A CINDERELLA STORY
SUMMARY: Samantha
McCall lives with her steomother Alexis and stepbrother and sister Ric
and Elizabeth. Ever since her father Cody died her stepmother had
changed and demanded she worked in the diner her father had built up
from the ground. Not only did she have to work in the diner, but she
aslo had to make sure the house is clean and her stepbrother and sister
are happy.
To make her life easier, she goes online and chats. She meets someone she's interested in, and from there on they get to know each other. Who is the Prince she is falling for?
Based on the movie A Cinderella story
Rating: PG13
To make her life easier, she goes online and chats. She meets someone she's interested in, and from there on they get to know each other. Who is the Prince she is falling for?
Based on the movie A Cinderella story
Rating: PG13
Prologue
8 years ago
‘’Daddy, do you think mommy is watching us?’’ a 10-year-old Samantha McCall asked her father, and he smiled at her. Ever since her mother had died when she was 5 years old, she had asked that question and she never got tired of asking.
‘’I think she is, pumpkin, I really do. She’s watching us and guarding over us, making sure we are happy and healthy. And she always made sure the diner did good, even now,’’ Cody McCall replied, and Sam smiled at him. Cody was a great father, and every night before she had to go to sleep, he would tell her a story about her mother. He didn’t want Sam to forget her mother, and she would never forget her.
‘’Can you tell me the story of how you met?’’ Sam asked, and Cody nodded. Sam never got tired of hearing the story of how her parents met, and Cody never got tired of telling it.
‘’Well, you know you’re mother and I were very young when we met – we met at school,’’ he began telling the story, ‘’Demi was the most beautiful girl there, but I – well, lets just say she wouldn’t even notice me,’’ he said with a chuckle, and Sam laughed with him. ‘’When we grew older, she still didn’t notice me, but then something happened, and we got to know each other – you know how we were locked in the basement of school,’’ he said, and Sam nodded.
‘’I remember,’’ she replied softly, feeling her eyelids get heavier by the second.
‘’Well, you’re mother told me she had noticed me, but I didn’t believe her, and because we were stuck where we were, we started talking. After that day, we began talking more and more, and we fell in love,’’ he ended the story, and then he looked at his daughter who had fallen asleep. He smiled, and kissed her forehead. Then he readjusted the covers over her and got up from the bed. When she shifted, he stopped moving, but he knew she wouldn’t wake up. He had done this a thousand times, and not once had she woken up. ‘’Goodnight baby girl,’’ he said softly, and then he softly made his way to the hall. Leaving the door open just a little bit, he walked down the stairs and sighed. He didn’t know how to tell her he had fallen in love again, even though he knew Sam would love him having someone to love beside her.
‘’Is she down?’’ Alexis asked, and he smiled at her. Alexis Davis, the woman was heaven sent. He loved her so much, and he knew she loved him too by the look in her eyes.
‘’Yeah, she is. She always want me to tell her something about her mother, but in the end she falls asleep before I finish it,’’ he said with a small smile, and Alexis nodded. ‘’I’d like to ask you something,’’ Cody said suddenly, and Alexis nodded and smiled.
‘’You know you can ask me everything, baby,’’ she said, and he nodded. He kneeled down in front of her and pulled something out of his pocket, and she widened her eyes.
‘’I love you, Alexis Davis, and I know Sam will love you too – and that is something I value. I want to spend the rest of my life with you, and I’d like to ask you to be my wife?’’ he said, and she looked down. Her eyes were wide, and he wondered what she was thinking.
‘’Yes! Yes, I’d love to be your wife! Oh Cody I love you so much!’’ Alexis exclaimed, and Cody got up and hugged her tightly. He then put the engagement ring on her finger and kissed her.
‘’Thank you so much,’’ he whispered, and she nodded against his neck. Suddenly he heard something on the stairs and he turned around, and widened his eyes when Sam stood on the bottom of the stairs, looking at them with confusion on her face.
‘’Daddy? Who is that woman?’’ she asked, and he looked at Alexis and sighed. He didn’t think he had to explain this soon, but he better started explaining.
‘’Samantha, I’d like you to meet my fiancé, Alexis. Alexis, this is my daughter Samantha,’’ Cody introduced his two favorite women to each other. ‘’Samantha, honey, you know how daddy told you he met someone?’’ he started, and when she nodded he smiled at her, ‘’this is her, pumpkin, Alexis is the woman I met and I love her, with all my heart, just like I love you,’’ he told her, and she looked down.
‘’What about mommy?’’ she asked, and he closed his eyes and cursed. He hadn’t even thought of that.
‘’Mommy wanted me to be happy baby; I told you she wanted me to be happy right? She wanted ups to be happy, and we are right?’’ he asked, and she nodded. ‘’I’m even happier with Alexis here, sweetie,’’ he said, and she nodded.
‘’It’s nice to meet you, Alexis – may I call you Alexis?’’ Sam asked, and Cody frowned when he heard the formal way of talking. Never in her life had she talked like that, but he didn’t mind, because she was trying.
‘’Sure you can honey, and it’s a pleasure to meet you too,’’ Alexis said, and Sam smiled a small smile. Cody sighed of relief, knowing Sam would warm up to Alexis eventually. ‘’We are getting married in a month, right Cody?’’ Alexis said, and Cody widened his eyes, but nodded. He didn’t want to say something to get Alexis angry, and she smiled brightly at him. When he looked in Sam’s direction, she was gone, and he looked down. He couldn’t help but feel guilty for not telling her about Alexis.
##########
As the month went by Sam never opened up to Alexis, and Cody couldn’t blame her. He had been telling her stories about her mother and how he loved her and missed her, and then a day later he comes in with Alexis. He knew it could and would take some time, and especially when Alexis’ kids met Sam. Ric and Elizabeth were a little older than Sam was, and they pushed her around like she was nobody. Cody looked at Alexis but she just smiled as her children pushed Sam out of the picture of the wedding party, and afterwards Sam didn’t want to talk to him.
As they grew older, Ric and Elizabeth never accepted Sam as their sister, and they always bullied her into doing things Sam would never do if she hadn’t been pushed. Alexis never did anything to stop it, and when Cody tried reprimanding the two, they didn’t even listen, and went right on with what they had been doing all along.
Cody and Alexis grew apart, but he didn’t want to divorce her just because of the kids, and he tried mending fences with everyone. Somewhere along the way, Cody found out he had a tumor, and he told Samantha he needed to go away for a while. The tumor was in his brain and when he came to the doctor, they told him there was nothing they could do and he had to make the best of what life he had left, so he did. He renewed his vows with Alexis and made sure Sam had all the money she needed to go to college, and to have a normal and happy life when he was gone.
When Sam had just turned 16, Cody McCall died, and she was all alone with her step family.
‘’Daddy, do you think mommy is watching us?’’ a 10-year-old Samantha McCall asked her father, and he smiled at her. Ever since her mother had died when she was 5 years old, she had asked that question and she never got tired of asking.
‘’I think she is, pumpkin, I really do. She’s watching us and guarding over us, making sure we are happy and healthy. And she always made sure the diner did good, even now,’’ Cody McCall replied, and Sam smiled at him. Cody was a great father, and every night before she had to go to sleep, he would tell her a story about her mother. He didn’t want Sam to forget her mother, and she would never forget her.
‘’Can you tell me the story of how you met?’’ Sam asked, and Cody nodded. Sam never got tired of hearing the story of how her parents met, and Cody never got tired of telling it.
‘’Well, you know you’re mother and I were very young when we met – we met at school,’’ he began telling the story, ‘’Demi was the most beautiful girl there, but I – well, lets just say she wouldn’t even notice me,’’ he said with a chuckle, and Sam laughed with him. ‘’When we grew older, she still didn’t notice me, but then something happened, and we got to know each other – you know how we were locked in the basement of school,’’ he said, and Sam nodded.
‘’I remember,’’ she replied softly, feeling her eyelids get heavier by the second.
‘’Well, you’re mother told me she had noticed me, but I didn’t believe her, and because we were stuck where we were, we started talking. After that day, we began talking more and more, and we fell in love,’’ he ended the story, and then he looked at his daughter who had fallen asleep. He smiled, and kissed her forehead. Then he readjusted the covers over her and got up from the bed. When she shifted, he stopped moving, but he knew she wouldn’t wake up. He had done this a thousand times, and not once had she woken up. ‘’Goodnight baby girl,’’ he said softly, and then he softly made his way to the hall. Leaving the door open just a little bit, he walked down the stairs and sighed. He didn’t know how to tell her he had fallen in love again, even though he knew Sam would love him having someone to love beside her.
‘’Is she down?’’ Alexis asked, and he smiled at her. Alexis Davis, the woman was heaven sent. He loved her so much, and he knew she loved him too by the look in her eyes.
‘’Yeah, she is. She always want me to tell her something about her mother, but in the end she falls asleep before I finish it,’’ he said with a small smile, and Alexis nodded. ‘’I’d like to ask you something,’’ Cody said suddenly, and Alexis nodded and smiled.
‘’You know you can ask me everything, baby,’’ she said, and he nodded. He kneeled down in front of her and pulled something out of his pocket, and she widened her eyes.
‘’I love you, Alexis Davis, and I know Sam will love you too – and that is something I value. I want to spend the rest of my life with you, and I’d like to ask you to be my wife?’’ he said, and she looked down. Her eyes were wide, and he wondered what she was thinking.
‘’Yes! Yes, I’d love to be your wife! Oh Cody I love you so much!’’ Alexis exclaimed, and Cody got up and hugged her tightly. He then put the engagement ring on her finger and kissed her.
‘’Thank you so much,’’ he whispered, and she nodded against his neck. Suddenly he heard something on the stairs and he turned around, and widened his eyes when Sam stood on the bottom of the stairs, looking at them with confusion on her face.
‘’Daddy? Who is that woman?’’ she asked, and he looked at Alexis and sighed. He didn’t think he had to explain this soon, but he better started explaining.
‘’Samantha, I’d like you to meet my fiancé, Alexis. Alexis, this is my daughter Samantha,’’ Cody introduced his two favorite women to each other. ‘’Samantha, honey, you know how daddy told you he met someone?’’ he started, and when she nodded he smiled at her, ‘’this is her, pumpkin, Alexis is the woman I met and I love her, with all my heart, just like I love you,’’ he told her, and she looked down.
‘’What about mommy?’’ she asked, and he closed his eyes and cursed. He hadn’t even thought of that.
‘’Mommy wanted me to be happy baby; I told you she wanted me to be happy right? She wanted ups to be happy, and we are right?’’ he asked, and she nodded. ‘’I’m even happier with Alexis here, sweetie,’’ he said, and she nodded.
‘’It’s nice to meet you, Alexis – may I call you Alexis?’’ Sam asked, and Cody frowned when he heard the formal way of talking. Never in her life had she talked like that, but he didn’t mind, because she was trying.
‘’Sure you can honey, and it’s a pleasure to meet you too,’’ Alexis said, and Sam smiled a small smile. Cody sighed of relief, knowing Sam would warm up to Alexis eventually. ‘’We are getting married in a month, right Cody?’’ Alexis said, and Cody widened his eyes, but nodded. He didn’t want to say something to get Alexis angry, and she smiled brightly at him. When he looked in Sam’s direction, she was gone, and he looked down. He couldn’t help but feel guilty for not telling her about Alexis.
##########
As the month went by Sam never opened up to Alexis, and Cody couldn’t blame her. He had been telling her stories about her mother and how he loved her and missed her, and then a day later he comes in with Alexis. He knew it could and would take some time, and especially when Alexis’ kids met Sam. Ric and Elizabeth were a little older than Sam was, and they pushed her around like she was nobody. Cody looked at Alexis but she just smiled as her children pushed Sam out of the picture of the wedding party, and afterwards Sam didn’t want to talk to him.
As they grew older, Ric and Elizabeth never accepted Sam as their sister, and they always bullied her into doing things Sam would never do if she hadn’t been pushed. Alexis never did anything to stop it, and when Cody tried reprimanding the two, they didn’t even listen, and went right on with what they had been doing all along.
Cody and Alexis grew apart, but he didn’t want to divorce her just because of the kids, and he tried mending fences with everyone. Somewhere along the way, Cody found out he had a tumor, and he told Samantha he needed to go away for a while. The tumor was in his brain and when he came to the doctor, they told him there was nothing they could do and he had to make the best of what life he had left, so he did. He renewed his vows with Alexis and made sure Sam had all the money she needed to go to college, and to have a normal and happy life when he was gone.
When Sam had just turned 16, Cody McCall died, and she was all alone with her step family.
Chapter 1
PrinceoftheBall: ‘’Hey, I never thought I’d see you again.’’
Sam’s heart skipped a beat when she heard the ping of a new message received, and she reprimanded herself. It wasn’t like she knew the guy, for all she knew it was an old pervert who thought it was fun to play with younger girls.
Cinderella: ‘’I know, I haven’t had much time.’’
Somehow she thought she knew the guy, the way he talked – or more typed – was familiar. He didn’t say all that much, and he only answered in short replies when she asked him something. She knew someone that was just the same.
PrinceoftheBall: ‘’I know, it sucks. How have you been doing?’’
Cinderella: ‘’Busy, but I’m good – what about you?’’
Just as she heard the ping of his reply, she also heard the beep of the intercom in her room. She still didn’t understand why they needed to have it in her room, but her step family wanted her available at all times. She squeezed her eyes shut knowing what was coming. ‘’Samantha McCall, get your lazy but down here right now!’’ she heard Alexis Davis – her stepmother – yell. She sighed and she looked at the computer screen.
PrinceoftheBall: ‘’Yeah, busy.’’
There it was, the curt reply. ‘’Samantha!’’ Alexis hollered, and Sam cursed and sighed again.
Cinderella: ‘’Sorry, duty calls. Bye.’’
Sam didn’t wait for his reply as she logged off and shut her laptop. She made her way down stairs while running a hand through her hair and sighed. Alexis didn’t really care about Sam. She just cared about the extra help Sam was. She worked in her dad’s diner, even though she hated what Alexis had done with the place.
‘’You called, Alexis?’’ Sam asked, trying to hide the sarcasm in her voice, and she looked at her stepmother. Seeing the look on her face she knew nothing good would come of this talk, and she braced herself.
‘’Yes, Samantha – why didn’t you come right away?’’ Alexis asked, but never gave Sam the time to reply to the question. ‘’You look awful. What have you been doing? Anyway, I need you to do some things for me, so here,’’ Alexis said as she handed her a piece of paper full of chores for Sam to do, ‘’that’s what you need to do and I need you to do it today. So go on, because it’s a lot and you don’t have all day,’’ Alexis snapped as Sam stood, staring at the piece of paper. Sam looked up and wanted to slam her fist in Alexis’ face, but she didn’t do it. Alexis was the only person she could count on, and because Alexis held everything in hand she got from her father. The diner, the money he left for her.
‘’Sure thing Alexis. It’ll be done by the end of the day,’’ she said instead of punching Alexis, and Alexis grinned. Sam hated that grin, but she forced a smile back and made her way back up the stairs. As she came in her bedroom she looked around. She never changed it, not a single time after her dad and she had redecorated. When she was 14, it was the last thing they did together. Even though her dad had been good to her, he didn’t have enough time at the end. Being sick and having Ric and Elizabeth to take care of, he had his hands full. She didn’t mind, she just wished she’d seen more of him when he was still alive. After he died, 2 years ago, Alexis had taken over the diner and changed it. The customers had found another place to go to after that, because the diner was too busy with just the decoration. Sam had tried to talk to Alexis about it but gave up after 6 months with no success. Alexis just wouldn’t listen.
She hadn’t been happy in a long time, not since her father died, and she remembered him telling her that her mother would make sure she was happy. She didn’t believe him anymore, because it’s been 2 years of unhappiness. Until a couple of weeks ago she didn’t have any real friends, if she didn’t count Mike and Deb at the diner. They were her friends, but they were a lot older – she didn’t have any friends her age. That was until she met PrinceoftheBall. She didn’t know him, but she felt like she did, and she had been talking to him almost everyday on the internet. She found him by accident and started chatting with him. She liked him, or at least what she knew of him, and she began to look forward to their daily talk after a while.
‘’Samantha, what are you doing?’’ she heard behind her, and she turned around and faced her stepbrother, Ric. He was a slime, and he was always trying to touch her and flirt with her. She hated him. ‘’I thought my mother told you to do your job, didn’t she?’’
‘’Go away, Ric,’’ she snapped, and he laughed softly. He took a step forward and she took one back, but the wall was in the way and she couldn’t go back more. He grinned at her, and then turned around. She really didn’t like him, and to be honest she was a little scared to be alone with him. Her dad never did anything to stop him or Elizabeth, and neither did Alexis, and one day she knew he would do something. She blinked and turned around to take a shower. She knew she had to hurry, because she had a lot to do today.
#####
Dry-cleaning. Done, Sam thought. It had been a lot of dry-cleaning for just 3 people, but she wasn’t even surprised anymore. She had to pick it up almost every week, and not once could she take it all in one walk.
Groceries. Done. She had to have food in the house, so she could cook later. Alexis liked to keep her working all day, even if she had a day off. She didn’t even finish high school because she didn’t have time for it. She always had too much to do and she didn’t mind, because she was smart enough.
Wash the cars. Done. Alexis, Elizabeth and Ric all had a nice new car, and they wanted it washed once a week. She had to wash them by hand because they didn’t like to have scratches on them. Not that the carwash would leave scratches, but Sam had tried telling that before, and they wouldn’t listen. She didn’t have a choice but to wash them by hand in the back yard, because they would know if she went to the carwash.
Vacuum the house. Done.
