Page 2 of Becoming Cinderella

“You know when you’re with someone and it’s just easy? You don’t have to work to keep conversation? It’s like that when I’m with her.”

I know what he means because it’s like that when we’re together.

“I can be a total dork when I’m around her without fear of being judged.”

He just told me he has imaginary children and one was named Cajun. That definitely counts as acting like a dork.

He rocks back and forth on his heels. “I didn’t even realize I was falling for her until it became so blatantly obvious, I already had.”

He finally looks at me in the eyes and his cheeks are slightly tinted pink. I mentally try to stop the excitement bubbling in my chest because I think he’s talking about me! I think I can feel my heartbeat in my ears as it picks up. Is that normal? I look down at my science textbook and itch to flip through the pages to see if it’s mentioned as a common side effect.

“Do I tell her?”

The door chimes again. Really? Now? This store gets five shoppers in an afternoon, why are they all coming in at once? Especially now, when Jared could quite possibly be confessing his feelings for me! I have to tell him I like him back! Will it be too forward if I go in for a kiss? I glance at his lips; I mean I have waited five years after all. Okay, I’ll do it. Who cares if we’re at work with an audience.

Jared’s voice pulls me from the mental image of us kissing.

“What?” I ask, thinking I missed something. Did he just ask me out and I wasn’t even listening? Did he tell me he’s in love with me? How could I have missed such a pivotal moment we would tell our grandkids one day!

“Penn. Do I tell Penn?”

If my life was a war movie, he just dropped a giant bomb on my battleship. If it was a horror movie, he would have just pierced a shiny knife straight into my chest. “Penn? Penn as in my best friend, Penn?”

He nods, biting his bottom lip. “Do you think it’s a bad idea?”

“Uh,” I don’t know what to say. My best friend? Out of all the girls out there, he has to like Penn? I mean, why wouldn’t he like Penn? She’s beautiful with her tight curly black hair and deep brown eyes. She’s loyal to her friends and dedicated to the drama club at school. Plus, she’s Jared’s biology partner, which I’m guessing is where his realization for his feelings came from.

Jared slouches against the counter, oblivious to the mortal wound he just inflicted on me. “You do think it’s a bad idea. Maybe you can talk to her? Get a feel for if she likes me back?”

“Umm,” I want to shout at him that no, I won’t do that! I’ve liked him for years and I’m just supposed to step aside and help play matchmaker for him to date my best friend? I don’t think I can do that. It’s hard enough to like him already, but if he dates Penn? To be the third wheel to his and Penn’s relationship? I’m not so sure my heart is capable of handling that.

He watches me with puppy dog eyes, silently begging me to help make this happen for him.

“Okay.”

The words are out of my mouth before I can stop them. Did I really just say okay? Why did I say okay? I don’t want to help him date my best friend! It has to be the look he’s giving me. Those green eyes are my own personal kryptonite.

“Really?” His smile spreads across his face as he steps towards me, wrapping me in a hug. Despite the situation, I close my eyes and let myself relax in his arms, fully surrounded by the scent of fresh laundry now. “You’re a really good friend.”

My eyes snap open and I step away from him. No. Nooooo. He used the f-word. Is that really all I’ll ever be to him? Am I doomed to always play the supporting role to other people’s love stories?

I need to get away but there’s still an hour left of my shift. I spot a pile of shirts to be hung up and quickly grab them, mumbling to Jared that I’ll be in the men’s section as I slide past him.

I drop the shirts on a table and step up on a small ladder to reach the rack for the shirts. I barely glance at the lone guy as he passes me on his way to the counter.

“Whoa! You’re Liam Taylor!” Jared says too loudly behind me.

I whip my attention to the register, as do the other shoppers in the women’s section on the opposite side of the store. The boy turns to me and then the other girls, the horror on his face evident from over here. Sure enough, despite the hat pulled down over his perfectly messy light brown hair to shadow blue eyes I’ve stared at for countless hours on a screen, it’s him. Liam Taylor.

Liam Taylor is arguably the biggest teen movie star on the planet. Like thousands of girls across the world, I follow a ton of his fan accounts, attend all his movies on opening day, and have spent many a night in an online spiral watching his interviews. He’s from England, so simple things like hearing him say water or darling is one of the quickest ways to boost my mood. Now he’s standing mere feet away from me!

The other girls in the store take out their phones and start talking loudly, slowly walking towards him like he’s an animal they’re afraid to spook. I notice a girl outside the window of the store stopping to take in the scene of the girls approaching Liam with their phones drawn.

“Oh my gosh! Liam Taylor?” She shouts, coming into the store.

A group of girls who are sitting at an outside table at the smoothie place next door jump up, drawing even more attention as they rush towards the store. This is not going to end well for Liam, and possibly the store.

I hop down the two steps from the ladder and rush towards Liam, grabbing his elbow from behind.

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