Just Another Stupid Cinderella Story

Chapter 12

The morning came all too quickly, and before I knew it, Amanda was calling my phone, wondering why I wasn’t outside yet.

I mentally kicked myself when I realized that I had forgotten to text her that I didn’t need a ride today.

I answered my phone, not in the mood for Amanda’s cheery attitude, but I had no choice, she at least deserved an explanation.

“Hey,” she said, “I’m outside, hurry and come out, or else we will be late.”

“I can’t,” I said.

“Oh don’t tell me that the wicked witch of the west isn’t letting you go to school today,” she said.

“No, I really don’t feel well,” I told her.

“Really?” she asked, “you seemed fine last night.”

“It hit me after I got home,” I lied, even though I really didn’t feel like school today.

“Oh, ok,” she said, “I’ll pick up your homework and drop it off later today ok?”

“Ok,” I said.

She hung up, and I drifted back into oblivion.

Apparently my stepmother left for Vegas last night, so she wouldn’t be bothering me, and my stepsisters didn’t care what I did, as long as it was beneficial to them, so they weren’t bothered by me not going to school.

I was free to sleep until noon, and I did.

I woke up, and glanced at the clock next to me, it was twelve-thirty, and I had a massive head ache.

I got up, and went to the kitchen to get something to eat, I didn’t bother with putting on clothes, my pajamas were just fine.

I pulled out the box of lucky charms, and some milk, and fixed myself a bowl of cereal.

I ate it and went back to my room, where I put in a movie, I don’t even remember which one, I was zoning out, and didn’t even notice when the movie ended, and my sisters showed up.

Thankfully, I had shut my door, so they didn’t realize that I had stayed home. They probably would have called me lazy because Tonia wasn’t here to keep me in line, which would mean calls to their mother, and she wouldn’t leave for Vegas for a long while. So I did the inevitable.

I got dressed, much to my discomfort, and climbed out of my window, onto the porch roof below. I stepped carefully onto a branch of an oak tree, and climbed down the thick trunk until I was on solid ground.

I sighed, I was glad I had so much practice sneaking out this way, or else I might have fallen to my death.

I walked around the house, just as Amanda was pulling up.

‘Oh, great,’ I said, ‘now she’s going to think I ditched her.’

Thankfully she hadn’t noticed me yet, I decide to run inside, and maybe, just maybe, I can make it in before she sees me.

Just as I’m reaching the door, she turns around. I cringe as she calls my name.

“Ellie!” she calls, “Why aren’t you in bed? I thought you said you weren’t feeling well.”

“My step-sisters don’t know I didn’t go to school today, and I don’t want to face their wrath.” I said, hoping she’ll realize I’m telling the truth.

“Oh, are they that bad?” She asks.

“Yeah,” I said. “They are that bad.”

“Well, I guess you are going to need these, aren’t you?” she says as she hands me my books along with a bunch of notes, that she undoubtedly took from my teachers.