A Cinderella story - Chapter 8: Chapter 8

THE GIRLS WERE LINED UP IN FRONT OF RYDER AGAIN THE NEXT LUNCHTIME, BUT HE WAS MUCH MORE INTERESTED THIS TIME THINKING THAT MAYBE THERE was a small chance his mystery girl may be there
"Maybe you could give me a clue to what the charms are?" A girl, that gave off a goth vibe, stood in front
"No?" Reece stood up clapping his hands
"People, people, people please. disperse, okay?he's gonna take a break and you guys could just line up after class or something" the girls all reluctantly walked away and ryder let out a sigh, lifting his hands up
"I'm never gonna find her"
"Hey hey hey. I don't wanna hear none of this crazy shit, we're gonna find her" Reece promised and Caleb let out a small nod
"Ryder caddel! Your prayers have been answered" Destiny said as she moved and stood in front of the three
"Woah woah woah" Caleb said standing up. He didn't know what the evil twin was there for. He thought maybe she was there to tell Ryder that anita was his mystery girl, but then again everyone in the school knew the siblings hated their stepsister
"Look, Destiny. Joeys on a break, okay? and he's exhausted-" she cut him off by placing a finger on his lips
"Get out of my way" she said pushing his chest so he backed off and she walked closer to ryder who sat there beside Reece with almost a disgusted look on his face
"I'm the one" Ryder let off a small laugh at the way she said it. He knew it wasn't her because her hair was straight and short whereas Cinderella's was long and brown. Cinderella also didn't have braces
"You're kidding me right?"
"I can totally prove it. I know all charms on the bracelet" ryder slapped his hand on his leg
"Prove it?" Destiny looked down to her hand to see the writing on the back
"There's 2 pandas, and 2 hearts" Ryders face slowly fell as she got it right which she caught onto
"I'm right aren't I? I knew it! Well what are you waiting for? Kiss me!" She rushed up to ryder who moved her away
"No no no. You're gonna sing first" he said standing up
"What?! But you said we only needed to know the charms. Plus I'm not warmed up"
"Well if you were the one you wouldn't need to warm up. Sorry destiny" ryder went to walk away but destiny pushed his chest back, sending him groaning and into the table
"Wait! I don't need to warm up. I love to sing! 'Oh, babe. You want it like that, you want it like this, oh babe'" Ryder covered his ears from the squeaky sounds that left the girls mouth and Reece and Caleb grimaced as everyone took out their phones and recorded, taking their chance to walk away
Later that day ryder stood at his locker, placing a few of the books inside that he didn't need. But what he didn't see was Cleo flipping her hair before sliding herself in front of ryder, shutting his locker as she did
"Woah, um awkward" ryder said confused
"Ready to meet your mystery girl?" She questioned as she fake panted
"Of course you know the charms too" he said walking away but she quickly followed after him
"God no. But I'm the real freaking one. And I freaking love you and you just better freaking love me back because I'm the freaking one you freak!" Cleo let out a smile after her outburst
"Way, way, way deep inside I'm sure you're a lovely person"
"I-I can prove in the one" she threw her bag on the floor
"Through singing!" Ryder stood there, eyebrows raised as she started
"I.. will always love youuuuu!" Most of those in the hallway had their hands over their ears to try and save them but once Cleo shut her eyes as she got in the song ryder took the chance to walk away
The worst part about the twins threatening Anita with the family heirloom what the fact that she really did want to tell ryder that it was her he spoke to that night. She had tried to put her self doubt aside and tell him, and then she was just thrown back by her step siblings
But thankfully her step siblings weren't that smart. so when they went out 2 nights ago they forgot about the necklace. Anita took that as her opportunity and went in their room, looking everywhere for it and eventually finding it in between a magazine. they had no leverage over her anymore. she was going to tell him and if he hated her for who she was then that's that
Anita and her friends sat in alexis' car at the end of the day getting ready to finally leave school
"You should talk to him" Adam started
Alexis: "Love can bring any man- oh look!" They all turned to what alexis screamed at only to see Ryder walking over to his car with Reece
"It's show time, you can do this" anita nodded, ignoring the self doubt that plagued her
"I can do this" she mumbled before turning to open the door
"Wait, let's go get some food"
"No" both Alexis and Adam said together and Anita sighed opening the door and getting out. She walked over to ryder who hadn't noticed her yet
"Ryder?" She questioned and he turned around
"Yeah?"
"I have something to tell you"
"Yeah, what's up Anita?"
"Um I.." all of a sudden a sour look came over Ryders face. because he had just remembered how Cleo and destiny had both claimed they were Cinderella. prism wanted ryder to do a duet with one of her daughters so maybe she had told Anita to lie too and say she was Cinderella when she wasn't. At least that's what ryder thought
"Prism is relentless" ryder let off a small scoff turning to Reece
"Destiny, Cleo and now her. Look, I'm looking for somebody and I don't have the time right now to talk. I got to go I'm sorry, but it was nice seeing you" ryder got in his car with his friend and Anita walked back over to the car, her head hung low to hide the tears that were surfacing
"I told you" she said as she got into the car
"Oh my gosh, he blew you off?"
"people like me don't belong with people like him anyway"
ANITA FELT HORRIBLE. A PART OF HER KNEW THAT HIS REACTION WOULD BE HORRIBLE. BECAUSE OF COURSE HE LIED THAT NIGHT AND SAID HE WOULDNT CARE WHO SHE WAS. Because he had turned her down before she even had a chance
A part of her knew that this was going to happen but the other part really liked ryder and thought there was something between them, obviously she was wrong
Anita had had a bad day so far. She had to pull an all nighter for a dinner party that prism was having
Then she had to open the diner before she went to school, making her late which also got her in trouble
Overall, she had a horrible day. Which is why she had asked her teacher half way through 4th period to go to the bathroom and instead went into the auditorium
The auditorium was where all the plays for the school were held and sometimes anita went in there to sing whilst everyone was in class, when they couldn't hear her
She plugged her phone into a sound system allowing the soft instruments to fill the room before she started to sing
The song was enchanted, she just thought the song kind of matched her at a moment and she found herself lost in it, not realising she had grown a small audience
Ryder had excused himself from his third period lesson to refill his water bottle and on his way back from the fountain he stopped once he heard a quiet sound of music
He followed the sound until he passed a room and he opened the door. The person didn't hear him, he realised since the song didn't stop and instead he heard them continue
A female, soft and delicate voice flowed through his ears and it only took him a second to realise where he recognised it from, his mouth parted in shock and eyes went wide as his eyes trailed up to the person singing
Anita miller stood, her mind focused on the song not even realising that ryder was there
He felt stupid for not realising it was her in the first place and now he thought about it, it all seemed so obvious
And now he felt guilty for blowing her off. He didn't mean to be rude in the parking lot but the words had just emptied from him before he realised. He really did like anita but he thought it was all a game
But he should've known that anita wasn't like that, and that she wouldn't do anything to hurt him
As soon as the song finished ryder walked up the stairs which lead him onto the stairs and Anita grew shocked herself on what was going on
He had heard her singing, which meant he knew who she was
He stood in front of her, neither of them soeaking until he broke the silence
"I'm so sorry"
"Ryder, don't be-"
"No, I am. I completely blew you off. But it's not because of who you are, I had just been told by your siblings claiming they were Cinderella and I was just angry they lied. I should've known better and I'm so sorry. You're all I've thought about"
"You're all I've thought about too" she replied it really knowing what to say- so she settled with the truth
Ryder let out a smile and moved forward, closing the distance between them and connecting their lips
"I think this is yours" ryder whispered against her lips putting the bracelet on her wrist