This is just a little one shot I decided to make while I was making my other story Within Secrets and Lies. I was having a little writers block and decided to write this when Katy Perry came up! I decided to play with a challenge and I ended up with this. I hope you all like it. This is slightly OOC and is a bit of an AU. If you want to check out my (www. pinterest ramoire) without spaces I have some of my dreamcast for FSOG and some of the outfits on here on fanfiction.
Reloweven
Elementary School
"Hey newbie!" I heard a voice call from behind. I rolled my eyes already knowing who it was. Christian Grey. Ever since I was transferred in the middle of the school year he has been teasing me nonstop.
I turn around only to be thrust in the face with an eight legged arachnid.
I didn't scream like the other girls in vicinity, but I was taken aback.
It was a daddy long leg which technically wasn't an arachnid.
"Is that supposed to be scary?" I say. Pushing back my short brown hair and cupping my hands for the little guy to crawly into my palms.
Christian scowled in disgust and the lack of response he was hoping for.
"Freak." He spat.
I scowled when I felt my face redden.
"Christian!" a little girl shrieked. A black haired and strawberry blonde came up to him fuming.
Christian frowned at the sight of the two.
"Mia, Kate. Go back to skipping or whatever you're doing."
"You're in third grade!" she hissed. "Act like it."
"Okay." He replied then smirked when he saw a certain group of boys, probably his friends, approach.
He spat in my face and laughed along with the others walking away.
I wiped away the spit and ignored the tears that started to form.
"Here." Mia says and she and Kate walked me to the bathroom and cleaned me up.
"Thank you." I sniffed.
"He's not always like that." Mia says.
"Only to some people." Kate says frowning.
I sat at the lunch table alone. Mia wasn't here today and Kate had to stay in for lunch. I sighed when I saw Christian and his little gang walk by ignoring me.
I opened my Cars knapsack and took out my lunch.
"Can I sit by you?" a familiar looking strawberry blonde with green eyes says.
"Sure." I say happily. "You're Ethan right?"
"Yeah, and you're Ana!" he says proudly. He looks at my lunch then does a double take.
"Is that Lightning McQueen?!" Ethan says impressed.
"Yup." I say proudly, then do a look over at his knapsack. "Mater?" I gasp.
"Uh huh." He says eagerly. "He's my favorite."
"He's my favorite also!"
He grinned then searched through his lunch. His face scrunched up when he saw what he was having.
"I'm allergic to peanut butter!" he cries.
"Here I just have a Nutella sandwich. You can have mines."
We switched then both grinned and savored our lunches.
I looked up finishing my peanut butter and jelly sandwich to find Christian glaring at me.
What did I do now?
I was walking home when I passed an alley. There was the sound of slamming and grunts. I saw a group of boys punching and pushing this other boy around.
"Hey!" I say rushing towards the boy. The others ran away and who I saw on the floor surprised me.
"Christian?" I say kneeling down brushing a strand away from his face. He groaned and I hoisted him over my shoulder and started to drag him where I knew Mia's house was.
XOX
By the time I had reached Mia's house, I was sweaty and panting. Now I had to call a guard or something.
"Hey!" I call out weakly dumping Christian on the pavement.
I grabbed a rock and threw it as far as I could go. It hit a window and the window broke. I flinched and cowered. I recognize Carrick Grey stick out his head. When he saw me, I timidly waved.
OXO
I twisted the wet towel to get rid of the excess and started to wipe Christian's face. He was still unconscious, but at least he showed signs of life. The bleeding on certain areas had started to scab over and luckily most of them were faint. I couldn't help but feel a small sense of protectiveness for him. He opened his eyes and when they focused on me they turned into an icy grey.
I ignored him and continued washing him. When I was done, I dumped the towel back in the basin and walked out of his room. I encountered Mr. Grey and I blushed. It wasn't fair that someone so old could still look attractive- and nice.
"Thank you." He says "Grace could've done it but she has hospital hours right now."
I shrugged and left the Grey mansion and started walking towards my old apartment.
The next day, Christian tried to talk to me, but Mia and Kate refused to let him anywhere near me. When we returned from recess, he was sitting next to my seat a face full of determination and daring me to choose another.
I sat next to him unfazed and the teacher walked in and started to pass out coloring pages with directions.
In mid-coloring he stopped and looked over at me. "I'm sorry." He muttered.
"It's fine." I say indifferently.
"Really?"
"It happened once. Now you can go back to your bullying or whatever. It's obvious you don't like me." He flinched and reddened before looking down and started coloring again.
"Can we be friends?" he asks.
I look at him like he grew three heads. "But you're a boy."
"Yeah, so?"
"Mia says boys have cooties. And you have extra cooties along with Lelliot."
He snickered and said, "I don't have cooties."
"Yes you do." I say stubbornly my face reddening when he starts to laugh.
"Why do I have extra cooties?"
"'Cause you kis'ta girl." I say slobbering from all the pouting I'm doing.
"Does that mean girls have cooties?" He says.
I open my mouth to answer when the answer froze in my mouth.
"Fine." I say angrily, "We'll be friends."
Middle School
"X Y Z," I belched, then smiled proudly at all the boys who gaped at me. Mia and Kate grinned making 'I told you so" comments in between their giggles.
"You guys double dog dared her, now pay up." Christian says unsurprisingly, but still supportively.
I smiled at him. Ever since primary school when he would get hurt, I would always be there to help him clean his cuts and bruises. We've been best friends every time that had happened and he would open up to me more.
The boys sighed and pulled out five bucks each. I grinned when I took the money from them and stuffed it in my pocket. The girls here would've stuffed them in their bras, but 1) I'm surrounded by guys and 2) I don't have any boobs therefore no bra.
