Bullied By My Alpha Stepbrother

Jason Davenport

I lay on my bed exhausted. I’d just gotten home from school after a 3 hour long practice.

Coach was getting us ready for a game against St John’s High; the current state champions. So we’ve been training hard for it.

I guess this was good in some way, as I usually got home late as a result of the training. And as soon as I had dinner, I went straight to bed.

This actually helped me forget that I was grounded. Well, except on the weekends when I had absolutely nothing to do.

Well, Dad was leaving soon. And obviously the guilt of leaving me behind would prompt him to lift the ban. And voilà, I’m not grounded anymore.

I just hoped he would let me have my car back as well.

I stopped running my fingers through my hair as I thought of Ashley. Ever since I’d seen her that night underneath the tree talking to someone on the phone, I’d been suspicious.

Was she planning to rob him?

Hurt him?

My heart skipped a beat at that thought. But. . . she needed him for his money so why would she do that?

One part of me wanted to let it go, let her do her thing. So that when she’d steal from Dad, he’d see that I’d been right about her all along. And then maybe he’d learn to listen to me. Trust me.

I smirked, playing it out in my head and liking that I’d had enough sense to see through Ashley’s facade. The satisfaction I would gain was worth it.

But another part of me just couldn’t shake it off. If she was planning to do something stupid, which I knew she was, I wanted to be the one to catch her in the act.

Gold digging bitch. Elation pumped through me as I thought about it.

Making up my mind to monitor her even more closely from now on, I jumped into the shower to freshen up.

Two hours later I sat at the dining table with Dad and Ashley gulping down generous portions of potato porridge while dad discussed something with Ashley.

At intervals, Ashley would look up from her food to offer me a warm smile.

It took all I had in me not to scoff. She’d been acting like this since the day she met Amelia. Did she really think we were buddies now because I answered her question politely.

Bitch. She was trying to warm up to me slowly. Because she knew that as soon as she trapped me in her web of deceit with her fake kindness, she would secure her place in the house as dad’s wife, then use that opportunity to get anything she wanted.

I ignored her smiles and focused on my food. I wasn’t falling for her crap.

But for now, I would keep calm, keep my cool. So she wouldn’t think I suspected anything.

Then when she was least expecting it, I would expose her for who she truly was.

Amelia Forbes

It was Saturday. And I was exhausted. Yeah sure, I’m always exhausted, but this was different.

I needed to go out. Get some fresh air. Breathe. The week had been hard on me, as though all forces were against me.

What I needed right now was a generous serving of frozen yogurt and I was going out to get some. The only problem was that Matty’s-where you’d find the best frozen yogurt in the whole of Wayne County-was the most popular hangout for teenagers, especially on the weekends.

God forbid I should bump into Kimberly or Jason around there. They were already doing a good job of ruining my weekdays-and hence my life-but I was adamant about enjoying my weekends at least.

An hour later after I’d managed to get myself into a faded pair of joggers and a sleeveless top, I sat in a bench outside Sally’s-where I’d finally decided to go and get not-so-great yogurt-shaded by a huge umbrella.

It wasn’t much, but it was yogurt. Good enough for me.

As I dipped my spoon into the half eaten yogurt, I saw a very familiar looking girl walk out the shop, a huge cup of yogurt in one hand.

She looked some years older than me. Her luscious blonde curls with light pink highlights in them looked amazing in the sun and she looked like she’d just walked out of a Vogue magazine.

As I tried to recall where I’d seen her before while also trying not to gawk like an idiot, I noticed she’d seen me already.

A look of recognition surfaced on her face, and when she smiled I remembered. She was Jason’s cousin.

“Hey,” She said as she got to where I was sitting. “Can I sit here?” She asked sweetly.

I almost stuttered. “I, um, yes.”

Don’t blame me. I’m not used to having this much perfection around.

As she grinned in reply, pulling out a chair, I decided that her teeth definitely couldn’t be real.

She’s a freaking goddess.

I tried to compose myself although I was freaking out internally.

Please, for once in your life Mel, don’t embarrass yourself.

“You’re Mel. Jason’s friend right?” She asked, eating a spoonful of yogurt.Please check at N/ôvel(D)rama.Org.

“Shit. This stuff is terrible,” She laughed after swallowing. Her expression was funny so I couldn’t help but laugh too.

“Yeah I am,” I answered. “And you’re his cousin right?”

Realizing something, I said, “I’m sorry, I didn’t get your name though.”

She gave a hearty laugh. “Oh my gosh, so sorry. I’m Ashley.” She extended her arm for a handshake. “And. . . I’m Jason’s stepmom.”

I nearly choked on my yogurt. His stepmom? No freaking way.

I knew Jason’s mom had died in an accident years ago, but I didn’t know his dad had remarried. I looked at Ashley again in disbelief.

She didn’t look a year above twenty one. She looked so. . . young.

Was that why Jason was so angry?

I remembered the look on his face when I’d called her his cousin. The hesitation. The resentment.

Well, crap.

I guess any one would be embarrassed and angry too, especially since Ashley wasn’t much older than him.

I swallowed, contemplating on how to react. I knew I was terrible at disguising my emotions.

She laughed at my expression. “Hey, it’s cool. I get that look a lot. Yeah, it’s difficult. But we’re making it work.”

“That’s cool,” I replied, not sure what to say.

“Anyways. . .” She said, reaching out to touch my hair. “You are one hell of a beauty. Ahhh, the things I could do to your hair. We just need to touch it up a little and you’d look even more glorious,” She squealed.

I couldn’t help but smile. Her excitement was contagious.

“Well what do you say?” She asked, still smiling. “We should do it sometime.”

“Sure,” I blurted out without thinking. “That’d be nice.”

“Yay!” She clapped her hands together.

I laughed at her excitement.

After a while of talking about random stuff she threw her yogurt in the trash and stood.

“Gotta go, Mels. I have somewhere to be.”

Mels. It was new. But I decided I liked it.

“Okay sure.” I replied, getting up and wiping my hands with a napkin.

I realized I was enjoying her company. I don’t remember the last time a female, aside from Nana, was nice to me.

She gave me one of her side hugs and fled to her car which was parked right outside Sally’s.

All I thought of was how much better she’d made my day as I watched the car zoom off.