Clean Ric and Elizabeth’s room. Done.
Clean Alexis’ room. Done.
Work a shift at the diner. Even her day off, Alexis would let her work at the diner. She didn’t mind what shift she would work, but she didn’t want her around all the time. So Sam grabbed some food along the way, and worked her evening in the diner. She didn’t mind at all, because she would be away from Alexis and Ric and Elizabeth, because they would never come in the diner.
‘’I thought you said today was your day off,’’ Deb said, and Sam rolled her eyes and frowned at her.
‘’What, you thought Alexis would let me have the day off?’’ Sam asked, and Deb shook her head. Sam had told Deb and Mike – who she had known since she was little – what went on, even though they had seen a lot of it. ‘’And it doesn’t matter, because I love spending time in here, time away from the family,’’ she added, and Deb nodded and looked at Sam sympathetically.
‘’You’re right, the less time with those three, the better for you,’’ Deb replied, and Sam nodded. After she had put on her uniform she made her way to the front and started serving tables, loving to socialize with the costumers – the few that kept coming around.
‘’Carly, good to see you again,’’ Sam said, and she smiled at Carly. Carly was one of those people who let Alexis and Ric get to her, and Sam didn’t even mind. She liked Carly, and when they saw each other they were civil, but they weren’t friends anymore.
‘’Sam, I thought you said today was your day off?’’ Carly asked, and Sam nodded and rolled her eyes. She’d seen Carly at the diner yesterday, and they’d had small talk, but that was it. Sam had told her she was off today when Carly had asked her what she was doing.
‘’Yeah, you know how it goes,’’ Sam replied, and Carly nodded. Even though Sam knew Carly didn’t know what was going on, she smiled back at Carly and took her order. The bell over the door chimed and in walked Jason Morgan, the alleged mob-enforcer. He walked over to Carly, who had told Sam she had gotten close to Jason in a way no one ever thought could happen, and sat down after hugging her. Carly waved Sam back over and Sam sighed and came to the table again. ‘’What else can I get you?’’ she asked, and Jason Morgan looked at her with those blue eyes. She could get lost in those eyes, but she shook her head and smiled at him.
‘’A coffee, please,’’ he said, and Sam nodded and wrote it down on her notebook. She walked away and ordered for them, making the coffee herself as Mike started on the food order in the kitchen. Sam place two cuts on a tray and filled them with the hot liquid, place sugar and milk with them and brought them over to the table. ‘’Thank you,’’ Jason said, and Sam nodded in return. Carly didn’t say anything; she just kept talking to Jason. Sam shook her head and walked away again after mumbling that the food should be there any minute. She went on serving tables until 8 at night.
#####
She tried sneaking in, but Alexis somehow heard her when she was trying to get up the stairs and called her back. ‘’I need you to do something for me tomorrow,’’ she snapped, and Sam walked back to get the piece of paper she knew Alexis was holding. ‘’This is for you – and you’re working a double shift tomorrow,’’ Alexis said, and Sam rolled her eyes and felt like crying at all the crap Alexis was giving her. When she took the piece of paper she wanted to turn around, but saw Elizabeth’s hand go up, also with a piece of paper.
‘’I need you to do some things for me after you’re done with work,’’ she said, and she pushed the piece of paper in Sam’s hand. Ric also handed her something, but didn’t say anything and didn’t even look at her. Sam sighed and made her way upstairs, where she collapsed on top of the bed. She was exhausted, and thinking about tomorrow tired her out even more. She looked at the papers in her hand and sighed, how was she supposed to do all of that between a double shift?
‘’Damn it!’’ she exclaimed, but slapped a hand over her mouth because she didn’t want any of them to hear her. She made her way over to the bathroom after throwing the pieces of paper on her nightstand, and turned on the shower. When she stepped in she allowed her muscles to relax, and then she washed up and got out quickly.
‘’Nice,’’ she heard his voice, and she widened her eyes and searched for her towel, until he held up his hand and showed her the towel. ‘’You looking for this?’’ he asked her, and she could see his eyes were dark of desire. She wrapped her arms around her breasts and cursed.
‘’Give it back, Ric!’’ she said, and he laughed. ‘’Damn it, give it back!’’ she snapped again, and he just raised an eyebrow.
‘’I think I’m going to hold it here, because I like you like this way to much,’’ he said, and Sam shook her head. Tears of embarrassment and exhaustion started to flood her eyes and she cursed again. ‘’Wow, ok, don’t cry – I don’t need a crying bitch!’’ he snapped when he saw her tears, and he threw her the towel. She quickly wrapped it around herself and tried to walk passed him, but he pushed her against the door and smiled at her.
‘’Damn – Ric, please just let me go and leave,’’ she said, her voice shaking from all the emotions running through her. There was exhaustion and anger, embarrassment and even fear.
‘’Someday, I’ll get you, Sam. Someday…’’ he left her with that, and she closed her eyes and took a shaky breath. How she hated Ric, she couldn’t understand what he wanted from her – she did, but she didn’t understand why he had to act like he did. Ever since their parents got married the three of them never got along, and somewhere along the way Ric had started acting like this. If and when her father saw it, he never did anything about it, but lately Ric had been there always, always touching her and taunting her. And there was nobody who could help her if he decided he had played long enough.
##########
He opened his laptop and sighed. He had been lonely, always taking care of Sonny Corinthos and his family made that happen. He made that happen, but he didn’t want to admit it. Jason Morgan was an enforcer, and he had to protect his boss, his best friend, and his family. It didn’t matter that he couldn’t have a real relationship because of it, it didn’t matter he didn’t have other real friends because of it. If he did his job right, Jason was happy. But a couple of weeks ago he realized he had fooled himself into thinking that. After Maxie, his annoying little – whatever she was to him – had signed him in at one of those chatting-sites, he had tried finding someone he could talk to. He did, and he loved talking to her. Her name was Cinderella, and he wondered why the name. He knew who Cinderella was, and he didn’t understand anyone wanting that name after what that woman had gone through. Granted, it was a Disney movie and she’d had her happy ending, but the way that woman lived gave him the creeps.
This morning he had been talking to her and he realized he really liked her, and he had clammed up. He didn’t even know what to say anymore, and then she left. Duty calls, she’d said. He knew what that meant, and he knew what it meant to have to leave without notice, so he didn’t mind she’d left without giving him the chance to say goodbye. He heard the ping of a message and he felt his heart skip a beat.
Cinderella: ‘’I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to leave like that this morning.’’
He stared at the line and smiled, relieved she talked to him.
PrinceoftheBall: ‘’It’s ok – I understand when duty calls, you don’t have time to wait.’’
Maxie Jones had signed him in and he didn’t even know how to change the screen name. He didn’t like the name, but he was glad he didn’t have to explain his name, if Maxie had just put Jason Morgan there, no one would talk to him.
Cinderella: ‘’Yeah, but sometimes I wish I could slow down for just a day…’’
PrinceoftheBall: ‘’I know the feeling, been thinking about taking some time off about a year now, but no time for that.’’
He wondered who she was, because he had a feeling he knew her. She talked like someone he knew, but he couldn’t remember who it was.
Cinderella: ‘’Time off will never happen – not until I get my money.’’
He wondered what that was about, and suddenly he felt like he had to say something, but she was quicker.
Cinderella: ‘’Forget about that, I’m sorry that was totally uncalled for. Forget it.’’
PrinceoftheBall: ‘’What do you mean?’’
Samantha McCall. Everyone knew her situation and the woman he was talking to reminded him of her. Sam had been working at her dad’s diner ever since she could, and her stepmother had made her work for her also. Clean around the house to the point she had to drop out of school, he’d heard about her. He didn’t know why he was thinking about her when he was talking to his ‘Cinderella’, but he couldn’t stop.
Cinderella: ‘’It doesn’t matter. Listen, I’m exhausted, I’m going to bed.’’
He nodded to the screen, and then sighed. He wished he could help her, she sounded sad.
PrinceoftheBall: ‘’Sleep tight, Cinderella, and whenever you need it, just look around and the Prince will be there.’’
He’d said it before he thought about it and laughed at his cheesy line. He didn’t even know what came over him, saying something like that.
Cinderella: ‘’Thank you, Prince. I will think about it the next time I feel like this. Sleep tight.’’
And with that she was off. Jason sighed off too, not feeling like talking with anyone else, and he put his laptop away. He decided it was time for him to go to bed, because after a day like he had – talking with Sonny and having Carly ramble on about her latest disaster, he was exhausted. He was confused when he thought of Sam McCall again, still having a feeling she was Cinderella, his Cinderella, but he shook it off. She couldn’t be.
Sam’s heart skipped a beat when she heard the ping of a new message received, and she reprimanded herself. It wasn’t like she knew the guy, for all she knew it was an old pervert who thought it was fun to play with younger girls.
Cinderella: ‘’I know, I haven’t had much time.’’
Somehow she thought she knew the guy, the way he talked – or more typed – was familiar. He didn’t say all that much, and he only answered in short replies when she asked him something. She knew someone that was just the same.
PrinceoftheBall: ‘’I know, it sucks. How have you been doing?’’
Cinderella: ‘’Busy, but I’m good – what about you?’’
Just as she heard the ping of his reply, she also heard the beep of the intercom in her room. She still didn’t understand why they needed to have it in her room, but her step family wanted her available at all times. She squeezed her eyes shut knowing what was coming. ‘’Samantha McCall, get your lazy but down here right now!’’ she heard Alexis Davis – her stepmother – yell. She sighed and she looked at the computer screen.
PrinceoftheBall: ‘’Yeah, busy.’’
There it was, the curt reply. ‘’Samantha!’’ Alexis hollered, and Sam cursed and sighed again.
Cinderella: ‘’Sorry, duty calls. Bye.’’
Sam didn’t wait for his reply as she logged off and shut her laptop. She made her way down stairs while running a hand through her hair and sighed. Alexis didn’t really care about Sam. She just cared about the extra help Sam was. She worked in her dad’s diner, even though she hated what Alexis had done with the place.
‘’You called, Alexis?’’ Sam asked, trying to hide the sarcasm in her voice, and she looked at her stepmother. Seeing the look on her face she knew nothing good would come of this talk, and she braced herself.
‘’Yes, Samantha – why didn’t you come right away?’’ Alexis asked, but never gave Sam the time to reply to the question. ‘’You look awful. What have you been doing? Anyway, I need you to do some things for me, so here,’’ Alexis said as she handed her a piece of paper full of chores for Sam to do, ‘’that’s what you need to do and I need you to do it today. So go on, because it’s a lot and you don’t have all day,’’ Alexis snapped as Sam stood, staring at the piece of paper. Sam looked up and wanted to slam her fist in Alexis’ face, but she didn’t do it. Alexis was the only person she could count on, and because Alexis held everything in hand she got from her father. The diner, the money he left for her.
‘’Sure thing Alexis. It’ll be done by the end of the day,’’ she said instead of punching Alexis, and Alexis grinned. Sam hated that grin, but she forced a smile back and made her way back up the stairs. As she came in her bedroom she looked around. She never changed it, not a single time after her dad and she had redecorated. When she was 14, it was the last thing they did together. Even though her dad had been good to her, he didn’t have enough time at the end. Being sick and having Ric and Elizabeth to take care of, he had his hands full. She didn’t mind, she just wished she’d seen more of him when he was still alive. After he died, 2 years ago, Alexis had taken over the diner and changed it. The customers had found another place to go to after that, because the diner was too busy with just the decoration. Sam had tried to talk to Alexis about it but gave up after 6 months with no success. Alexis just wouldn’t listen.
She hadn’t been happy in a long time, not since her father died, and she remembered him telling her that her mother would make sure she was happy. She didn’t believe him anymore, because it’s been 2 years of unhappiness. Until a couple of weeks ago she didn’t have any real friends, if she didn’t count Mike and Deb at the diner. They were her friends, but they were a lot older – she didn’t have any friends her age. That was until she met PrinceoftheBall. She didn’t know him, but she felt like she did, and she had been talking to him almost everyday on the internet. She found him by accident and started chatting with him. She liked him, or at least what she knew of him, and she began to look forward to their daily talk after a while.
‘’Samantha, what are you doing?’’ she heard behind her, and she turned around and faced her stepbrother, Ric. He was a slime, and he was always trying to touch her and flirt with her. She hated him. ‘’I thought my mother told you to do your job, didn’t she?’’
‘’Go away, Ric,’’ she snapped, and he laughed softly. He took a step forward and she took one back, but the wall was in the way and she couldn’t go back more. He grinned at her, and then turned around. She really didn’t like him, and to be honest she was a little scared to be alone with him. Her dad never did anything to stop him or Elizabeth, and neither did Alexis, and one day she knew he would do something. She blinked and turned around to take a shower. She knew she had to hurry, because she had a lot to do today.
#####
Dry-cleaning. Done, Sam thought. It had been a lot of dry-cleaning for just 3 people, but she wasn’t even surprised anymore. She had to pick it up almost every week, and not once could she take it all in one walk.
Groceries. Done. She had to have food in the house, so she could cook later. Alexis liked to keep her working all day, even if she had a day off. She didn’t even finish high school because she didn’t have time for it. She always had too much to do and she didn’t mind, because she was smart enough.
Wash the cars. Done. Alexis, Elizabeth and Ric all had a nice new car, and they wanted it washed once a week. She had to wash them by hand because they didn’t like to have scratches on them. Not that the carwash would leave scratches, but Sam had tried telling that before, and they wouldn’t listen. She didn’t have a choice but to wash them by hand in the back yard, because they would know if she went to the carwash.
Vacuum the house. Done.
Clean Ric and Elizabeth’s room. Done.
Clean Alexis’ room. Done.
Work a shift at the diner. Even her day off, Alexis would let her work at the diner. She didn’t mind what shift she would work, but she didn’t want her around all the time. So Sam grabbed some food along the way, and worked her evening in the diner. She didn’t mind at all, because she would be away from Alexis and Ric and Elizabeth, because they would never come in the diner.
‘’I thought you said today was your day off,’’ Deb said, and Sam rolled her eyes and frowned at her.
‘’What, you thought Alexis would let me have the day off?’’ Sam asked, and Deb shook her head. Sam had told Deb and Mike – who she had known since she was little – what went on, even though they had seen a lot of it. ‘’And it doesn’t matter, because I love spending time in here, time away from the family,’’ she added, and Deb nodded and looked at Sam sympathetically.
‘’You’re right, the less time with those three, the better for you,’’ Deb replied, and Sam nodded. After she had put on her uniform she made her way to the front and started serving tables, loving to socialize with the costumers – the few that kept coming around.
‘’Carly, good to see you again,’’ Sam said, and she smiled at Carly. Carly was one of those people who let Alexis and Ric get to her, and Sam didn’t even mind. She liked Carly, and when they saw each other they were civil, but they weren’t friends anymore.
‘’Sam, I thought you said today was your day off?’’ Carly asked, and Sam nodded and rolled her eyes. She’d seen Carly at the diner yesterday, and they’d had small talk, but that was it. Sam had told her she was off today when Carly had asked her what she was doing.
‘’Yeah, you know how it goes,’’ Sam replied, and Carly nodded. Even though Sam knew Carly didn’t know what was going on, she smiled back at Carly and took her order. The bell over the door chimed and in walked Jason Morgan, the alleged mob-enforcer. He walked over to Carly, who had told Sam she had gotten close to Jason in a way no one ever thought could happen, and sat down after hugging her. Carly waved Sam back over and Sam sighed and came to the table again. ‘’What else can I get you?’’ she asked, and Jason Morgan looked at her with those blue eyes. She could get lost in those eyes, but she shook her head and smiled at him.
‘’A coffee, please,’’ he said, and Sam nodded and wrote it down on her notebook. She walked away and ordered for them, making the coffee herself as Mike started on the food order in the kitchen. Sam place two cuts on a tray and filled them with the hot liquid, place sugar and milk with them and brought them over to the table. ‘’Thank you,’’ Jason said, and Sam nodded in return. Carly didn’t say anything; she just kept talking to Jason. Sam shook her head and walked away again after mumbling that the food should be there any minute. She went on serving tables until 8 at night.
#####
She tried sneaking in, but Alexis somehow heard her when she was trying to get up the stairs and called her back. ‘’I need you to do something for me tomorrow,’’ she snapped, and Sam walked back to get the piece of paper she knew Alexis was holding. ‘’This is for you – and you’re working a double shift tomorrow,’’ Alexis said, and Sam rolled her eyes and felt like crying at all the crap Alexis was giving her. When she took the piece of paper she wanted to turn around, but saw Elizabeth’s hand go up, also with a piece of paper.
‘’I need you to do some things for me after you’re done with work,’’ she said, and she pushed the piece of paper in Sam’s hand. Ric also handed her something, but didn’t say anything and didn’t even look at her. Sam sighed and made her way upstairs, where she collapsed on top of the bed. She was exhausted, and thinking about tomorrow tired her out even more. She looked at the papers in her hand and sighed, how was she supposed to do all of that between a double shift?
‘’Damn it!’’ she exclaimed, but slapped a hand over her mouth because she didn’t want any of them to hear her. She made her way over to the bathroom after throwing the pieces of paper on her nightstand, and turned on the shower. When she stepped in she allowed her muscles to relax, and then she washed up and got out quickly.
‘’Nice,’’ she heard his voice, and she widened her eyes and searched for her towel, until he held up his hand and showed her the towel. ‘’You looking for this?’’ he asked her, and she could see his eyes were dark of desire. She wrapped her arms around her breasts and cursed.
‘’Give it back, Ric!’’ she said, and he laughed. ‘’Damn it, give it back!’’ she snapped again, and he just raised an eyebrow.
