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Cinderella and the Beast: A twisted fairytale (Charliesweb7 & Sleepysausages)

charliesweb7

charliesweb7

Supernova
Joined
Sep 20, 2013
Location
United States
The young girl frowned as the step-mother gave once again, another long lecture to her. To be honest? She had zoned out a few times. “Calleigh? Calleigh!” The shrill voice yelled at the girl. “What?” Calleigh asked, blinking her eyes at the woman in front of her. A large, exasperated sigh from the woman. “You weren’t even listening! I mean here I am, spending “quality” time with you and you can’t even be bothered to listen to me.” The woman replied bitterly, sarcasm dripping in her voice. And yes, she even used “air quotes” as if she was a teenager. Then again, she probably thought she was one. Brandy Crystal Devereaux was the woman's name. And boy was she a sight. She looked like she was trying to be a barbie doll. She had every part of her body biped and tucked. Fat taken out here and put there. Fake this and that. Fake nails, fake eyelashes, fake hair, fake breasts. Extensions and platinum white blonde hair. Honestly, Calleigh wondered what her original hair color looked like. Her dark brown eyes were now covered with blue contacts, obviously a shade of blue that was not natural. Almost like alien eyes. Calleigh shuddered as she looked into them. She didn’t look real. And that hot pink lipstick was distracting from her porcelain skin. Well, she did have good skin. That was a positive. This woman was her step-mother, had been for 7 years now. 7 years of hell that is.

Calleigh Tara Devereaux felt that she had the perfect life when she was younger. She had a beautiful mother who's taped at home, taking care of her. Calleigh remembered getting off of the bus in elementary school, seeing her mother standing there waiting for her. Calleigh would run into her arms, hugging her before they headed home and spent their days together. Her father worked during the day but he was always home at night and there for dinner. The perfect little family with a small little suburban home where all the neighbors said hello to each other. And her mother was expecting another little baby boy or girl. Everything was perfect. Until that one day. Her mother had been rather sick. It just seemed like the flu. After all, it had been going around. But that quickly turned into a grim situation. Calleigh was only 6 so she didn’t understand just how serious it was. But within a few weeks of her being sick…she was gone. Calleigh didn’t understand what had happened. It was just something simple! Like when she got the sniffles! Why was she gone? She would be back right? She was just sleeping.... Calleigh was a mess but her father Hunter was a mess as well. They both were having trouble coping with the loss. He had lost the love of his life, she lost her mother.

Since that day, is had been Calleigh and her father. Just the two of them facing the world together. Hunter ended up quoting his job, heading back to California to be near his parents. He needed a change. A change for his daughter and himself. Having Calleigh's grandparents around was helpful. And as much as Calleigh missed her mother, her father was her world. And Calleigh was Hunter’s world. They did everything together. Calleigh could never see any other woman ever coming close to replacing her mother. No one could…or would. That was for sure. But somehow….Brandy weaseled her way into Hunter's heart. Perhaps she tricked him into believing him she was perfect. Maybe her father had been lonely. Either way, when Calleigh turned 13, Hunter and Brandy married. Brandy then brought along her two twin 14 year old daughters, Michelle and Jocelyn. Normally, Calleigh would be excited. She had never had a sibling before and wanted one. But Michelle and Jocelyn just loved to make life miserable for Calleigh. A living hell really. But any time she would tell her father, Michelle and Jocelyn would cry to Brandy and say how awful Calleigh was. They were older so it seemed as though they were believed more than Calleigh. It was unfair. And high school didn’t fair well either for her. Michelle and Jocelyn ran with the popular crowd. It was because they had money. Well to be fair, it was her father’s money and her grandparents who passed away when Calleigh was 14. It seemed to be everyone she loved was gone. At least there was her father. But Michelle and Jocelyn made it their lives mission to make high school a nightmare for Calleigh. And they did. Teasing, taunting, pranks, trying to embarrass her. She would come home crying, telling her father who just said that they were probably doing it to fit in. That they didn't "mean to" hurt her. Michelle and Jocelyn of course denied every bit and tried to pin the bullying on Calleigh. Thankfully Hunter didn’t believe that.

