He was just teasing me. Rider never really wanted to be my friend. He probably knew he was going to move. There was never a chance we could be friends again. So I told myself to let him go.

Now I'm in a heap of trouble.

Once Rider dropped the bomb that I wouldn't get to see him as much, I refused to ever hang out with him. Was it his fault he switched schools? No. But could he have made time to spend with me?

Rider is the richest guy I knew. He moved to a school that didn't even have sports as an option for extracurricular activities. So what could he have possibly done in his free time that he spent avoiding me? Surely he was just keeping his distance from the freak that is Brynn Cassidy.

One night I was working at the grocery store, right as we were about to close. Some strange man placed a box of beer on the checkout line. I grabbed the box, but knew I wasn't supposed to handle these specific items. I was the only working cashier, though.
The man gave me an odd smile, and that's when I smelled the stench of his breath. I tried not to cringe. This wouldn't be the first time I've had to deal with a drunk. And he was definitely drunk.

He relied heavily on the cart to hold him up. That's about when the flirty lines came up. I mentally sighed. Another middle aged drunk to ignore.

"I don't see you working up here often, you pretty thing."

I placed the box of beer in his cart and sent him on his way, before he said something that would be rumoured around town. That's what happened the last time, at least. However, last time I wasn't alone and I pretended I was deaf.

9:55. Only five minutes until I got to close up. Then it would be my free weekend. Of course, I loved to close up early, when no one was coming in the store. The other few employees had cleaned up and re-stocked for the night. They all started to clock out early and I told them goodbye as they headed out.

I wish I had been among them.

"Well. If it isn't the coolest girl at Westover High." I didn't turn around, but I glanced at the clock on the wall. Crap. I still had three minutes before I could close up.

"Grab whatever you need and make it quick." I snapped. Seriously, Brynn? Someone seems to be holding a grudge, I scolded myself.

He had disappeared for all of 30 seconds before returning with a gallon of milk. I raised one eyebrow, curious. He shrugged, "The butler doesn't do the grocery shopping, you know."

I felt like rolling my eyes, but I just deadpanned instead. It had been a whole semester since I'd seen Rider in person. There would always be the hourly Twitter updates about his family, though.

"How have you been?" I decided to ask.

He looked up from his wallet to hand me the amount. "Just fine. My dad says I really bombed this semester at Waylon. I wasn't interested in being separated from my friends, anyways. He really hated me working on the side, too."

I almost sliced my finger on the receipt distributor. Thank goodness he didn't seem to notice. "You work?"

Rider nodded, hesitantly. "I've been working since last semester at the dry cleaners. Just some extra cash since my dad cut me off. He thought sending me to the academy would help me find my focus. Maybe if I had, I wouldn't have to work. But I didn't meet expectations."

Suddenly, I felt a lump in my throat, "You got cut off?"

"Almost like your finger tearing off the receipt." He held back a grin. I blushed when it dawned on me that he saw that.

"So anyways, I'll be back at Westover in the fall. And I was going to ask a favor of you... if you still manage Forever After?"

The wall clock read 10:00 precisely. Before I answered him, I clocked out, pushed him out the doors, turned off the lights, and locked the doors behind me.

"Sorry. Boss likes me to be out of there at a really specific time. But I still work for them." I walked with Rider to his car.

He clapped his hands together, which seemed awkward considering the gallon jug in his hand.

"Okay, so, I've seen them performing a lot lately at local things. I was hoping they could perform at my birthday party in a few months."

I blinked, "Wasn't your birthday, what, four months ago? And you're already planning for your next one, eight months from now?"

He shook his head, "I didn't celebrate my 16th birthday. If I'm completely honest, I moved out once my dad cut me off. That spare house I took you to? Basically that's been my house since the beginning of the school year. Dad thought we'd resolve things if I quit sports, lost the job, and started an internship with his business. So I compromised and went to an academy for a semester. I'm going to have to pay for this party myself."

I thought aloud, "Does it have to be eight months from now? I could help you plan a bomb party without extravagant things. But just so we're clear, I can totally get Forever After to play."

"You'd help me plan a party?" He looked around the dark parking lot, as if searching for a witness.

"Yeah. We'll actually need to talk outside of impersonal Facebook messages, though." He frowned, but then held out his hand. It was time for a clean start.

I'm running around the school, plastering posters everywhere. Rider is already in dance class, having he passed out all of his invitations earlier this morning. I don't think I'll need to go to dance today, I already got my workout.

I show up to class right as the first bell rings, and I dress out. It feels so nice to change into a pair of leggings and a t-shirt. Though, I'm not going to lie, I don't like the stares I get from the guys. Seriously, there are other girls to check out.