‘’I think I’m going to hold it here, because I like you like this way to much,’’ he said, and Sam shook her head. Tears of embarrassment and exhaustion started to flood her eyes and she cursed again. ‘’Wow, ok, don’t cry – I don’t need a crying bitch!’’ he snapped when he saw her tears, and he threw her the towel. She quickly wrapped it around herself and tried to walk passed him, but he pushed her against the door and smiled at her.
‘’Damn – Ric, please just let me go and leave,’’ she said, her voice shaking from all the emotions running through her. There was exhaustion and anger, embarrassment and even fear.
‘’Someday, I’ll get you, Sam. Someday…’’ he left her with that, and she closed her eyes and took a shaky breath. How she hated Ric, she couldn’t understand what he wanted from her – she did, but she didn’t understand why he had to act like he did. Ever since their parents got married the three of them never got along, and somewhere along the way Ric had started acting like this. If and when her father saw it, he never did anything about it, but lately Ric had been there always, always touching her and taunting her. And there was nobody who could help her if he decided he had played long enough.
##########
He opened his laptop and sighed. He had been lonely, always taking care of Sonny Corinthos and his family made that happen. He made that happen, but he didn’t want to admit it. Jason Morgan was an enforcer, and he had to protect his boss, his best friend, and his family. It didn’t matter that he couldn’t have a real relationship because of it, it didn’t matter he didn’t have other real friends because of it. If he did his job right, Jason was happy. But a couple of weeks ago he realized he had fooled himself into thinking that. After Maxie, his annoying little – whatever she was to him – had signed him in at one of those chatting-sites, he had tried finding someone he could talk to. He did, and he loved talking to her. Her name was Cinderella, and he wondered why the name. He knew who Cinderella was, and he didn’t understand anyone wanting that name after what that woman had gone through. Granted, it was a Disney movie and she’d had her happy ending, but the way that woman lived gave him the creeps.
This morning he had been talking to her and he realized he really liked her, and he had clammed up. He didn’t even know what to say anymore, and then she left. Duty calls, she’d said. He knew what that meant, and he knew what it meant to have to leave without notice, so he didn’t mind she’d left without giving him the chance to say goodbye. He heard the ping of a message and he felt his heart skip a beat.
Cinderella: ‘’I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to leave like that this morning.’’
He stared at the line and smiled, relieved she talked to him.
PrinceoftheBall: ‘’It’s ok – I understand when duty calls, you don’t have time to wait.’’
Maxie Jones had signed him in and he didn’t even know how to change the screen name. He didn’t like the name, but he was glad he didn’t have to explain his name, if Maxie had just put Jason Morgan there, no one would talk to him.
Cinderella: ‘’Yeah, but sometimes I wish I could slow down for just a day…’’
PrinceoftheBall: ‘’I know the feeling, been thinking about taking some time off about a year now, but no time for that.’’
He wondered who she was, because he had a feeling he knew her. She talked like someone he knew, but he couldn’t remember who it was.
Cinderella: ‘’Time off will never happen – not until I get my money.’’
He wondered what that was about, and suddenly he felt like he had to say something, but she was quicker.
Cinderella: ‘’Forget about that, I’m sorry that was totally uncalled for. Forget it.’’
PrinceoftheBall: ‘’What do you mean?’’
Samantha McCall. Everyone knew her situation and the woman he was talking to reminded him of her. Sam had been working at her dad’s diner ever since she could, and her stepmother had made her work for her also. Clean around the house to the point she had to drop out of school, he’d heard about her. He didn’t know why he was thinking about her when he was talking to his ‘Cinderella’, but he couldn’t stop.
Cinderella: ‘’It doesn’t matter. Listen, I’m exhausted, I’m going to bed.’’
He nodded to the screen, and then sighed. He wished he could help her, she sounded sad.
PrinceoftheBall: ‘’Sleep tight, Cinderella, and whenever you need it, just look around and the Prince will be there.’’
He’d said it before he thought about it and laughed at his cheesy line. He didn’t even know what came over him, saying something like that.
Cinderella: ‘’Thank you, Prince. I will think about it the next time I feel like this. Sleep tight.’’
And with that she was off. Jason sighed off too, not feeling like talking with anyone else, and he put his laptop away. He decided it was time for him to go to bed, because after a day like he had – talking with Sonny and having Carly ramble on about her latest disaster, he was exhausted. He was confused when he thought of Sam McCall again, still having a feeling she was Cinderella, his Cinderella, but he shook it off. She couldn’t be.
Chapter 2
Sam ran around all day and she was exhausted by the time she finally
came home. There were another three pieces of paper on the table in the
living room but no one to be found. She knew everyone was sleeping
already, but even though she was exhausted she knew she couldn’t sleep.
She decided to take a nice, long shower and she made her way upstairs
with the pieces of paper in her hand. She looked down at them and sighed
when she saw what she had to do.
Clean the bathrooms – all of them! There were at least four bathrooms she knew about, and she wondered if there were more. Sam was glad they moved out of the old house – the house her parents and she had lived in before Cody started the diner – because Alexis and her kids made a mess of everything. So after the move Sam never got to see all the bathrooms. She would have to ask someone who did know.
Clean Alexis’, Elizabeth’s and Ric’s room, and not like last time. She didn’t know what she did wrong the last time, she knew what they wanted and she did exactly that, but she knew if she didn’t do it, she couldn’t find a place to hide. She sighed thinking she had to clean them again, even though she did that yesterday.
Help the gardener. She frowned, why would she have to help him? He did a great job on his own, and if she would help him he would only get mad. She knew the man, Jesse, since she was little, because her mother had hired him, even though they didn’t need anyone. The couple of times she wanted to help him he had snapped at her, telling her to get lost. She shook her head and sighed, she would ask him if he needed any help tomorrow.
Work the late shift at the diner. She knew she didn’t have the day off, but did she expect Sam to work a double shift? Sam grunted, knowing Alexis she would have to stay all night, and Sam didn’t mind, but she also wanted some time to herself. She looked down at her uniform and remembered all the tips she got today. She’d been working a double shift today, and Deb had given her something Alexis wouldn’t know about. Also, the costumers that did come over tipped her some more when they heard she had a double shift today. She didn’t tell them, but she knew Mike and Deb had told the people that. Somehow they always looked out for her, and when she looked at the amount of money she made today, she widened her eyes. She could buy a new phone – she could buy the phone she had been saving money for.
Even though her father had left her a lot of money, and no one could touch it but her, Alexis had decided she was too young for it, and she had held it. Sam couldn’t touch it either until she was 21, she hated the fact that it would only be a couple more years before she could get the money and get out of the house. She wanted to get out. She shook her head again and turned on the shower, realizing she had been standing there staring at the papers in her hand for some time now. She looked around and was relieved Ric didn’t show up yet, and she decided now was a good time to start locking the door. Ric had never come in when she took a shower before, or maybe she just didn’t notice, but only the thought of him coming in sent a shiver down her spine as she locked the door. She couldn’t lock the bedroom door, but she didn’t mind that as much. She would’ve loved it if she could, but she also knew that he would find a way to get in eventually. It would only make him angrier.
After her shower and after she had gotten dressed in some sweatpants and a tank top, she made her way to her laptop and opened it. She turned it on and threw the covers of her bed back, and then she yawned. She wasn’t that tired anymore, and she wondered if she could go to sleep right now or if she should just wait a little longer. She knew after a long day of work, she was never able to go to bed right away, and she shook her head as she sat down and logged on. She read her email and then suddenly there was a ping of a message, and she felt her heart skip a beat.
PrinceoftheBall: ‘’Where do you live? I have this feeling I know you.’’
The question caught her off guard and she blinked, wondering how he could feel the same way.
Cinderella: ‘’I’ve been feeling the same way – I live in Port Charles.’’
She waited for his answer and he took his time to reply, but she didn’t mind. She started reading through her mail and smiled when she saw the invitation to the annual ball at the Metro Court. Every year there would be a ball, one she never got to attend anyway, to raise money for one or another. Every time there would be a theme, and this time it was a masked ball.
PrinceoftheBall: ‘’Really – me too. I’ve been thinking about it a lot, Cinderella, but the only one I can come up with just told me she didn’t have internet.’’
Cinderella: ‘’Well, my Prince, I have a suggestion.’’
She knew she was being stupid, because she would never be able to go to the Metro Court for the ball, but she wondered whom she was talking with. She wanted to know if she could find out at the ball, if he wanted to come.
PrinceoftheBall: ‘’I’m all ears.’’
Cinderella: ‘’Two weeks from now there is a masked ball at the Metro Court. I know, Cinderella and all, I want you to meet me there, if you’d like.’’
She had to type quickly not to lose her bravado, because she didn’t know whom she was asking to meet her. She wanted to meet her prince, and he seemed to be the perfect man for her. Or so she thought. He could also be playing her, and when he didn’t answer she began doubting.
PrinceoftheBall: ‘’A masked ball, I knew about that one. My friend is one of the owners.’’
He didn’t answer, not right away, and she wondered if he wanted too.
Cinderella: ‘’You don’t have to, I mean if you don’t want to meet me we could just let it be.’’
PrinceoftheBall: ‘’Yeah, I’d love to meet you there. But how do I know it’s you?’’
They said it at the same time, and Sam looked at the line. He wanted to meet her, and she smiled brightly.
Cinderella: ‘’Let me think about that one, but right now I don’t know yet. I just got the mail and I was thinking bravely, not thinking about it at all, you know?’’
PrinceoftheBall: ‘’I know. What about we talk about this some more later on. Right now, duty calls for me and I bet you want to go to bed.’’
Cinderella: ‘’You are right. Night.’’
PrinceoftheBall: ‘’Night, my Cinderella.’’
And with that he was gone. She wondered why he had work this late, but she shrugged it off and turned off her laptop. When she stepped into bed she shivered from the cold, but soon she fell asleep thinking about meeting her Prince.
##########
Jason was exhausted when he came home the next morning. Sonny had called last night wanting him to come to one of the warehouses because there had been some trouble, and when he got there, it was only some teenagers who thought it would be funny to mess with some of the stuff in there. Even though it had been locked Jason wasn’t surprised they had managed to get in, and he told them to get lost. He’d been nice; of course he didn’t want them scared of him. As he took his shower he thought of his Cinderella. If she were Samantha McCall, he’d be surprised. After talking to her in the diner he didn’t think she could be her.
Sam had told him she didn’t have internet, but that could be a lie. The way she lived though, it wouldn’t surprise him if she didn’t have internet. She told him she had been saving for something, she didn’t tell him what, but he didn’t care really. He would just have to wait and see who this woman was, even though in his mind he only saw Samantha McCall when thinking of his Cinderella. Sam was a beautiful woman, petite but strong, and he liked what he knew about her. He felt sorry for her, and wanted to protect her, but he didn’t know if he should mess with something she so strongly took on. She would find a way to get out of that house on her own, and if she needed help she would ask for it.
He jumped into bed as he was done with his shower, and he closed his eyes to fall asleep right away.
##########
Sam ran around, cleaning the bathrooms and asking Jesse if he needed any help today, only to be snapped at. She knew he would react that way, but because Alexis has asked her to help him, she just asked him. ‘’Jesse you know how Alexis is,’’ Sam whispered, and she wanted to walk away when he stopped her.
‘’Samantha, come here. What do you think about getting me some soil when you go to the store? That’s all I need today,’’ he said softly, and she blinked at him as she was surprised he even asked her to.
‘’Well yeah, I could do that. You want to write down what you need and I’ll get it,’’ she said, and he nodded and gave her a little piece of paper with one line on it. ‘You need to get out of the house,’ it said, and Sam frowned at him.
‘’Listen, I remember your dad asking me to keep an eye out for you, help you with living with these monsters, but Alexis made sure I never got to be close to you. He asked me to help you with things, but every time she shot me down, so this was – I asked her to ask you to help me, Samantha. Come here later today and we will talk – right now she is still in the house and I don’t want you to get in trouble. So see if you could get me something so you have a reason to come to me later – at the house, you remember where it is right?’’ he said, and she nodded and walked away. She could feel the tears in her eyes as she thought of her father telling Jesse to look out for her, and she shook her head when she saw Alexis glaring at her.
‘’Did you clean those bathrooms? I told you to do that, and I know you need to start your shift-‘’ Alexis rambled on but Sam stopped her.
‘’Yes, Alexis, I cleaned the bathrooms and asked Jesse if he needed any help. He told me to get something for him and I’ll get that before I have to go to work – and when I get home I will clean your rooms,’’ she snapped, and Alexis stared at her for a moment before walking away. Sam knew she would be in trouble for snapping. She didn’t care anymore, and she made her way to her car, and started working on the list she needed for groceries.
#####
Walking into the diner she smiled at the regulars there, and sighed when she came to the back. She changed into her uniform and walked to the front to help Deb, who was serving the customers. ‘’Hey Deb,’’ she said, and Deb turned around and smiled at her.
‘’I was wondering if you would come today, but I should know you’re here every day,’’ she said with a wink, and Sam rolled her eyes and laughed softly. She looked around and spotted Jason Morgan right away, wondering if he was the Prince. She remembered what he had said last night about the ball, and she knew Carly was one of the owners of the Metro Court, and they were friends. But on the other hand, there were more men in Port Charles who were friends with Carly, and it could also be Jasper Jacks, who was also one of the owners. She shook her head and smiled again, thinking about her Prince.
‘’Samantha McCall, what are you thinking about? What brings that grin on your face?’’ she heard Mike call out, and she looked up and smiled at him.
‘’I wasn’t thinking about anything,’’ she replied, and he rolled his eyes and looked at her unbelievingly. She didn’t mind one bit, she wouldn’t tell him what she was thinking about anyway. She laughed and started serving the regulars, and Deb pointed to the table Jason Morgan was sitting at.
‘’You help him, he’s been rude to me,’’ Deb said, and Sam rolled her eyes. She knew Jason hadn’t been rude; Deb was a little scared of the man because he was always short in his answers and because of his reputation. Sam nodded and walked over to him, smiling at him.
‘’Jason, can I take your order?’’ she asked him, and he nodded and ordered what he usually ordered – coffee. He looked tired this morning, but she didn’t say anything about it as she made her way to the coffeepot and poured him an extra large cup.
‘’You know just what I need,’’ he sighed as she put the cup in front of him, and she smiled at him.
‘’Long night?’’ she asked, and he nodded.
‘’Yeah, you know how that goes – last minute changes and all,’’ he replied, and she nodded. She knew just how that was, with Alexis, Elizabeth and Ric telling her what to do.
‘’I do know,’’ she replied softly, and he looked up at her and smiled gently at her.
‘’I think I will take something else – if you come and take a break with me,’’ he said, and she laughed and looked at Deb, who had heard what he said and nodded.
‘’Sure, I’ll take my break with you,’’ she said, and he told her what he wanted. She walked over to the coffeepot and poured some for herself, and grabbed two muffins for them. When she walked back he was looking up at her, smiling, and she couldn’t help but smile back. ‘’I don’t have a lot of time,’’ she told him, and he nodded.
‘’It doesn’t matter, Sam. I was wondering something just the other day when I asked you if you had internet,’’ he told her, and she nodded, and then waited for him to continue. ‘’You told me you didn’t have internet, but what about your stepmother? Doesn’t she have internet?’’ he asked, and she nodded again.
‘’My stepmother has internet and sometimes, when I get the chance and when I know they won’t notice, I check my mail and stuff,’’ she replied softly, and he nodded and looked down. She wondered what he was thinking about, but when he looked up she could see he had been trying to stop thinking about whatever he had been thinking about, and she could see something else in his eyes she couldn’t place.
‘’I was also wondering, if you had the chance, if you would come with me to the ball in two weeks,’’ he said, and she widened her eyes.
‘’Why me? Couldn’t you ask someone else? I mean I would love to, but I don’t want you to pity me and ask me because of that,’’ she snapped, and she closed her eyes and mumbled, ‘’sorry,’’ because she did feel bad for snapping at him, just because he asked her to the ball.
‘’I know, I could ask anyone, but I want to go with you and you could say no to me, but don’t think I asked you out of pity, Sam,’’ he told her, and she nodded.
‘’I know, and I’m truly sorry for reacting the way I did, it’s just…’’ she stopped, and looked at him to see him staring at her in understanding.
‘’I know, you think people pity you, but believe me when I say I don’t. I like you for who you are – you’re strong from what I can see,’’ he told her, and then he winked at her. She’d never seen him wink, but then again, he also almost never smiled, and she smiled at him.
‘’I’ll go with you,’’ she said, and suddenly she thought of her Prince. ‘’Wait…’’ she mumbled, and she looked up at him to see him suddenly deep in thought.
‘’You know what, I see you don’t want to, so it doesn’t matter,’’ he said, and she frowned. ‘’No, I mean I told someone I would meet them there,’’ he added, and she sighed. She had really wanted to go with Jason, but thinking of her Prince and what she decided with him was suddenly really important to her.
‘’I – I did the same,’’ she told him, and he smiled at her. ‘’Maybe we could go together and go our separate ways,’’ she suggested, and he nodded.
‘’I think that’s a good idea,’’ he replied, and they talked a little more about some things, but never returning to the ball. Sam resumed her work and Jason left after a little while, and Sam felt good about herself for the first time in a long time. She really liked Jason Morgan.
##########
After working all day and all night Jason was drained. He couldn’t sleep though, he had tried and only tossed and turned, so he decided to go down and check his mail – and see if his Cinderella was there. He thought about asking Sam to the ball and he frowned, he really did get the feeling she was his Cinderella, but somehow he couldn’t take the risk of taking her to the ball if he didn’t know for sure. She seemed to have been thinking the same, and that made him think about it, getting even more of a feeling Samantha McCall was his Cinderella. As he logged in his mail he checked it, but there wasn’t anything important, and he turned and looked if Cinderella was online. He didn’t bother checking for someone else when he saw her, and he smiled.
