CinderEll

Chapter Ten ~ Promises

When Ell woke up the next morning, her head pounded and her throat felt as if it was being cut by a razor sharp knife. She was definitely sick, but she'd just have to who to work anyway. If she didn't she knew that her uncle would kill her, besides, it's not like she could afford a doctors appointment for a medical certificate and her uncle certainly wouldn't help with that either.

Ell begrudgingly forced herself out of bed and got herself ready for the day, but when she closed the door the the basement behind her, and made her way in the the hotels foyer to get to the garden, what she found there made her eyes grow wide.

"Ell Evans, just what time do you think this is?" Her uncle demanded as he looked at her, his face full of rage. Ell's own face grew pale as she chanced a glance at the foyer clock and glimpsed at the sudden realisation that she had somehow missed her alarm and slept in.

"I-I.." she attempted to explain herself, but when her uncle rose a brow expenctantly, and Miss Fig too, Ell felt as if the walls where collapsing around her. This was it, she was surely going to be fired.

"I-I-I'm so sorry." She said as she ducked her head in apology towards them.

"I-I really didn't m-mean to." She said through fits of coughs as she held onto her head and swayed a little on the spot.

"Don't you go feigning innocence now Ell, your not a child in my care any longer and I simply will not stand for such behaviour."

Ell ducked her head again as she continued to apologise.

"I-Im so sorry uncle I p-promise Ill do better I- Im just a little sick today so I-I accidentally slept in. B-But I'll make up for this by w-working even harder I promise." Ell tried to get out as more and more she felt like the world around her was closing in.

"No you won't. Because I think you need to be taught a lesson now, or else you'll never learn that you simply can't rely on others in life. You have to work hard yourself, no free tickets."

He said sternly, and with a stout slap on the front reception desk, he continued.

"In light of this being the third time something like this has happened in just one week, I and Miss Fig have spoken, and we both think it would be best if you found work elsewhere."

Ell could barley hold herself up at this point as she listened to her uncles words, but felt somehow far away from it all.

"You'll also be having to find somewhere else to stay. It's time you learned how to take care of yourself and stop leaching off of others."

Ell felt her legs wobble as her tears silently fell down her cheeks.

"And you know what I think?" Came a sudden voice, one that Ell vaguely thought that she knew but couldn't quite think of in the thick of the emotional fog that surrounded her at that moment.

She watched blearily in sudden realisation of just who it was as Alex interrupted the scene and looked at her uncle in rage.

"I think that you haven't given your niece a single moment to speak up for herself. And if you had she would have told you that she's overworked, bone tired and sick. To top that all off, she doesn't have any family left that gives a damn and she's been working harder than ever just to try to please you when she knows that will never happen because your too damn thick to see how wonderful and kind she is."

Ell would have managed a smile at Alex's speech if she hadn't been so emotionally exhausted, dizzy and sick.

Her uncle stared in rage at Alex, as Alex stared right back at him, not even caring that she was causing a scene.

"Well." He said angrily.

"Perhaps you'd like to offer her a job and somewhere to stay, because I for one have had enough of this." Alex rose a brow, looked from her uncle to Ell and gave him a extremely fake smile.

"Perhaps I will."

She said, to which her uncle scoffed as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"Ell, would you be ok with working for my family while you get back on your feet? Your also welcome to stay with us for as long as you may need." She said with a warm smile.

ELL's face grew shocked as her tears continued to fall.

She looked from her uncle, to Alex, and back to her uncle again, almost hoping despite her logical side of her brain warning her not too, that he would step in and say this was all some big misunderstanding, that he really loved Ell and was proud of her and that she wasn't being kicked out of the only home she knew, but when he only looked away in shame of her tears, Ell already knew his answer.

She looked back at Alex, about to say she would be ok and that she didn't have to help, but the walls that had been closing in on her where officially closed, and her head felt heavier than ever as she wobbled on the spot and fell to the floor.

"Ell!" Alex shouted as she ran up to her.

"Now see what you've done!" She said angrily to her uncle, as he put his hands up in exasperation and dared to walk away from his obviously very sick niece.

Alex had never wanted to punch someone more than she'd wanted to punch Ell's uncle right than and there, but Ell was her priority. She picked her up in her arms and gently carried her towards her room.

"Everything's going to be fine Ell, I promise." She whispered as she walked. And that was a promise that Alex was determined to keep.