The Urban Princesses: Cinderella

Chapter 13

Carmen's POV

I knew it was her. Everything made sense, didn't it? The only real evidence I had was that she was blond, and she was the only one who hasn't said something. Then a terrible thought hit me, what if she actually didn't like me back? What if that's why she didn't speak up? There was no point in being bombarded with girls every four seconds just for the real girl to be avoiding me.

"Jer, I'm calling off the search," I can't believe I just said that.

"Good, you aren't letting girls control you, I'm proud." He patted me on the back.

I was free now, but why did I still feel so trapped?

He laughed. "Dude, you got a call back,"

"What?" I looked at the sheet stapled to the bulletin board. Sure enough, my name was on their, so was hers. "Bro, that wasn't supposed to happen," I was only doing it from a dare.

He laughed again. "It's almost three thirty, actor of the year,"

"Will you shut up?" He jogged off and I slid down the wall, pressing the heels of my hands to my eyes. I couldn't get her out of my mind. I needed to stop, I needed to not get attached to girls, this wasn't me.

I got up and went to the auditorium. A few girls waited for me by the door.

"Not now, guys."

"Carmen, please!" I recognized them as Lucille Davis, with Delia and Anya Saunders. "I need you back in my life," Anya stepped in my way.

"I'm done. Nobody else is trying on the shoe," I tried to step around her but she stopped me.

"I'm not letting the love of my life get away from me again," there was real hurt in her eyes. I grumbled, they weren't going to let me through. "Fine," I pulled the shoe out of my backpack and tossed it to her. She balanced herself on the seat and tried to shove it onto her foot, her massive toes wouldn't go through.

"Sorry," I grumbled as I pulled it from her hands and stepped around her.

"Carmen! My idiot sister thought it was her, it's actually me, she is trying to steal you from me! Little brat," Delia called.

"Hey!" Anya whined.

"Carmen, just give Delia a chance, I know it's her," Lucille put a gentle hand on my shoulder, I stopped. Then I turned around and tossed the shoe to her, she caught it smoothly and slipped it on.

"Look! It fits!" She seemed shocked. I knew it wasn't her, why did it fit? "Oh my God, Carmen, I love you," She wobbled over to me, her entire heel hung off the end.

I sighed. "Give me the shoe back," I grumbled. I wanted to keep the part of the love of my life that would forever remain a mystery.

She humphed and gave it back, spinning on her heel and storming out of the auditorium. Lucille and Anya followed after her.

I sighed again, not letting the tears come, and kept walking towards the front of the stage. I'm sorry mom, I remember hearing her and dad's conversation the night after she passed out.

I pressed my ear to the glass cup that was on the wall, I had seen the trick in a few spy movies.

"Cath, you almost died yesterday, you need to go back to the hospital,"

"No," she wheezed. "I want to stay where my baby is,"

"Honey, please, I don't want to be saying this," his voice cracked, it never cracked. "But it might be time to let go, I don't like seeing you in all this pain,"

"No!" After that, she went into a coughing fit, it took her a few minutes to calm down. "I'm not going until Carmen finds his girl. I want to meet her, I want to see him happy again, I want someone to replace me."

"Carmen will be fine," No I wouldn't.

"You don't know him like I know him. Jeff, open your eyes, he is miserable. You want him to be this perfect son that does everything perfect and makes his mom and dad proud, but that's too much to expect from him. Just let him be him, right now especially. You don't know, I don't know, what it feels like to lose a mother,"

"I know what it feels like to lose a wife! Cath, please, I know he is a child, I know he won't be perfect, but I want your last memories of him to be perfect, I want his last memories of you to be perfect. I don't want his last memories of you to be painful. I don't want to have to make him suffer with you. I don't want to burden him with imperfection for the rest of his life."

"Imperfection is hardly a burden, dear."

He started crying. For the first time since my mom got sick, he cried.

I had to stop for a minute and close my eyes before I could keep going. My dad's sobs were as clear as day in my head. When I opened them, the first auditionee was taking their position on stage. She opened her mouth to start singing when someone interrupted her, everyone's eyes drifted to the aisle behind me.

"Carmen...." her breathless voice said.

I turned around. That stunning blond hair could burn your retinas out. I knew that hair anyway. Her dazzling blue eyes looked scared, distressed. I showed no emotion, even though I was doing a small dance inside. "What?"

She took a step forward, I could tell she regretted it. Like she was fighting an internal battle, the devil on her shoulder telling her to turn back. She squeezed her eyes shut then opened them again.

"I know, I'm late. I heard that your search is over. I'm not even sure if you're going to let me try it on, but I want to tell you a few things. First of all, if you believe me, I had an amazing night, I really did. I have never done anything so pleasing in my life. Second, why I didn't tell you who I was, I was afraid you wouldn't like me for who I really am. I'm not popular, I'm not pretty, I'm not good with boys. What I am is a maid who has three friends and barely a life, no parents, and a huge crush on you ever since third grade. I just needed to tell you that before you told me anything. Lastly, I want my shoe back."

I was speechless. I was right. The whole auditorium was silent, other than the pesky sound of the air conditioner blowing around.

I held out the shoe to her, she took another step towards me and extended her hand. Suddenly, the shoe was ripped from my grasp and I heard the sound of breaking glass. I looked over at Lucille, holding the smashed shoe in her hand, now just a heel. "You can't prove anything,"

She looked distraught and shocked, so was I. Then she rifled through her backpack and pulled out the identical twin of the shoe Lucille had just smashed. "I-I have the other one,"

I took it from her. "Let me,"

She blushed and sat down on the arm of a chair. I cradled the precious shoe in my hand and slid it into her foot, it was a perfect fit. No extra squeezing, no heel hanging off the end, perfect. Just like her. I found her.

I looked up at her, her face was bright red and she bit her lip. Her face glowed in the dim light. I leaned up and connected my lips with hers. She was shocked at first, but placed shaky hands on my shoulders and kissed me back. I knew it was her. It felt like her. The same spark I felt when she kissed me at prom.

I lifted her off of the chair and spun her around.

I just realized that I had both of my girls back.