A Not-So Cinderella

Chapter 2

“COMING!” She yelled back, hating how she had to follow their every order.

The boys were standing in the living room. “What—swimming again?” She asked, seeing how they were dressed only in their swimming trunks. They’d gone every day for the past week.

Jayden c****d his head. “You know it. Vacations are ending and we’re meeting a couple of school friends by the pool. And we want you to come too.”

“Fine.” Avery grumbled, knowing perfectly well she had no choice. 

“Good.” Jace said, and he chucked his towel at her face. Good she had fast reflexes—she caught it, and she didn’t miss how his eyes widened, disappointed. The other two threw their towels too, and she caught them and followed them outside.

“I’m driving.” Jamie said immediately. 

“No way! I’m the oldest!” Jayden said.

 “By like ten minutes. Anyways, it should be you or me, not Jamie, he’s the youngest.” Jace said. Avery rolled her eyes as her cousins argued, and they finally agreed on taking their own individual cars instead of sharing one. Because global warming wasn’t a thing.

“Which car should I go in?” Avery asked. The twins smirked at her at the same time. It was unnerving. 

“Mine,” Jamie said immediately.

“Hold up, who said she’s going in a car?” Jace asked. Avery sighed. 

“Start walking, cousin dear.” Jayden said.

“That’s too harsh,” Jamie said, pursing his lips. “Avery, just come with me.”

“Shut up, Jamie, or I’ll tell Mom I saw you kissing that boy last month. You want to get kicked out?” Jayden threatened.

Jamie’s cheeks turned red, and he bit his lip as the other two walked away. Avery gave him a short nod, and he turned to follow his brothers.

Avery watched helplessly as the three of them sped off. The swimming pool was a long walk away, and it was especially tiring in the hot August weather. She began walking, slinging the three towels over her shoulder.

The back of her tank top was sticking to her back because it was so sweaty when she finally reached. She looked around and finally spotted her cousins at the far end with a bunch of other boys. She walked up to them, sitting on a chair near their end of the pool.

“Who’s the chick?” One of the boys asked. Avery looked up,  slightly surprised.

 Jayden snorted. “Chick? Yeah, right. Just some cousin. Her parents died and now she has to live with us. She has to do everything we say. Avery, you do whatever they tell you to too.”

“Anything?” One of the boys asked suggestively. The other boys laughed, and Avery wrinkled her nose. This was so unnerving.

“No,” Jamie said sternly, looking like he'd take the kicking out of the house over letting that happen. 

“We mean normal stuff, like homework or whatever.” Jace clarified, nodding solemnly.

Avery sighed internally in relief. Her cousins weren’t that low…or at least, not until it was too their advantage. “So…did Lucas and his g**g agree to come?” Another boy asked. 

Jayden’s eyes darkened in irritation. “No. We’ll have to talk to him in school.”

Avery pretended not to be listening, but inside she was intrigued by the thought of this boy Lucas who seemed to care as little for her cousins as she did.

It was late afternoon by the time the boys decided to stop swimming, by which time Avery was exhausted, bored out of her mind, and extremely hungry. She’d had to get food for the boys, but they hadn’t let her have any, saying she could eat at home.

She walked back again, reaching long after the boys. Finally, she was allowed to eat—after doing the dishes, of course—and she made herself two sandwiches. If she didn’t eat at her normal eating time, she wasn’t that hungry, strangely. So she didn’t eat much.

She went back up to her room, standing at the door for a minute. It was a large attic, but there was only her dusty bed in a corner, the small table underneath the window, and a cupboard. Only her moving boxes were stacked there. She’d avoided unpacking most of them.

But she had to take out one specific one. It was calling out to her, begging her to open it and see what lay inside. Avery couldn’t resist it, though she knew she would end up in tears after looking inside. The chance to see her brother’s face was too enticing.

She’d taken out her clothes, school supplies and other essentials, but the more private stuff she’d left inside. She took in a deep breath and moved to the box at the bottom. She opened it, and for a moment, just stood there, looking inside.

