collin says with a pleading look on his face. We girls laugh at the puppy dog look on their faces.
"Of course you guys!" Amy yells enthusiastically.
Something then occurs to me while we're conversing. "Hey Collin, how'd you guys find us? I mean, the room is soundproof."
"Oh, you left the door open a smidge, and I could tell it was you singing so we cane over." He tells me.
Oh no, what if someone else heard, too?
***
A/N: Okay, so I don't really feel like this chapter is all that great, but I don't know, maybe I'm wrong. I'm pretty sleepy as I finish this so, it could have impacted the quality. What'd you think of the flashback? What about the small Steph and Collin moment with Jesse J's song? Do you not seriously love Matt??!!! LOL, Please comment, vote, share, and follow me if you're interested! Thanks for reading!