Once Upon A Time High

Chapter 12

ELLA CINDERS

Ella spent every moment straddling two worlds: the one she lived in and one inside her mind.

Reality offered her countless challenges such as homework, chores, and coping with a family that went far beyond the realm of dysfunctional. But none of that really mattered to the stunning young woman because she had a vivid imagination that allowed her to soar to new heights and go on adventures that only existed in the world of make-believe. She needed an escape from reality, a way to combat the fear and loneliness that filled her young life.

Living with a relative she barely knew because her father had been deployed yet again was not easy to adjust to. Neither was the workload and silence that accompanied her new home. If words were spoken, they were whispered. And if there were words, there was always a command or a request within them.

So Ella took comfort in her dreamlike state; it was the only way she could cope. As she vacuumed, mopped, and dusted, she dreamt of strolling along a dimly lit street in the middle of summer. While she folded laundry in her room, she felt the cool cobblestone path of a small European town under her feet. And when she finally drifted off to sleep, she saw a handsome figure ask her to dance, felt his warm hand on the small of her back and his gaze never straying from her eyes.

She was a romantic in the truest sense of the word, living with the mindset that anything is possible, finding joy in the fantastical elements of the world. She was passionate, strong-willed, empathetic, and radiant.

"Excuse me," Ella felt a tap on her shoulder and turned to face a smiling, round faced teen, "I think you dropped this." He handed her a small paperback that had slipped off the large stack in her arms. I Was A Ninety-Eight Pound Duckling made its way back to the top of the pile and she smiled back at its savior gratefully.

"Thanks, the library would have fined me big time if I lost that," She tried to figure out a way to balance her items and extend a hand for him to shake but ended up nodding awkwardly, "I'm Ella by the way."

"Gustav, but my friends call me Gus Gus. Do you want help carrying those? I was walking in that direction anyways." He plucked four books out of her hands without waiting for a response amd then proceeded to happily guide her to her destination.

She had to admit it was nice. Ella had been at Once for exactly sixty school days and this was the first real human interaction she had experienced thus far. Of course, that didn't mean that she felt ostracized. Quite the contrary.

From afar, she had watched the hustle and bustle of high school inflate and deflate students every single day. She had cheered for her football team as they won a slot in the play-offs and had eagerly purchased a cupcake at the senior ball fundraiser. She had complimented her classmates' shoes in the passing periods between classes and had suffered through meatloaf Wednesday more times than she cared to remember.

But, most importantly, she had fallen in love.

Granted Ella had never been in love before, but she felt that was justified in thinking that she had spied her other half. He was tall, handsome, and kind. He played basketball with an angelic grace that made her heart beat faster and her palms sweaty. He spoke with eloquence and charm and truly cared for his peers.

And, during announcements, he would smile at her when a pathetic joke was made in a attempt to brighten up the dull information. It wasn't just a beautiful smile. It was magnificent. His eyes danced as he flashed her a quick half grin. His wide lips revealing naturally straight teeth that had most likely never needed orthodontic care. And as he did this, he seemed to be saying life sucks, but it's not all bad. One thing was for sure, if Ella Cinders wasn't in love with Damien Charm, she sure as hell was twitterpated.