Not Cinderella's Type

Kari Hawker

Since her mother's untimely death, an orphaned teenage girl named Indy (short for Cindy which is short for Cinderella) gets taken in by her aunt, uncle, and two cousins. Although family, they treat he as a maid and make derisive jokes about her late mother. Indy has best friend Maxton but also meets a boy, Bryant, who has the misfortune of killing her cat. She doesn't think much of this school heartthrob, not after the accident that caused her special cat to die, and adds grief to his apology cause by refusing to come near him; but, his good heart will not allow him to stop making attempts, slowly winning her friendship with an unannounced visit to her household. The first time, he talks to her; the second time, she becomes a friend and they go out on a date. This complicates things for Maxton, who (unbeknownst to Indy) has regarded himself as her boyfriend for a year. As Indy tries to deal with the issue of suddenly having two boyfriends, it becomes clearer that she lives in an emotionally abusive household. She confronts her aunt and uncle, only to be abused emotionally and threatened with severe punishment. Unfortunately for Maxton, a soccer injury prevents him from focusing on Indy's immediate problem. Fortunately, however, Bryant's father is a doctor who deals with family problems at his school. Recognizing the signs of emotional abuse, Bryant convinces her to immediately leave her home and take refuge in his father's house. She reluctantly agrees. From years of systematic abuse, it is emotionally awkward for her to reveal herself and her problems to this friendship and support. In the morning she discovers Bryant's father at the front door with social services and a police officer. Confused, she runs from the house. Bryant runs after her and explains she is NOT being forced to return to her family. It's only a start in a series of events to uncover the true abuse of the uncle and aunt. The existence of a life insurance policy comes to light, with money that was suppose to be used for Indy but was withheld. The court awards repayment of this money along with damages for lost and sold items. Indy wins the case, and the money will be saved until she turns eighteen. She decides to buy a car with the help of Bryant's father, now the head of her foster family. Indy accepts Bryant's invitation to the prom, while Maxton accepts remaining Indy's BFF.