Falling For My Alpha Stepsister (GL)

The person who was supposed to wear the bear costume couldn’t make it. That was a huge problem. Diana loves bears, especially the silly, clumsy way they move around, so having one here was supposed to be the highlight of the party.

”Who is going to wear the costume now...” Benny sighed lazily, resting her hands on her hips and looking completely stressed out.

I rubbed my temples, looking around the garden for options.

Then my eyes darted to Angel. She was sitting on a tiny children’s chair, crouching her tall frame over and acting like some introverted person who wished the earth would swallow her whole.

An idea clicked. I stepped over, collected the mascot from Benny’s arms, and walked across to meet Angel.

I dropped it right on her lap along with the heavy bear head. It landed with a soft thump.

She flinched, pulling her hands back, and looked down at the furry pile like it was a foreign thing that might bite her.

”W-what is this...” she demanded in a quiet tone, her eyebrows pulling together as she looked up at me.

”We need someone to help us entertain the kids...” I said, offering a weak, hopeful smile.

”Do I look like a party mascot to you?” Angel said, her voice completely deadpan, her face totally straight.

”No, but the one who is meant to put it on couldn’t make it... so can you help us wear it..?” I said in the most polite way possible, squeezing my hands together.

Angel let out a long, heavy breath and pinched the bridge of her nose.

”Four eyes, if you had told me you were coming to a place filled with tiny ants... I would have just gone home...”

I crossed my arms and let out a soft huff. ”Again, you came here on your own terms.... Are you putting it on or not?”

”No.” She leaned back in the tiny chair, letting her arms dangle at her sides.

Oh God, this girl is something else....

I looked around the yard frantically. There was no one else available to put it on.

A few feet away, the nuns were just standing by, hands folded in their sleeves, quietly watching the disaster unfold. They weren’t going to step in.

I took a deep breath, puffed out my cheeks, and made a big, bright smile toward the girl, who was practically folding herself in half just to fit in that small chair she was sitting on.

I leaned in real close to her ear.

”Please, Diabla, wear it just tonight... and this fairy princess will be a very bad girl tonight... only for you...” I whispered in the tiniest, quietest voice I could manage, my cheeks burning up immediately.

Angel froze. Her eyes widened, the dull look on her face disappearing in a split second. She quickly grabbed onto what I had just said to her, her knuckles turning white around the bear fur.

My heart hammered against my ribs. I shot a quick glance over my shoulder, hoping with everything in me that no one else had heard me say that.

”I’m only wearing it because of what you just said... after whatever you are doing here looking like the mixture of a Cinderella and Winx character.....” Angel grumbled, swinging her legs out and already digging her feet down into the bulky legs of the bear costume.

”I’m a fairy princess..” I corrected her, tapping my plastic wand against my dress.

”I don’t remember any fairy princess with round glasses.. you look like a factory-made plastic.... Why is it a Oso? No other mascot?” She snapped the zipper up to her chest, her movements rough and annoyed.

”Just put it on, the birthday girl is almost here...” I pleaded, nudging the giant mask toward her face.

Out in the garden, the yard was already bursting with noise. It was filled with children running around, chasing each other with toys and bright colorful balloons. Some were playing tag, their laughter echoing everywhere. Off to the side, the birthday girl was bouncing happily inside her own mini bouncing castle, it was personally made for her.

I spent most of my time running through the grass, playing the fairy princess for the kids. I ran in circles, waving my wand around, casting fake magic spells, and making dramatic speeches as we trapped the evil bear inside a makeshift cardboard dungeon. The kids were screaming and laughing, completely caught up in the story.

”Thank you so much for coming... the kids always ask for you every single day. ’When is Teacher April coming?.. Is the weekend here yet?.. I feel so bored, I want a story by Teacher April...’” Sister Mary said, wiping down the table with a cloth. We were standing right by the serving table, pouring fruit punch and helping set out juice boxes for the kids.

”Awwn, I can’t believe they love me... I actually was scared that they were not going to like me after the dressing incident...” I said, wiping a thin layer of sweat from my forehead and adjusting my round glasses.

”Hahaha.. I remember.. you know children seem to keep the happy memories more than the other memories...” Sister Mary said, shaking her head softly as she placed a tray of cups down.

”Do you think the other nuns have forgotten too?” I asked, biting my lower lip.

”They still talk about it, but after today I’m sure there’s going to be another topic..” Mary said, her eyes shifting past my shoulder, going toward Angel.

Before I could ask what she meant, a little boy tugged hard on the edge of Sister Mary’s habit.

”Sister Mary, that bear is standing like a tree and has refused to play with me and Jake..” the boy complained, pouting deeply as he pointed a sticky finger across the lawn toward Angel.

I turned around to look, and truth be told, he wasn’t lying.

Angel wasn’t entertaining anyone. She was tucked off in the shade under a tall oak tree, completely stiff. She didn’t wave, she didn’t jump, she didn’t even tilt her head. She just stood there like a spell had been cast on her not to move a single muscle from that position.

”I will go talk to the bear and fix the bear....” I said playfully to the little boy, tapping his nose before taking off.

My legs were already moving fast toward the girl, my fake wings bouncing against my back with every step

”What are you doing, standing here like a statue?” I muttered under my breath as soon as I reached the shade of the tree, looking up at the giant brown costume.

Angel ripped the heavy mascot head off in one swift motion, letting her messy hair fall out. She wiped her sweaty forehead with the back of her wrist and gave me a deep, mean stare.

”First thing, this mascot stinks.... Also, I don’t like this place, it’s filled with ants...”

I blinked, looking at her and feeling totally lost. I had heard that line before. When she said it earlier, I honestly thought she was talking about actual bugs on the grass, but right now, her cold eyes were locked entirely on the crowd of children running around the yard.

”Did you just call little kids ants?” I said, squinting my eyes, trying to confirm if I was actually hearing her right.

”Yes, look at them, so small and many... this place looks like a colony... children sting just like ants do... I hate them...”

What in the world is happening here...