There was another male who had been in her live since she moved to LA. That was Ben Richardson. Her best friend. They met when she first moved in, them being neighbors. He was the cute little shy boy that Calleigh thought the world of. He was the one who would come to her house at night when she was crying her eyes out. He was around for everything in her life. And Calleigh couldn’t be more thankful. He was there when Calleigh had slipped into depressions due to the bullying from the twins. And yes, she had thought about ending her life more than a few occasions. Ben would just hold her through the entire thing, hugging her as she cried. Life wasn’t perfect… but Ben made her world brighter. And she couldn't thank him enough for coming into her life.

And as if enough tragedy hadn’t already occurred… When she was 16 she got another shock. Her father was driving home from the grocery store. After Brandy had insisted that she needed Ben and Jerry’s half baked ice cream. And that she couldn’t possibly go herself. Her father got into a car accident on the way back. In the hospital, they thought he would be fine. Sure, there was some broken bones and he was pretty battered. But when he suddenly contracted a viral infection, all bets were off. It spread like wildfire through his body, ripping him apart. And before Calleigh knew it, everyone was gone. Her mother, her father and her grandparents. She hated hospitals now. They failed to save both of her parents. It was their faults. Completely. This sent Calleigh into her darkest point in life. Brandy, Michelle and Jocelyn didn’t seem as broken up as Calleigh. Hell, Brandy probably loved the life insurance and inheritance that she now got. Maybe that is why she married her father after all…

Ben stayed by her side throughout high school and every incident. It was rare that you saw one without the other. Calleigh couldn’t stand to lose him as well. So she made sure to keep Ben with her at all times. People used to joke that they were dating and Ben was "whipped" by Calleigh. With his help and some therapy, she was able to come around and she finally seemed to get better. When she entered college, she got into a nice small college that was known for great programs. Even if Michelle and Jocelyn were there, she wouldn't let that damper her spirits. Things really were looking great. The only thing she was missing was a boyfriend.

And that is where James Masterson came into play. Quarterback of the football team, student council president. Homecoming King. He was without a doubt, the big man on campus. And what was craziest of all? He was into Calleigh. Calleigh was shocked a attractive guy like that liked her. She had never dated. In high school, she went to one dance…and Michelle and Jocelyn… did she really have to say more? Her first kiss had been with Ben. It was back in middle school and people chanted for them to kiss on the bus. It was both of their first kisses. Calleigh figured Ben only liked her as a friend, nothing more. So when James started showing interest…she was giddy. No other word. Little did she know what was in store for her and what the plans were…

Her cellphone beeped, her looking down. “That is Ben, he is waiting outside. I gotta go.” Calleigh excused herself. “You better be back by 10. Otherwise I will make sure you are grounded!” Brandy called to her, letting out another frustrated sigh before filing her nails and sipping on a diet soda. Yes, Calleigh had a curfew. And she was 19. Yet Michelle and Jocelyn didn't.

Calleigh was a rather beautiful young woman. She had really grown into her looks. She was about 5’ 6”, a rather nice height for a woman. She had golden blonde hair, tumbling is waved down to her middle back. It paired nicely with her lightly tanned skin. She had shining blue/green eyes that brought out the light freckling on her face. It gave her an almost innocent charm. The light brown freckling splattered across her nose, cheekbones and under her eyes. There was a lot of light freckling over her cheeks, forehead and chin. They weren't glaring obvious but still noticeable in the right light. She liked to consider herself womanly. You couldn’t see her hips bones, she didn’t have a thigh gap or a protruding collarbone. She never fit into a size zero or wore and extra small in shirts. And she was alright with that because she liked herself the way she was. Big breasts, nice rear and all. It took a while before she finally felt that confident but now she was confident.

Calleigh slipped into the car waiting outside of the house, her letting out a sigh. Ben was lucky enough to have his own little small apartment away from the house. Calleigh wanted to spend as much time there as possible. "You know, you are my savior." She replied truthfully, buckling her seatbelt. She wore a pair of yoga shorts, one of Ben's old t-shirts that he gave her with the neckline cut into a v and a pair of flip flops. "Seriously though, I really don't like being there." She explained to him. Of course he knew that but she felt the need to explain again.
 
Ben Richardson thought of himself as the most perfectly average man in the universe. He stood at a perfectly average 6'0, with perfectly average brown hair and perfectly average brown eyes. His academic achievement was one of consistency, with veritable room for improvement. He tended to finish in the middle of the pack during athletics, could vaguely draw, as long as you squinted, and had tried to teach himself the guitar numerous times.