PrinceoftheBall: ‘’Still not in bed?’’
Cinderella: ‘’No, why aren’t you in bed? I couldn’t sleep, had too long of a day.’’
He looked at her words and suddenly got the feeling of just asking her who she was, but he wanted to keep it a little mysterious and somehow he didn’t think she’d tell him if his suspicions were right. Not right away, after all.
PrinceoftheBall: ‘’Same here, couldn’t sleep and decided to see if someone was online. Maybe I was looking for you.’’
Cinderella: ‘’You were? I’ve been thinking about the ball a lot today and in my spare time – which wasn’t a lot – I picked u something to recognize me. You want to know?’’
Jason widened his eyes and grinned stupidly at the thought of the mysterious woman – or maybe Sam – to be dressed up especially for him.
PrinceoftheBall: ‘’Tell me, I’m dying to know.’’
Cinderella: ‘’Well, for one it’s red, and the mask, it’s white. Now I know more of the woman in there will wear just that, so I thought I’d add something to it – my hair will be loose, and I will have a deep red rose in it, just for you.’’
PrinceoftheBall: ‘’I will recognize you when I see you, I’m sure of it. I can’t wait for the ball, even though I hate these kinds of things. You will recognize me – by the way – by the red rose I will be holding.’’
He’d just thought of that, and he liked it. She would know she belonged to him just by the red rose, and he would see her standing in the crowd with hers in her hair. They talked some more and he decided to go to bed, because he seemed more exhausted than before, and he told her he couldn’t wait for the ball. When she returned with the same, he grinned again and he shut off his laptop, went upstairs and fell in a deep sleep.
Clean the bathrooms – all of them! There were at least four bathrooms she knew about, and she wondered if there were more. Sam was glad they moved out of the old house – the house her parents and she had lived in before Cody started the diner – because Alexis and her kids made a mess of everything. So after the move Sam never got to see all the bathrooms. She would have to ask someone who did know.
Clean Alexis’, Elizabeth’s and Ric’s room, and not like last time. She didn’t know what she did wrong the last time, she knew what they wanted and she did exactly that, but she knew if she didn’t do it, she couldn’t find a place to hide. She sighed thinking she had to clean them again, even though she did that yesterday.
Help the gardener. She frowned, why would she have to help him? He did a great job on his own, and if she would help him he would only get mad. She knew the man, Jesse, since she was little, because her mother had hired him, even though they didn’t need anyone. The couple of times she wanted to help him he had snapped at her, telling her to get lost. She shook her head and sighed, she would ask him if he needed any help tomorrow.
Work the late shift at the diner. She knew she didn’t have the day off, but did she expect Sam to work a double shift? Sam grunted, knowing Alexis she would have to stay all night, and Sam didn’t mind, but she also wanted some time to herself. She looked down at her uniform and remembered all the tips she got today. She’d been working a double shift today, and Deb had given her something Alexis wouldn’t know about. Also, the costumers that did come over tipped her some more when they heard she had a double shift today. She didn’t tell them, but she knew Mike and Deb had told the people that. Somehow they always looked out for her, and when she looked at the amount of money she made today, she widened her eyes. She could buy a new phone – she could buy the phone she had been saving money for.
Even though her father had left her a lot of money, and no one could touch it but her, Alexis had decided she was too young for it, and she had held it. Sam couldn’t touch it either until she was 21, she hated the fact that it would only be a couple more years before she could get the money and get out of the house. She wanted to get out. She shook her head again and turned on the shower, realizing she had been standing there staring at the papers in her hand for some time now. She looked around and was relieved Ric didn’t show up yet, and she decided now was a good time to start locking the door. Ric had never come in when she took a shower before, or maybe she just didn’t notice, but only the thought of him coming in sent a shiver down her spine as she locked the door. She couldn’t lock the bedroom door, but she didn’t mind that as much. She would’ve loved it if she could, but she also knew that he would find a way to get in eventually. It would only make him angrier.
After her shower and after she had gotten dressed in some sweatpants and a tank top, she made her way to her laptop and opened it. She turned it on and threw the covers of her bed back, and then she yawned. She wasn’t that tired anymore, and she wondered if she could go to sleep right now or if she should just wait a little longer. She knew after a long day of work, she was never able to go to bed right away, and she shook her head as she sat down and logged on. She read her email and then suddenly there was a ping of a message, and she felt her heart skip a beat.
PrinceoftheBall: ‘’Where do you live? I have this feeling I know you.’’
The question caught her off guard and she blinked, wondering how he could feel the same way.
Cinderella: ‘’I’ve been feeling the same way – I live in Port Charles.’’
She waited for his answer and he took his time to reply, but she didn’t mind. She started reading through her mail and smiled when she saw the invitation to the annual ball at the Metro Court. Every year there would be a ball, one she never got to attend anyway, to raise money for one or another. Every time there would be a theme, and this time it was a masked ball.
PrinceoftheBall: ‘’Really – me too. I’ve been thinking about it a lot, Cinderella, but the only one I can come up with just told me she didn’t have internet.’’
Cinderella: ‘’Well, my Prince, I have a suggestion.’’
She knew she was being stupid, because she would never be able to go to the Metro Court for the ball, but she wondered whom she was talking with. She wanted to know if she could find out at the ball, if he wanted to come.
PrinceoftheBall: ‘’I’m all ears.’’
Cinderella: ‘’Two weeks from now there is a masked ball at the Metro Court. I know, Cinderella and all, I want you to meet me there, if you’d like.’’
She had to type quickly not to lose her bravado, because she didn’t know whom she was asking to meet her. She wanted to meet her prince, and he seemed to be the perfect man for her. Or so she thought. He could also be playing her, and when he didn’t answer she began doubting.
PrinceoftheBall: ‘’A masked ball, I knew about that one. My friend is one of the owners.’’
He didn’t answer, not right away, and she wondered if he wanted too.
Cinderella: ‘’You don’t have to, I mean if you don’t want to meet me we could just let it be.’’
PrinceoftheBall: ‘’Yeah, I’d love to meet you there. But how do I know it’s you?’’
They said it at the same time, and Sam looked at the line. He wanted to meet her, and she smiled brightly.
Cinderella: ‘’Let me think about that one, but right now I don’t know yet. I just got the mail and I was thinking bravely, not thinking about it at all, you know?’’
PrinceoftheBall: ‘’I know. What about we talk about this some more later on. Right now, duty calls for me and I bet you want to go to bed.’’
Cinderella: ‘’You are right. Night.’’
PrinceoftheBall: ‘’Night, my Cinderella.’’
And with that he was gone. She wondered why he had work this late, but she shrugged it off and turned off her laptop. When she stepped into bed she shivered from the cold, but soon she fell asleep thinking about meeting her Prince.
##########
Jason was exhausted when he came home the next morning. Sonny had called last night wanting him to come to one of the warehouses because there had been some trouble, and when he got there, it was only some teenagers who thought it would be funny to mess with some of the stuff in there. Even though it had been locked Jason wasn’t surprised they had managed to get in, and he told them to get lost. He’d been nice; of course he didn’t want them scared of him. As he took his shower he thought of his Cinderella. If she were Samantha McCall, he’d be surprised. After talking to her in the diner he didn’t think she could be her.
Sam had told him she didn’t have internet, but that could be a lie. The way she lived though, it wouldn’t surprise him if she didn’t have internet. She told him she had been saving for something, she didn’t tell him what, but he didn’t care really. He would just have to wait and see who this woman was, even though in his mind he only saw Samantha McCall when thinking of his Cinderella. Sam was a beautiful woman, petite but strong, and he liked what he knew about her. He felt sorry for her, and wanted to protect her, but he didn’t know if he should mess with something she so strongly took on. She would find a way to get out of that house on her own, and if she needed help she would ask for it.
He jumped into bed as he was done with his shower, and he closed his eyes to fall asleep right away.
##########
Sam ran around, cleaning the bathrooms and asking Jesse if he needed any help today, only to be snapped at. She knew he would react that way, but because Alexis has asked her to help him, she just asked him. ‘’Jesse you know how Alexis is,’’ Sam whispered, and she wanted to walk away when he stopped her.
‘’Samantha, come here. What do you think about getting me some soil when you go to the store? That’s all I need today,’’ he said softly, and she blinked at him as she was surprised he even asked her to.
‘’Well yeah, I could do that. You want to write down what you need and I’ll get it,’’ she said, and he nodded and gave her a little piece of paper with one line on it. ‘You need to get out of the house,’ it said, and Sam frowned at him.
‘’Listen, I remember your dad asking me to keep an eye out for you, help you with living with these monsters, but Alexis made sure I never got to be close to you. He asked me to help you with things, but every time she shot me down, so this was – I asked her to ask you to help me, Samantha. Come here later today and we will talk – right now she is still in the house and I don’t want you to get in trouble. So see if you could get me something so you have a reason to come to me later – at the house, you remember where it is right?’’ he said, and she nodded and walked away. She could feel the tears in her eyes as she thought of her father telling Jesse to look out for her, and she shook her head when she saw Alexis glaring at her.
‘’Did you clean those bathrooms? I told you to do that, and I know you need to start your shift-‘’ Alexis rambled on but Sam stopped her.
‘’Yes, Alexis, I cleaned the bathrooms and asked Jesse if he needed any help. He told me to get something for him and I’ll get that before I have to go to work – and when I get home I will clean your rooms,’’ she snapped, and Alexis stared at her for a moment before walking away. Sam knew she would be in trouble for snapping. She didn’t care anymore, and she made her way to her car, and started working on the list she needed for groceries.
#####
Walking into the diner she smiled at the regulars there, and sighed when she came to the back. She changed into her uniform and walked to the front to help Deb, who was serving the customers. ‘’Hey Deb,’’ she said, and Deb turned around and smiled at her.
‘’I was wondering if you would come today, but I should know you’re here every day,’’ she said with a wink, and Sam rolled her eyes and laughed softly. She looked around and spotted Jason Morgan right away, wondering if he was the Prince. She remembered what he had said last night about the ball, and she knew Carly was one of the owners of the Metro Court, and they were friends. But on the other hand, there were more men in Port Charles who were friends with Carly, and it could also be Jasper Jacks, who was also one of the owners. She shook her head and smiled again, thinking about her Prince.
‘’Samantha McCall, what are you thinking about? What brings that grin on your face?’’ she heard Mike call out, and she looked up and smiled at him.
‘’I wasn’t thinking about anything,’’ she replied, and he rolled his eyes and looked at her unbelievingly. She didn’t mind one bit, she wouldn’t tell him what she was thinking about anyway. She laughed and started serving the regulars, and Deb pointed to the table Jason Morgan was sitting at.
‘’You help him, he’s been rude to me,’’ Deb said, and Sam rolled her eyes. She knew Jason hadn’t been rude; Deb was a little scared of the man because he was always short in his answers and because of his reputation. Sam nodded and walked over to him, smiling at him.
‘’Jason, can I take your order?’’ she asked him, and he nodded and ordered what he usually ordered – coffee. He looked tired this morning, but she didn’t say anything about it as she made her way to the coffeepot and poured him an extra large cup.
‘’You know just what I need,’’ he sighed as she put the cup in front of him, and she smiled at him.
‘’Long night?’’ she asked, and he nodded.
‘’Yeah, you know how that goes – last minute changes and all,’’ he replied, and she nodded. She knew just how that was, with Alexis, Elizabeth and Ric telling her what to do.
‘’I do know,’’ she replied softly, and he looked up at her and smiled gently at her.
‘’I think I will take something else – if you come and take a break with me,’’ he said, and she laughed and looked at Deb, who had heard what he said and nodded.
‘’Sure, I’ll take my break with you,’’ she said, and he told her what he wanted. She walked over to the coffeepot and poured some for herself, and grabbed two muffins for them. When she walked back he was looking up at her, smiling, and she couldn’t help but smile back. ‘’I don’t have a lot of time,’’ she told him, and he nodded.
‘’It doesn’t matter, Sam. I was wondering something just the other day when I asked you if you had internet,’’ he told her, and she nodded, and then waited for him to continue. ‘’You told me you didn’t have internet, but what about your stepmother? Doesn’t she have internet?’’ he asked, and she nodded again.
‘’My stepmother has internet and sometimes, when I get the chance and when I know they won’t notice, I check my mail and stuff,’’ she replied softly, and he nodded and looked down. She wondered what he was thinking about, but when he looked up she could see he had been trying to stop thinking about whatever he had been thinking about, and she could see something else in his eyes she couldn’t place.
‘’I was also wondering, if you had the chance, if you would come with me to the ball in two weeks,’’ he said, and she widened her eyes.
‘’Why me? Couldn’t you ask someone else? I mean I would love to, but I don’t want you to pity me and ask me because of that,’’ she snapped, and she closed her eyes and mumbled, ‘’sorry,’’ because she did feel bad for snapping at him, just because he asked her to the ball.
‘’I know, I could ask anyone, but I want to go with you and you could say no to me, but don’t think I asked you out of pity, Sam,’’ he told her, and she nodded.
‘’I know, and I’m truly sorry for reacting the way I did, it’s just…’’ she stopped, and looked at him to see him staring at her in understanding.
‘’I know, you think people pity you, but believe me when I say I don’t. I like you for who you are – you’re strong from what I can see,’’ he told her, and then he winked at her. She’d never seen him wink, but then again, he also almost never smiled, and she smiled at him.
‘’I’ll go with you,’’ she said, and suddenly she thought of her Prince. ‘’Wait…’’ she mumbled, and she looked up at him to see him suddenly deep in thought.
‘’You know what, I see you don’t want to, so it doesn’t matter,’’ he said, and she frowned. ‘’No, I mean I told someone I would meet them there,’’ he added, and she sighed. She had really wanted to go with Jason, but thinking of her Prince and what she decided with him was suddenly really important to her.
‘’I – I did the same,’’ she told him, and he smiled at her. ‘’Maybe we could go together and go our separate ways,’’ she suggested, and he nodded.
‘’I think that’s a good idea,’’ he replied, and they talked a little more about some things, but never returning to the ball. Sam resumed her work and Jason left after a little while, and Sam felt good about herself for the first time in a long time. She really liked Jason Morgan.
##########
After working all day and all night Jason was drained. He couldn’t sleep though, he had tried and only tossed and turned, so he decided to go down and check his mail – and see if his Cinderella was there. He thought about asking Sam to the ball and he frowned, he really did get the feeling she was his Cinderella, but somehow he couldn’t take the risk of taking her to the ball if he didn’t know for sure. She seemed to have been thinking the same, and that made him think about it, getting even more of a feeling Samantha McCall was his Cinderella. As he logged in his mail he checked it, but there wasn’t anything important, and he turned and looked if Cinderella was online. He didn’t bother checking for someone else when he saw her, and he smiled.
PrinceoftheBall: ‘’Still not in bed?’’
Cinderella: ‘’No, why aren’t you in bed? I couldn’t sleep, had too long of a day.’’
He looked at her words and suddenly got the feeling of just asking her who she was, but he wanted to keep it a little mysterious and somehow he didn’t think she’d tell him if his suspicions were right. Not right away, after all.
PrinceoftheBall: ‘’Same here, couldn’t sleep and decided to see if someone was online. Maybe I was looking for you.’’
Cinderella: ‘’You were? I’ve been thinking about the ball a lot today and in my spare time – which wasn’t a lot – I picked u something to recognize me. You want to know?’’
Jason widened his eyes and grinned stupidly at the thought of the mysterious woman – or maybe Sam – to be dressed up especially for him.
PrinceoftheBall: ‘’Tell me, I’m dying to know.’’
Cinderella: ‘’Well, for one it’s red, and the mask, it’s white. Now I know more of the woman in there will wear just that, so I thought I’d add something to it – my hair will be loose, and I will have a deep red rose in it, just for you.’’
PrinceoftheBall: ‘’I will recognize you when I see you, I’m sure of it. I can’t wait for the ball, even though I hate these kinds of things. You will recognize me – by the way – by the red rose I will be holding.’’
He’d just thought of that, and he liked it. She would know she belonged to him just by the red rose, and he would see her standing in the crowd with hers in her hair. They talked some more and he decided to go to bed, because he seemed more exhausted than before, and he told her he couldn’t wait for the ball. When she returned with the same, he grinned again and he shut off his laptop, went upstairs and fell in a deep sleep.
Chapter 3
Sam ran around and sighed, knowing she never would have the time to make
sure her outfit for the ball fit. She still had to see if it did, and
the ball was in a week. She didn’t have Jason Morgan’s phone number, she
had realized that last night when she thought of calling him. They had
agreed to go to the ball together, but they didn’t work out the details
of going together yet.
Hearing the door open and the bell above the door chime, Sam looked up and smiled at Carly who raced in. ‘’Carly, tell me – you need a quick coffee before going to work?’’ she said, and she walked around the counter and poured Carly a coffee.
‘’You know me too well, Sammie,’’ Carly said, and Sam looked up with a confused look on her face. Carly stared at her the same way, wondering where the childhood nickname came from. Ever since they had known each other, Carly had called her Sammie, until Alexis and Ric started telling her lies about Sam.
‘’I know I do, how are the preparations for the ball coming along?’’ Sam asked as she handed Carly her coffee, and Carly sighed.
‘’Well, you know it’s only a week but Jacks doesn’t want to help, he told me to hire people, and I did, but it’s still hard work and I’d love for Jacks to help even only a little, but he doesn’t,’’ Carly rambled, and Sam nodded. She didn’t know Jacks, but he was one of the rich men in town, and Carly seemed to like him. Carly took a sip of her coffee and sat down with another sigh. ‘’Are you coming? I know you got an invitation because I personally sat there writing down all the names of the ones I wanted there,’’ Carly asked, and Sam shrugged.
