CinderEll

Chapter Six ~ Elevators

Ell had been worried sick ever since she'd started her work on the garden far too late, but she counted herself lucky that she hadn't yet had a run-in with Miss Fig, her boss.

Because if she did, she knew she would be in trouble. Instead she tried to concentrate on getting the work done as fast as possible so that she could hopefully make up for lost time. When, however, a certain beauty came to her mind, she couldn't seam to get her out of it.

Alexandria had helped her so much, and she had nothing she could possibly repay her with.

Perhaps she would think of something later, but for now she settled for hoping that the inspiration would strike.

When she had helped her that morning, Ell couldn't help but to admit that she'd been secretly hoping she had meant what she'd said about dreams....

Though somehow she rather doubted it.

After all, Ell hadn't exactly ever liked someone before in this way, so how was she to know how to see signals or read signs? Besides, who would truly like a girl like Ell anyway. She was nothing but a servant to her uncle, with no family and no love in her life and certainly nothing interesting about it- no, Alex couldn't possibly like her in that way.

Still though, Ell couldn't help but to daydream about what ifs.

"Ell!" Someone suddenly called as Ell jumped out of her skin and dropped her pruners, turning towards a voice she and the other staff members of the hotel knew all too well.

"Where were you this morning? Because I have it on good authority that you weren't at your post?!"

Ell blushed from embarrassment and ducked her head in shame.

"I-I" she tried but at the expectant look she received in return she immediately ducked her head again.

"I'm so sorry Miss Fig. I was sick and I-I kind of passed out... but I got back to work as soon as possible."

Miss Fig eyed her suspiciously looking as if she didn't believe her for a second, even though Ell hadn't taken a single sick day since she started the job, and that was almost a full year ago now.

"Well, next time I'll be expecting a medical certificate promptly, and don't expect me to pay you for the beginning of your shift."

Ell was about to protest, but she found herself rather unable to speak, so instead simply settled for nodding and apologising again as the terrifying woman walked away.

Ell sighed, this was going to be a very long day.

When Ell had finally made it back to her little basement home, she sighed as she crawled onto her bed and lay down, feeling so tired that she almost instantly fell asleep.

Her dreams that night where full of a certain mysterious beauty she couldn't seam to get out of her mind.

When her alarm clock rang though, she forced herself out of bed, and feeling just as tired as when she'd met it the night prior she got to getting herself ready for yet another day of work.

"Ell?" Came a sudden voice as Ell had been about to quietly make her way out of her uncles home to get to work.

She turned around, put her hands behind her back, and looked down at the ground.

"Yes uncle?" She asked, in what she hoped was the sweetest voice she could muster.

"Don't think your sweet talk will work on me girl. Miss Fig notified me the other day that you were slacking off on your duties."

Ell's cheeks burned at that as she tried to hold back her tears. It's not like she'd expected her uncle to stand up for her or to believe her side of the story, but it still hurt when he didn't. After all, he was the only family that Ell had left in this world.

"I'm sorry uncle, I-Ill do better." She managed as she continued to look at the ground.

"I expect, you to look at me when you are talking girl." He said sternly, to which Ell immediately looked up and tried to hold back her tears. He tisked and shook his head.

"No matter how I've raised you, you still act like a child. On your way now, I expect to hear better things from Miss Fig the next time I see her."

Ell nodded, bowed her head towards her uncle, and quickly headed downstairs, having to catch herself on the wall of the elevator as she felt a sob coming on.

"N-No time for that right now Ell. Remember, if you are kind and courages, you can get though this." She said to herself sternly in the elevators mirror, wiping the traces of tears away from her cheeks. She sighed and nodded to herself, and when the elevator doors dinged open, she froze when the person she'd been thinking about so much entered, along with her little sister.

"Alex, it's that girl!" She said, pointing up at Ell excitedly. Alex grinned at Ell as she pressed the button of the floor that would take them to the heated pool and spa.

"Hi." She greeted and Ell blushed.

"H-Hi." She managed, as she gave a little wave to the excited child and Alex.

"Off to the pool?" She asked the girl, to which she got a grin.

"Yes, because guess what?" Ell feigned a look of utter curiosity.

"What?" She asked with a gentle smile, and when the child beckoned her closer, Ell bent down.

"I'm actually a mermaid." She whispered in her ear to which Ell immediately giggled and pulled back with a grin.

"Oh yeah, well guess double what?" She asked, the child looking at her in anticipation.

Ell made a show of looking both ways to make sure that no one would overhear them.

"I'm really a mermaid too." She whispered, with a finger to her nose.

Rose giggled at that as Ell accidentally caught her older sisters eye and looked down with a blush when she found her staring at her with a grin.

"A mermaid princess I assume?" She asked with a smirk and to Ell's surprise and extreme fluster, she gently took a hold of her hand and kissed it.

"Princess." She said with a bow, and when they heard the elevator ding she gave her a grin and said goodbye as her younger sister pulled her along to the pool.

Ell just stood there shocked for a moment because the most beautiful woman in the world had kissed her hand and now she couldn't seam to move.