In short, Ben had grown accustomed to being unnoticeable. Unremarkable. That had all changed, however, when the new family moved in next door.

Ben had never really concerned himself with the neighbours. He knew they existed, in the same way he new that gravity existed. He could see their effects, the car on the driveway, the rubbish left outside the house, even if he never actually saw them. So when they had decided to move away, it had never occurred to him that the new neighbours would be any different.

He first saw her helping her father unload the truck that had delivered all of their belongings. Ben felt like he had been punched in the stomach, multiple times. He may have even let out a little groan. She was...the opposite of everything that he represented. She was remarkable, unique, a flawless sculpture that would be impossible to recreate.

Eventually swallowing his nerves, Ben managed to unsteadily walk over to their house and introduce himself. He still remember how she smiled, like the burst of a firework. And, for the first time, Ben felt like he could be more than average.

His relationship with Calleigh developed over the years. He felt a desperate need to look after this wonderful creature, to protect her from all of the tragedy that was befalling her. In the end, his protection did nothing, but he could at least offer comfort. At least he could do that...

'I know you don't like being there.' Ben smiled. She said the same thing every time he came to pick her up. 'You don't have to keep telling me.' Ben started up the car, and began the drive to his apartment. 'So what time do I have to get you back by?'
 
Calleigh glanced over to Ben, then frowning. "I am sorry." She whispered. He didn't want to hear about her terrible home life. Calleigh really had to remember to shut her mouth more often. Even if he was her best friend, he didn't want to hear her complain all the time. She moved in her seat, then letting out a sigh. Her hands nervously played with her bare legs, rubbing them a bit. "Oh...by 10." She explained to him. It was 3 right now so that wasn't bad. Plenty of time together. They usually just had dinner and watched movies or played some video games together. She pulled a water bottle out of the small bag, taking a sip from it. "So just dinner and a movie or was there something else you wanted to do?" Calleigh asked him, stretching out in the car a bit. She was just looking forward to getting away from that house. She really was not fond...but she had no money. She had a simple job at a diner but it didn't pay enough for her to get her own place. It was expensive to live! And she didn't want to ask to move in with Ben. That would put him in a weird position.
 
Ben felt that he had made her feel unduly guilty, which made him wince. He hated the idea of ever making her sad when she was with him; she had enough to deal with in her home life. He should at least offer a safe haven, a place where she could feel relaxed, happy, secure.

Shaking his head, Ben resolutely kept his eyes on the road. He may have peeked at her legs when she started to rub them, but it was only because she had drawn attention to them. And it was only a peek. Nothing more. Nothing...important.

'Well...' James replied. 'I'd actually thought that we could do something a little different this evening.' Instead of taking the next turning that would lead back to his place, he kept going straight forward. 'I was thinking that tonight would be a nice surprise for you.' He turned to her, giving her what he hoped was a mysterious grin. 'So you have to close your eyes from now on it, otherwise it'll all go wrong.'
 
The last thing she wanted to do was drive Ben away. Without him...she surely would have no reason to stay on this planet anymore. After all, he was the one who kept her around. Even with medication, some nasty thoughts crept into her mind more than once. It was sad that she relied so much on him. Often times she felt incredibly guilty for her hardships. How much she clung to Ben when they were just only friends. She would always ask, to the point of his annoyance, if he wished he never met her. He always insisted that she was being silly. Calleigh just had to take his word for it. She looked over to him when he spoke. "Surprise?" She asked him. Last "surprise" she got was when Michelle and Jocelyn locked her outside in a towel at 11 at night and she couldn't get back in. And that was only a few months ago. She looked to him, nodding her head. "Okay..." She whispered. She lightly closed her eyes, still fidgeting in her seat. Surprises were not exactly her thing. But she felt safe with Ben. He wouldn't hurt her. He never had before. She tried to relax, trying to keep her eyes closed. That was not exactly working out so well..
 
Ben noticed that she was uncomfortable and, not for the first time, wondered whether this was such a good idea. It was just...he felt that he had to keep doing something special, keeping being more than he thought he was, in order to keep her around. His biggest fear was that one day, she would suddenly realise how dull and uninteresting he was, and then leave him forever. So he tried not to think about it, and tried to make sure that he was good enough for her.

