A Cinderella Story

Chapter 7

Lucy carefully brushed the numerous tangles out of Claudia's long brown hair. "AAAAHHHH!" she screamed. "Don't pull so hard you little tramp!" she screeched at Lucy, purposely ducking and squirming so Lucy would tug on her hair unwillingly. "I'm sorry, I'll do better next time" Lucy had to force out through her teeth as politely as she could. Claudia huffed in anger and snorted. Lucy continued to brush and style her hair.

She was currently getting her stepsisters ready for the ball. They were both squeezed into tiny corsets – much to Beatrice's displease. She couldn't fit into hers – and were wearing HUGE – and I mean huge – puffy dresses, with mountains upon mountains of fabric for the skirts and big puffy sleeves. They could barely walk in them. Of course their dressed were decorated with an excessive amount of glittering jewels of all colours, and large stupid ribbons.

Beatrice's dress was an ugly shade of dark yellow, and Claudia's was a vomit green colour, that looked like someone had threw up then made a dress out of it. Lucy had spent four hours of screaming and slapping trying to get them into them, then another two hours doing Beatrice's hair, and was now working on Claudia's. They were both going for the six-foot-tall-gem-covered-look. They were both wearing very thick layers of make-up with huge splotches of eye shadow the same colour as their dresses, and far too much lipstick. They looked completely ridiculous.

Two hours later Lucy finished with Claudia's hair. She looked in the mirror, turning her head from side to side then turned up her nose. "It will do" she huffed. "Anyways, I looked stunning in any hairstyle I have and any dress I wear" she twittered. "They men will be falling at my feet they'll be so blinded by my beauty. They'll be begging to dance with me" she giggled. "The prince will fall in love with me the minute he lays eyes on me, and then he'll ask me to marry him and I'll be a princess!" she squealed. Yeah Lucy though rolling her eyes. You'll be completely stunning, but not in the way you hope...I think they'll be blinded for an entirely different reason...

Lucy bit her lip to stop herself from laughing. As for the prince...I seriously doubt it. Beatrice flounced in. "Don't be idiotic Claudia" she huffed. Wow Beatrice used a word larger than FOOD. "He's obviously going to fall head over heels for me" she crowed. "In your dreams" Claudia sneered. "Once he sees my incomparable beauty, he won't be able to think about any other woman except me". They started to scream at each other, squabbling. Lucy sat down on a stool, crossed her legs, and held the hairbrush until they were finished.

A loud clap broke their argument. Lucy, Claudia and Beatrice turned to see Hilda standing at the doorway, dressed in a just as huge, puffy dress – which was bright orange, which was sore on the eyes to look at but at least it was a little better than Claudia and Beatrice's dresses – with the same six foot hairstyle, same extravagant make-up, hands on hips, scowling and looking just as ridiculous as Claudia and Beatrice.

"What are you girls doing?" she snapped. Claudia and Beatrice stopped fighting and stared at the ground. "Proper young ladies don't squabble like children" she barked. "You'll never catch the prince's eye at this rate". "Sorry mother" Claudia and Beatrice chorused. Hilda smiled. "But of course, no one there will be as pretty as you two. The prince will have a hard time choosing" she said.

"Well he'll choose me of course" Claudia and Beatrice both said in unison. They glared at each other. "The carriage will be here soon. Lucy, get out. Since you clearly don't have a dress you won't be going" her stepmother said coldly. Claudia and Beatrice snickered. "Why should a peasant go anyways? She's not important" Claudia said. "Imagine, the prince might actually be in her presence" Beatrice sneered. "He'll have to hold his nose to bear with her stench". They both laughed loudly. "Excuse me Your Highness" Claudia simpered, mimicking Lucy. "Would you mind holding my broom?" They burst into peals of laughter, Hilda joining in. Lucy decided it would be best to leave.