Stepsisters

Chapter Five

It didn't take very long for the paparazzi to find Chloe.

After tweeting what town she was in to all of her Twitter followers, the media was quickly able to track her down.

A local news station, Channel 13 News, had their van parked in front of Ella's house. Ella had woken up first, so she was the first to spot the van in front of her house.

She woke her mom up first. "Mom," she said, shaking her mom until she woke up. "Channel 13 News is here."

"What?" her mom said, sitting up. "Why?"

"I don't know why," Ella said. "I suspect it has something to do with Chloe being here."

Her mom got up and looked out the window. A reporter had just gotten out of the van, carrying a microphone and a clipboard.

"Definitely Chloe," her mom said. "They're here because Chloe told everyone on--what do you call it, Tweeter or something--that she was in New York."

"Not just that," Ella said. "I saw on Twitter earlier this morning that she said the town too. It's like she wants to get pictures taken of her."

"She does," Ella's mom said. "She seems very vain."

"What are we going to do?" Ella asked.

"We can't ignore the press when they are right in front of our house," Ella's mom said, shutting the curtains. "We will have to give them what they want: an interview with Chloe, and then we will make them leave."

Ella's mom went downstairs to welcome Channel 13 News while Ella had to wake up everyone else.

She knocked on her dad and Sydney's door, and slightly opened it to tell them to wake up.

Next, she went to Chloe's room. She knocked on the door twice, and Chloe didn't reply, so she opened the door. Chloe was sitting on her bed, taking pictures of herself.

"What are you doing?" Ella asked.

"Taking selfies," Chloe answered. "I look my best in morning light."

"Well, you need to come downstairs," Ella said. "Channel 13 News is here."

"Sweet," Chloe said, putting her phone down. "And they're here in the morning, too, the time that I look extra amazing in pictures."

Ella sighed internally as she and Chloe walked down the stairs. She just wanted to get this over with so the press could leave, and she could spend time with her dad.

When they got downstairs, Ella's mom was in the kitchen, talking to a reporter and a film crew.

"Chloe Haywood!" the reporter exclaimed. "It's great to have you here in New York." The film crew started recording. "Your stepmother tells me you are here to visit your new stepfamily, is that correct?"

"Yes," Chloe said, smiling. "When my mom remarried my new stepfather, he wanted us to come visit his old family."

We're still his family, Ella wanted to say, but she didn't.

"And how is the new stepfamily, Chloe?" the reporter asked.

"They are so wonderful," Chloe answered. Ella knew she was lying, by Chloe hid it well from the reporter. "These two ladies made lasagna and chocolate chip cookies special for my family and me."

Ella's dad and Sydney came downstairs.

"This is my mother and my new stepfather," Chloe told the reporter. "They are just perfect together!"

"Aww, Chloe," Sydney said. "You are so sweet."

"Thanks, Mom," Chloe smiled. "I got it from you!"

She couldn't get more fake, Ella thought to herself.

"How is your new stepsister? She looks around your age," the reporter said to Chloe.

"We're like, best friends!" Chloe exclaimed. She looked behind her and shot Ella a death stare, as to say "Don't you dare tell the truth." "Ella is amazing."

When the camera crew focused on Ella and the reporter looked away, Chloe rolled her eyes.

"How did you feel when you found out you were stepsisters with Chloe Haywood?" the reporter asked Ella.

"I was shocked," Ella said. "It was so cool."

"How do you like it?"

"Oh, Chloe is so nice," Ella said, continuing Chloe's lie. "We are going to be best friends." Ella looked at Chloe. She nodded towards Ella.

"Great!" the reporter said. "Now can we just take some pictures of the two of you..." The reporter grabbed a camera and took a couple of pictures of Ella and Chloe. "Thank you!"

"No problem," Chloe said. She winked.

The reporter took his film crew and left. The moment they stepped out the door, Chloe turned to Ella.

"In the media, we're best friends," she said. "But in real life, don't talk to me."

"Okay," Ella agreed.

The rest of the day was uneventful. Ella wanted to do something with her dad. She suggested walking around downtown, but all he wanted to do was go to Channel 13 New's website and watch the video and look at the pictures with Chloe.

Ella felt lonely, so she decided to text Jenny. She hoped she wasn't hanging out with Hannah.

Hey, Ella wrote. Do you wanna hang out tonight?

Sure! Jenny wrote back. Sleepover at my place?

Ella bit her lip and looked over at her dad and Chloe, looking at pictures of Chloe on a laptop. Her dad only came a couple of times a year.

I'll be there at 7, Ella replied. It's not like her dad was hanging out with her anyways.

Great! Jenny said. Hannah's coming too :)

Ella sighed. She couldn't decide which was worse: going to Jenny's house and seeing Hannah, or staying home and watch her dad completely ignore her, while putting his full attention towards his new daughter--the famous, pretty, talented one.

She decided to stick with her plan and go to Jenny's house.