"Dude, Leila is killing those legs." Jack, the least favorite member of mine from the boy gang states. They all turned and sure enough, Leila was wearing a mini skirt that showed her tanned legs. I shuffle my pale, jean covered ones in embarrassment as they gawked at the audience seeker jerk.
Mia and Kate, who knew my little crush for Christian, placed a hand on my shoulder and I willed myself to look away when Christian went up. He stalked gracefully in contrast to elementary and made his way towards Leila.
She said something animatedly with half-lidded eyes leaning her body towards Christian. They left together with a reward of wolf-whistles from the boys.
I bit my lip and cursed myself. Christian's always been an arrogant player. He'll never really notice me, all I am to him is a little sister figure. The kind he wanted in Mia. I frowned when I felt blood starting to ooze from my lip.
We were at Mia's house, Kate looking through a Seventeen magazine and Mia painting her nails. I on the other hand sat crossed legged with my game console held tightly in my hands as I loaded my virtual gun and started shooting hitting every target right in the chest. I was rewarded with splattered blood and the sounds of Mia's complaint about how it's making her throw up.
Christian came in the house followed by his little followers and when he saw me playing he sat next to me and grabbed a controller.
"Sorry!" I say after smiling at him a bit too long and realizing it was a little bit after four.
"I have guitar lessons."
His face fell for a moment before he covered it up with that understanding big brotherly look and asked someone else to join him before he says, "No hard feelings, kid? You'll owe me."
Kid. "Uh, yeah." I say grabbing my stuff and heading out
"Well I'll see you later." He says aiming for a high five that ends up being those little handshakes every guy knows.
When I had my guitar and pick, slung my backpack over my shoulders, I opened the door to leave I heard them starting to talk about Leila and couldn't help but overhear Christian say, "She's an amazing kisser. There probably won't be another one like her."
I clenched my teeth angrily and stormed outside.
While heading towards the little studio where my guitar teacher was at, I saw a jewelry shop and a choker pearl necklace on display. I couldn't help but scold myself silently, I'll never be a pretty flower enough to wear it. All I am is just a weed.
It was after sports try outs when I spotted Christian. I was heading towards him when Leila intercepted my path and smirked at me over her shoulder. I stopped when she fanned her nose and I tried to discreetly smell my hair and armpits by stretching.
Gross. I smelled really really gross.
I snuck towards Mia's backpack while she was still in the bathrooms and sprayed some of that rose perfume she had. I smelled myself again and instantly regretted it. Not only do I smell like sweaty armpits and sports. I smelled like sweaty armpits, sports, and an intoxicating after smell of roses.
I frantically burst out the doors looking for another bathroom since the one I was in was filled when I bumped into Christian and Leila.
"Oh gross. You stink." Leila says pointing out the obvious.
Christian glared at her and inhaled roughly trying to hide his frustration when he stopped mid-inhale and started to cough. Feeling myself redden I pushed past them and ran farther away to the farthest bathrooms we had. Away from Christian, Leila, and my dignity.
I sat in the last stall and couldn't help tears falling that had threatened to spill all week. I didn't want to be just one of his friends, worse, his friend considered a tomboy. That was almost as close as a girl being a boy can get. Even more so he treats me like a little sister! That's like…incest!
And probably the worst thing yet: I don't know if I can help it being stopped.
High School
I ran out the apartment again crying again this junior year. I was only sixteen and they've been together for that long, how come they can't wait until the worst years of school passes?! I pull out my phone and dialed Christian's number since Kate was at some fancy event and Mia was at Paris. His call went instantly to voice mail and I ended the call angrily before running anywhere.
I ended up in a small park lying against the base of the trunk wiping away the tears. My cell phone rang and I answered it without looking at the caller ID.
"Hello?" I say glumly.
"Ana? Ana where are you? Sorry I didn't answer I was at practice."
"I'm at the park."
"Which- Oh never mind. Stay there."
I did what he asked and soon I heard a pair of footsteps come closer to me and Christian sat down next to me.
"What happened this time?" Christian says in an understanding tone.
I explained to him how my parents are filing for a divorce and now they're fighting over who gets to take custody of me.
"You'll still stay here right?" Christian says hopefully. I turned to look at him to answer when I caught something under his white collared shirt that I barely noticed was rumpled and buttoned incorrectly. A hickey and a deep red lipstick mark. Multiple ones.
I scrambled up and when he went to do the same I pushed him down.
"You weren't at practice weren't you?" I accused.
I saw his eyes darken when he started to defend himself. "What are you talking about?"
I angrily ripped open the top half of the buttons and pointed to all the marks on his neck and collar bone.
"You were with Elena." I say accusingly.
"Honestly, Ana. I don't see what you have against her-"
"Bitch!" a high shrilled voice rang. Elena stomped ungracefully through the grass and flowers stomping on them and flattening them out.
"What the fuck do you think you're doing with my boyfriend?" Christian pulled her back but she flung her arm back.
"How many times do I have to tell you to leave him alone!" she screams before raising a hand and slapping my face her nails digging into my skin in the process.
There was a brief moment of silence until I looked up my eyes watering again before I sent an accusing glare at Christian and running again ignoring his calls.
Turns out I didn't really have a choice. Ray was moving to Montesano and my mom was moving to Las Vegas. My mom ended up gaining custody of me, and my little go away party was cut short at the airport because of her.