‘’I don’t really know if I can. Lately Alexis…’’ her voice faded and she looked down, not wanting Carly to know she had sunk to working for Alexis, but Carly seemed to notice and she sighed again.
‘’Well, if you can make it, I’d love it, because I think you’re going to like this,’’ Carly said, and she took the last swallow of her coffee and put some money on the counter. ‘’I have to go, but I’ll see you around,’’ Carly said, and Sam nodded as Carly turned around and ran off. Sam made he way back to the floor to serve other costumers, when the door opened again. She didn’t look up this time, knowing everyone that walked in she sighed and smiled.
‘’Samantha!’’ she heard, and she tensed and turned around to face Ric. He walked over to her and hugged her tight, while she knew she couldn’t struggle against him in the busy diner. She could feel him press against her and she had to swallow a couple of times, before she could talk.
‘’Ric. Let me go, please,’’ she said softly, and he grinned and laughed softly in her ear. But then he was pulled off of her and she looked up to see Mike standing there, glaring at Ric.
‘’Sam asked you to let her go, and when a woman asks something like that you do what she asks,’’ he whispered, and Ric turned red, and glared at Sam. She looked down and cursed herself for making him even angrier, but she smiled at Mike thanking him without words.
‘’I’ll talk to you later,’’ Ric said through gritted teeth, and Sam nodded, knowing she was safe until she got home. Somehow she knew something was going to happen, he was just too angry and he would let it go even though she would be home late. He walked away and Sam turned around to Mike, who was looking at her in concern.
‘’Did I just make him angrier?’’ he asked, and Sam shrugged. She didn’t want Mike to think about it, she didn’t want Mike to know what happens when she got home.
‘’It’s ok, I can handle it,’’ she told him with a smile, and even though her voice was even she felt herself start to shake thinking about it. ‘’I need to get back to work,’’ she said, and Mike nodded and walked away, while Sam returned to her job.
##########
Somewhere around lunchtime, Jason made his way to Cody’s. He loved spending his free time there, because it was always so warm and inviting. Even if he didn’t have much time, he still tried to go there everyday. He opened the door and he smiled when the doorbell chimed and Mike and Deb turned around to look at him. He waved at Sam, who was standing at one of the tables, and he sat down in the far back. He knew Deb wouldn’t come and help him, and he’d told Mike he wanted Sam to serve him. He needed to talk to her about the ball, because they had decided to go together, but they never got the change.
‘’Hey Jason, what can I get you?’’ Sam asked when she arrived at his table, and he looked up at her.
‘’Some of you, and some coffee and a muffin for us,’’ he told her, and she grinned at him. Whenever she was working and he came around, he always asked her to join him in her break, and most of the time she could.
‘’Well, I’d have to see if I can-‘’ she started, but she was interrupted.
‘’Yeah you can,’’ she heard Mike call out, and Deb started running around serving tables for her. Sam sighed and rolled her eyes, turning around to grab the coffee and muffins Mike held out to her, and sat down.
‘’I was thinking about the ball today, wondering how we were going to do it,’’ Jason told her, and she nodded. Jason looked at her, and he smiled thinking she was beautiful.
‘’I was thinking the same thing last night, but I don’t have your phone number,’’ she replied, and he nodded.
‘’I know, that’s one of the reasons I came here, because I don’t have your number. What about I pick you up at your place?’’ he asked, and she seemed to think about it. ‘’Or you can find a way to come to me, because I know Alexis will have a fit,’’ he added, and she smiled at him.
‘’I will just come here, and maybe you can pick me up here, because it’s – I think I have to work before the ball,’’ Sam said, and he frowned.
‘’Don’t they know you’re going to the ball?’’ he asked, and Sam widened her eyes and smiled at him while shaking her head.
‘’No, and I’m not going to tell them, because it will only make it worse,’’ she replied, and he nodded while still frowning.
‘’Ok, well, I’ll call you when I can get here, is that ok?’’ he asked, and she nodded. She wrote down her number on a napkin and gave it to him, while he wrote down his number and in turn gave it to her. ‘’Well, now that that’s handled, how are you doing?’’ he asked, and she seemed to close down right in front of him.
‘’I’m fine, and what about you?’’ she asked, and he nodded, not knowing what to think about the shutting down.
‘’I’m ok. Been busy, working and all,’’ he told her with a smile, and she nodded. ‘’I always seem to have time to come here though,’’ he added, and she laughed softly.
‘’Yeah, you do. Well, you know I’m always here right, so sometimes I just want to go somewhere else,’’ she told him, and he nodded. He could understand that.
‘’Well, next week we’re going to the ball and after that if you want I can take you somewhere else – we’ll sneak you out and get you somewhere nice,’’ he told her, and she smiled at him.
‘’Thanks,’’ she said, and just then Deb called out asking her to help her again, and Sam got up. ‘’Thanks for the lunch,’’ she said with a wink, and he nodded. He drank his coffee and walked out of the diner because he didn’t want to stay there any longer. Knowing he couldn’t talk to Sam.
##########
Sam knew she had to go home, but she was afraid. She’d never been afraid to go home and even though she knew what the reason was, she hoped she could just go in the house without having Ric in her room. She looked at Deb who was staring at her, and she smiled. ‘’It’s ok,’’ she said, and Deb frowned.
‘’You are shaking, Sam, what happened?’’ Deb asked again, like she had all day, and Sam shrugged.
‘’Nothing,’’ she replied, and she opened the door. Deb had brought her home because she had been too tired to drive, and she knew she would get to hear it in the morning because it was her day off. She knew she had to do some chores and she knew she had to make sure she got her car in time, before Alexis would wake up.
‘’Ok, well be careful,’’ Deb said, and then Sam nodded and closed the door, watching Deb drive away slowly. She turned around and walked in the house, up the stairs and stopped in front of her door. She wondered if Ric was in her room, but she wouldn’t know until she went in, and she took a deep breath. She opened her door and looked around, but she didn’t see Ric, and she breathed a sigh of relief. But when she stepped in her room she felt someone behind her just as she was slung around against the closed door.
‘’I told you we’d talk about what happened today,’’ he snapped in her ear, and he pressed his body against hers, trapping her. She struggled, even though she knew it wouldn’t make a difference.
‘’Ric, you need to calm down and let me go,’’ she said, and he grinned and pulled back a little. She thought he would let her go and tried to get out of his grip again, but he pressed his lips on hers in a hard kiss. She struggled against him to no avail, and then he threw her on her bed.
‘’You know, even after all this time of you acting like you don’t want me, I can see something in your eyes,’’ he grinned after he said that, and she shivered. Suddenly she remembered her phone, and she tried to get it out of her pocket as he almost jumped on top of her and tried to remove her shirt. ‘’Damn it, bitch,’’ he snapped when he didn’t get it off, and he ripped it apart and threw it off of her.
‘’Stop it!’’ Sam exclaimed, and then she finally got a hold of her phone. She pressed dial, she didn’t even care who she was calling, and he slapped her.
‘’What are you doing, bitch?’’ he asked her, but he didn’t mean what she was doing with her phone. She sighed of relief when he didn’t even notice her having the phone in hand, and suddenly she heard someone call out to her. Ric didn’t hear it in his excitement, and Sam was glad he didn’t. It was Jason, she had dialed Jason’s number, and she could hear him curse when she didn’t reply.
‘’Stop, Ric please don’t,’’ she whispered when he grabbed her breast and squeezed, the phone forgotten and it fell out of her hand. She widened her eyes when Ric stopped his movements and looked at her, but he didn’t seem to hear anything and kissed her hard again. She struggled and she hit her hand against the lamp, causing it to fall, and then she heard Jason call out again and curse, this time hard enough for Ric to hear.
‘’You called your boyfriend?’’ he snapped at her, and he slapped her. ‘’You bitch!’’ he added, and he got up and growled at her. ‘’You will get what you deserve!’’ he said and he walked out of the room. She looked around and grabbed her shirt, tears streaming down her face as she shook. She moved back to her bed and grabbed her phone, but Jason had hung up and she sighed. She didn’t want to bother him again, but she wanted him to know she was alright. So she dialed his number again, but he didn’t pick up. She cursed under her breath and turned to the bathroom, walked in and locked the door. She would take a shower instead.
#####
There was a knock on her door and she tensed. ‘’Sam?’’ she heard a whisper through the door, and she widened her eyes and opened it, pulled him in and closed it. ‘’Are you alright?’’ he asked right away, and she felt tears build up in her eyes.
‘’Jason,’’ she whispered, and he held out his arms. She stepped in his embrace and cried, but soon she pulled back feeling stupid for crying all over him. ‘’I’m sorry,’’ she said when she saw his drenched shirt, and he smiled at her and shook his head.
‘’What happened here?’’ he asked looking around, and she shrugged. ‘’Ric, he came in here? What did he do to you?’’ he asked, and she looked up at him and saw the look in his eyes.
‘’He – he was close when he heard you over the phone,’’ she answered his unasked question, and he nodded and sighed of relief.
‘’I thought I’d been to late, listened to you until I suddenly didn’t hear anything and I thought-‘’ he rambled on, but she interrupted him.
‘’Nothing happened, Jason, thanks to you,’’ she whispered, and he frowned. ‘’No really, he stopped because he thought you were my boyfriend and he didn’t want you to show up…’’ her voice trailed off and he nodded.
‘’I’m glad,’’ he said, and he pulled her to the bed. ‘’Sam, whatever happens, I’ll be here, all you have to do is call, ok?’’ he told her, and she nodded. ‘’I mean what happened tonight was something I never thought he’d do, but if he tries – tries again, you call me, and I’ll be there,’’ he added, and she smiled at him.
‘’Thank you, Jason,’’ she said, and he pushed her down on the bed, but didn’t lie down with her. ‘’What are you doing?’’ she asked, and he shook his head and smiled at her. He covered her up with the covers and she snuggled in them.
‘’You, need some rest, and I’m going to sit here and wait until you fall asleep,’’ he told her, and she sighed in relief. She soon found herself drift to sleep, with a small smile on her face.
##########
Jason watched Sam fall asleep and sighed in relief. He’d known about Ric, and he’d known about his obsession with Sam, but he tried to forget it. He’d only heard rumors, and even though he’d seen Ric stare at Sam a couple of times, he didn’t think Ric would act on it. Looking at her he figured this wasn’t the first time Ric had tried to force himself on her, and he cursed under his breath. Suddenly Sam grabbed him and pulled him down beside him, and even though he could resist her he didn’t want to.
‘’Jason…’’ she moaned out, and he grinned, liking she was dreaming about him. Somehow he changed his position, and he lay down next to her. She snuggled closer, and he sighed and closed his eyes. He would just go home in a couple of minutes, until she had settled down and sank back into her sleep.
#####
Jason woke up when she shifted, and he looked down to see her staring up at him with wide eyes. ‘’I’m sorry,’’ he mumbled as she scrambled to get out of the bed. She smiled at him and looked out the window, seeing it was still dark.
‘’You have nothing to be sorry for, but I think – I think it’s best if you leave, because Alexis will have a fit knowing you’re here,’’ she said softly, and Jason nodded.
‘’Are you ok?’’ he asked, and she nodded. ‘’Good, you remember what I told you last night, right?’’ he asked, and she looked up at him again.
‘’I remember and thanks again for helping me,’’ she whispered, and he nodded. He didn’t know if he should go and leave her like this, but he didn’t have a choice. ‘’I’ll be alright, Jason, I’ll see you at Cody’s later,’’ she told him, and he nodded. He looked at her face and saw the bruise there, and he wanted to go to Ric and kill him for what he did but he didn’t. He walked over to Sam and hugged her gently, and she laid her head on his chest.
‘’Whenever you need me,’’ he said, and she nodded. He stepped back and let go of her, and then he walked out of the room. He really wanted to stay and protect her, or even take her home with him. He didn’t know Sam all that well, but after spending more time with her he had the feeling he was going to fall in love with her. He smiled, but then it faltered as he thought of the woman on the internet, his Cinderella. He really liked that woman too, and he wondered who she was once again.
##########
Sam turned around and stepped back in the bed, but she couldn’t catch her sleep. She was tired, but she was also afraid Ric would wake up and then want to come and finish what he started. She shivered as she thought about it, and wondered how long it would take to get out of there. She was glad Jason had been here all night, giving her some peace. She hadn’t realized she had pulled him on the bed with her until she woke up, and she had wondered what happened, but the look on his face told her. She had pulled him on the bed and he couldn’t get away. But he didn’t seem to mind, though. She smiled thinking about Jason, having butterflies in her stomach. She wondered if she was falling in love, but then she shook her head. She was also really interested in her Prince, and she couldn’t be in love with two people. She closed her eyes and fell asleep, wondering what it was that made her think she was in love with Jason.
Hearing the door open and the bell above the door chime, Sam looked up and smiled at Carly who raced in. ‘’Carly, tell me – you need a quick coffee before going to work?’’ she said, and she walked around the counter and poured Carly a coffee.
‘’You know me too well, Sammie,’’ Carly said, and Sam looked up with a confused look on her face. Carly stared at her the same way, wondering where the childhood nickname came from. Ever since they had known each other, Carly had called her Sammie, until Alexis and Ric started telling her lies about Sam.
‘’I know I do, how are the preparations for the ball coming along?’’ Sam asked as she handed Carly her coffee, and Carly sighed.
‘’Well, you know it’s only a week but Jacks doesn’t want to help, he told me to hire people, and I did, but it’s still hard work and I’d love for Jacks to help even only a little, but he doesn’t,’’ Carly rambled, and Sam nodded. She didn’t know Jacks, but he was one of the rich men in town, and Carly seemed to like him. Carly took a sip of her coffee and sat down with another sigh. ‘’Are you coming? I know you got an invitation because I personally sat there writing down all the names of the ones I wanted there,’’ Carly asked, and Sam shrugged.
‘’I don’t really know if I can. Lately Alexis…’’ her voice faded and she looked down, not wanting Carly to know she had sunk to working for Alexis, but Carly seemed to notice and she sighed again.
‘’Well, if you can make it, I’d love it, because I think you’re going to like this,’’ Carly said, and she took the last swallow of her coffee and put some money on the counter. ‘’I have to go, but I’ll see you around,’’ Carly said, and Sam nodded as Carly turned around and ran off. Sam made he way back to the floor to serve other costumers, when the door opened again. She didn’t look up this time, knowing everyone that walked in she sighed and smiled.
‘’Samantha!’’ she heard, and she tensed and turned around to face Ric. He walked over to her and hugged her tight, while she knew she couldn’t struggle against him in the busy diner. She could feel him press against her and she had to swallow a couple of times, before she could talk.
‘’Ric. Let me go, please,’’ she said softly, and he grinned and laughed softly in her ear. But then he was pulled off of her and she looked up to see Mike standing there, glaring at Ric.
‘’Sam asked you to let her go, and when a woman asks something like that you do what she asks,’’ he whispered, and Ric turned red, and glared at Sam. She looked down and cursed herself for making him even angrier, but she smiled at Mike thanking him without words.
‘’I’ll talk to you later,’’ Ric said through gritted teeth, and Sam nodded, knowing she was safe until she got home. Somehow she knew something was going to happen, he was just too angry and he would let it go even though she would be home late. He walked away and Sam turned around to Mike, who was looking at her in concern.
‘’Did I just make him angrier?’’ he asked, and Sam shrugged. She didn’t want Mike to think about it, she didn’t want Mike to know what happens when she got home.
‘’It’s ok, I can handle it,’’ she told him with a smile, and even though her voice was even she felt herself start to shake thinking about it. ‘’I need to get back to work,’’ she said, and Mike nodded and walked away, while Sam returned to her job.
##########
Somewhere around lunchtime, Jason made his way to Cody’s. He loved spending his free time there, because it was always so warm and inviting. Even if he didn’t have much time, he still tried to go there everyday. He opened the door and he smiled when the doorbell chimed and Mike and Deb turned around to look at him. He waved at Sam, who was standing at one of the tables, and he sat down in the far back. He knew Deb wouldn’t come and help him, and he’d told Mike he wanted Sam to serve him. He needed to talk to her about the ball, because they had decided to go together, but they never got the change.
‘’Hey Jason, what can I get you?’’ Sam asked when she arrived at his table, and he looked up at her.
‘’Some of you, and some coffee and a muffin for us,’’ he told her, and she grinned at him. Whenever she was working and he came around, he always asked her to join him in her break, and most of the time she could.
‘’Well, I’d have to see if I can-‘’ she started, but she was interrupted.
‘’Yeah you can,’’ she heard Mike call out, and Deb started running around serving tables for her. Sam sighed and rolled her eyes, turning around to grab the coffee and muffins Mike held out to her, and sat down.
‘’I was thinking about the ball today, wondering how we were going to do it,’’ Jason told her, and she nodded. Jason looked at her, and he smiled thinking she was beautiful.
‘’I was thinking the same thing last night, but I don’t have your phone number,’’ she replied, and he nodded.
‘’I know, that’s one of the reasons I came here, because I don’t have your number. What about I pick you up at your place?’’ he asked, and she seemed to think about it. ‘’Or you can find a way to come to me, because I know Alexis will have a fit,’’ he added, and she smiled at him.
‘’I will just come here, and maybe you can pick me up here, because it’s – I think I have to work before the ball,’’ Sam said, and he frowned.
‘’Don’t they know you’re going to the ball?’’ he asked, and Sam widened her eyes and smiled at him while shaking her head.