'You don't have to worry. This is going to be a nice surprise, I promise.' He told her, offering up a nervous giggle at the end. As he kept driving, he continued to try and make small talk in an attempt to put her at ease.

Eventually, they arrived at their destination. 'Okay, you have to keep your eyes closed, but only for a little while more.' Ben stopped the car, and went straight to the boot. Opening it up, he took out the picnic basket and blanket that he had placed in there earlier, and spread it out next to the lake where he had driven them. 'Right...you can open your eyes now!'
 
Calleigh inhaled deeply, just laming herself down. She was obviously getting worked up over nothing. She kept telling herself that. But in the back of her mind...she was just wondering just a bit. It was a crazy life for her. But Ben was trusting. He would never do anything to hurt her. And she would never leave him. He wasn't uninteresting. He was stable. That is what she liked to call it. Stability when everything was changing.

Calleigh finally felt the car stopping, him helping her out after she unbuckled her seat belt. She didn't hear much noise so she assumed it was somewhere in nature...but it wasn't the beach because she couldn't hear the waves. She finally opened up her eyes, seeing the beautiful lake scene in front of her. She smiled, looking to see him with a picnic basket. "Ben..." She whispered, looking happy but almost sad. She approached him, hugging him tightly. "Thank you so much. It is perfect." She whispered, hugging the tall man tightly. Just what she needed something sweet. Honestly, she wondered if he ever wanted to date her. He was so nice. But then again, he probably didn't want to date a girl that was messed up like her.
 
Ben smiled when he hugged her, and returned the tight embrace. This was...perfect. Holding her in his arms amongst scenery that cried out to be painted. It was just as he had imagined...the warmth of her body, the feel of her hands around him, the smell of her hair...it was all too much. With an embarrassed cough, Ben drew away from the embrace, scratching the back of his neck.

'So...ah...shall we get this going?' He asked, opening up the basket, pulling out a couple of glasses, plates, various food that he had lovingly prepared the night before. Sitting down on the blanket, he poured out a bottle of wine into both glasses, offering one up to Calleigh.
 
His cough broke the serene moment, her pulling away from him. She nodded her head gently before following him just a little bit away, heading under the shade of a large tree before the blanket was set out. Then they both took a seat before he pulled out everything. Some times...Calleigh really felt bad that he did all of this. This is something he should do for a girlfriend. Not his best friend. "You know, you didn't have to do this for me. Any of it. I would have been fine with a microwave meal at your place." She told him. "Not that I don't appreciate this." She added, lightly grabbing the glass. "I guess I just feel guilty that you spoil me so much." She explained. She inhaled the fresh air deeply, expanding her lungs. "The girl that will date you is going to be the luckiest woman on Earth." She added gently, a small smile.
 
Ben started plucking at the grass whilst she spoke, giving her a weak grin when she had finished. He knew he was a coward, that he should simply confess his feelings. But he was afraid. Afraid that she would not reciprocate, that she would laugh, would be sympathetic, but wouldn't, in the end, be his. He had written her countless letters detailing his love; not a single one posted. He had tried to spit the words out when they were alone together, but, for some reason, they would always get clogged in his throat. He had so much to say that the words jammed against each other and got stuck.

'Thank you.' Ben murmured as a reply. 'I just...like doing nice things for nice people. It makes me feel good about...I don't know...everything.'
 
The way Calleigh felt about Ben was....indescribable. She loved him. That was for sure. But was it in the way she would love the man who married her and made love to her? Not exactly. It was the way a family member made you feel. That no matter what, you love them dearly. But maybe her mind could be changed. It was not like she was lucky in love to begin with. Perhaps she was too shy or maybe her sarcasm drove men away. She honestly didn't know. Perhaps it was when she was a bit "chubbier" that guys avoided her in favor of the thin cheerleaders. Calleigh reach over and placed her hand on his. "Well thank you. This is amazing." She explained to him. "When I save up some money, I want to get you something special." She told him, a smile on her face. She knew exactly what she wanted to get him. It was just the issue of having the money. She had none and got no "allowance" or a credit card.
 