Christian was there along with the Kavanagh family. Grace, Carrick, Mia, and Elliot couldn't make it. After a few goodbyes and hugs from the Kavanaghs and Kate giving me the whole bunch of Seventeen magazines that filled two large boxes, I turned to Christian. He stood there awkwardly and I bit my lip to stop myself from crying. He raised his arms for a hug but I only returned one arm and catching his other giving off another handshake. He looked dejected, but he feigned a smile and turned away.
Dragging ourselves off we boarded the plane and down below I saw Ray running towards the plane waving his arms. I smiled and waved back my tears blurring my vision. The plane lifted and my ears popped, but all I could focus on is the clouds forming until they covered my home. Trying very hard, I tried to cover my heart also.
XOX
Mom got used to living in Las Vegas easily. She would go to work and I would go to school. I'd be the random new kid everybody is interested in. Or not. I thought we could get along well here in Las Vegas.
That was until she married Stephen Morton. The way he would talk to me and somehow slip his hand somewhere around my body. A bit into their marriage I would notice mom getting some bruises here and there. I swallowed the sick bile when I realized Stephen would hit my mom.
OXO
Once, I was outside watching a group of students head towards a museum. One of them particularly with a Nikon camera, snapped a picture of me before realizing I was looking at him and he turned away blushing. I was still outside when they exited the museum and the boy from earlier was heading towards me. Seeing the other students pulling out brown sacked paper bags I realized it was about lunchtime.
The boy blushed as he stood in front of me with a sack in his hands.
"Can I sit with you?" he asked timidly.
"Sure." I say.
"What's your name?"
"I'm sorry, but I usually don't give my name out to random strangers."
He nods his head in an understanding matter.
"José Rodrigues Jr."
"Jr.?" I say furrowing my eyebrows. Surely this couldn't be.
"My father is the senior."
My mind clicked. "Ana Steele. My dad was in the same unit as yours."
"Steele? Seriously?" he said happily.
We started to talk more. He told me about his passion for photography and how he was here on a field trip. I talked about Ray, how he was doing, how was José Senior, etc. I encouraged him to visit Ray in Montesano and he said he lived nearby. We exchanged phone numbers and headed off our separate ways.
When I came back home Stephen started to yell at me. He then pulled my arm roughly and back handed me in the face.
After that I would avoided Stephen as much as I could. I felt guilty not able to tell anyone and keeping this to myself. The more I stayed in the same room with him, the more I would notice the way he looks at me. Like a predator setting sights for a certain prey. One night, before summer, Stephen came home drunk. My mom tried to clean him up but he raised his bottle and hit her on the head. She stumbled and fell but was still conscious and was watching him wearily.
Stephen stalked over to me and tried to pin me down. I struggled underneath his grip and tears of anger and humiliation formed when he had started to kiss my neck. I kneed him in his middle and he fell off the couch. While down, I kicked him in the stomach and neck before running out.
XOX
When it was nearly dawn I slipped into my window, grabbed my boxes and suitcases and slipped back out when it officially became summer. Immediately when I arrived at Montesano, I told him about mom's latest husband and he was infuriated and after a few phone calls, meetings with lawyers, and weeks, he got full custody of me. Through him, I learned that mom had divorced Stephen and was now living in some other state.
The sense of relief was brief before I realized I might be cursed. I was lying down on my bed the feeling of refreshing, cool air fan over me with the ceiling fan on high. I thought my life over wondering where this went wrong. 1) I pined over a guy who was a blind womanizer and thought of me as a sister 2) My mom was doing really bad with her love life right now I'm afraid I might end up the same 3) Please refer back to numbers 1 and 2 and repeat.
I lolled my head to the side and spotted two large boxes that have yet to be opened. When I ripped it open I widened my eyes in surprise. If my life had went a different direction I would have not taken a second glance at these gossipy, scandalous, and feminine magazines. Now they have taken a new interest to me and I picked one up.
I was halfway through the first box when the doorbell rang and I stood up to get it. I opened the door and was rewarded with a lovely surprise.
"Ana?"
"José?"
We stood there for a moment before jumping up and down and hugging each other. Ray walked in to see José Senior and he invited him to watch the game while José and I headed to my room.
"Wow. I didn't take you for these types of girls." José says seeing Seventeen magazines scattered everywhere opened up to a certain page.
"One of my friends gave me these." I say nonchalantly. He grinned showing that it didn't matter and he made himself at him resting on my bed. He sighed when the air from the ceiling fan refreshed him from the heat outside.
I settled myself back down at the magazine I was currently on. Reading about the percentages of guys liking hair on women. The percentage for not liking hair on women was high. I was so intent on reading I didn't notice the sound of clicking until I looked up and a flash of bright light blinded my eyes for a bit.
"José!" I say rubbing my eyes and seating myself next to him. He shyly hides the camera and I pouted.
"Hey those are pictures of me I think I have the right to look through them."
He sighs and shows me them and I gasp. The girl he showed me was pretty and so not me looking. The lighting casted from the window had shaped her face and the way her movements were captured into one picture was hypnotizing.
"They're amazing José!" I say.
He blushes, but before he says anything José Senior calls him to head back home.
After a while he would visit and I would read Seventeen magazines and he would take pictures. Sometimes, we would head out and go to places. Sometimes we both would read Seventeen magazines or he would show me around and we would visit all these shops. He made me feel like a brother I never had, and actually wanted.
As summer was heading towards its climax I had encountered a little body shop. I entered it and was rewarded with cool air and the smell of cosmetics. I walked down the aisle and saw one of the employees. I timidly walked up to her and shyly asked for any recommendations. She smiled sincerely and walked around filling a bag with shaving things, some facial stuff, lotions and body things, and started telling me what each do. I blushed furiously when she said I had natural beauty and didn't need much.
