Not Your Typical Cinderella

The Boarding House

Elaine :

The shrilling sound of the alarm in the hall made me groan, i wasn't alone as there were groans from the four walls of the room. Choosing to ignore it i dug my head under my pillow and decided to sleep some more. It seemed like the Matron waited for me to fall back into the curtains of sleep before releasing another ring, making me jolt up and almost slamming  face first into Rosa's curious one.

"I'm sorry!". I whelped and Rosa laughed, her honey blonde hair shaking behind her.

"Well well well, if it isn't stray cat. Look who decides to grace us with her ugly morning face."

We heard Leah's venomous voice from the side of the room and i looked up to shoot her a glare which she returned before turning to her possé which consisted of Dana, Lucy and Maggie who sparred me a small smile before her attention was taken away by Lucy.

It amazed me how Leah's morning face was so pretty compared to the rest of us. Rosa's theory was the Matron always snuck in skin care products for her when everyone was asleep... and i was starting to believe to believe her.

"You should get out of bed before Madam Chi Chi gets you." I rolled my eyes as she tried pulling me up. What was the worst that could happen? The highest she was going to do was whip me on my calves with her cane.

Life for me at the boarding house wasn't nice, starting from when i was taken by the roadside. I was seven. I was supposed to go back home after stealing for the day, but a hand grabbed me as i rounded the corner of the abandoned warehouse where i stayed. On getting to the house the Matron made a name for me. "Stray Cat" because i had clawed one of my captives face. Unlucky was i, the name stuck like an ugly mole.

Six years later Rosa was brought in and became my source of comfort, and then Leah happened, blaming me for every slightest mishap and getting me punished, the same way. Forty strokes of the cane to my calves. The strokes increased and stopped at sixty five when i turned sixteen. The moment i turned seventeen the beatings stopped, much to everyone's suprise and Leah's chagrin. Rosa kept on insisting that something was off, not that i cared.

"Madam Chi Chi is on her way!" One girl screamed and at that instance everyone scrambled to lay their bed and straighten their uniformed nighties. No one wanted to be the Matron's pawn that morning.

"Good morning, Madam Chi Chi!" We all tilted our knees in courtesy, not that i knew why. We were taught on how to courtesy and serve and dance in balls, which made perfectly no sense.

"Oh someone's lips did not move." I didn't realize the stern voice was directed at me until Rosa jabbed me in the side.

"Oh... But i did greet Madam Chi Chi." I tilted my head so she would not catch me glaring at her.

"What insolence!" Leah's voice spat out and i felt my brows furrow in irritation.

"I assume Leah of all people should know not to be involved in other ladies discussion, shouldn't she?" Rosa asked confidently and my lips tugged to a smile at Leah's tomato red face.

"Enough!" Madam Chi Chi's Victorian era voice boomed. When she was sure silence was restored she spoke up.

"Today the funders of this boarding house have decided to give you girls a treat, your dresses will be sent up to you. Dress up, in the next thirty minutes, i will come back for you." Without another word she spun around on her heels, her skirt whooshing around us, and she was gone.

The moment her footfalls ended outside the halls, the room broke into a disarray as each girl began to talk, while the rest of us scrambled to the bathroom.

"Something's off." Rosa stated as i helped her with the zip of her dress. We had spent so much time together that undressing infront of eachother was no big deal.

"Something's always off with you." I mumbled absently

"What's that supposed to mean?" She asked with narrowed gaze.

" Nothing."

"There was a blank van outside, with suspicious looking people. My guts tell me that the Matron is hiding something behind her annoying skirt."

"Rosa..." I meant to touch her shoulder but she jerked away.

"Believe me, Elaine, there is no way the whole house is going to fit in one black van." Maybe she was right, the happening events made me nervous. Everyone in our room got fed three square meals and were not given punishments, unlike the younger girls in the other dorms.

The rest of the bath was silent between me and Rosa. When we were done the dorm helps brought us boxes with our names stamped on it. There were excited squeals from around the room as each girl brought out a floor length dress. Only Leah complained about getting a green coloured one. Hers had a lot of embroidery on it that made the other girls own look like garbage.

Rosa twirled in her baby blue dress, smiling gracefully. She was given her best colour.

"Open yours!" She nudged me and a gasp escaped my lips as i tore open the box. It was a green dress, made from silk that was smooth under my fingers, emerald decorating the sleeves. Maybe Madam Chi Chi remembered the colour of my eyes when she chose the dress. Rosa helped me into the dress and kept on rambling on how my dress was better than Leah's even though hers was better decorated.

"Look what the pig decided to spit out!" Leah snorted and the rest of the girls turned to face me.

"You are literarily wearing the same colour!" I retorted and there was snickering from around the room. The provided makeup was wasted so me and Rosa had nothing to use. She ended up packing both our hair in loose buns because i didn't pay attention in coiffure class.

Madam Chi Chi came in a few moments later to inspect us. Was that a smile on her lips when she saw me? I wasn't sure. We hurried downstairs amidst the chattering of the other girls and Maggie snuck over to my side to whisper that she liked my dress.

I could see the younger girls peering out of their windows as they wondered what was going on. We were instructed to get into the van and another round of shoving began as i felt myself get pushed to a corner. I almost fell, if not for the guy standing to open the doors.

"I'm sorry." I breathed out and he smiled, his brown eyes twinkling.

"You should get in." He mumbled, helping me up into the van.

"Thank you." I mumbled again and he starred like he was seeing through my soul until Madam Chi Chi closed the doors.

I found myself beside Rosa and tried to block out the noise the other girls were making. Suddenly Rosa's head dropped with a thud on my shoulder, and one by one girls around us began to fall into a sleep. A thick fog seeped into the van and i could barely make out the Matron's outline as I started feeling drowsy.

Rosa was right, something was definitely off, and there was black out all of a sudden