Sample Sunday ~ Within Your Eyes

Hey Lovelies!Yes I have returned with a sample! It was hard to pick considering most of my projects right now are well sequels so I can't show them because they'll give too much away! So I figured while my friend Amy is still editing Beneath the Scars (which by the way she is loving!) I would show you the other contemporary fiction story that I have been working on!  Beneath the Scars is a modern Beauty and the Beast, and Within Your Eyes is a modern Cinderella. Both tales have been told many different ways, but it's all in the characters! I am loving the characters in both, I hope you guys will love them as much as me.

Within Your Eyes

Chapter One

Sonja

There was at least two pens in my hair and possibly a pencil poking out of the pun that was to keep me from ripping my hair out while I was rushing through this essay. I had to go home for the weekend because step mom, Robin, needed help around the house and of course my two step sisters were pretty much useless. Thankfully I got almost a full scholarship for a college not far from home otherwise I am sure my step mom wouldn’t have let me go. Even getting her was hard enough, but I had to reassure Robin that I was only a phone call or text away and eventually she let me go. However she literally has no problem calling me and asking me to be home in an hour which is how long it takes me to drive home. Which is almost more strainias than when I was home closer to their beck and call.

The house needed maintenance so I had to drive home to things such as mowing the lawn, cleaning out the gutters, preparing the pool to be closed for the fall in addition to a few other things. So I spent all weekend helping Robin and the dynamic evil twins Tiffany and Christine since they don’t believe in lifting a finger, but that left close to no time to actually get work down myself. Plus there is was little Gabriella who needed to be taken care of.

Sighing I rubbed my eyes as they were tired and dry. I wanted nothing more then to sleep, but this paper had to get done because I needed the GPA to keep my scholarships. I killed myself over the summer to make sure I had money during the school year. A couple of thuds echoed through the apartment signaling one of my roommates were back.

“Sonja are you here?” a voice called out from the door.

“Yeah I’m here,” I responded as my eyes were still glued to the screen, my fingers typed furiously.

“Long weekend?” Angie questioned while leaning in my door frame.

Glancing up I stretched my arms over my head to pull the muscles in my back.

“Yeah I had to make a few calls for them, mowed the lawn even though the grass doesn’t grow in October, cleaned the gutters, repainted parts of the house, you normal college student weekend,” I yawned as I looked at my friend.

Her brown, black and short around her shoulders with her sunglasses on top of her head. Her eyes were outlined in dark mascara with dark pink lips, Angie knew her make-up. That and designer clothes that she even wore to class. Me I was in an old t-shirt that was too big because it was my dad’s and old jeans I wore in high school, but I really needed a new pair. Stupid female hips deciding to widen a little.

“Girl I don’t know why you can’t just cut ties with them, you are over eighteen,” Angie’s eyes soften as her eyes were looking searching around my room which wasn’t as personalized as hers.

I groaned taking my glasses off to rub my whole face.

“I wish it was that easy, as much as she has made my life a living hell, Robin still raised me,” my voice was light. “Her and my dad got married when I was five making us one big happy family. When I was seven Robin became pregnant with Gabriella and my dad died during that time leaving me in her care with her two daughters. Gabriella never really had a chance without me.”

Angie raised an eyebrow, “Yeah, but you are treated worse then prisoners. Family shouldn’t treat others like that.”

I shrugged my shoulders, “I know, but it’s the hand I was dealt.”

“Girl you are too good and they don’t deserve you.”

I opened my mouth just in time for my cell to ring. Noticing the caller id I picked up the phone.

“Hey Jim how is the trip looking for them?” I responded pulling out a notebook from my discarded backpack.

“Yeah Sonja I got your message, how are you doing?” Jim asked, he was the travel agent that Robin has always used, well that I used to help plan her trips.

“I’m well, and busy thanks,” I spoke kindly balancing my phone with my head and shoulder while grabbing a pen.

“I see that you were looking for around New Year Eve and looking to go somewhere warm?”

Nodding my head and folding my legs as I was still on my bed Angie walked out of the room rolling her eyes.

“Yeah Robin wants to take Tiffany, Christine, and Gabriella with her when she goes away. She is thinking possibly Aruba since it is south enough to still be warm in January,” I continued

“It’ll be a little more expensive since that is a holiday time and this is rather short notice-“

I butted in, “I know and I’m sorry, you know Robin, she doesn’t plan real well-“

“Wasn’t she scheduled for a skiing trip around that time?”

“Yeah she was, but then Tiffany was complaining how much she doesn’t like the cold which started up Christine. So instead she is thinking possibly maybe starting the travel on the twenty-seventh to possibly January tenth?”