I paid for the items, thanked the cashier and headed home. That night I debated whether I should return the items or use them. I ended up locking myself in the bathroom and reading the instructions to shaving on wikiHow.
XOX
I was nervously sat on my bed and fidgeted waiting for José. He walked in, but did a double take.
"Did you wax your eyebrows? What happened to your legs?! What happened to Ana, and who are you!?"
"Is it that bad?" I say my lip quivering.
He blinked then stared a little longer.
"It's not bad." He says softly, "It's just different. But different is nice. You look nice."
He grinned and I ended up doing the same.
The radio was on and a slow song came up.
"Oh! José I want to show you something!"
I pull him off the bed and started doing a little ball dance I watched on Youtube that I thought was really pretty. He started to laugh when he stumbled and I joined in.
"How about this," he says and has his leg swerve in an arch behind his other leg while I stepped up. He started adding some Tango moves and soon we had our own little ball/tango dance with a bit of ballet.
He grinned when he set me down and says, "Dios mío, Ana. I didn't know you could dance."
"Hey you were dancing also! And I just saw that from the internet."
"I think you would've done better than the original." He shyly says.
Summer was ending and Ray was looking for some high schools he could register me to.
During dinner with the Rodriguez, I shyly asked him.
"Dad? Can I go to high school in Seattle?"
"Seattle? That's too far."
"Yeah, I just wanted to see Kate and Mia again, that's all."
The two José relatives had gone quiet.
Ray sighed and said, "Alright."
I squealed and hugged him yelling thank you and rushing up the stairs when he said he'll try to contact the Kavanagh family.
XOX
The next morning I read the last of my Seventeen magazines and started to pack. I ditched some of my baggy clothes and plain sneakers for some more creative T-shirts, skinny jeans, and some new converse.
Ray was going to drive me and we started the engine and headed to the Kavanagh manor.
I knocked on the door that was so familiar from last time I had seen it. Kate opened it and I recognized her instantly, but she didn't recognize me.
I didn't change that much, did I?
"Oh my God? Ana!" she screeches and lunges at me to tackle me in a crushing hug.
"Ana?" Elliot says appearing next to her. My eyes widened when I saw him fill out from last year.
He hugs me also and kisses Kate goodbye before to get back home. I grinned when she giddily dragged me to my room across from hers.
"YOU'RE PRETTIER!" Kate squeals, "I mean it's not that you were prettier before, but you're just prettier now. You're just so petite and cute and you lips are so full and-"
I snort and laugh; the sound brought Kate to her senses and she pouted when I didn't exactly change that much.
After an hour of talking and catching up she allowed me to go to sleep. She talked about football season, how things were holding up, Mia, Christian. I winced when she mentioned his new interest which was one of my many jealous students who loathed my existence for even talking to Christian Grey. Elena. The blonde was beautiful and everything about her spoke class. She spoke Christian's type. I cursed my disappointment and scolded myself for still showing some emotions for Christian. No more. No more pining over someone who doesn't care.
The morning I woke up from my sleep I scavenged for a nice pair of jeans that would make my butt look good and a nice tight V-neck shirt. Kate didn't nag my outfit as much as last time and I sighed in relief as I pulled on my converse.
We headed towards the school and the minute I walked out of the office with my schedule I blushed at all the attention. Down the hall I spotted Christian with some other girl and when he saw me he looked at me in surprise. I smiled, but Kate dragged me away to find Mia.
XOX
One. Whole. Week. I've been here for a whole week and that's when Christian decides to talk to me. I was at Kate's house, because the Kavanaghs were throwing a party while their parents were at some business trip.
"Ana." He says slowly as if tasting a new food.
"Hey." I say grinning at him. He definitely changed from last year. His hair more mussed and sexy, his muscles were taught stretching the fabric of his shirt, his pants hanging so dangerously low, but not swag low, just really sexy low. I also noticed his face was now more defined. The only thing that hadn't changed was the grey eyes. No, stop it.
"Hey." He replies and reaches a hand for a handshake. Instead, I leaned for a hug, the one that I didn't give to him before I left. His hand froze midway as well as the rest of his body, but he relaxed almost immediately and wrapped his arms tightly around me.
"I missed you." He murmurs. The sound of that started my heart to beat faster. They weren't those three words, but they were at least one of the three worded words I wanted to hear from him.
"I missed you too." I say pulling away smiling. He had an unreadable expression in his face, but I didn't bother to try and figure this one out.
"Ana!" Kate called. "C'mon we still have to get ready!"
"Coming!" I say walking away from Christian. He catches me hand and I turn around shocked.
"Save me a dance will you?" he says hopeful grey eyes pierced my blue ones.
I bit my lip to debate it. It would be a friend dance right? We're just friends.
"Sure." I say looking up again only to find him staring at my chin. What?
He broke his eyes away and I saw a tint of red color his cheeks.
"See you." He says huskily and walks quickly away, his walk was stiff like his pants were too uncomfortable.
"Yeah." I reply although he can't hear me anymore.
The party was wilder than I thought, it was dark and neon lights are the only things that illuminated the house, the music was so loud you could feel the vibrations inside your bones and pumping into your skull.
Kate and Mia led the way in tight, mini cocktail dresses and heels. I on the other hand wore a strapless pink dress that went well with my skin and flats. I recently found out that although I appreciate Seventeen I found out all the makeup and hair tips was for nothing. I don't like them at all.
We found Elliot, Christian and some of the guy gang I remember before I left. Jack and Ethan were part of the group that I saw, but the rest were obscured from the darkness.
Kate leaped into Elliot's arms while Mia and I stood near Christian. I look up to say hi, but he was already looking at me.
