Insecure (a Cinderella adaptation)

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"Ella! Wake up! We're gonna be late!"

This is a joke, right? There's no way it's happening.

School.

Sure, not seeing people and enjoying a calm summer is fun but when your sisters are social media stars and constantly dragging you to the beach or parties in skintight swimsuits and dresses it becomes less than ideal. But it's at least an escape from the constant eyes on you from your peers.

Annabelle threw a green tube top and pair of light blue skinny jeans at me and ran out, running after Daelyn. "Why again cant I wear like, I don't know, black sweatpants? I saw it on Pinterest the other day!" I hollered after her.

"Because it's the first day, impressions are important! Also, it says on Safari that 96.8% of Sophomore year students in America have smartphones and 78% of them have any sort of social media accounts!" She said down the hall with sassy undertones.

"You and your ego are going to be the death of me." I muttered. Slowly getting up, I grabbed the tube top and jeans. I looked around my fake ivy decked room, walls lined with influencer's pictures and horrid music albums, and to the sliding mirror closet doors. My eyes seemed glued there.

What's wrong with me.

I want to look away.

I can't.

I blinked hard and removed the image from my mind.

—

After changing I hurried to the bathroom to brush my teeth only to come back to my room to see a new perfume by Ariana Grande on my bed, Dangerous Woman. I sprayed it on me and packed it into my backpack in order to spray on my gym clothes later today, per Daelyn's request to me.

Sprinting down the hall and sliding down the stair railing to the first level of our Beverley hills home.

Reaching the kitchen, I stood up on my toes to get to the cereal.

"Stop!!" I saw my stepsister Annabelle run around the corner, her brand-new Vans tapping against the floor and a handbag dangling from the crook of her arm. "We're having David stop at the Dunkin!"

"Isn't that a couple minutes out of the way?" I informed her.

"That's why we're leaving right now. Daelyn!!" She called out. After a pause, she spoke again. "Probably in the car. Vaminos!" I groaned and lugged my bag out the door.

Daelyn waved to us and Annabelle further dragged me down the pathway and sat me in the green convertible, and I finally noticed how they both were decked out in green, even David, our driver. Daelyn handed me a green handbag before I put in my AirPods and drowned out the sounds of her instructing David of our before school agenda.

The drive gave me time to think. The only two reasons you'd go to an expensive Beverley hills school. You either come from a wealthy family of doctors, lawyers, or politicians, or you come from a family of actors, models, singers, and social media influencers. Unfortunately for me, I was both. Which meant a high number of unwanted popularity. I haven't even gotten to have a real friend since 7th grade! They were always other popular people or fake. Faker than hell. It made me infuriated sometimes.

Suddenly I heard yells from boys, oh lord. We're here. I waited for Daelyn to step out and put my seat forward to exit. Annabelle followed me out and gave me a gentle push on the back.

I took a deep breath.

And took the first step.