‘’No, and I’m not going to tell them, because it will only make it worse,’’ she replied, and he nodded while still frowning.
‘’Ok, well, I’ll call you when I can get here, is that ok?’’ he asked, and she nodded. She wrote down her number on a napkin and gave it to him, while he wrote down his number and in turn gave it to her. ‘’Well, now that that’s handled, how are you doing?’’ he asked, and she seemed to close down right in front of him.
‘’I’m fine, and what about you?’’ she asked, and he nodded, not knowing what to think about the shutting down.
‘’I’m ok. Been busy, working and all,’’ he told her with a smile, and she nodded. ‘’I always seem to have time to come here though,’’ he added, and she laughed softly.
‘’Yeah, you do. Well, you know I’m always here right, so sometimes I just want to go somewhere else,’’ she told him, and he nodded. He could understand that.
‘’Well, next week we’re going to the ball and after that if you want I can take you somewhere else – we’ll sneak you out and get you somewhere nice,’’ he told her, and she smiled at him.
‘’Thanks,’’ she said, and just then Deb called out asking her to help her again, and Sam got up. ‘’Thanks for the lunch,’’ she said with a wink, and he nodded. He drank his coffee and walked out of the diner because he didn’t want to stay there any longer. Knowing he couldn’t talk to Sam.
##########
Sam knew she had to go home, but she was afraid. She’d never been afraid to go home and even though she knew what the reason was, she hoped she could just go in the house without having Ric in her room. She looked at Deb who was staring at her, and she smiled. ‘’It’s ok,’’ she said, and Deb frowned.
‘’You are shaking, Sam, what happened?’’ Deb asked again, like she had all day, and Sam shrugged.
‘’Nothing,’’ she replied, and she opened the door. Deb had brought her home because she had been too tired to drive, and she knew she would get to hear it in the morning because it was her day off. She knew she had to do some chores and she knew she had to make sure she got her car in time, before Alexis would wake up.
‘’Ok, well be careful,’’ Deb said, and then Sam nodded and closed the door, watching Deb drive away slowly. She turned around and walked in the house, up the stairs and stopped in front of her door. She wondered if Ric was in her room, but she wouldn’t know until she went in, and she took a deep breath. She opened her door and looked around, but she didn’t see Ric, and she breathed a sigh of relief. But when she stepped in her room she felt someone behind her just as she was slung around against the closed door.
‘’I told you we’d talk about what happened today,’’ he snapped in her ear, and he pressed his body against hers, trapping her. She struggled, even though she knew it wouldn’t make a difference.
‘’Ric, you need to calm down and let me go,’’ she said, and he grinned and pulled back a little. She thought he would let her go and tried to get out of his grip again, but he pressed his lips on hers in a hard kiss. She struggled against him to no avail, and then he threw her on her bed.
‘’You know, even after all this time of you acting like you don’t want me, I can see something in your eyes,’’ he grinned after he said that, and she shivered. Suddenly she remembered her phone, and she tried to get it out of her pocket as he almost jumped on top of her and tried to remove her shirt. ‘’Damn it, bitch,’’ he snapped when he didn’t get it off, and he ripped it apart and threw it off of her.
‘’Stop it!’’ Sam exclaimed, and then she finally got a hold of her phone. She pressed dial, she didn’t even care who she was calling, and he slapped her.
‘’What are you doing, bitch?’’ he asked her, but he didn’t mean what she was doing with her phone. She sighed of relief when he didn’t even notice her having the phone in hand, and suddenly she heard someone call out to her. Ric didn’t hear it in his excitement, and Sam was glad he didn’t. It was Jason, she had dialed Jason’s number, and she could hear him curse when she didn’t reply.
‘’Stop, Ric please don’t,’’ she whispered when he grabbed her breast and squeezed, the phone forgotten and it fell out of her hand. She widened her eyes when Ric stopped his movements and looked at her, but he didn’t seem to hear anything and kissed her hard again. She struggled and she hit her hand against the lamp, causing it to fall, and then she heard Jason call out again and curse, this time hard enough for Ric to hear.
‘’You called your boyfriend?’’ he snapped at her, and he slapped her. ‘’You bitch!’’ he added, and he got up and growled at her. ‘’You will get what you deserve!’’ he said and he walked out of the room. She looked around and grabbed her shirt, tears streaming down her face as she shook. She moved back to her bed and grabbed her phone, but Jason had hung up and she sighed. She didn’t want to bother him again, but she wanted him to know she was alright. So she dialed his number again, but he didn’t pick up. She cursed under her breath and turned to the bathroom, walked in and locked the door. She would take a shower instead.
#####
There was a knock on her door and she tensed. ‘’Sam?’’ she heard a whisper through the door, and she widened her eyes and opened it, pulled him in and closed it. ‘’Are you alright?’’ he asked right away, and she felt tears build up in her eyes.
‘’Jason,’’ she whispered, and he held out his arms. She stepped in his embrace and cried, but soon she pulled back feeling stupid for crying all over him. ‘’I’m sorry,’’ she said when she saw his drenched shirt, and he smiled at her and shook his head.
‘’What happened here?’’ he asked looking around, and she shrugged. ‘’Ric, he came in here? What did he do to you?’’ he asked, and she looked up at him and saw the look in his eyes.
‘’He – he was close when he heard you over the phone,’’ she answered his unasked question, and he nodded and sighed of relief.
‘’I thought I’d been to late, listened to you until I suddenly didn’t hear anything and I thought-‘’ he rambled on, but she interrupted him.
‘’Nothing happened, Jason, thanks to you,’’ she whispered, and he frowned. ‘’No really, he stopped because he thought you were my boyfriend and he didn’t want you to show up…’’ her voice trailed off and he nodded.
‘’I’m glad,’’ he said, and he pulled her to the bed. ‘’Sam, whatever happens, I’ll be here, all you have to do is call, ok?’’ he told her, and she nodded. ‘’I mean what happened tonight was something I never thought he’d do, but if he tries – tries again, you call me, and I’ll be there,’’ he added, and she smiled at him.
‘’Thank you, Jason,’’ she said, and he pushed her down on the bed, but didn’t lie down with her. ‘’What are you doing?’’ she asked, and he shook his head and smiled at her. He covered her up with the covers and she snuggled in them.
‘’You, need some rest, and I’m going to sit here and wait until you fall asleep,’’ he told her, and she sighed in relief. She soon found herself drift to sleep, with a small smile on her face.
##########
Jason watched Sam fall asleep and sighed in relief. He’d known about Ric, and he’d known about his obsession with Sam, but he tried to forget it. He’d only heard rumors, and even though he’d seen Ric stare at Sam a couple of times, he didn’t think Ric would act on it. Looking at her he figured this wasn’t the first time Ric had tried to force himself on her, and he cursed under his breath. Suddenly Sam grabbed him and pulled him down beside him, and even though he could resist her he didn’t want to.
‘’Jason…’’ she moaned out, and he grinned, liking she was dreaming about him. Somehow he changed his position, and he lay down next to her. She snuggled closer, and he sighed and closed his eyes. He would just go home in a couple of minutes, until she had settled down and sank back into her sleep.
#####
Jason woke up when she shifted, and he looked down to see her staring up at him with wide eyes. ‘’I’m sorry,’’ he mumbled as she scrambled to get out of the bed. She smiled at him and looked out the window, seeing it was still dark.
‘’You have nothing to be sorry for, but I think – I think it’s best if you leave, because Alexis will have a fit knowing you’re here,’’ she said softly, and Jason nodded.
‘’Are you ok?’’ he asked, and she nodded. ‘’Good, you remember what I told you last night, right?’’ he asked, and she looked up at him again.
‘’I remember and thanks again for helping me,’’ she whispered, and he nodded. He didn’t know if he should go and leave her like this, but he didn’t have a choice. ‘’I’ll be alright, Jason, I’ll see you at Cody’s later,’’ she told him, and he nodded. He looked at her face and saw the bruise there, and he wanted to go to Ric and kill him for what he did but he didn’t. He walked over to Sam and hugged her gently, and she laid her head on his chest.
‘’Whenever you need me,’’ he said, and she nodded. He stepped back and let go of her, and then he walked out of the room. He really wanted to stay and protect her, or even take her home with him. He didn’t know Sam all that well, but after spending more time with her he had the feeling he was going to fall in love with her. He smiled, but then it faltered as he thought of the woman on the internet, his Cinderella. He really liked that woman too, and he wondered who she was once again.
##########
Sam turned around and stepped back in the bed, but she couldn’t catch her sleep. She was tired, but she was also afraid Ric would wake up and then want to come and finish what he started. She shivered as she thought about it, and wondered how long it would take to get out of there. She was glad Jason had been here all night, giving her some peace. She hadn’t realized she had pulled him on the bed with her until she woke up, and she had wondered what happened, but the look on his face told her. She had pulled him on the bed and he couldn’t get away. But he didn’t seem to mind, though. She smiled thinking about Jason, having butterflies in her stomach. She wondered if she was falling in love, but then she shook her head. She was also really interested in her Prince, and she couldn’t be in love with two people. She closed her eyes and fell asleep, wondering what it was that made her think she was in love with Jason.
Chapter 4
Two days after the situation with Ric, he let her
alone. She wondered what he was planning, because normally he would
come to her room every night and threaten her. She didn’t like it one
bit. Sam had been working a lot to make sure she wasn’t home when he got
home, and she was glad Jason was always there. She could call him when
she needed him, and she was looking forward to going to the ball with
him. She turned around in her bed and looked at the time, and sighed
when she saw she was going to be late if she didn’t get out. She didn’t
feel like going to work today, but she had too. She couldn’t just leave
Deb and Mike do all the work. So she got out, and made her bed right
away. She knew Alexis would look inside later, and she knew if she
didn’t make her bed right away, Alexis would have a fit.
‘’Samantha, where are you? You have to work,’’ she heard Alexis yell from downstairs, and Sam rolled her eyes.
‘’I’m getting there!’’ she yelled back, and then there was silence. Sam took a quick shower and got dressed in her uniform, and then she made her way downstairs. Alexis was standing with paper in hand. Sam knew there wasn’t a day where she didn’t have to anything for Alexis of her kids, and she sighed.
‘’Here, you know the drill. Go,’’ Alexis said, and Sam nodded and took the paper. Alexis ushered her out of the room and the house, and Sam sighed and made her way to her car. She took out her new phone and smiled – she had bought it yesterday when she had made a huge tip, and she had been saving up her money to buy it. She turned on her email and smiled when she saw she had an email from Jason.
Hey Sam,
I’ll be picking you up around 7, so be ready. I’m looking forward to our ‘date’.
Jason.
It wasn’t much, but she liked it. Even though they would only walk in together, and even though they would separate then to meet someone else, they would go in together and Sam felt butterflies in her stomach just thinking about it. She started her car and drove to the diner, where she stepped out and smiled at Deb who was just arriving too. It was still early, and Sam didn’t have to start in a couple of minutes, so she took her phone out of her pocket and started seeing what she could learn.
PrinceoftheBall: ‘’Hey, you haven’t been on in a long time.’’
Cinderella: ‘’I’ve been extremely busy, but I missed you.’’
PrinceoftheBall: ‘’Same here, I was wondering if you were still going to come.’’
Cinderella: ‘’I’ll always be there, no matter what the circumstances. It’s just hard to do when someone made sure you can’t go online.’’
Alexis had found out she had been going online a couple of days ago, probably because of Ric, and she had made sure Sam couldn’t go online anymore. She changed the password and Sam didn’t know what it was.
[/i]PrinceoftheBall: ‘’I’m going to be at the ball around 7:30, but I need to pick someone up before to take her. Don’t worry, she knows I have to meet someone there, and I’d like to meet you at the balcony at 8.’’[/i]
Cinderella: ‘’I will meet you there, Prince. I have to get to work now, but I will definitely meet you at the balcony at 8.’’
PrinceoftheBall: ‘’I’m looking forward to it. See you then.’’
Cinderella: ‘’Same here, see you.’’
After he had signed off, Sam put her phone back in her pocket and made her way into the diner. Deb had already started cleaning up and Sam went to the back to grab the things she needed to help her.
##########
After Jason had logged off from his account and closed his laptop, he went upstairs to take a shower. He had been awake for almost three hours already, but he didn’t feel like doing anything. He had gone downstairs and turned on his laptop to see if he had mail, and then he had seen his Cinderella online. He had been waiting to talk to her ever since he had last seen her online, but she didn’t come for a long time. Come to think of it, ever since he had left Sam’s, he had been waiting for her to come online. He still had the feeling that the two were the same, but he couldn’t know for sure unless he asked her, and he didn’t want to be embarrassed of embarrass her by asking.
So he had decided to go over to Cody’s and see if she was online. He knew she was working today and he knew she had a new phone, so he wanted to see if she would reply. He knew she would be busy but in her break he would see if she replied to his online questions. He grinned to himself as he stepped out of the shower, and dried himself off. He would see if Sam was his Cinderella.
He made his way to his car without thinking, and drove to Cody’s. He arrived there just before the lunch rush, and he knew Sam would eat before that. He decided he would step in and go online on his phone, and then he would just see if she was online. When he sat down, Deb came and took his order, while he logged in on his phone. Cinderella was online, and he typed her a message.
PrinceoftheBall: ‘’I’ve been thinking about you all day, and I’ve been wondering who you are. I can’t wait to see you at the ball.’’
He started browsing the internet because he didn’t know what he should do to see if Sam was Cinderella, and sometimes he looked up at her to see if she would reply. Suddenly she jumped up and took her phone out of her pocket, and he smiled when he saw the bright smile come on her face. He watched her typing and waited.
Cinderella: ‘’I can’t wait either. I don’t know what it is, but you sound so familiar.’’
Looking at Sam, he got the message just after she pressed the last button, and he knew it was her. He got up and wanted to go to her, when Deb came with his order. He decided he would just send her a message back while ate.
PrinceoftheBall: ‘’I want to meet you now, but I know you’re busy.’’
Cinderella: ‘’Yeah, I kind of am – on my break right now but have to get back to work soon.’’
Yep, his Cinderella was Sam, and he looked at her to see her looking at him. He smiled and waved, and soon she came over.
‘’Jason! I didn’t know you were here,’’ she said, and she sounded as if he caught her doing something she shouldn’t have done. ‘’I was just having my break.’’
‘’I saw, and I didn’t want to interrupt you. New phone?’’ he asked when he saw it in her hand, and she looked down at it sheepishly.
‘’Yeah, I bought it a couple of days ago and I still have to get used to it,’’ she replied, and he nodded.
‘’You seemed rather familiar with it just now. I saw you sitting there,’’ he said, and he felt like an idiot after saying it. Did it really matter what she thought about it? What she would say about who it was she had been chatting with?
‘’Just learning, that’s all. I was chatting with the guy I’m going to meet at the ball,’’ she told him, and she looked at him. ‘’I saw you were chatting also?’’ He didn’t know what to say, so he just shrugged.
‘’I normally don’t but I met this woman.’’ She nodded and turned around when she heard her name. She had to go back to work, and for the first time, Jason was glad. He loved spending time with her, but after he found out she was his Cinderella, he didn’t know what to say to her.
##########
‘’It’s only a couple of days before the ball and you already want to back out? Sam, what is this about?’’ Deb had been asking her the same question over and over again after Sam had stated she didn’t want to go to the ball.
‘’You know the guy I met on the internet – I think I know who it is,’’ she replied for the fifth time, but Deb didn’t listen. She kept rambling on and on about the ball and what she would miss. ‘’Ok, ok, I’ll go!’’ Sam finally exclaimed to make her happy.
‘’Yeah, that’s the spirit. I know you already have your dress and all you have to do is show up here and meet with Jason,’’ Deb said, and Sam nodded. Ever since she had talked to him in the diner she had the feeling he was her Prince – no, she knew he was her prince. She had seen him typing away on his phone just as she heard she had a message. It was from the Prince. And when she looked up after she had sent her message back, she had seen him grab his phone again. She didn’t know if she should be happy it was him and not some strange old man playing with her, but she didn’t know what to feel.
‘’Deb, I think Jason is the person I’ve been talking to on the internet,’’ she blurted out, and Deb started laughing.
‘’Why would you think that? He never would do anything like that and you know it,’’ she replied, and Sam nodded. Jason wasn’t the kind of person that would make an account on a dating site, but somehow she really did have a strong feeling about him being her Prince.
‘’I don’t know Deb, he was in the diner today and I was chatting with the Prince, and somehow every time I sent a message, he grabbed his phone,’’ she told her friend.
‘’It could be just coincidence,’’ Deb replied, and Sam nodded again. All the things she based her feelings on were things that could be coincidence, but she didn’t think she was wrong. She would have to wait and see until the ball.
‘’I’ll see at the ball,’’ she told her friend, who nodded and smiled.
‘’Good, you go to the ball with Jason Morgan and see if he is your Prince,’’ she replied, and then they stepped in the car. Deb drove Sam home, where Sam went to be right away.
##########
Jason came home after a long day of working, but he was sure Sam was his Cinderella and he had to find a way she wouldn’t find out before the ball. He would have to send her a message to tell her he couldn’t pick her up, because he wouldn’t want her to know right away that he was PrinceoftheBall, so he turned on his laptop again and sent her a message.
Sam,
I’m sorry to say I can’t pick you up for the ball. I have some urgent matters I have to take care of and I will be later. I hope to see you there.
Jason
He pressed send and felt guilty for letting her go alone, but he also knew he couldn’t pick her up. He didn’t want to ruin the surprise element, the feeling of anticipation about who he was. He liked her but he also didn’t want to ruin their deal. The deal was to meet each other at eight, and he could do that if he picked her up.