Ben smiled, shaking his head and raising a hand to protest. 'You honestly don't have to get me anything, Calleigh.' He told her. 'I don't do this expecting any type of reward. I just want to see you happy. That's enough.'

Ben knew that she didn't have any form of actual income, and that her offer of a gift was probably a way to ease her guilt. And if she did end up buying something for him, he would start to feel guilty that she had spent her money, her only real form of freedom, on himself.

'No, you should save up your money.' Ben continued. 'Then maybe you can get enough to move away. Move somewhere where you wouldn't have to suffer your family any longer.'
 
"I want to. You do so much for me." She explained to him to him, taking a sip of her drink. Calleigh felt guilty that he did so much. Even if it was just something small like this. She really did fear for the woman that would snatch him up. He would spoil her and treat her like a princess. Even if she was the pauper. Calleigh then shrugged her shoulders gently. "Everything is so expensive here. I am saving up almost all of it... but it is still not enough for more than a month's rent for about 6 months." She added. His parents paid for his place. Of course, he then paid for everything else but still. "It will be one day that I can move out." She added, then lightly grabbing a piece of fresh fruit and slowly munching on the sweet fruit. "Most of the time, Brandy is now out of the house or I am able to avoid her. Same with the twins. Michelle is dating some new guy and Jocelyn has been with her boyfriend 24/7." She explained. It was sort of a lie but she didn't want him to feel bad. "But lets not talk about that. Lets enjoy this picnic and talk bout other things." She added, smiling gently at him.
 
Ben nodded in agreement. The whole point of this picnic had been to take her mind off of home; it was the last thing that they should be talking about. They sat in silence for a while, Ben absently picking at the food he had bought, drinking the wine was gingerly. He wasn't used to that much alcohol, and he certainly didn't want to get drunk, or even tipsy, in front of Calleigh.

'So how's your love life?' Ben asked in a desperate attempt to get the conversation going again. It was a topic they would often discuss, and he would always be mildly relieved when she said that there wasn't anyone at the moment. He wanted her to be happy but...being happy with someone else? That would take more time to get used to.
 
"Oh well I mean... James has shown interest in me. I still can't believe that he is talking to me. I feel like it is a joke." She replied to him. "But all we have done is texts and talked online for a few times. I mean, it is every few days that get to talk to him. And he apologizes that he has been busy." She explained, shrugging her shoulders. "But other than that, not much. It is not like James has asked me out on a date or anything." She explained. "But what about you?" She asked him. Calleigh was barely drinking the wine. She was only 19 and he was only 20. So honestly, wine wasn't anything she was interested in but she liked the gesture. "There must be some girl you have your eyes on." She added.
 
Ben tried his best to smile. He honestly did. He could feel his lips stretched across his face, but to him it just felt like he was baring his teeth. He almost wanted to growl.

Calleigh could see whoever she wanted. Of course other guys would be interested in her. She was smart and beautiful and funny and interesting and seemed to make the whole world sparkle whenever she was around. So naturally someone else would notice that, and try and take her away from him.

No...she wasn't his. Not like that. Not in that way. And it was his fault, for never telling her.

Ben shrugged whilst his internal monologue churned on. 'Well, I don't know. There might be someone. But I don't think they like me in the same way, so...' He shook his head. 'It doesn't matter.'
 
It wasn't as if she was gushing about James anyways. She didn't even know if James even liked her. Perhaps he was talking to her as a bet or maybe he just wanted to see if she would put out. Possibly since she was a virgin. Maybe Jocelyn or Michelle let it slip to James and James wanted to be the first to deflower her. Calleigh just generally...judged. But she had been hurt a lot so that was probably why. Calleigh frowned and looked at him when he spoke. "It does matter. Why don't you think they like you?" She asked him. "Have you talked to the girl?" She asked. "That is a big part. If you talk to her, then I know she will love you." Calleigh assured Ben. "Any girl would be crazy not to like you. You are good looking, sweet, generous, funny." She explained with a smile before grabbing some more food. She was still rather hungry for some reason. Perhaps it was because she sometimes never ate all day until she met up with Ben. There had been several times she would be eating and Brandy would smack food out of her hand, claiming she would be a "fat ass" later on. That woman who has had liposuction and tries every diet pill because she eats like a horse.
 
