Dumb Bella

Cinderella with evil Step-Brothers and a hooker Fairy Godmother!

Dumb Bella

 

        A time not so long ago, there was a teenage named Bella.  She lived a fairly descent life and had a pretty normal childhood.  But when her father died, it all went to hell.  Her father had left a huge debt and when it was all paid off, her mother was extremely poor.  They had to sell their nice home and they would have had to move into a dump if it weren’t for a rich man her took interest in her mother.  Bella and her mother moved into the Rich man’s house and soon her mother remarried. 

         Bella was a country girl who loved the wide open spaces and freedom of the countryside.  She didn’t like living in the city.  She didn’t want to move, but since she was still under age, she had to go.  She had no choice.

         From day one nothing went right for Bella.  Her step-father had three sons who lived to make her life miserable for her.  They teased her about her raggedy cloths and made her clean their rooms for them.

         “Move this.  Move that. Put that away.  Throw this away,” they often told her.  When she was clueless as to where their stuff belonged, they called her Dumb Bella.  Soon they took to calling her that all the time, much to her dismay.

         Each day their taunting grew worse and worse.  She tried to complain to her mother, but her mother brushed her complaints away and made excuses for her step-son’s terrible behavior.  “They are just jealous,” she said.  Or she would shrug and say, “They are just testing you.  Don’t give in.  You are just going to have to learn to live with them.”

        Her head bowed in shame, she went back to her room, where her step-brothers were waiting to tease her some more.

       “Dumb Bella went crying to her mommy about her mean big brothers,” Stevie teased.  His blue eyes glinted in merriment at his step-sister’s pain.

       “Dumb Bella can’t take the simple work of being a rich man’s daughter,” Willie poked at her.

        “A rich man’s daughter is supposed to have it easy,” she said crossing her arms. 

        “Not around here,” Jamie huffed.

        “Poor Dumb Bella,” Stevie mocked.

        “Yeah, poor Dumb Bella,” Willie added.

        “Yeah, let’s have a pity party,” Jamie grinned.

        Together they yelled, “1-2-3 P-I-T-Y!”

         “Quit it!” Bella cried, tears in her eyes.  “Stop it.”

         “Go back to your sweaty weight room and sleep with the rest of the dumb bells,” Jamie told her.

         Dumb Bella was thirteen then.  She had neither the strength nor the will to stand up to her step-brothers.  The oldest was eighteen and he far out powered her.  He was bigger, heavier and stronger than her. And despite being younger, the other brothers were still stronger than her as well.  She remained afraid of them for many years.

         When Dumb Bella was just fifteen, her mother was killed in a car accident, leaving Bella an orphan.  There was nobody to take care of her but her stepfather.  Dumb Bella wasn’t crazy about the idea.  She wanted more than anything to be free from the treacherous life, but she did at least have a roof over her head, food on the table and an excellent education.  So she wasn’t popular at school and she wasn’t allowed to get the latest fashions, but she didn’t have to live on the street either.  Dumb Bella was never given any money by her stepfather to buy new clothes, while her step-brothers bought clothes and cars they never used.  Bella would often steal discarded clothes of theirs and make them into more feminine wear for herself.  Other than her sewing skills to disguise her brother’s clothes, she only ever got clothes from the thrift store to wear. 

       When her mother died, Dumb Bella grieved for her for a long time.  It was difficult to get over the loss of her mother when things were going from bad to worse at home.  Her step-father hated having her hang around while he was entertaining business guests and new girlfriends, so he made her do every chore imaginable.  Dumb Bella worked night and day when she wasn’t in school.  They treated her more like their servant or slave than a part of their family.

         Her step father was fond of telling at her, “Go get super�"now you dumb a*s Dumb Bella.: 

         Feebly, she would scramble to obey.  When she hesitated even for a moment or if she started to protest, he’d yell at, ‘There is no mother to protect you now! You have to earn your keep.  You’re just lucky your dumb a*s isn’t on the street!”

         More years passed in this same depressing fashion.  Soon Dumb Bella turned seventeen and she was a senior in High School.  She could not wait until she turned eighteen and she could move out on her own.  She was going to go away to college and get the hell out of that oppressive house. 

         Things changed dramatically for Dumb Bella about this time.  Senior Prom was coming up and oh how she longed to go.  But it seemed it wasn’t meant to be.  Nobody had asked to her Prom for one thing.  That wouldn’t have stopped her, but she didn’t have a dress either.  If she had a dress she would have gladly gone by herself. 

