Tough Girl Out, Soft Girl In

Chapter 1

I rolled my eyes, thinking about my helpless fate when I got home. My new stepmother was(most precisely) going to bother me to babysit her three months old baby girl, Tiara. And even though I loved my half sister, there were things that needed to be done on my part, and I couldn't stay babysitting her when she had a mom. One who stayed home.

I sigh. It wasn't like I held a way of escaping it.

My boss, Missy, walked out of her office giving me a thumbs up. She gave me a wink through her perky glasses. Missy was in her 30's and owned the store I worked for, Missy's Collection. Yeah, it was a lame name. Don't blame me, I wasn't here when they were naming this store.

"I'm leaving now. I have an emergency. Just lock up at 8:00." She said. I smiled cheekily at her.

"Okay, I'll remember that. Bye and be careful." I said, returning her little thumbs up.

Missy left, leaving me alone in the store. It was a slow day. I guess no one wanted to buy any clothes today. I sigh. My mind traveled to my stepmother again.

Two years ago, my parents divorced, causing me a total breakdown. I stayed with my mother and we made it through the divorce together. We were doing well and we were starting to lead a normal lifestyle.

Until she was diagnosed with breast cancer. It killed me when she died and I felt alone. I was devastated and didn't speak to anybody for months. I moved in with my dad and his new wife, Selena.

This never made my situation any better because Selena bothered the heck out of me.

She wasn't you're typical hated stepmother with the artificial hair and nails. Nope, she wasn't girly at all. She doesn't even wear make up. She was just plain annoying. I could go on and make a list on the things she did that bothered me.
She talked too much, ordered me to call her mom, made me eat too much veggies(I wasn't not a vegetarian for nothing) and much more. And then she had her baby so let's not even get started on that. I sigh. Letting out a puff of air, I looked at the time.

7:23. Oh hurry up I want to go home!
No, you don't!! Selena is there, remember?

All I felt like was blasting on some Katy Perry, mostly her song Last Friday Night, music on. I was just that bored. I laughed as I imagined Missy's face if she came into the store with Katy Perry's music on.

Then I heard the door open and I put on a smile. That smile was frozen, and completely unable to move from shock, when I saw him.

A light skinned boy with long, dark braided hair. Broad shoulders, very nice chin, white smile, and the darkest eyes I have ever seen.

I could almost feel my heart melt slowly right then and there.
It took me a while to see the girl behind him.
She was a shorter and more like a girl version of him. Siblings, probably.

"Hi welcome to Missy's Collection. What would you like me to help you with today?" I say giving them the kind and helpful smile clerks gives to costumers. Ugh, did my voice crack? I wasn't very good around handsome boys. Not that I was around much.
The girl smiles. " I'm looking for some really nice jeans."
I ask for her size and find good looking jeans that would fit her, while trying to ignore her brother who is standing at the back watching us.

After a few minutes, the girl goes try the jeans on so I'm left alone with her brother. I keep my face on the floor while silently praying for the girl to hurry up.

"Do you like working here?" He suddenly asks. I snap my head up. Was he talking to me?
"Umm, yeah I do." I said shyly. He smiled. No don't smile, you're gonna turn my heart into melted ice cream.

"Are you the owner?" He asks making me laugh.

"Oh please. I'm only sixteen." I said.

"That's good because it'll be pretty embarrassing to own a store called Missy." I laughed again and he smiled.

His sister came out of the fitting room with one of the pair of jeans I gave her. "Do you think these make my butt look fat?" She asks turning around.
I blushed.

"You are so embarrassing, Sandy." Her brother mumbled.

"I'm serious." Sandy shots.

I laugh. "It doesn't look fat on you at all. As a matter of fact, it looks really good on you." I say. They could have thought I was just doing my job.

But I wasn't lying, the jeans suited her perfectly. And she had a great body for her age. Sandy smiled and looked relieved.

"Thanks!!" She said. I went to the cash register so she could pay for her jeans.

After we finished, Sandy gave me a hug which definitely surprised me. She ran out of the store leaving me and her brother alone again. "I'm sorry, my sister is crazy." He says.

I laugh. "She isn't." Then I realized that I haven't seen this guy or his sister in this town before.
"Are you new here?" I ask.

He nodded. I gave him a small smile not knowing if I should say welcome or....

"My name is Alex by the way. What's yours?" He asks, sounding like a kinder gardener.

"Monica." I say shyly.

He takes my hand ,making me blush again, and shakes it.
"Nice meeting you, Monica." He says my name in a way that makes it sounds like it was actually very pretty. (Which t was not, to me at least)

"I guess I got to go now." He says standing up. "Bye." He smiled showing his pearly whites, and I smiled back.

I wave as he leaves. When he's out of my sight, I let out a big sigh. Oh well, I probably wasn't gonna see him again anyway.

Author's note
Hey guys, what's up? Wow this is like my second book. Yay! So I'll take the time right now to warn you about some things in this story. First, the chapters are all very short. Second, there is going to be some sad things in this story.

But I promise this is gonna be a funny story that you probably will love. And I update regularly.

Bye!!

Gosh, I'm bad at these author's notes things. Aren't I?