I smile then look back towards the crowd of gyrating, crowded bodies. Hands were in the air and I felt like if I was in there I would get lost easily, then get trampled.
"What are you thinking about?!" Christian yelled in my ear and I made that much out through the loud music.
"I need a drink!" I yell back.
He takes my hand and leads me towards the bar when I felt something static pass through our fingertips. Christian must have felt it too, because he let go of my hands and looked at me questioning
"Did you shock me?" he yells
I shake my head confused so he carries on leading us on and orders us both some fancy sounding alcohol. I looked up again and saw him stare at the bottom half of my face then to my glass.
"Is there something on my face?" I yell into his ear then lean back to wipe my bottom lip with my thumb. I saw his jaw clench and gave him a questioning look. His eyes were strained and when I looked away I still felt his eyes piercing my skull.
My favorite song came up and I set down my glass and pulled Kate and Mia who were close by. Kate and Mia already knew what was coming up and they led me to the dance floor without question.
I got lost in the song twisting and throwing my hands up. Kate whistled saying, "You need to teach me some of those moves!"
I grinned and carried on swaying more vigorously as the song picked up the beat. Mia laughed pulling me deeper in and then leaning into my ears and saying
"Christian's staring at you like he's got a boner."
I look towards him and sure enough he was staring at me, but it didn't really seem like any other expression he would make.
"What are you talking about?" I giggled feeling the alcohol run through my veins. Mia laughed with me also drunk and we danced together.
After three songs I got tired and walked back to Christian who had ignored every girl who came up to from what I've seen.
I grin up at him while I order another drink.
"Why haven't you danced?" I yell at him.
"Didn't feel like it." He says shifting his seat.
My eyebrows furrowed. Christian always dances at any event, party, or song whether or not he felt like it.
"You okay? Are you sick?" I say pressing my hand against his forehead and the sides of face. He closed his eyes and drew in a long breath before exhaling roughly. The bartender returned with my drink and I leaned my head back to take a long drink. I set it down sighing and feeling more alive.
"Are you up for it now?" I grinned at him, "I still owe you a dance, remember?"
He almost pauses but I was far too drunk and fired up to see clearly why. He nods his head and helps me off the bar stool. I stumble giggling and he catches me when I fall on his chest.
"Nice trust exercise." I giggle patting his chest before pulling his hand and leading him off to the dance floor.
The music was still upbeat, so Christian put his hands on my waist. I started to sway pressing myself against him and he moved along with me. I felt him press more firmly against me and I return it but with more vigor in my swaying and grinding. I felt happy, like I was no longer friend zoned, like I was no longer one of the boys. I faced him running my hands up and down his torso and he pulled me against him.
"Christian, "I say breathlessly as his hands slid up and down my backside occasionally squeezing or touching my ass.
"Christian," I say again giggling when he starts to kiss along my jaw and my neck. It felt ticklish and really really good when he bit and suck. I ended up moaning with the combination of his kisses along my jaws, neck, and recently, my collarbone and the two of us grinding against each other.
"I'm sorry." He says gasping when he pulled away his voice barely audible through the loud music and the voices of the other people that had suddenly returned to my senses when he had pulled away. "I shouldn't have done that." He suddenly lets go of me and pushes his way through the crowd and disappearing.
"Christian?" I called pushing my way through, making it extremely difficult since I was really drunk and there was so much people. "Christian?!" I started to sober up easily and pushed my way through more forcefully.
I made my way out the dance floor, but I still couldn't find him. There was a sudden pain in my chest when I realized once more what had happened. I was back to being friend zoned. I was back to being just one of the boys.
I woke the next day with a pounding in my head and my mouth really dry. I found myself back in my room with no recollection of what had happened the previous night and how I got here. The only thing I remembered was Christian.
My shoulders sagged when I realized what had happened. God I am so stupid! He must think I'm easy or something. Tears pricked my eyes when I started to feel like a fool of myself. I sat up to go shower when the room tipped and I fell my eyes straining to adjust to the spinning room. I ended up just dragging myself to the shower and my actions were slow and lazy, because my limbs were heavy and I had no energy.
When I changed to some shorts and a tank top the spinning was gone, but I still had a headache and my limbs were still heavy. I sighed and stretched walking out the door across the hall to wake up Kate.
"Kate." I say pushing open her doors. I freeze at the side in front of me. Elliot topping Kate and only a thin blanket that covered them both.
I shrieked and covered my eyes to turn away but tripped over something and fell. I heard some other sounds but didn't dare look up.
"Ana, we're decent." Kate says and I looked up to see Elliot wrapped around the blanket like a mummy and Kate in a robe both of them red to the neck.
My face also felt warm, but I didn't dare want to think about that now.
"I'm making breakfast." I say nervously dashing out the room.
I was down stairs making pancakes, bacon, and eggs when Christian walked in.
"Oh, hey." I say my face red and I refused to look at him.
"I didn't know you could cook." He says in return.
I bit my lip and turned away, "Uh, yeah. I can."
I willed myself to not cry over this man anymore. He either had now or never.
"Um, football season is coming up and I was wondering if you would come to games? Or were. I don't know, uh. But would you?" he says rambling.
I bit my lip even harder.
"I'm the quarterback, you know." He adds.
I sigh, "I don't know."
I saw him move through my peripheral vision and lean against the island counter. "Look if this is about last night-"
"I'd rather not talk about it." I say a little too harshly. I placed the breakfast on separate plates and set them on the counter.