         One day before Prom she went to her stepfather, who was relaxing in front of their huge TV.  “Step-father,” she said, “Can I have the money to buy a dress for Prom this year?”

        “Why did somebody ask you?”

        “Well, no, but….”

        “Why can’t you pay for damn dress then?”

        “Why bother?” Jamie came in.  “Nobody wants you, so why even try?”

        “Because all of you got to go, so why shouldn’t I?”

        Jamie plopped down on the expensive couch and stretched out.  “Because we all had dates.”

        “And you call me dumb.  The girls who went with you guys must have all had really low IQs.”

       “And I am going again this year,” Jamie grinned.

       “But you are a senior�"in college!”

       “Duh!  I am going with Christine Becker.”

       “You have to be kidding me? What the hell does she see in you?”

       “I am the older, more sophisticated college guy.  What does she care if I am ugly or cute?”

       Bella rolled her eyes in disgust.  “I cannot wait until I am out of here next month.”

       “And what kind of job are you going to get to support yourself?  Maybe you can be somebody’s maid?”
       “I’ve got plenty of skills. I am sure I will find a job somewhere.”

       “Who is going to hire you Dumb Bella.  You are so dumb!”

       “Plenty of people are willing to take a chance and hire someone for their first job.  I would have had jobs before, but Dad would never let me have one.”

       “That was rich,” Jamie laughed looking over at his father. 

       “Why don’t you do something,” her step-father snapped, “Like go watch the laundry dry!”

        Madly, Dumb Bella went to finish the laundry.  She cried as she folded her step-father and step-brothers stinky laundry.  Dumb Bella had never had a moment to feel special or loved.  Never had the attention been solely on her.  She always sat in the corn eat her candy bars that she stole from Willie’s stash. 

         Days passed and Dumb Bella tried to think of every possible way to get a dress for Prom.  In the end, Bella went without lunch for a whole week so she could save up her lunch money.  After a week she barely had enough to buy a really old, really cheap dress from a yard sale. 

        When the night of prom came, the house was a bustle.  Willie, Stevie and Jamie were all going.  They hurried around the house, putting on their tuxedos and styling their hair.

        “Dumb Bella,” Willie cried, “Go get my wallet.”

        “Get it yourself,” she snapped. “I am busy!”

        “Busy doing what?” he demanded to know as he blocked her way up the stairs. 

        “Getting ready.”

        “You?” he laughed. 

        “Yes, so please excuse me!” she replied simply.

        He continued to block her way.  “Where did you get that dress?”

         “None of your damn business,” she snapped trying desperately to get passed.

        Stevie came behind her and grinned, “Hey, is your dress made of silver like a dumbbell?”

        “Her tits could be the weights,” Willie laughed.

        “Hey, hey,” Jamie stopped them.  “Give the lady a break.”  He gave Dumb Bella a look over and said.  “Why don’t you get all dolled up and we will tell you if you are fit to go to the prom?”

        “I…” she stuttered not really trusting Jamie.

        “Go ahead,” he coaxed.

        Stevie and Willie finally let her through and she went to her room to put on her high heels and make up.  She looked at herself in the full length mirror and smiled.  It was a pretty peach colored gown the reached the floor.  It had a low scooped neck and puffy sleeves.  There was a sash in the back that had a peach colored rose attached to it.  Quickly, Dumb Bella put her hair up into a French twist and put a peach colored beret in her hair.  It went nicely with dark colored hair.  Bella put on her make up and then she slipped into her high heels and went out into the hall.

       “Ooo, you look hot,” Jamie whistled.  “Guys, look at Dumb Bella!”

        Stevie and Willie appeared to look at Dumb Bella and then each other.  “Quite a dress,” Willie snickered.  “Where did you get it? The 1980s?”

        Bella was hurt, “You are making fun of me again.”

        “Oh no,” Jamie said, “But it would look better if the dress were shorter.”  He grabbed a hold of the skirt and tore at it.  Before she could stop him, part of it tore away.

       “How dare you!” she cried.  Tears brimmed her eyes, but she refused to cry and smear her cheap mascara.  She didn’t understand why they were so cruel to her all the time.  What had she ever done to them?

       “Oh yes, you definitely fuckable. Guys are going want to attack you.  Perhaps we should show you how to defend yourself,” Stevie said.

        With that they ran toward her and tackled her on the hall floor. 

        “No! Get off.  Get off!” she yelled.

