Punk Cinderella

Chapter 13: Your Prince Will Come, Young Cinderella...I Promise You

*Harlow’s POV*

I just finished getting my ass yelled at by Sam when Gabriel and Kaleb appeared asking where Dean was but then being taken to the TARDIS. “Okay, where the hell are we or should I say, when the hell are we?” I ask as I take account to our surroundings before seeing that the date nearby read January 2, 2008, the pit of fear growing in my stomach. I looked confused as Gabriel explained that Dean was about to do something stupid and I knew from the surroundings that we are in my past. I did the first time I could do and that was to grab Dean’s jacket collar, yanking him back and having him glare hard at me. “Dammit Dean, can you not stay out of it?! First, you want to risk Ashley getting hurt more and now you want to see what happened that night? Just stop it ok?!” I yell as he looks hurt and angered by this realization that I was brought here but dammit, I can’t have him ruining the past with his ideas.

“I have to find out Harlow, I need to see why she still does not like that day.” he begins to explain until I  see him turn and run. “DAMMIT WINCHESTER!” I yell as he keep running and obviously ignoring me until I run and tackle him to the ground, my boot’s hell on his lower spine and holding his arm behind his back. “Let’s get one thing straight…It is obvious that you are planning something and whatever it is will either get Ashley in trouble or worse killed so don’t try anything stupid! Let’s just leave and go home, leave this date alone!” I yell as he turns and yells uncle in defeat. I let him up and he rubs his arm. “Why do you want to keep me away from this date let alone keep away from anything involving Ashley right now?!” He yells at me as I pinch the bridge of my nose, annoyed with his question.

“I can’t tell you dammit and don’t try to get it out of Kaleb either.” I try to explain as he looks at Kaleb and she zips her lips to show that it is a secret. “Look Harlow, I need to see why Ashley hates today and why she cancelled so suddenly.” He begins again as I hold my hand up, tired of hearing him talk. “Then you ask her you idiot, you don’t just go toying with her past.” I grit through my teeth as I looks me dead in the eye and literally, he looked ready to break. “I would ask her if it wasn’t for the fact that she is ignoring me…I love her too much to lose her…you Idiot!” He yells as he takes off running to my childhood home with the Doctor and Castiel trailing behind him. Wait a minute…HE SAID HE LOVES ASHLEY! “Dean Winchester, if you are planning on doing anything stupid with me around, think again!” I yell as I take off with them.

I walk along side Sam and I looked down, thinking about this day because it was supposed to be a good day. I spent all my time when I was 14 planning the perfect surprise sweet 16 for Ashley because she deserved it. She was trying hard to make everyone happy and this was supposed to be the best party ever but our ‘mother’ ruined it because we were supposed to act like mature young ladies but today also harbors a dark secret that I kept hidden from everyone, even from Sam and the others but Ashley and Castiel. Today was the first day I started cutting myself too.

“Harlow, is everything ok? You seem rather quiet.” Sam checks on me as I force a smile and nod. “Just wishing Dean would not screw around with the past.”  I reassure him but judging from his face, he knew I was hiding something but I cannot tell him…not yet. We arrive at the house as the Doctor tells us to be on our best behavior and when the younger form of me answered the door, it was like looking into a mirror of the past. I wore dark pants and my favorite black shoes but I loved that grey sweatshirt and how my hair was a white blonde with some brown streaks in it. I was annoyed however with my own attitude when we were invited in. The house was the same, the stairs Ashley and I slid down, the wall that had been painted over and over where I would draw the height of the kids over and over just to piss off Matt…nothing had changed.

Younger Harlow though took it upon herself to inspect me. “I gotta say, an aqua streak, it looks nice. I want to get one but mom will not let me but just wait, when I turn 18, things will be different. I’m Harlow by the way, what is y’alls name?” she asked in a country accent that I knew right away and I answered for Sam and I. “I am Cassie and this is Tony. We know Ashley from the bookstore nearby.” I quickly lied and hoped that it would work as the younger me tried to smile and nod before I see something that I thought I had forgotten. It was a homemade birthday card that I remember making for Ashley’s surprise party. “This is pretty cool. Is it for Ashley?”  I ask as she nods and takes it from me gently.