Afterwards I grab one of the big garbage bags and leave him in the kitchen. I started picking up the trash on the ground picking up cigarette butts, red plastic cups, a few boxes of condoms, I avoided the condoms themselves. I was stretched on my tippy toes to some trash that ended up in some of the shelves. I felt strong sinewy arms pick me up by the waist and lift me up.
I knew who it was, but I ignored him when I was set back down and went to another room to clean up. I grabbed the broom and started sweeping the scraps and a huge pile started to form. I turned around to sweep some more and when I faced the pile of trash, Christian was sweeping it into a dustpan. I abandoned the broom and went to another room and brought out a vacuum.
"Ana, can we talk?" he says following me. I scowled and put the suction to the highest so his voice can be drowned out.
Stupid Christian, stupid alcohol, stupid party, stupid me I repeated this mantra over and over again as I picked up the tiny pieces littered on the ground. A graceful hand with long piano fingers brushed over mine as he held the vacuum in place to shut it off.
"Ana." He says his voice straining.
I growl in frustration, "FINE! YOU WANT TO TALK? TALK!"
He flinched and drew in a deep breath.
"Last night wasn't supposed to happen."
"Really? I didn't figure that out!" I say sarcastically.
I heard him mutter, "You and your smart mouth."
He continued, "I'm not good for you Ana. I just want us to play it safe and stay friends."
I knew it I knew it. I was a hopeless romantic like my mom. Christian was the only love I've ever known. Was it really love though?
I swallowed thickly then said, "Okay."
"Okay?" he says furrowing his eyebrows.
"Were you expecting another answer?"
He ran his hands through his hair mussing it even more.
"No." he says finally, "No, not really."
He makes his way to leave, but he turns back and says, "I'm really sorry Ana. I just can't do the girlfriend thing."
"Does it really matter?" I say thinking of all those times when he never exactly did do the girlfriend thing. Maybe a one week flings at the max. "Go ahead mess someone else's bed sheets."
"I will. Ana I'm serious don't expect me to come back to you. All you ever are and ever will be to me is one of my friends and I'd like it to stay like that" He says coldly like he's really trying to convince me before slamming the door and leaving.
Kate and Elliot enter diving in for the food.
"What happened to him?" Elliot says nodding his head towards the place where Christian was.
I swallowed and shrugged my shoulders.
XOX
The next month and three weeks later everyone was buzzing about homecoming. Christian continued to prove that he wouldn't date her by flaunting all kinds of women in front of me. Each time it was a different woman, and each time it re-opened the same wound.
No matter how much he tried, I still visited his games seeing him touchdown and winning the games.
OXO
I looked wistfully at Kate and Elliot together for homecoming and Mia and Ethan together also. Christian was going with Elena who managed to convince him that she deserved a second chance when they had broken up a few weeks ago. She was ecstatic and flaunted that in front of the whole school. Especially me.
"Just because you look better that doesn't mean you're prettier." She had said.
Way to kill my self- esteem. I tried to not care anymore. I had decided I didn't want to go and it had absolutely nothing with the fact I do not have a date. Or that I just don't have the date I wanted.
It doesn't matter I thought to myself one afternoon when the final bell rang. That was until we came back to the Kavanagh manor.
We were heading towards Kate's house when I saw a figure standing in front of the door. He turns then flashes me a grin.
I jumped out the car before the car stopped and ran into José's arms and he swung me around. Kate and Mia followed making kissing noises. I pulled away from José blushing and he did the same.
"What are you doing here?" I say excitedly opening the door for him and he followed me inside.
"I wanted to visit you." He replies shrugging his shoulders.
"Aww." Kate and Mia says in unison.
José and I blush and he leaves asking for the bathroom.
"Ana! He's hot! Like with three t's. That's really hot." Mia says.
I laugh at her ignorance.
"You should have him ask you."
"Ask you what?" José says returning.
"Homecoming." Mia says then adds loudly, "She doesn't have a date. You could be her surprise date, y'know. Make her think she's a loner until the dance and BAM! Hot date."
I blushed furiously and José says, "Sure. If Ana won't mind."
I turn to him grinning, "Of course I won't mind."
I lead him to my room where Mia and Kate whistle from below.
It was like I never left. José would sit on the bed while I'll do some mundane things and he'll photograph it to make it look extraordinary.
I wondered what it would have been like if I just attended a school in Montesano as I looked at the window staring at the reflection of José taking another picture of me.
I was nervous as hell. I was in this beautiful strapless blue gown and I felt like the ugliest person right now sweating like a pig.
My hair was curled and pinned to one side and my makeup was light and natural. I made sure to make the mascara waterproof. I'm wearing a beautiful gown. I have a date. What's there to be worrying about? Oh, right. Christian.
The bell rang and Kate and I walked carefully downstairs to the door. Kate was so confident in a long red gown and a slit through it.
"After all," she says, "It's our senior year. We deserve to be happy."
Elliot and José stood there sharply dressed in black three pieced suits and their vest the same colors as our dress.
"You look beautiful." José and Elliot say in a breathless unison. I blushed and looked down while Kate grinned and walked over to the car.
We arrive at the gym which was huge and packed with people dancing and eating. We entered as a slow song came up and José took my hands and led me to the dance floor. He pulled us close together and we started to do a familiar pattern.
I laughed when I suddenly realized what he was doing.
"José! No! We're in public!" I laugh as he still tugs me closer to him.
"C'mon it's even the same song! Let's dance!"
I snorted smiling as I tried to walk away when I caught a pair of grey eyes. Christian. I was pulled back and José had one hand on my hip and one in my hand.
I roll my eyes and laughed.
"Okay, fine!" I say exasperated.