        After a short rumble, they stood up and looked her down on the floor.  He dress was torn at the bottom and the sleeves had been torn off.  Her hair was out of place and there were stains all over her dress from Willie’s sticky hands.  They just laughed at her and left her alone.

        “Poor Dumb Bella can’t go to prom like that can she?”

        “F**k you!” she yelled as she pulled herself up.  Madly, with tears blinding her, she stormed out of the house.  She didn’t care how she looked; she just had to get out of there as quick as possible.  Although she received many strange looks as she walked the streets alone, Dumb Bella didn’t care. 

        Unknowingly, she wondered in the direction of the school.  Half way down Central Ave, she threw her broken high heels in the trash can and on the corner of Lincoln she tossed her beret into the sewer.

        It was a cold dark night out and Dumb Bella was tired.  With a huge sigh she sat down on the ledge of a big store window.  It was just wide enough to support her.  Dumb Bella closed her eyes and let her head fall lightly back onto the glass. 

        Then she heard someone speak.  “You aren’t gonna get many customers on this corner lookin like that honey.”

         Dumb Bella saw a tall woman standing before her.  Her hair was done up high and her tight black skirt was nearly nonexistent.  A hooker she thought.  “I am not trying to get…customers.”

         “Good, ‘cause you wont’ get any like that.  So, tell me what happened.”

         “My brothers ripped up my prom dress so I couldn’t go tonight.:

         “And you ran off?”

         “Yeah.”

         “Dumb,” she shook her head and stared at Dumb Bella with her brown eyes buried beneath a ton of eye shadow.

         “Dumb,” she sighed, “That’s me.  Poor Dumb Bella.  That’s my name Dumb Bella.”
         “Poor girl.”

         “Actually I am rich girl, but my a*****e step-father won’t let me see any of his cash.”

         “And let me guess, he wouldn’t by you a dress either, so you got one yourself.”

         “Exactly.”

         “How does your date feel about it?”

         “Don’t have one.”

         “Going alone?”

         “Yep.”

         “Girl that is just tragic.”

         “Tell me about it.”

          A guy passed by, but turned around and approached the two women talking.  “Are you open for some business tonight baby?”

          “Yeah,” she smiled, “You lookin to buy some company?”

          “And some action,” he leered.

          “Two-hundred.”

          “I think I can manage that.  I just hope that it is worth it”

         The woman looked from her potential john to Dumb Bella and hesitated.  “Ah listen,” she said turning to the man.  “Why don’t you take your two hundred dollars and buy this girl and escort her to the prom.”

         “What?” he asked shocked. 

         “What?” Dumb Bella cried just as shocked.

         “Yeah, and if you come back later to this corner, I will be here waiting for you.  I will do whatever you want so long as you take this girl to her prom first.”

         “This is the strangest arrangement I’ve ever heard of.  Why should I waste my time?”

         “Listen, I know a place that rents dresses as well as tuxes.  The ticket to get in can’t be more than fifty dollars.  You’ll spend like $130 to $170 max.  That is still cheaper than the $200 I was going to charge you in the first place.  You can go relive your teen years and make this girl happy and get laid all in one shot.  Why the hell not?”       

         “Why are you doing this?” Dumb Bella asked.

         “I just know people need a break once in a while.  God knows, I sure as hell need one.”

         “All right,” the man agreed.  “I think it could be fun to escort this young lady to her prom.  It will make me feel like a teenager again.  It was a different sort of adventure than what I was looking for, but like you said, what the hell!”

         “Have fun you two,” she winked.  “I’ll be back here at midnight waiting for you. Now, if you will excuse me, I have some more business to find.”

         “You don’t have to,” Dumb Bella told the guy.

         “I know, but I want to.”

         “Thanks,” she smiled and looked up into the man’s big beautiful brown eyes.

          He smiled and extended his hand. “Name’s Joel Chance.”

          She shook his hand and started to introduce herself, “And I am du…Bella.” 

         “Bella is a nice name.”

         “Thank you,” she said taking his arm.  They walked arm in arm down the street. 

         “First thing we need to do is get you a dress.  I think I knew the place your friend was talking about.”

         “It isn’t far is it?”

         “Nope,” he said stopping.

         “Why did we stop?” she asked after a moment.

         “Because we are at my car,” he said stepping away from her and off the curb.  He went around the car and opened his door and then leaned over and unlocked her door so she could get in as well.