“That’s a long time to be away, is she sure?”

I sighed, “I know as happy as I will be to have the house to myself I asked her a couple of times, but she says she is sure.”

I heard clicks through the phone connection.

“Well you really gave me a challenge this time, so I’ll try to work on it and get back to you,” Jim’s voice was tired and I could not blame him.

“Thank you Jim! You Sir, are a lifesaver,” I spoke before we hung up.

Groaning I put the Robin notebook aside before putting the last touches on my essay. Then I pressed print to make sure that I could hand it to my professor later. Stretching while I was walking I made my way to the kitchen where Angie was standing in front of an open fridge.

“That won’t make deciding dinner faster,” I jabbed at my friend that I met our freshman year of college.

“Blah, but I don’t know what I want to eat,” Angie faked whined.

I playfully shoved my friend out of the way and searched the fridge, “Wow we really need to go to the food store…one more thing that needs to be done.

I scrunched my face.

“If you give me a list I’ll go.”

I raised an eyebrow at her, “No offense, Angie I love you, but do we not remember the last time you went food shopping for us?

Angie rolled her eyes, “We didn’t starve.”

“You bough us stale bread, five cans of Spaghetti-O’s, two gallons of ice cream, a few Mac & Cheese boxes, several frozen pizzas, and a jumbo box of Fruit Loops. I might as well have sent a small child to do the food shopping,” I muttered as I grabbed some of the last bit of ground beef since it was going to go bad soon. There was some other stuff that we needed for tacos so I figured it was also short to cook so why not have a taco night.

“So Angie, it seems we have a taco night on our hands,” I laughed as I watched her eyes grow big.

“Tequila!” Angie squealed starting to jump around in the kitchen waving her arms about.

I laughed shaking my head happy that we were in apartments her father set us up in because we would get in trouble for her drinking habits.

“I love meals that are perfectly themed with alcohol!” Angie sang as she went through a cabinet she kept her drinks that she hid we weren’t quiet twenty one.

“Woman sometimes I wonder if you’ll be the death of me,” I giggled, but shook my head.

“You can’t die because who else would I force to have fun?” Angie proclaimed as I heard clanking of glasses.

I had the meat sizzling in the pan while I started to grate the cheese.

“If I died then you probably would die off yourself, I take good care of you,” I pointed at her with the block of cheese.

Angie grinned.

“I know my parents love you as much as I do,” Angie giggled before hugging me. “You are like their second daughter that they occasionally see.”

I smiled thinking of the invitations I’ve received from their family, most of which I had to deny because of Robin.

“Well they are so nice how could I not appreciate them?” I questioned stirring the meat before grabbing the mutated head of lettuces. “Angie what did you do to this thing?!”

Angie shrugged taking a shot before putting the bottle away, “I hate having classes in the morning.”

I snorted, “You also hate having them at night.”

“Very true, the afternoon classes seem to be my cup of tea, speaking of tea do we have any?” Angie started to search the cabinets.

Laughing I answered, “I haven’t been here all weekend you tell me!”

Angie started to hum as she rummaged probably looking for tea bags. Shaking my head a smile escaped because taking care of Angie was not a chore like taking care of the three at home. Angie grabbed a couple of plates for us as she seemed to have forgotten the teabags she was attempting to find.

“We’ll make a list tonight then after our last class ends tomorrow since they end around the same time.”

Angie grinned, “Sounds good, so we’ll take one car?”

Class ended a couple of minutes early which was rare so I sat in the lounge with a book from my political science class. My dark hair was tied back in a braid that was slung over my shoulder and I curled up in the chair. My eyes skimmed each word as I zone out to my surroundings of constant people moving about. One of the index fingers rested against the edges of the pages waiting to turn the page once again.

“God it’s so creepy sometimes how still you can be, you’re like a painting!” Angie shrieked with her big purse hanging on one of her shoulders.

She should talk, she appeared as if she leaped off one of the pages of a fashion magazine. Angie wore knee high heeled, chocolate boots over her skinny jeans, a mocha color shirt and a light jacket. Her make-up was not smudged and her dark hair was pinned straight. As much as I loved my friend I really was jealous of her at times.

“Sorry I figured I’d get some homework done while I was waiting for you,” I responded pushing myself up.

I shoved my book back into my backpack before following her. If our classes were around the same time Angie offered to drive me to help save miles considering how much I drove home and back. As we got closer to her car it glistened in the sun, always clean, till you got inside where there was paper and bags all over.