Ben started to blush as she listed off his supposed qualities. She always saw the best in him, and he didn't know why. He assumed she was just being kind; just trying to boost up his self-esteem, stop him worrying about himself so much. She was always so kind. Ben wasn't used to people who were kind. He was used to indifference. Lots and lots of indifference.

'No, I'm pretty sure she likes someone else. Which is fine, honestly, it is. I mean, I want to see her happy above all else. So if it's someone else other than me that's going to make her happy, then that's the way I would want it to be.'

Ben wasn't sure whether he actually meant any of that. But it was easier than telling the truth. Much, much easier.
 
Calleigh still had no idea that Ben liked her. People said that he did but Calleigh didn't want to talk to him about it. After all, what is she said something and it freaked him out? She wanted to do nothing that would scare him off. He was all she had left. She frowned when he talked about the girl. "I bet if she knew how you felt, it would change the way she felt about this other guy." She explained. "But couldn't you make her happy?" Calleigh asked him. "I really think you should tell her." She added. She was kind of jealous of this other girl. She was afraid that this other girl would take Ben away from her. But..she wanted Ben happy. And she knew a good girl would do that for him.
 
'No, I won't tell her. It'll just end up making things too complicated.' Ben explained, trying to keep his answer as vague as possible. 'And I'm happy as I am. Really, I am.' And he was happy as he was. And maybe he would be happier if he confessed his feelings. But then again, maybe not. Maybe she would leave. He couldn't handle the idea of her leaving.

'Anyway, my love life isn't really that interesting a topic.' Ben continued in an attempt to change the subject. 'I'm sure there are betting things that we could be talking about.'
 
Calleigh frowned, just wishing he could be happy. But it was a two way street. If he found a girl...Calleigh would be left. She looked up, watching him. "Yes, there is a million other things to talk about." She explained. There really was. "So next weekend, Brandy is going to New York with the twins. I could actually hang out more. Maybe we could have a sleep over?" She asked, her smiling. She was looking forward to that. Hopefully Brandy didn't give her a list of chores.
 
Ben beamed, eyes lighting up. 'A sleep over sounds great!' He replied enthusiastically. 'Yeah! We could...I don't know...rent a film or something, get some ice cream. Make a pillow fort. Stay up until midnight and tell each other our deepest, darkest secrets.' He continued grinning, closing his eyes as he imagined it all. He started to wave his hands in the air, as if trying to sculpt out the scene. 'And then we'd get really tired, but neither of us would want to say so, because we would want to talk some more, and wouldn't want the other person thinking that we were just using our tiredness as an excuse to stop talking...'
 
He just seemed to light up when she mentioned a sleep over. Calleigh laughed gently as he made it sound like they were two girls almost. Well, she was a girl. As he talked about them being tired and falling asleep, she closed her eyes and waited for him to stop talking. She then pretended to snore, as if she fell asleep. Of course, a smirk curled on her lips before she then cracked an eye open to peer at him. "Isn't that how it will go? You will end up snoring on me!" She teased, smirking before then blinking her eyes. "But it does sound nice. I can cook us something special if you want." She explained. "And then we can just play some Mario Party, watch some TV or movies and eat good food." She said with a smile. She was really looking forward to that. Just spending time with him. "Oh, do I get to braid your hair and paint your nails pink?" She teased, moving her hand and ruffling his hair up a bit.
 
Ben grinned and wriggled his head under her hand. 'Well, I suppose you could, if you really wanted to. But I'm not sure pink nails would suit me. I think blue would be more my colour.' He continued, going along with the pretense. She seemed to be looking forward to this almost as much as he was. It almost made him blush, to consider that she might actually want him around. That she might actually enjoy his company.

'And I didn't know you could cook!' He teased. 'I swear the last time you tried to cook me something I ended up with severe food poisoning.'
 
Calleigh laughed as he seemed to like that she was playing with his hair. "Alright, bright blue nails then. I am gonna hold you to that." She reminded him. When he spoke, she rolled her eyes. "It said it was in date and it smelled alright! That is all. It is not like I knew that." She told him. She had been making some pasta with milk and the milk had gone bad. So they got sick. "I promise this time it will be delicious." Calleigh spoke. She then moved her hand, resting down against the blanket and closing her eyes for a moment. "This will be nice. I really can't wait." She told him.
 
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