A/N: so this is basically what would happen if it had been Cricket, instead of Amanda who moved back to Dallas in the beginning. Eventual Blicket. I hope y'all enjoy! I'm still devastated over the fact that this amazing show has been cancelled. Please sign the petition to bring it back! Happy reading.
Morning came too early for Cricket, since she didn't get much sleep. Her 5:30 alarm startled her, to say the least. She showered, pulled out one of her few dresses and did her hair and makeup.
Her daddy had also registered Alexandra for school so she could start right away, it was the middle of the year and Cricket was worried what the kids would think of her, especially since they were from California and her dad's story had been circulating national news. She knew the ladies she went to school with had kids that went to Hillside, but wasn't sure if they were aware or would recognize who Alexandra was.
She went in to wake up Alexandra who was tossing and turning, "mornin hon…" she said, rubbing the sixteen year old 's shoulder.
"mama?" she mumbled.
"yeah sweetie, time for school" Cricket said, and with this Alexandra got up, dug through a box and sighed, "I need a towel…"
Cricket just smiled, and showed her daughter that the bathroom was already filled, all she had to do was grab her shampoo and take a shower. "who did this mama?"
She smiled again, and rubbed her daughter's shoulder, "your granddaddy, he knew we were comin back so he set this up for us"
"oh… mmk… will you make me breakfast?" the teen asked.
"yeah, I will. School starts at eight hon" Cricket reminded her, even though she had told Alexandra about school the night before.
Her daughter nodded, and turned on the shower. Cricket sighed heavily and went downstairs to make breakfast.
She saw a message from her father that said he'd come see her at the office today. She didn't want to see her daddy until the bruises healed. He couldn't know, no one could. Not even Blake.
Alexandra came downstairs in jeans and a UCLA t-shirt. Cricket sighed, she was a prospect for a cheerleading scholarship there. And now that was probably no longer the case. Daddy Bo wouldn't let his granddaughter get into the same mess Cricket did.
But Cricket also knew if Alexandra wore that to school she'd be branded a javelina almost instantly. "sweetheart, do you have any of your dresses still?"
"why mama?" the teen asked, hiding a yawn.
"this school is a lot different from the one in California, we're in the really nice part of town, I'm not sure how much you wanna fit in but it might help if you dressed up a little more…" she explained.
"mama I'm tired. I don't think I have anything good enough to wear right now" the teen said, picking up the toast Cricket sat in front of her.
"alright hon. Just wear that today, maybe I'll see if Daddy Bo can get me some money so we can go shopping" she sighed, she didn't have very much either, the Feds took most of everything anyways. All her expensive jewelry, gone. All of her designer clothes that would have made her fit right in with the rest of her old friends, nearly gone, except for a few pieces she could prove she bought herself.
Mason spoiled Alexandra, she got everything she wanted. Tiffany & Co. Jewelry, a nice car, designer handbags, everything. Cricket's heart broke for her daughter when the Feds started raiding her room. She was at cheer practice, they had a competition that weekend. Mason and Cricket were both able to attend, for once. Now her daughter had nothing, she could probably get back on the cheer squad at Hillside, but her prospective UCLA scholarship was gone. Poor kid wouldn't give up a pair of Tiffany earrings she got for her fifteenth birthday, they were her first. She'd been wearing them every day since the news was circulating. She constantly said 'if I'm wearing them they're not allowed to take the clothes off my body'
Cricket drove her daughter to school in near silence. "can I be a cheerleader again mama?"
"just try to get through today, and we'll talk about it, alright?" Cricket replied. She wasn't sure if she had the money to pay for uniforms, shoes, pom poms, competitions, and hair bows.
The teen nodded and hesitantly got out of the small SUV and made her way to the front of the school. Cricket took a shaky deep breath as she drove to the office building her daddy owned. She really hoped he wouldn't be there when she got there first thing. She wanted to get her office set up.
She parked and got in the elevator to where her daddy said her office would be. She slipped by Blake's office without him noticing, thank God he was on the phone. She went into her office and jumped a little when there was a bouquet of brightly colored flowers on her desk with a card attached.
'Crick, welcome back to Dallas. I thought you and Alexandra might like to use this' –Blake.
She sighed when she saw the Neiman Marcus gift card and a very large number written on the back. Now she definitely didn't want to see him today.
She started sorting through things on her desk and a to do list that was obviously in her father's handwriting. She knew that meant he was here somewhere.
There was a knock on her office door and she looked up. Blake was hotter than she remembered him being. She sighed, he was probably married with kids, and was probably a great dad, and a loving husband, which was something would never have. Mason just gave Alexandra everything she asked for. Every cheer bow, new shoes every season, she got it. But he never was a caring father, if she was upset he didn't comfort her, and he certainly didn't comfort Cricket.
She motioned for him to come in and he smiled, "hey Cricket"
She looked down at her desk, not wanting him to see the faint lines of the bruise that she was trying so desperately to hide. "Hi…" she mumbled.
"how was your drive back?" he asked, knowing she had only been there one night.
"long, tiring, boring…." She said, with a deep sigh.
Blake knew she still had to be grieving. They were friends in high school, and that wasn't going to change now because she'd been gone for a long time. he walked around to where he was standing next to her and put a gentle hand on her shoulder.
Cricket tensed when he touched her and took in a breath. Mason had shoved her up against a wall and her shoulders were sore.
"Cricket… it's okay" he said, pulling his hand away.
She sighed, "sorry Blake…" and still wouldn't look up at him.
"don't worry, I just thought you and Alexandra could use a little somethin to get some new stuff" he said, smiling, even though he knew she couldn't see it.
"thanks… I've got work to do… daddy Bo's comin… and…" she started, but the man in question walked through the office door before she could continue.
"Cricket! Come give daddy a hug…" he said, smiling at Blake, who stepped out of the room.
She took in a breath and walked over to her father, letting him embrace her. It took everything in her not to squirm away from his touch, because she knew he'd say something. She just wanted him to let go, and fast.
He final let go and she quickly made her way back to her desk, realizing she still hadn't said a word to her father. She was too scared to say anything or make eye contact with him. He would find out, for sure.
A/N: I hope you guys like this! It's completely different, I know, but good things will come for Cricket if you keep reading and review to let me know! I'm open to suggestions on what should happen!