          Smiling, she slid into the passenger seat and shut the door.  “And here I thought we were going to walk.”

          “No,” he laughed as he stuck the key in the ignition and started up the car.

          “This is quite unique,” she said, “I don’t think I’ve ever been in an orange car before.”

          “It is a classic, which I painted orange as a homage to Garfield.”

          The radio blared as they zoomed away.  

          “So where is this prom at?” he asked.

          “Kingdom High.”

         “Oh, I went there.”

         “Really? How long ago?”       

         “Well, I am twenty seven now, so ten years ago.”

         “A while ago�"at least in teen years.”

         “So are you a Senior then?”

         “Yep.”

         “Cool. I’d give anything to be your age again.”

         “Why?”

         They pulled into a parking spot in front of a Prom Store.  “Here we are,” he answered.

         Both of them got out and went inside the shop that was still open.  There were a million and one beautiful gowns.  A clerk came up to them asked if she could help them.

         “Yes, we’d like to rent the cheapest, most beautiful gown you have left,” Joel said casually as if this were an every day occurrence for him.

          “In what color?” the clerk asked.

          “I think you’d look drop dead sexy in red,” Joel told Bella.

          “But I am liking the black tonight.”

          “Black it is,” he smiled.  

          “Long or short?” the clerk asked.

          “Short,” Joel replied and Bella didn’t argue.

          “Ruffles or straight at the bottom?”

          “Straight, of course,” Joel answered.

          “I have just the thing!” the clerk smiled and disappeared.

          Bella just beamed happily at Joel until the clerk reappeared with the dress in hand.  “Here we are,” she said.  It was a soft stretchy dress with sequins sown in here and there among the stylish wrinkles.  “It is simple, but elegant.”

          “How much for the night?”

          “The night is half over, so how about fifty?” the clerk replied.

          “We’ll take it!” Joel said.

          “Great!” the clerk said going to the counter.  Joel paid the rental fee for the dress and the tux he’d picked out.  He took them and led Bella back out to the car.

          As they got inside his orange car Dumb Bella said, “Thank you Joel Chance.”

          “Sure.  I’ll stop at a McDonalds or something and we can grab a quick bite before getting dressed and heading to your prom.”

          “Sounds good to me,” she said.

          That they did. They ate Big Macs and Fries and then they change in the bathrooms.  Joel was amazed at how gorgeous she looked when she was done up right.  Her hair was redone and her make-up reapplied.  Proudly he to escorted her to the High School gym where Prom was in full swing.  As they walked into the black and blue decorated gym, the couples dancing glanced over at her.  

          Bella sighed and told Joel, “I can’t believe I am actually here!”

         They drank some punch, which Joel spiked.  Once they’d quenched their thirst, they made their way onto the dance floor and began to move to the songs the DJ picked.  Bella danced like there was no tomorrow and Joel enjoyed watching her have such a blast.  As they stunned the crowd with their awesome moves, there were whispers among the popular crowd.

         “Who is she?” they wondered.  “She doesn’t go here does she?” someone asked.  “She is beautiful!” another girl said, “I don’t like her.”  “How come I’ve never seen her around?” another girl wanted to know.

         A guy tapped her on the shoulder and asked, “May I cut in?”

         Bella looked at Joel questioningly and he nodded that it was okay.  “Go ahead, have some fun.  But remember, the dress needs to be back by midnight and I can’t afford to pay for two days if you go over. Plus, I have an appointment with your friend…”

        Dumb Bella nodded and began dancing with the other guy and then other.  She danced with boy after boy.  Most of them she knew, but they had no idea of her true identity.  They would have never believed that they were dancing with poor, shy wallflower Dumb Bella.  

        The Prom King and Queen were announced.  Aaron Grant, who was often called Arrogant, and Andrea Keller.  

        The fast songs turned slow and everyone began to cuddle close and sway to the romantic music.  Dumb Bella was asked by a friend of her step-brother Stevie to dance.  She was about to turn him down when the Prom King himself approached her.  

       “May I have this dance?” Aaron Grant asked.

       “Sure Arrogant,” she said using his nickname.  He didn’t seem to notice or care. He led her out onto the middle of the dance floor and she put her arms around his neck and looked deep into his blue eyes.  He smiled warmly as she put her head on his shoulder.  He’d been lost in her violet eyes until she closed them.  

       They danced for the longest time and in that time, Dumb Bella fell head over heels in love for him.  

