The Urban Princesses: Cinderella

Chapter 7

I hauled the bag of Delia and Anya's old clothes I had found in the basement up the attic stairs. Mia had already fitted me and was working on tailoring it right.

"Have any beaded belts in that bag?" She asked when I came in the door.

I rifle through it and found a long pink beaded belt, it would look horrible with jeans, but I saw how Mia could make it work. I handed it to her and I looked through the bag for more scrap material we could use. I found some ribbon, a sparkly underskirt, and cut up some pieces of a satin shirt.

After an hour, Mia was finished sewing and I put on the dress. She curled my hair and put in a pearl hairpiece we had found in the bag.

"So?"

I choked on my own words. I looked amazing, and my makeup wasn't even on yet. "Mia, I....."

"Oh wait, the theme is masquerade this year," she handed me a pink satin mask that covered my eyes and arced with my cheek bones.

While she got changed, I did my light makeup, not much was needed because my eyes were covered.

"Who are you going with?" She asked me when she came out of the bathroom. Her mousy brown hair was in a fancy updo, her parents said since she bought two dresses, she couldn't hire a hairdresser.

I sighed. "I'll probably just find some friends to hang out with,"

"You can always chill with me and Jack if you want," she smiled, then her face went white. "Oh my God, I totally forgot, he was supposed to pick me up at my house ten minutes ago," Soon, she was just a blur of green in the doorway.

I chuckled to myself and strode over to my full length mirror, taking a full length view of my pink dress. A light layer of sparkles lay over the entire thing, a white ribbon laced through the sweetheart neckline, tying into a bow in the back. It had pink satin called sleeves and a low back. I looked at the picture taped to the corner of my mirror of mom and dad at their senior prom, my mom wearing the pink dress I was wearing now.

I always wanted to be just like her, marry for love, have a family, be an actress. She made it to broadway when she was seventeen, playing Glinda in Wicked, I hadn't been so lucky. She gave it up to raise me.

I looked back in the mirror, I was glowing, just like my mom in the picture. Our round faces and rosy cheeks, sparkling blue eyes and neat eyebrows, golden curls and brilliant smile, I was proud to be like her.

"Ella!"

I looked over at the clock, if I didn't leave soon, I was going to be late.

I glided down the attic steps, coming to the main staircase. I took a moment to straighten my dress, then strode slowly down the marble stairs. I imagined I was in a theater, every red velvety cushion was occupied with a cheering fan. I had just finished a number, my chest heaving as I continued on with the scene, which consisted of me pacing onstage.

"What the.....?" I snapped out of my daydream when I saw the dumbfounded faces of my stepmother and sisters, their mouths dropped open.

I smiled widely. "Well?"

My step mother straightened and opened her mouth. "You can't wear that,"

***

Trina's POV

Her proud smile disappeared and the color flushed out of her cheeks.

"W-Why not?"

I had to come up with something quick, I couldn't just tell her she looked better than my daughters. I never expected she would finish her chores and find a dress. "It's hideous. You would be a disgrace to our family if you went looking like that,"

Tears filled her eyes.

"Is that my pink blouse sleeves?" Anya screeched.

Ella looked down at the sleeves of her dress. "It was in a bag in the basement, I didn't think you liked it anymore,"

Anya crossed her arms over her chest, like a child who refused to go to bed. She gave me an idea, I guess she wasn't a completely useless brat. "How dare you steal clothes from your sister like that," I strode over and ripped the sleeves off. Ella shrieked.

Delia got the idea, the smarter of my two daughters. "And is that my belt?!" She ran over and pulled the beaded belt from her waist.

"That mask! That's mine!" Anya ripped it off of her face, revealing Ella's tears. Whether these were theirs or not, I didn't care. Rip her to shreds, girls, I thought. They claimed almost every item of her dress, Delia even took her headpiece. Tears streamed down her cheeks. Delia and Anya clawed at her dress until it looked like a giant pink rag.

"Now, the chauffeur is waiting,"

***

Carmen's POV

I straightened my bow tie, it wouldn't seem to fit right.

"Need any help?" My mom hobbled in on her cane, she wasn't that old, just weak.

She brought her bony fingers up to my neck and twisted the tie just the right way so it was straight.

I smiled. "Thanks, ma."

She put her hands on my shoulders and I steadied her. She stared over my a shoulder then back at me in the mirror. Other than her muscle cripple, she was still a beautiful women, she hid all of her pain behind her bright smile. I could tell she wanted nothing more than to lay down.

"No matter what your father says, know that I love you, and you will never disappoint me," She mustered enough energy to kiss me on the cheek.

I helped her downstairs and into our foyer.

"Oh, Carm, you look like a man." My father said with a smile, taking my mother from my arm.

"My little boy isn't so little anymore," a tear dripped down her pale cheek and my father wiped it away.

I heard Jeremy's car honk outside. "Well, I better get going." I pulled my black mask over my eyes and went out the door, giving me father a last glance. He stared down at my mother, enough warning to tell me to give her something to remember.

I promise, mom.