Inside were her soccer things, and pictures. Zach had been the one with a soccer future, but he’d always practiced with her, so she was pretty good too. She wanted to be a cardiologist, though, but she loved the sport passionately. 

She never played anymore. As if her relatives would let her. She sank to her knees, a tear trailing down the side of her nose as she picked up a particular picture. It was of her and Zach. She was wearing his large soccer jersey, and they had their arms around each other. It was taken right after one of his big games, which he’d won spectacularly, so he had the biggest grin imaginable.

They had been so happy that day. It was only a few months before the accident. Zach and Avery, they were only two years apart, and Avery had privately thought that they had the best sibling relationship they could. Of course, they fought, but they had an incredibly close bond. Avery would tell Zach everything, and likewise, he would come to her.

“Oh, Zachy.” She whispered. “I wish you were here.” She hugged the picture, and finally let go, putting it back in the box. She got up on her feet, wiping away the tears, and stacked the boxes back up. It was time to leave.

She went to go prepare dinner. Her aunt always wanted some fancy dish, courtesy of them being so rich. But of course, they had dismissed their cook, leaving Avery to prepare the food. Kindness personified. She opened the cookbook, picking out an easy recipe, finally settling on butternut squash and spinach toasts. It sounded fancy, but it was quite easy actually.

After making it, she picked blackberry fool for dessert, another easy and delicious recipe. She placed them both in the refrigerator and cleaned up the kitchen. She’d probably end up having their leftovers, something demeaning but fine, because they always left plenty of food.

“Avery!” A shout came. Avery sighed. She went to the game room, which was where the shout had come from. Her cousins were there. 

“Yes?” She asked wearily, tired out from crying and making dinner. She wanted nothing more than to go to sleep, but that wasn’t possible. 

“Massage our feet.” Jayden said, not even bothering to look at her, concentrating on the screen in front of them.

“What?” Avery yelped, disgusted and shocked, her eyes flashing. 

“You heard us. Or we’ll tell mom you aren’t listening.” Jace said, also looking at the screen. Avery shook her head, frustrated. They were such brats.

“Fine.” She grumbled. She’d just wash her hands for, like, twenty minutes later. 

“Me first.” Jayden said immediately. “Me next!” Jace called, and Jamie crossed his hands over his chest, rolling his eyes.

Ew, ew, ew. Avery crept closer, trying not to look at the legs she was supposed to massage. She sat down in front of their sofa and reluctantly put her hands on Jayden’s feet. Goosebumps raced across her skin, she was feeling so disgusted.

“Press harder, weak-o.” Jayden said. Avery mentally rolled her eyes. How creative. She pressed harder, massaging his feet, feeling like throwing up with every squeeze.

She hated the way they made her feel like a servant inside. It made her self-esteem sink, and she even felt disgusted with herself. But she had no choice but to listen to their orders. 

“My turn!” Jace said after some time. Avery felt like she was going to throw up again as she did Jace’s feet. Jamie didn’t make her do it.

“Alright, now sit there.” Jayden said. Avery faced the screen, slightly confused, when a heavy weight was placed on her shoulders. She glanced to the side and gagged. Jayden had placed his feet on her.

She stood up immediately, furious. “I am not a footrest!” Massaging their feet was one thing, but being used as a footrest? There was a line. That was just too humiliating.

“Sit down. You have to do whatever we say.” Jayden warned, his eyes glinting. 

Avery huffed.  “No, I will not!” Jayden stood up and pushed her down onto the ground. Her body hit the floor with a thud, and she blinked hard because of the pain. Avery stayed on her back, shocked, as his brothers guffawed.

Jayden sat back down and put his feet on her stomach. Avery pushed them off, glaring at him furiously. “Avery, sit down. Now. And this will end here.” He said dangerously. Avery shook her head. “Fine then.” He said, standing up. The twins had inherited their height genes from their mother, so he towered over her as well.

Avery refused to be cowed, and stared into his angry eyes. “Watch out, cousin. Tomorrow your life at school will be hell.” He spat and shoved past her, walking out.

“Yeah, watch out, Avery.” Jace repeated. “You’ll regret this.”

Avery tried to steady her breathing. What could they even do to her?