       Suddenly as the last song ended, Bella noticed that clock struck midnight.  She remembered Joel and the rental place.  “I gotta go!” she yelled dashing through the crowd of people.

       “But…” Aaron protested.  

       He chased after her and grabbed her by the arm.  “Hey, at least tell me your name.”

       “I have to…” she started to say, but then his lips descended upon hers.  Her eyes opened wide as she stared at the clock above his head.  It was now 12:02am. 

        Dumb Bella blinked something out of her eye and pulled wordlessly away.  She fled out of the gym and into the parking lot.  She found Joel waiting for her in his orange car.

        “Sorry,” she muttered sliding into the car seat.

        “As long as the store clerk takes your apology and doesn’t charge me extra, I won’t mind.” He sped away into the night back toward the Prom Store downtown.

         Back at the gym the Prom King Aaron noticed something on his Tux shoulder.  Carefully he brushed it into his hand and saw it was once violet colored contact.  He knew then that was the key to finding this mystery girl he’d fallen for.  Even if it took him until graduation, he was determined to figure out who she was!

 

          The next morning Dumb Bella awoke in her uncomfortable bed and remembered the wonderful night before.  Had it been all a dream?  No, it hadn’t she decided. It had been a little strange and surreal, but it was definitely real.  Smiling, she got dressed and went downstairs for breakfast.

         As everyone sat around the table, her step-brothers talked about their Prom nights.  

         “So did you and Christine get it on?” Stevie asked Jamie.

         “I am a college dude and BMC! Of course!”

        “Kim gave it all to me,” Stevie bragged.

        “Humph!” Willie said, “My date dumped me.”  He sat back in his chair and pouted.

        “Serves you right,” their father snapped.

        “Man, did you hear about Prom King Arrogant?”

        “No, what happened?” Willie asked.

        “He danced with some mystery girl and dumped the Prom Queen in front of everyone!”

        “Really?” Willie asked amazed.

        “I heard that he is trying to find this mystery girl so he can hook up with her.”

        Dumb Bella had a hard time not grinning from ear to ear as she listened in on their conversation.  

        “Yep, and all he has is a lost contact to go on,” Jamie laughed.  “He is so never going to see her again!”

         “I bet she has a boyfriend,” Willie decided.

         “Or she is just playing hard to get,” Jamie added.

         “Or he wanted her and she didn’t want him back,” Stevie said.

          Bella thought that they were all wrong.  She didn’t have a boyfriend and she wasn’t playing hard to get.  She very much wanted Aaron, even if he had a reputation for being a bit arrogant.  How was she ever going to find a way to get back with him she wondered?  He’d dump her in a minute if he knew who she truly was�"at least that was her fear.

         But she was wrong.

         A week later, just one day before her eighteenth birthday, Arrogant visited his friend Stevie.  At this time Dumb Bella was cleaning out the hot tub, so she had no idea who was inside the house. 

         It just so happened that she wondered back into the hallway when Arrogant asked where the bathroom was.  Stevie directed him to the back hall, where he started nosing around.  He wondered into Bella’s bedroom and noticed the single violet colored contact in the container on her dresser.  Not two lenses, but just one.

        “Could it be Stevie’s sister Dumb Bella?” he wondered out loud.

        Just then Dumb Bella crossed from the bathroom into her bedroom and sees Arrogant sitting on her bed.  She wasn’t dressed in anything fancy that day, just a sweat shirt and jeans.  Her hair was pulled back into a pony tail.

        “Arrogant…” she stuttered.  “What are you doing here?”

        “Was it really you that I danced with at Prom?”

        “Yes,” she confessed breathlessly.  She prayed that he didn’t walk away disappointed.

        Instead, he stood up and walked toward her.  “I can’t believe it!”

        She looked up into his blue eyes and said, “Neither can I.”

        Then he tilted her chin up with his hand and kissed her long and deep.  

        “Yo! Arrogant,” Stevie called. A second later he peered around the corner and his eyes grew wide with surprise.  His jaw dropped when he saw his step-sister lip-locked with the most popular guy in school.  

 

 

         And so Prom King Arrogant and the poor little rich girl Dumb Bella began dating.  Very soon after she turned eighteen she moved in with Aaron in an apartment just off the college campus.  Arrogant made a deal to never call her Dumb Bella if she never called him Arrogant again.  He dubbed her Beautiful Bella from the day onward and she called him her Prince Arrow because cupid’s arrow must have hit him that night.  

         And they lived happily ever after.

         Well, sort of.