“I really hate this professor; I mean come on look at these marks on a paper! It’s a History class not English, as long as the facts are there and the paper makes sense why the hell be so strict!” Angie grumbled as she slid into her leather seats.

I placed my back pack on the floor by my feet still not completely comfortable in her settings. My own room at my so called home I lived in a section in the basement.

“I don’t know what to tell you other than I’ve had more bad professors then I have had teachers from kindergarten to senior year of high school,” I commented as her music blasted as the windows were open on this odd warm October. “Just remember when we get there we have a set list and you are not to go ADD on me.”

Angie laughed, “Yes mommy, you really have loosened up since I took you under my wing to be my friend, but that reminds me!” she squealed. “So me and this girl in my class I think her name is Laura, or is it Laurie? This is going to drive me crazy!”

Angie stopped talking as her face scrunched, the tires swerved and I grabbed the wheel.

“Angie! Drive! Name is not important!” I yelled as my voice went high pitched.

“Right!” Angie’s tone was its normal bubbly-ness as if we almost didn’t die. “Her name isn’t important anyway, but she was talking about a party Halloween weekend! It is apparently going to be big. I mean a couple other colleges are spreading the word, there will be costumes, music, and god only knows how many boys!”

I rolled my eyes.

“You are forgetting something my darling friend,” I sang as Angie was parking.

“What’s that?” Angie asked as she glanced over at me with scrunched manicured eyebrows.

“Robin,” I muttered the one word.

Angie groaned as she got out of the car just to slam the door.

“Sonja, even for one night?!”

I rolled my eyes as I followed her, taking a cart I put my purse in the front seat. Hunched over I followed my friend down the aisle. She grabbed a box of freshly made chocolate chip muffins, not on the list.

“As long as she doesn’t call me that night I won’t have an excuse considering I live with you,” I muttered taking a couple apple off the cart and into a bag.

“That’s the spirit! However a little more enthusiasm!” Angie exclaimed in the middle of the produce area causing people to turn and stare.

“I didn’t say I would go,” I retorted.

“But you didn’t exactly say no either,” Angie pranced down another aisle.

I pushed the cart ahead before picking my feet up so that I could feel the cart drive down without me doing so. Finally catching up with the tall child I dropped my heels to stop the cart.

“Yeah I’m the ADD child,” Angie smirked.

I grinned, “I love you.”

“You’re still going to the party.”

I groaned.

“Think of the costumes-“

“I’m not wearing a whores costume they call a costume. They are pretty much as much coverage as what women wear on a pole,” I spoke through gritted teeth ready to fight my friend even though I knew by now she’d get her way.

“It’s the one day a year where we get to spend large quantity of money to wear lingerie outside!” Angie joked, but I was in no mood as I glared at her. “Fine we’ll get you a cute little club dress and a mask so that you can hide behind something other than those glasses of yours.”

I touched my thin rimmed glasses.

“I kind of need them to see,” my voice was weaker.

Angie glanced over her shoulder, “You’ll wear contacts for one night.”

“I don’t have many considering I pay for them.”

“I think I have a cute dress you could borrow,” Angie was now off on one of her make over rants.

No I really didn’t wear much make-up nor did I pluck my eyebrows because I didn’t think they need to pencil line thin. I got hand me downs occasionally from Angie, but most of my clothes were old because I had to save my money for other things and I didn’t feel the need to waste it on fancy clothes that I would outgrow. It took me going to college for me to gain a chest and hips and I’m still trying to figure what kind of joke that was. Day I put on my bra and it was too small I threw a tantrum that Angie still brings up to laugh at my expense. I hate paying for bras…

“Angie, why can’t you go with another friend of yours?” I begged almost hating the whine that my voice was becoming.

Angie grabbed a package of pop tarts and tossed it into the cart.

“I really don’t know how you haven’t gain a million pounds or rotted your teeth out,” I commented at the cart where I had tried to put meals in while she threw in nothing, but snack food.

“Thank you for proving why I will be dragging that butt of yours to the party,” Angie raised a brow at me with that leer of hers with her lipstick covered lips.

“Are you calling me a stick in the mud?” I questioned grabbing some yogurt.

“Yes, why does that bother you?”

I shook my head, “Nopes, it’s nothing I haven’t heard before so keep trying.”

Angie groaned, “Girl it’s a party not a freaking death sentence.”

“But-“

“But what Cinderella? The evil step mother might turn into a dragon and try to kill you?”

“Way to mix two fairy tales,” I shot back at her with a smirk on my own face this time

Angie laughed.

Chapter Two

Sonja