He turned off his laptop and went up to bed.
‘’Samantha, where are you? You have to work,’’ she heard Alexis yell from downstairs, and Sam rolled her eyes.
‘’I’m getting there!’’ she yelled back, and then there was silence. Sam took a quick shower and got dressed in her uniform, and then she made her way downstairs. Alexis was standing with paper in hand. Sam knew there wasn’t a day where she didn’t have to anything for Alexis of her kids, and she sighed.
‘’Here, you know the drill. Go,’’ Alexis said, and Sam nodded and took the paper. Alexis ushered her out of the room and the house, and Sam sighed and made her way to her car. She took out her new phone and smiled – she had bought it yesterday when she had made a huge tip, and she had been saving up her money to buy it. She turned on her email and smiled when she saw she had an email from Jason.
Hey Sam,
I’ll be picking you up around 7, so be ready. I’m looking forward to our ‘date’.
Jason.
It wasn’t much, but she liked it. Even though they would only walk in together, and even though they would separate then to meet someone else, they would go in together and Sam felt butterflies in her stomach just thinking about it. She started her car and drove to the diner, where she stepped out and smiled at Deb who was just arriving too. It was still early, and Sam didn’t have to start in a couple of minutes, so she took her phone out of her pocket and started seeing what she could learn.
PrinceoftheBall: ‘’Hey, you haven’t been on in a long time.’’
Cinderella: ‘’I’ve been extremely busy, but I missed you.’’
PrinceoftheBall: ‘’Same here, I was wondering if you were still going to come.’’
Cinderella: ‘’I’ll always be there, no matter what the circumstances. It’s just hard to do when someone made sure you can’t go online.’’
Alexis had found out she had been going online a couple of days ago, probably because of Ric, and she had made sure Sam couldn’t go online anymore. She changed the password and Sam didn’t know what it was.
[/i]PrinceoftheBall: ‘’I’m going to be at the ball around 7:30, but I need to pick someone up before to take her. Don’t worry, she knows I have to meet someone there, and I’d like to meet you at the balcony at 8.’’[/i]
Cinderella: ‘’I will meet you there, Prince. I have to get to work now, but I will definitely meet you at the balcony at 8.’’
PrinceoftheBall: ‘’I’m looking forward to it. See you then.’’
Cinderella: ‘’Same here, see you.’’
After he had signed off, Sam put her phone back in her pocket and made her way into the diner. Deb had already started cleaning up and Sam went to the back to grab the things she needed to help her.
##########
After Jason had logged off from his account and closed his laptop, he went upstairs to take a shower. He had been awake for almost three hours already, but he didn’t feel like doing anything. He had gone downstairs and turned on his laptop to see if he had mail, and then he had seen his Cinderella online. He had been waiting to talk to her ever since he had last seen her online, but she didn’t come for a long time. Come to think of it, ever since he had left Sam’s, he had been waiting for her to come online. He still had the feeling that the two were the same, but he couldn’t know for sure unless he asked her, and he didn’t want to be embarrassed of embarrass her by asking.
So he had decided to go over to Cody’s and see if she was online. He knew she was working today and he knew she had a new phone, so he wanted to see if she would reply. He knew she would be busy but in her break he would see if she replied to his online questions. He grinned to himself as he stepped out of the shower, and dried himself off. He would see if Sam was his Cinderella.
He made his way to his car without thinking, and drove to Cody’s. He arrived there just before the lunch rush, and he knew Sam would eat before that. He decided he would step in and go online on his phone, and then he would just see if she was online. When he sat down, Deb came and took his order, while he logged in on his phone. Cinderella was online, and he typed her a message.
PrinceoftheBall: ‘’I’ve been thinking about you all day, and I’ve been wondering who you are. I can’t wait to see you at the ball.’’
He started browsing the internet because he didn’t know what he should do to see if Sam was Cinderella, and sometimes he looked up at her to see if she would reply. Suddenly she jumped up and took her phone out of her pocket, and he smiled when he saw the bright smile come on her face. He watched her typing and waited.
Cinderella: ‘’I can’t wait either. I don’t know what it is, but you sound so familiar.’’
Looking at Sam, he got the message just after she pressed the last button, and he knew it was her. He got up and wanted to go to her, when Deb came with his order. He decided he would just send her a message back while ate.
PrinceoftheBall: ‘’I want to meet you now, but I know you’re busy.’’
Cinderella: ‘’Yeah, I kind of am – on my break right now but have to get back to work soon.’’
Yep, his Cinderella was Sam, and he looked at her to see her looking at him. He smiled and waved, and soon she came over.
‘’Jason! I didn’t know you were here,’’ she said, and she sounded as if he caught her doing something she shouldn’t have done. ‘’I was just having my break.’’
‘’I saw, and I didn’t want to interrupt you. New phone?’’ he asked when he saw it in her hand, and she looked down at it sheepishly.
‘’Yeah, I bought it a couple of days ago and I still have to get used to it,’’ she replied, and he nodded.
‘’You seemed rather familiar with it just now. I saw you sitting there,’’ he said, and he felt like an idiot after saying it. Did it really matter what she thought about it? What she would say about who it was she had been chatting with?
‘’Just learning, that’s all. I was chatting with the guy I’m going to meet at the ball,’’ she told him, and she looked at him. ‘’I saw you were chatting also?’’ He didn’t know what to say, so he just shrugged.
‘’I normally don’t but I met this woman.’’ She nodded and turned around when she heard her name. She had to go back to work, and for the first time, Jason was glad. He loved spending time with her, but after he found out she was his Cinderella, he didn’t know what to say to her.
##########
‘’It’s only a couple of days before the ball and you already want to back out? Sam, what is this about?’’ Deb had been asking her the same question over and over again after Sam had stated she didn’t want to go to the ball.
‘’You know the guy I met on the internet – I think I know who it is,’’ she replied for the fifth time, but Deb didn’t listen. She kept rambling on and on about the ball and what she would miss. ‘’Ok, ok, I’ll go!’’ Sam finally exclaimed to make her happy.
‘’Yeah, that’s the spirit. I know you already have your dress and all you have to do is show up here and meet with Jason,’’ Deb said, and Sam nodded. Ever since she had talked to him in the diner she had the feeling he was her Prince – no, she knew he was her prince. She had seen him typing away on his phone just as she heard she had a message. It was from the Prince. And when she looked up after she had sent her message back, she had seen him grab his phone again. She didn’t know if she should be happy it was him and not some strange old man playing with her, but she didn’t know what to feel.
‘’Deb, I think Jason is the person I’ve been talking to on the internet,’’ she blurted out, and Deb started laughing.
‘’Why would you think that? He never would do anything like that and you know it,’’ she replied, and Sam nodded. Jason wasn’t the kind of person that would make an account on a dating site, but somehow she really did have a strong feeling about him being her Prince.
‘’I don’t know Deb, he was in the diner today and I was chatting with the Prince, and somehow every time I sent a message, he grabbed his phone,’’ she told her friend.
‘’It could be just coincidence,’’ Deb replied, and Sam nodded again. All the things she based her feelings on were things that could be coincidence, but she didn’t think she was wrong. She would have to wait and see until the ball.
‘’I’ll see at the ball,’’ she told her friend, who nodded and smiled.
‘’Good, you go to the ball with Jason Morgan and see if he is your Prince,’’ she replied, and then they stepped in the car. Deb drove Sam home, where Sam went to be right away.
##########
Jason came home after a long day of working, but he was sure Sam was his Cinderella and he had to find a way she wouldn’t find out before the ball. He would have to send her a message to tell her he couldn’t pick her up, because he wouldn’t want her to know right away that he was PrinceoftheBall, so he turned on his laptop again and sent her a message.
Sam,
I’m sorry to say I can’t pick you up for the ball. I have some urgent matters I have to take care of and I will be later. I hope to see you there.
Jason
He pressed send and felt guilty for letting her go alone, but he also knew he couldn’t pick her up. He didn’t want to ruin the surprise element, the feeling of anticipation about who he was. He liked her but he also didn’t want to ruin their deal. The deal was to meet each other at eight, and he could do that if he picked her up.
He turned off his laptop and went up to bed.
Chapter 5
It was the day of the ball and all Sam could do was wait and see if she
could go. She had a ton of things to do, and Alexis told her she had
more just this morning. Sam sighed when she walked over to the diner and
smiled at the costumers that already were there. Alexis had been
pushing her to work more over the last few days and somehow she had a
feeling it had to do with Ric. He had been back trying to get her to
accept him, and she didn’t know how long it was going to take before he
would to too far again.
Alexis had made a list of everything that needed to be done and told Sam she couldn’t forget anything because it was important. The laundry needed to be done and the outfits for the ball tonight had to be bought. Ric and Elizabeth had told Sam what they needed and Sam had to get them today, along with everything else she needed to do. And on top of that, she had to work a shift at the diner, which left her unable to go to the ball as she had planned.
She hadn’t heard anything from Jason after the email saying he couldn’t go to the ball with her, and she felt a little sorry for herself because now she didn’t have any chance to look forward to the ball.
‘’Sam come on, you know everything is going to be alright,’’ Deb said softly when Sam walked in to the diner. Sam shrugged, not knowing what to say when all she wanted was cry, because her life was a mess. She wanted out of it, out from under Alexis’ hand. She looked at Deb who was staring at her with concern, and she smiled weakly.
‘’It’s going to be ok. I just can’t go to the ball tonight,’’ she replied, and Deb frowned.
‘’Why not? To hell with what Alexis wants, you can go to the ball tonight.’’ Sam shook her head. She didn’t even have anything to wear anymore because Ric had torn the dress. Or maybe it was Elizabeth who did that, but she couldn’t go without having something to wear.
‘’I don’t have a dress, Deb, and I have to work tonight,’’ Sam told her friend, and she turned around and looked at the list she had in her hand. All she had to do now was work that shift in the diner and she was done for the day. She had done everything Alexis asked of.
‘’Ok, you are coming with me because I have something for you and then you are going to the ball, Samantha, no protests!’’ Deb said, and she grabbed Sam’s hand and led her to her car.
##########
Jason looked at himself in the mirror and sighed. He never liked suits but he knew he had to wear one tonight. It was a masked ball and he was glad for it, because he didn’t want Cinderella to find out who he was right away. She would find out eventually because of everything else she knew about him, but he didn’t care. He just didn’t want her to know right away.
‘’Jason you look amazing,’’ he heard behind him, and he turned around and smiled at Carly.
‘’I know, I want to look my best tonight,’’ he replied, and Carly grinned. ‘’Yeah, meeting with someone and you know it. I know it’s weird, but she really get’s to me,’’ he added, and she could only nod for a moment.
‘’Yeah, I’ve heard about Cinderella. I bet everyone is wondering who she is, because she got Jason Morgan to attend a ball,’’ Carly told him and Jason grinned sheepishly. Carly had tried over a thousand times, as had his mother and sister, but he never wanted to go to the ball. He never wanted to go to any public gathering, because he didn’t like crowds. He couldn’t keep everyone safe, and that’s why he didn’t like them. But tonight was for him.
‘’Yeah, well, she did it, and I can’t wait to finally meet her, know for sure who she is,’’ he told Carly, and he could see the question in her head, but stopped her before she could voice it. ‘’No, not going to tell you what I think, just watch tonight and you will see,’’ he told her, and she nodded, but he could see she didn’t like it.
‘’I hear Sam is also going to attend,’’ she said thoughtfully. Jason shrugged. ‘’Yeah, she said she was going to go for once, because it’s masked, and well, that’s all I know,’’ Carly grinned.
‘’Yeah, I heard she was going to come, but I don’t think she’s going to make it, with Alexis giving her chores and those kids.’’
‘’She’ll come,’’ Carly said, and then she kissed him on his cheek. ‘’See you tonight, got to run and see if everything is still running smoothly.’’ With that she left, and left him standing there, thinking about what she had said about Sam. He hoped she would come, because he really, really hoped, and could almost feel she was his Cinderella.
He turned to the mirror and sighed, feeling like a monkey in the suit. He didn’t mind though, not tonight. Tonight he would meet his soul mate for the first time. Or so it felt.
##########
Sam turned around a couple of times and smiled when the dress made a hoop around her legs. ‘’I like it, but I told my Prince I would wear something red,’’ she told Deb, and Deb sighed.
‘’Well, he’ll just have to adjust. Send him an email or something,’’ she snapped, and ruffled trough her closet. ‘’Or try this,’’ she exclaimed when she found another dress. It was red and almost like Sam had described to her Prince.
‘’That’ll do,’’ Sam whispered, and took of the dress she was wearing to replace it with the red dress. When she had put it on she was glad, happy, and ecstatic. ‘’This is it, Deb, it’s really it!’’
‘’I see. It’s perfect, and I don’t even have to do anything about it,’’ Deb replied, and grinned. ‘’I’ll just give you some time to do your make-up and whatnot,’’ with that she left the room, and Sam went to work. She did her make-up, brushed her hair and turned around a couple of times to see what she should do with it. She needed Deb’s help with her hair if she wanted to put it up.
‘’Deb, can you come help me with my hair?’’ she called out, and seconds later Deb was there, helping her with her hair.
#####
‘’Perfect,’’ Deb admired their work, and smiled. It had taken them half an hour to put Sam’s hair up in a complicated twist, and it was perfect. ‘’Now I want you to do something for me,’’ she said, and Sam nodded as she looked at herself in the mirror.
‘’Anything, Deb,’’ she said softly, and Deb began shoving her out the room, to the front door.
‘’Get out and have fun,’’ she replied, and Sam laughed and waved while she made her way out. The Metro Court wasn’t that far away from where Deb lived, so she took the walk and took in the fresh air. She loved Port Charles, and even if she didn’t like the way she was forced to live, she couldn’t imagine living somewhere else.
Once at the ball she would go to the balcony where she had agreed to meet her Prince, and if the butterflies in her stomach were any indication she would have to be careful not to be too excited when she saw him. She laughed at herself and smiled at the doorman, and then she walked into the Metro Court with her head held high. Nobody could recognize her, and she felt safe knowing that.
She looked around the crowded ballroom and smiled, glad she hadn’t listened to Alexis and just went with it. She moved through the crowd to the balcony where she saw another crowd, and wondered how she would find her Prince in this. She looked around and saw a lot of men in suits, but she didn’t think her Prince was there yet. She looked at the time and saw it was just a couple of minutes before eight, when she agreed to meet him. She walked to the back, where it was silent and where she knew he would come, and waited.
##########
Jason saw Sam walk through the crowd and followed her, but then lost her. With her height he wasn’t surprised, and he knew where she would go. He made his way out to the balcony and sighed when he couldn’t see her, but looked around and made his way through the crowd. When he couldn’t find her, he turned around and was just planning on walking back inside when he suddenly saw her standing just in the back, where the crowd had thinned out and she stood alone. She was looking around for someone, and he knew she was looking for him.
He started pushing his way through the crowd when someone calling his name stopped him. He turned and saw Carly making her way to him, calling him. ‘’Jason, wait up!’’ He looked to where Sam was and saw she was still there, and decided to keep an eye on her while talking to Carly.
‘’What’s wrong Carly?’’ he asked when she was at his side and breathing heavily.
‘’You know I thought I saw Sam but I don’t know for sure. Why don’t you go inside and look there? I thought I last saw her there,’’ she rambled, and he wanted to tell her he knew where Sam was when he saw her starting to move back inside.
‘’Carly I have to go,’’ he said, and he quickly tried to push his way through the crowd to where he last saw Sam. When he got there, she was gone. Carly had followed him and was looking around and then she looked at him.
‘’Who are you looking for?’’
‘’I thought I saw someone I knew,’’ he replied, and Carly looked around.
‘’You know almost everyone here, you’ve got to be more specific Jason so I can help you,’’ she grumbled, but he didn’t listen anymore. He was making his way back in where Sam could have gone, and he looked over the crowd if he could see her anywhere. He cursed when he didn’t see her, and turned around to Carly.
‘’Let me go, Carly, I need to find her!’’
##########
Sam made her way back inside, never knowing Jason had been there looking for her, and decided to just leave. She knew she should wait, she knew she should’ve just stayed there, but she couldn’t. Feeling the hurt of rejection she made her way out of the ballroom and out of the Metro Court.
‘’Hey baby.’’ Sam tensed when she heard his voice, and she turned around to face Ric. This was just what she needed. ‘’I told you I’d come back when your lover wasn’t around, and look here. I’m back,’’ he sneered just before he grabbed her arm, effectively taking away her chances at running. She cursed herself for not running sooner, but it wouldn’t help her get out of this situation.
‘’Let me go, Ric,’’ she snapped, and he grinned and just pulled her closer. When her body slammed against his and she felt his arousal she felt a shiver run down her spine, and she couldn’t do anything to stop it.
‘’You know you want it. Don’t deny it because I know that’ll be a lie,’’ she realized he really did think that, and she struggled to get free. ‘’Come here baby, show me some love.’’ She didn’t even have the time to realize what he was saying when he pushed her back and kissed her hard. She tried to push him away, but he pinned her against the wall and she realized they were in the alley behind the Metro Court. Nobody would hear her if she screamed and she knew she was trapped.
‘’I think you have to stop that.’’ Ric tensed hearing the voice, and Sam gasped for breath when he stopped kissing her. She tasted blood and knew her lip was busted. She licked them and winced when it hurt.
‘’And who are you to tell me what to do?’’ Ric turned his head back to her, and kissed her again. She opened her eyes and widened them when she saw a gun. A gun trained on Ric’s back, and he didn’t even notice.