He grins and we start to dance like we had before back in Montesano. The compilation of the series of movements became even more dramatic with my dress billowing around the two of us. I sensed the crowd around us but with the adrenaline pulsing through my veins and the feeling of finally feeling…content and happy, I didn't care for once. I didn't care that Christian is probably watching, or the fact that I might be leading José on. This is my senior year, I didn't know my major, I don't know where I'll be headed, but all I know is that I don't care.
We were both breathing heavily when the song ended. I had a goofy grin on my face and José had one to match. He was dipping me and I had one leg wrapped around his waist.
The crowd applauded and he straightened us both up.
"I'm never doing that again." I say laughing.
He winks and leads us to our table with Kate, Elliot, Mia, and Ethan.
"You guys looked amazing!" Mia squealed and clapped her hands.
She slowed her clapping and looked down when she spotted someone behind me.
I turned around and gasped in surprise, "Christian!"
Elena, who was clung to him, glared at me. I had to admit she was pretty stunning.
"May we join you?" he asks us but his eyes were trained on me. I felt myself blush before looking away.
"Of course." Elliot says happy to comply with his little brother.
Christian purposefully sat next to me and I felt him bore flames into my skull with his eyes. My giddy emotion had sobered and dipped into depression when Christian asked
"Ana, may I speak with you?"
I look up with a surprised expression on my face. "Of course."
He leads us out the gym doors and he's careful to keep the door open until the rest of my dress fully exits.
I stand nervously and tried very hard to not look at him. It was cooler outside without everyone's breathing bunching up and forming a suffocating heat and I shivered in the cold.
"You look beautiful tonight." Christian says trying to ease the tension. "Not that you haven't looked beautiful before but more beautifuller. But not like-"
"Thank you." I say smiling softly at his strange demeanor.
His cheeks were reddening from the cold and we breathed out fog.
"So what did you want to talk to me about?" I asked breaking the silence that had dragged.
"I'm sorry. I mean- I wanted to say I am sorry. I shouldn't have said those things to you and I felt like shit ever since because you don't deserve that. Seeing you with that-that-"
"José?" I added helpfully.
"Yeah, I- I just. I noticed he should be everything you deserve and I. I don't know. It makes me angry." He started to pace. "I know you should be with that type of person, someone who should make you happy, and I feel like it should be me."
My breath caught in my throat and I felt my heart racing, pounding against my skull. The cold was now forgotten and all I feel is heat. It rushed to my face down my neck and all the way to my groin.
"Christian." I say softly, shaking my head in disbelief.
"Look Ana, if you didn't notice, I've been in love with you for years. Since we were kids, and I actually believed that whole stupid 'if they're mean to you they like you' thing. I started going with other girls, because you never seemed to be interested, and now that you actually have someone around your finger like that-"he stops pacing and runs his fingers through his hair repeatedly.
Mia pokes her head outside. "Guys, they're announcing the king and queen for homecoming now! Stop holding up and come on!"
She goes back inside and I look at Christian who has this pleading look on his face.
"Christian, I'm done, okay? You're either lying or you need to visit the eye doctor because you obviously haven't noticed the fact that I was completely in love with you."
I saw his eyes widened and he stepped forward, I stepped back and continued.
"But you said so yourself, 'Don't expect me to come back to you. All you ever are and ever will be to me is one of my friends and I'd like it to stay like that.' Did you or did you not say that? And did you or did you not continuously prove to me that you don't do the girlfriend thing by flaunting other women in my face?"
He flinched "I did but-"
"How could you expect me to trust you then?" I say my voice wavering and it took my whole willpower to not cry in front of him.
When he did not answer I stormed back inside and went to look for José. They were announcing the whole 'dance with king and queen' thing and started to open the envelope. I pushed passed people and went through the other exit only to find another most surprising thing. José and one of Christian's friends, Sawyer, were making out.
"I KNEW IT!" I say happily. They broke apart and their jaws dropped to the ground. "José I am SO happy for you!"
He opens his mouth to say something when Kate pops her head out and says "ANA COME HERE!"
I furrow my eyebrows in confusion and followed her back in the gym only to be dragged onto the stage.
"Congratulations Anastasia!" the principal says and one of the office ladies placed a silver sash with blue lettering that says Homecoming Queen. She gave me a bouquet of pretty white and blue flowers and placed a heavy crown on my head. Oh. My.
I look around frantically and confused.
"Now for our king!"
He rips open a cream colored envelope with gold trimming and pulled out a small paper.
"Christian Grey!" he announces happily. What?
"What?" Elena screeches. "First she takes my crown and now she wants my man?"
She stomps onto the stage and raises her hand. Another hand catches her wrist.
"Elena don't" Christian says his eyes hardened and his posture was stiff.
"You can't be serious."
He glares at her menacingly and she stomped off with tears in her eyes. Christian pretended nothing happened and he accepted his crown with grace.
"Now for the dance with the king and queen!" the principal says too cheerfully and it wasn't until while Christian was leading us to the dance floor did I see Kate and Mia hand him a thick white envelope.
I narrowed my eyes at them when a slow song started playing and we swayed awkwardly and in arm's length of each other. Mia and Ethan join us and they were twirling towards us behind Christian while Kate and Elliot did the same behind me when Christian had moved us and I spotted them.
Ethan and Elliot had 'accidentally' bumped into us and Christian and I stumbled closer. He regained his composure while I on the other hand stepped on my dress. He caught me in surprise, but by the time we were standing straight the dance floor was packed and we could easily bump into someone with our elbows.
They were all in love and here I am doing the same. The only difference was that we were both aware of each other's feelings and we so want to desperately want to do something about it while the others already had.
"Hey" Christian says placing his fingers under my chin to keep my head up "Your crown is falling princess."