Rider grabs my hand, jerking me away from the group. Since we've had our clean slate, we tried really hard over the summer to build a strong friendship again. Currently, we were dance partners.

As we stretch, he asks me a question that throws me off, "When did you decide to become a dancer?"

I never really decided to be one, I just took the class because it loooked fun. It's not like I was the most talented person in the room. It seemed to me that I was always a back up dancer, which was fine by me.

Before I can answer him, Ms. Adkins walks over to us. I begin stretching in every possible way to show I'm working hard.

"Would you two want to lead a dance this concert?" Inside, I felt like my jaw dropped. I knew I had to act cool, though. Rider looked to me for approval and I calmly said, "We would love to!"

She smiled, "Great. Now, I just need to sort out costumes. You know how unorganized I am."

For some reason, I spoke up, "Ms. Adkins, I can help you. I can stay after today and help organize."

Rider's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. I wasn't volunteering the both of us, but he spoke up, "Me too. I don't have any plans."

It was a normal Friday night, and I never wanted to go home. Kathryn always had some dinner date to attend so we'd have to get our own food. Sometimes the man would be over at our house, and she wouldn't let me eat at the table with them.

"Why'd you volunteer for this?" Rider asks, as Ms. Adkins steps out of the room. I shrug, "I hate going home. It's not really home anymore."

Rider stops sorting to look at me, "What do you mean?" It dawns on me that Rider forgot my dad remarried a few years after mom died. Basically, I've been living with this woman for as long as I can remember, and she still treats me like a slave.

My phone dings beside me, and I don't have to look to know it's either my step mom or Spencer. If it's Kathryn, I refuse to obey her right now. Though, I still need to look in case Easton is worried.

Dude where are you? I'm trapped at your house with your step sisters and Kathryn is scaring me with the look she's giving me. Help!

Rider apparently looked over my shoulder, "Who's Kathryn? Oh, wait," His eyes grow wide momentarily, "Brynn, I'm so sorry, I completely forgot your-"

I jump up from my spot. I've been here for the past five hours after school, and Easton needs my help.

"I'll text you later. Thanks for staying after with me." I toss my hair over my shoulder as I walk out the back door. He waves with a smile on his face. That charming smile... I straighten my posture before I completely melt at the sight of his grin.

On the drive home, I can't help but think of being the lead dancers in the next concert. I'm just thankful that Rider and I are friends again, so it won't be awkward tension. We didn't decide to be partners, we were thrown together for most dances.

When I pull into my driveway, Easton is pacing on the porch. I kill the engine and walk up to him, looking like he just saw a ghost.

"Easton? What's-" He hugs me so tightly, I can't breathe.

"How dare you stay after school with that monster and not tell me! He's just playing head games with you!"

Since when did a friendly hug turn into a chance to scream at someone? I cross my arms over my chest, defending myself.

"I stayed after to help a teacher. He stayed after to help her too. Got it?"

Easton shook his head, "No. He stayed after to spend time with you-"

"And? Is that so bad?" I interject.

He bites his lip in fear, "Oh my... Brynn! You can't like this boy!"

Whoa. This escalated quickly. Who said anything about that?

"Well. I don't like him. But why can't I? You're not the boss of me. Kathryn gives me enough demands to last a lifetime, you need to butt out."

He clinches his teeth together, pursing his lips. Crap. What have I said?

"You know, I was just trying to help you not get hurt again. You know how he functions, Brynn. Please, just let me protect you." He slumps down into the porch swing, and I carefully sit beside him.

He wraps his arm around me and I bury my face into his chest. Before I can say anything about Rider, he holds me closer and whispers, "I'm not going to stop protecting you, Brynn." I close my eyes and wonder what my life would be like without Easton to hold me up.

I would've hated life a long time ago if Easton never showed up.

A/N

I wasn't sure if uploading this song to this specific chapter would fit properly, but it does. Sabrina Carpenter's voice just brings it even more to life and I just loved her cover of the classic Cinderella song. The song fits in this chapter however you think it should, but to me I feel like Brynn is finally content with her life in some way. She may still be bitter, but she's gaining some hope and I feel like this chapter may be her strong point.

Excuse me for rambling. I just really love this song and writing this chapter was like a fresh start for the characters. Please! Vote, comment, follow me, add to your library, share with a friend, make a fan cover, make a trailer, watch the video above/to the side, or anything you feel you need to do. A dream is a wish your heart makes, and my dream is for somebody to do one of the things above.

Thanks so much, whoever is reading this.
Always, Sunny