‘’Prince Charming,’’ the man grumbled, and Sam knew this was her Prince. She looked at him but couldn’t see his face, and somehow she couldn’t hear his voice either. She could hear him speak but nothing seemed to come through to her, and when Ric stopped kissing her again she struggled. He slapped her in the face before the Prince could do anything, and her head slammed against the building. ‘’You shouldn’t have done that,’’ the man said, and Ric finally let go of her to face her savior.
‘’You!’’ Ric screamed, and then he saw the gun. ‘’Hey, I didn’t mean anything by it. She wanted it!’’
‘’I don’t believe you for a second, but I’m going to give you another chance and just call the cops on you.’’ At that moment the cops came around the corner and saw what was happening, and Sam was so relieved that her knees gave out from under her. She didn’t hear what happened after, but when someone touched her she jumped and took a deep breath, ready to scream.
‘’Hey, calm down it’s just me.’’ Jason! Thank god, Sam thought.
‘’Jason, oh god I’m so glad to see you,’’ she whispered with a sob and she threw herself in her arms. He held her tight as he helped her to her feet. ‘’Did you see – did you see what happened?’’
‘’Yeah baby, you didn’t see it was me did you?’’ he asked, and the pieces fell into place.
‘’You are the Prince, you are – you are my Prince, aren’t you?’’
‘’I am, and I’m sorry I didn’t meet you where we agreed, but someone held me in place. You’ll see, everything will be fine now baby. I’ll never let anything happen to you,’’ he whispered, and she looked at him and saw he was serious. She lifted her head and he seemed to read what she wanted, because he kissed her – gently and careful for her lips. She had finally met her Prince, and she had been falling in love with him all this time. Jason was her prince!
Alexis had made a list of everything that needed to be done and told Sam she couldn’t forget anything because it was important. The laundry needed to be done and the outfits for the ball tonight had to be bought. Ric and Elizabeth had told Sam what they needed and Sam had to get them today, along with everything else she needed to do. And on top of that, she had to work a shift at the diner, which left her unable to go to the ball as she had planned.
She hadn’t heard anything from Jason after the email saying he couldn’t go to the ball with her, and she felt a little sorry for herself because now she didn’t have any chance to look forward to the ball.
‘’Sam come on, you know everything is going to be alright,’’ Deb said softly when Sam walked in to the diner. Sam shrugged, not knowing what to say when all she wanted was cry, because her life was a mess. She wanted out of it, out from under Alexis’ hand. She looked at Deb who was staring at her with concern, and she smiled weakly.
‘’It’s going to be ok. I just can’t go to the ball tonight,’’ she replied, and Deb frowned.
‘’Why not? To hell with what Alexis wants, you can go to the ball tonight.’’ Sam shook her head. She didn’t even have anything to wear anymore because Ric had torn the dress. Or maybe it was Elizabeth who did that, but she couldn’t go without having something to wear.
‘’I don’t have a dress, Deb, and I have to work tonight,’’ Sam told her friend, and she turned around and looked at the list she had in her hand. All she had to do now was work that shift in the diner and she was done for the day. She had done everything Alexis asked of.
‘’Ok, you are coming with me because I have something for you and then you are going to the ball, Samantha, no protests!’’ Deb said, and she grabbed Sam’s hand and led her to her car.
##########
Jason looked at himself in the mirror and sighed. He never liked suits but he knew he had to wear one tonight. It was a masked ball and he was glad for it, because he didn’t want Cinderella to find out who he was right away. She would find out eventually because of everything else she knew about him, but he didn’t care. He just didn’t want her to know right away.
‘’Jason you look amazing,’’ he heard behind him, and he turned around and smiled at Carly.
‘’I know, I want to look my best tonight,’’ he replied, and Carly grinned. ‘’Yeah, meeting with someone and you know it. I know it’s weird, but she really get’s to me,’’ he added, and she could only nod for a moment.
‘’Yeah, I’ve heard about Cinderella. I bet everyone is wondering who she is, because she got Jason Morgan to attend a ball,’’ Carly told him and Jason grinned sheepishly. Carly had tried over a thousand times, as had his mother and sister, but he never wanted to go to the ball. He never wanted to go to any public gathering, because he didn’t like crowds. He couldn’t keep everyone safe, and that’s why he didn’t like them. But tonight was for him.
‘’Yeah, well, she did it, and I can’t wait to finally meet her, know for sure who she is,’’ he told Carly, and he could see the question in her head, but stopped her before she could voice it. ‘’No, not going to tell you what I think, just watch tonight and you will see,’’ he told her, and she nodded, but he could see she didn’t like it.
‘’I hear Sam is also going to attend,’’ she said thoughtfully. Jason shrugged. ‘’Yeah, she said she was going to go for once, because it’s masked, and well, that’s all I know,’’ Carly grinned.
‘’Yeah, I heard she was going to come, but I don’t think she’s going to make it, with Alexis giving her chores and those kids.’’
‘’She’ll come,’’ Carly said, and then she kissed him on his cheek. ‘’See you tonight, got to run and see if everything is still running smoothly.’’ With that she left, and left him standing there, thinking about what she had said about Sam. He hoped she would come, because he really, really hoped, and could almost feel she was his Cinderella.
He turned to the mirror and sighed, feeling like a monkey in the suit. He didn’t mind though, not tonight. Tonight he would meet his soul mate for the first time. Or so it felt.
##########
Sam turned around a couple of times and smiled when the dress made a hoop around her legs. ‘’I like it, but I told my Prince I would wear something red,’’ she told Deb, and Deb sighed.
‘’Well, he’ll just have to adjust. Send him an email or something,’’ she snapped, and ruffled trough her closet. ‘’Or try this,’’ she exclaimed when she found another dress. It was red and almost like Sam had described to her Prince.
‘’That’ll do,’’ Sam whispered, and took of the dress she was wearing to replace it with the red dress. When she had put it on she was glad, happy, and ecstatic. ‘’This is it, Deb, it’s really it!’’
‘’I see. It’s perfect, and I don’t even have to do anything about it,’’ Deb replied, and grinned. ‘’I’ll just give you some time to do your make-up and whatnot,’’ with that she left the room, and Sam went to work. She did her make-up, brushed her hair and turned around a couple of times to see what she should do with it. She needed Deb’s help with her hair if she wanted to put it up.
‘’Deb, can you come help me with my hair?’’ she called out, and seconds later Deb was there, helping her with her hair.
#####
‘’Perfect,’’ Deb admired their work, and smiled. It had taken them half an hour to put Sam’s hair up in a complicated twist, and it was perfect. ‘’Now I want you to do something for me,’’ she said, and Sam nodded as she looked at herself in the mirror.
‘’Anything, Deb,’’ she said softly, and Deb began shoving her out the room, to the front door.
‘’Get out and have fun,’’ she replied, and Sam laughed and waved while she made her way out. The Metro Court wasn’t that far away from where Deb lived, so she took the walk and took in the fresh air. She loved Port Charles, and even if she didn’t like the way she was forced to live, she couldn’t imagine living somewhere else.
Once at the ball she would go to the balcony where she had agreed to meet her Prince, and if the butterflies in her stomach were any indication she would have to be careful not to be too excited when she saw him. She laughed at herself and smiled at the doorman, and then she walked into the Metro Court with her head held high. Nobody could recognize her, and she felt safe knowing that.
She looked around the crowded ballroom and smiled, glad she hadn’t listened to Alexis and just went with it. She moved through the crowd to the balcony where she saw another crowd, and wondered how she would find her Prince in this. She looked around and saw a lot of men in suits, but she didn’t think her Prince was there yet. She looked at the time and saw it was just a couple of minutes before eight, when she agreed to meet him. She walked to the back, where it was silent and where she knew he would come, and waited.
##########
Jason saw Sam walk through the crowd and followed her, but then lost her. With her height he wasn’t surprised, and he knew where she would go. He made his way out to the balcony and sighed when he couldn’t see her, but looked around and made his way through the crowd. When he couldn’t find her, he turned around and was just planning on walking back inside when he suddenly saw her standing just in the back, where the crowd had thinned out and she stood alone. She was looking around for someone, and he knew she was looking for him.
He started pushing his way through the crowd when someone calling his name stopped him. He turned and saw Carly making her way to him, calling him. ‘’Jason, wait up!’’ He looked to where Sam was and saw she was still there, and decided to keep an eye on her while talking to Carly.
‘’What’s wrong Carly?’’ he asked when she was at his side and breathing heavily.
‘’You know I thought I saw Sam but I don’t know for sure. Why don’t you go inside and look there? I thought I last saw her there,’’ she rambled, and he wanted to tell her he knew where Sam was when he saw her starting to move back inside.
‘’Carly I have to go,’’ he said, and he quickly tried to push his way through the crowd to where he last saw Sam. When he got there, she was gone. Carly had followed him and was looking around and then she looked at him.
‘’Who are you looking for?’’
‘’I thought I saw someone I knew,’’ he replied, and Carly looked around.
‘’You know almost everyone here, you’ve got to be more specific Jason so I can help you,’’ she grumbled, but he didn’t listen anymore. He was making his way back in where Sam could have gone, and he looked over the crowd if he could see her anywhere. He cursed when he didn’t see her, and turned around to Carly.
‘’Let me go, Carly, I need to find her!’’
##########
Sam made her way back inside, never knowing Jason had been there looking for her, and decided to just leave. She knew she should wait, she knew she should’ve just stayed there, but she couldn’t. Feeling the hurt of rejection she made her way out of the ballroom and out of the Metro Court.
‘’Hey baby.’’ Sam tensed when she heard his voice, and she turned around to face Ric. This was just what she needed. ‘’I told you I’d come back when your lover wasn’t around, and look here. I’m back,’’ he sneered just before he grabbed her arm, effectively taking away her chances at running. She cursed herself for not running sooner, but it wouldn’t help her get out of this situation.
‘’Let me go, Ric,’’ she snapped, and he grinned and just pulled her closer. When her body slammed against his and she felt his arousal she felt a shiver run down her spine, and she couldn’t do anything to stop it.
‘’You know you want it. Don’t deny it because I know that’ll be a lie,’’ she realized he really did think that, and she struggled to get free. ‘’Come here baby, show me some love.’’ She didn’t even have the time to realize what he was saying when he pushed her back and kissed her hard. She tried to push him away, but he pinned her against the wall and she realized they were in the alley behind the Metro Court. Nobody would hear her if she screamed and she knew she was trapped.
‘’I think you have to stop that.’’ Ric tensed hearing the voice, and Sam gasped for breath when he stopped kissing her. She tasted blood and knew her lip was busted. She licked them and winced when it hurt.
‘’And who are you to tell me what to do?’’ Ric turned his head back to her, and kissed her again. She opened her eyes and widened them when she saw a gun. A gun trained on Ric’s back, and he didn’t even notice.
‘’Prince Charming,’’ the man grumbled, and Sam knew this was her Prince. She looked at him but couldn’t see his face, and somehow she couldn’t hear his voice either. She could hear him speak but nothing seemed to come through to her, and when Ric stopped kissing her again she struggled. He slapped her in the face before the Prince could do anything, and her head slammed against the building. ‘’You shouldn’t have done that,’’ the man said, and Ric finally let go of her to face her savior.
‘’You!’’ Ric screamed, and then he saw the gun. ‘’Hey, I didn’t mean anything by it. She wanted it!’’
‘’I don’t believe you for a second, but I’m going to give you another chance and just call the cops on you.’’ At that moment the cops came around the corner and saw what was happening, and Sam was so relieved that her knees gave out from under her. She didn’t hear what happened after, but when someone touched her she jumped and took a deep breath, ready to scream.
‘’Hey, calm down it’s just me.’’ Jason! Thank god, Sam thought.
‘’Jason, oh god I’m so glad to see you,’’ she whispered with a sob and she threw herself in her arms. He held her tight as he helped her to her feet. ‘’Did you see – did you see what happened?’’
‘’Yeah baby, you didn’t see it was me did you?’’ he asked, and the pieces fell into place.
‘’You are the Prince, you are – you are my Prince, aren’t you?’’
‘’I am, and I’m sorry I didn’t meet you where we agreed, but someone held me in place. You’ll see, everything will be fine now baby. I’ll never let anything happen to you,’’ he whispered, and she looked at him and saw he was serious. She lifted her head and he seemed to read what she wanted, because he kissed her – gently and careful for her lips. She had finally met her Prince, and she had been falling in love with him all this time. Jason was her prince!
Epilogue
Sam looked at her husband and lover and smiled. It had been 2 years
since she found out Jason was her Prince, and he had rescued her. She
loved him with all her heart and soul and she knew he loved her the
same. He didn’t have to tell her, she could read it in his eyes.
Jason had been wonderful, and they had gotten to know each other over a couple of dates. They had already been in love, and it was funny how this had gone for them.
‘’Sam you’re daughter is being funny,’’ Jason said mocking anger, and Sam looked up and smiled. Lila had been an accident, but welcome. They had only dated for a couple of months when Sam found out she was pregnant and she knew she couldn’t not keep her.
‘’So now it’s my daughter, huh?’’
‘’Yeah, she just threw that at me,’’ he pointed at one of the toys Lila had and she grinned. Lila had Jason wrapped around her little finger and she loved it. Jason loved their daughter even though Sam had been afraid what he would say when she told him. She remembered the love in his eyes and she had known everything would be just fine.
‘’What did you do little girl?’’ she asked her daughter, who laughed and lifted her arms, so Sam could pick her up. After she had told him she was pregnant, they had decided to get married, and when Sam was five months pregnant they had done just that. She never regretted it, and Jason had told her often enough he didn’t either.
‘’Yeah, you remember when she was just sitting up she already knew she just had to scream and I would pick her up. It’s not good, not at all,’’ Jason muttered, and Sam grinned again.
‘’Wait until we have another baby, then you’ll have to control both of them Jason,’’ she said with a soft smile, and he nodded.
‘’I know, but I wouldn’t mind at all. You know that right?’’ he asked her, and she nodded. She knew he loved Lila and he would love any other baby they had. She looked at him as he came closer and met his lips in a gentle kiss.
‘’I’m going to put her down, and then we’ll have the night to ourselves,’’ she said softly, and she walked up the stairs. Jason started cleaning up as Sam put Lila down for the night, and sang to her. ‘’I love you baby girl,’’ she whispered when her daughter had finally fallen asleep, and she walked out of the room after kissing her little head. She jumped when Jason came up behind her and hugged her, and she relaxed.
‘’I missed you,’’ he whispered, and she smiled again. She couldn’t stop smiling. Alexis was finally out of her live as were Ric and Elizabeth, because after the ball they had left town. Sam was now the owner of the big house but she didn’t want to live there, even though it had always been her father’s house. She did keep the diner and ran it, but she didn’t want to live in that house. It had too many bad memories. She kept it and rented it out, because she didn’t want it to get broken down.
‘’I missed you too,’’ she whispered, and he took her hand and led her to the room. ‘’Oh Jason,’’ she exclaimed when she saw what he had done with it, and he grinned. There were candles everywhere, and she looked at him and saw what he had planned for them.
‘’Just a night to ourselves,’’ Jason whispered, and he kissed her.
Sam was so happy she felt like she was going to burst, as they fell onto the bed and continued to make love.
Jason had been wonderful, and they had gotten to know each other over a couple of dates. They had already been in love, and it was funny how this had gone for them.
‘’Sam you’re daughter is being funny,’’ Jason said mocking anger, and Sam looked up and smiled. Lila had been an accident, but welcome. They had only dated for a couple of months when Sam found out she was pregnant and she knew she couldn’t not keep her.
‘’So now it’s my daughter, huh?’’
‘’Yeah, she just threw that at me,’’ he pointed at one of the toys Lila had and she grinned. Lila had Jason wrapped around her little finger and she loved it. Jason loved their daughter even though Sam had been afraid what he would say when she told him. She remembered the love in his eyes and she had known everything would be just fine.
‘’What did you do little girl?’’ she asked her daughter, who laughed and lifted her arms, so Sam could pick her up. After she had told him she was pregnant, they had decided to get married, and when Sam was five months pregnant they had done just that. She never regretted it, and Jason had told her often enough he didn’t either.
‘’Yeah, you remember when she was just sitting up she already knew she just had to scream and I would pick her up. It’s not good, not at all,’’ Jason muttered, and Sam grinned again.
‘’Wait until we have another baby, then you’ll have to control both of them Jason,’’ she said with a soft smile, and he nodded.
‘’I know, but I wouldn’t mind at all. You know that right?’’ he asked her, and she nodded. She knew he loved Lila and he would love any other baby they had. She looked at him as he came closer and met his lips in a gentle kiss.
‘’I’m going to put her down, and then we’ll have the night to ourselves,’’ she said softly, and she walked up the stairs. Jason started cleaning up as Sam put Lila down for the night, and sang to her. ‘’I love you baby girl,’’ she whispered when her daughter had finally fallen asleep, and she walked out of the room after kissing her little head. She jumped when Jason came up behind her and hugged her, and she relaxed.
‘’I missed you,’’ he whispered, and she smiled again. She couldn’t stop smiling. Alexis was finally out of her live as were Ric and Elizabeth, because after the ball they had left town. Sam was now the owner of the big house but she didn’t want to live there, even though it had always been her father’s house. She did keep the diner and ran it, but she didn’t want to live in that house. It had too many bad memories. She kept it and rented it out, because she didn’t want it to get broken down.
‘’I missed you too,’’ she whispered, and he took her hand and led her to the room. ‘’Oh Jason,’’ she exclaimed when she saw what he had done with it, and he grinned. There were candles everywhere, and she looked at him and saw what he had planned for them.
‘’Just a night to ourselves,’’ Jason whispered, and he kissed her.
Sam was so happy she felt like she was going to burst, as they fell onto the bed and continued to make love.