Oh fuck this.
I leaned on my toes and pressed my lips on his. He smelled musky and his lips were soft and warm against mine. He responded instantly and wrapped his arms tighter around me and lifted me up for easier access. His lips started to move and I responded with the same ferverous passion I didn't realize I had. I gripped his hair running my fingers through the silky locks I wanted to do for so long and clung onto them like they were the only thing that would keep me from drowning.
I was drowning anyways in the love and passion and the need that had bottled up all those years and Christian gladly returned it ten- fold.
"Get a room!" Elliot's voice called through the hazy fog that filled my mind. Christian pulled away reluctantly his tongue swiping across the bottom of his lip and I wondered if we used tongues. I wouldn't have noticed with my mind clouded and the only thing that mattered was regaining my breath and knowing the reason behind it made me shiver.
Christian glared at Elliot before leading me out the gym, but not before we heard the 'oohs' of the boys and the wolf whistles and someone screaming "I KNEW IT! YOU OWE ME!"
I giggled and Christian looked back to grin at me. We stopped in front of the fountain that was in front of the school entrance.
"Ana, I need an answer, I don't want any more mixed emotions from you. Will you finally be my girlfriend, since you haven't been catching on for the last 10 years?"
"Me?" I say flabbergasted "You're the blind one here." He shook his head and chuckled.
I joined in his laughs and we ended up laughing for a bit. "Yes, I'll be your girlfriend." I say after we stopped laughing.
He tensed, and before I knew it I was tightly in his arms and he was swinging me around. I laughed, and then I shrieked.
He tripped over the ledge of the fountain and we dove in cold water. Our crowns luckily did not get wet, but my sash was floating between us. I shivered as I pulled my hand away from the bottom of the fountain which held an assortment of cold coins.
I glared at Christian who was grinning at me as I tried to gather my soppy dress. He grin broadened and I couldn't help the smile that formed on my face also.
"You're a dork you know that?"
"A pervy dork." Christian says wagging his eyebrows at my now clingy dress when I stood up.
"My pervy dork." I mumble wrapping my arms around him and he held me back.
Epilogue
I stood there fist on my hips, eyes narrowed, and a full on momma bear mode.
Christian, Teddy, and Phoebe wet the bathroom AGAIN!
"I said to take them a bath Christian. Not to flood the place!" I say menacingly calm huffing the strand of hair that began to fall in front of my face.
He grinned sheepishly and Teddy and Phoebe giggled splashing more water on their soaked father. "They kids just wanted to have some fun. C'mon have some fun with us, Ana."
"No. The only fun I'm getting in this is when I watch you clean this mess up." I say sternly.
"Bad Daddy!" Teddy giggled. Strange a four year old would still like to bathe with his two year old sister, but oh well.
"Bad Daddy!" Phoebe says mimicking her older brother and splashing Christian in the process. He shielded himself from the water, but his face brightened up. He stood up and stalked up to me with that sexy grace he has. He's still well built and I hate him for not having any baby fat left.
Some of it had shed, but there were a few stretch marks Christian adored and a few lower abdomen layers I loathe.
"Christian, what are you doing?" I say stepping back glaring at him.
"What do you mean? How about water you doing." He says placing a really bad pun in there. Teddy and Phoebe seemed to get it and they giggled at his little joke. He scooped me up and heading back for the bath tub.
"Christian? Christian! No! Set me down-"he dumped me into the tub and I sputtered. Teddy attacked me by jumping on me and Phoebe started to splash me. I laughed along with them and when Christian wasn't paying attention, I pulled him in and he hit his head trying to avoid the kids.
"Daddy!" Teddy and Phoebe gasped.
"Daddy's fine." Christian says trying to get comfortable lying on top of me and Teddy and Phoebe squished.
"Oh, now we're really overflowing it." I complain seeing the water spill over the tub.
"Gail will do it." Christian sighs and I glare at him.
He kisses my nose and leans back again waiting for a reaction. I sigh and grin at him finally and attempt to sit up. He wiggles so that I am in a sitting position and when I was able to bend freely I leaned in to kiss the angry pink splotch on the side of his head.
"We should get out." I say squirming when I noticed my kids were turning to prunes. We both stand up and wrap our kids in towels. We carry them to their rooms then call Gail to help them so we can get cleaned up also.
Christian led us to the shower and we peeled off our clothes to wash away the bubblegum scented bubbles and the kiddy body wash. We end up washing each other and once we rinsed ourselves Christian held me under the scalding water.
"You're mine you know that, right?"
"Of course I do. Where is this heading?"
"Nowhere." He pauses for a bit before adding "Who's Alex Dejenary?"
I laugh and pull back to see him pouting which is something that had started to get more pronounced during his time with the kids.
"There's nothing to be jealous of. She is a girl you know."
He reddens and turns off the shower before stepping out and wiping us both down.
"I knew that." He mutters.
I catch his face with my hands and force him to look me in the eye. "Don't give me that tone. You can't help it if you're just as ignorant as you were since primary school."
"At least I am not ignorant enough to start and run my own company." He counters.
"Yes but you still forgot when José and Sawyer's wedding was going to be. And Kate and Elliot's, oh and don't forget your own little sister's."
He scowled and I could almost make out a pouting Teddy in there.
I laugh and kiss him before dropping my towel and walking out the bathroom. I turn biting my lip and curl my index finger at Christian who just stood there with his jaw on the ground. His eyes darken and he tossed his towel to the side before chasing me back to the bedroom.
All that evening he made me feel loved. And not one bit like I was ever one of his guy friends. Let alone a little sister. And for once, I was happy I started out as one of the boys.