A Cinderella Story

Prologue

  A/N: This new story is based off A cinderella story, the one with Hillary Duff. I'm saying it now, not everything is going to be exactly the same. 

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Once upon a time, in a faraway kingdom, lived a beautiful girl and her widowed father.

A little girl admired the castle snow globe, "it's beautiful."

Okay, it wasn't that long ago. And it wasn't really a faraway kingdom.

Her father shook the snow globe, scattering the snowflakes, as cars honked and alarms blared from the outside of the girl's room.

It was the San Fernando Valley, and it only looked far away because you could barely see it through all the smog. But to me, growing, the valley was my kingdom.

The girl giggled as her father drove through San Fernando.

I was my dad's best friend and he was mine.

The same girl swung her bat and sent the ball flying past her dad. He looked at it in surprise. As she ran to the bases, he ran after her and caught her. Both laughing in sheer enjoyment. He leaned down and placed his cap on her head.

Although being raised by a man put me behind in the makeup and fashion departments, I never felt like I missed out on anything. I was the luckiest girl in the world.

There was a diner showcasing 'Y/D/N's Diner' on the sign. When someone entered they would hear a jukebox softly playing music in the diner.

My dad owned the coolest diner in the whole valley. I loved hanging out there. It was the kind of place where "diet" was a four-letter word and grease came at no additional charge. At Y/D/N's, everyone felt like family.

A waitress came by to the girl's birthday table, "all right I have drinks for everyone," said Rurumu.

A cake was placed in front of her, "Happy birthday."

"Make a wish, princess," said Rurumu.

What more did I need to wish for? I had amazing friends and the coolest dad.

Everyone smiled at her as the girl closed her eyes thinking of a wish. She blew out the candles.

"Oh!"

When she opened her eyes she a woman had fallen into her father's arms.

But I guess my dad thought I needed one more thing--

"I am so sorry."

Madaura.

Everyone threw rice at the new couple leaving the church.

"You look beautiful, Madaura!" Someone exclaimed.

They walked down the steps, their children trailing behind them.

Along with my new stepmother came her twin daughters, Kil and Fatima -- my "out of step" sisters.

The twin girls shoved at each other, sticking their tongues out while walking down the steps.

"Come one, girls. Family photo" said Madaura.

But as long as my dad was happy, so was I. We were going to be one bug happy family.

The camera man got ready to take the photo.

"One... Two..." Madaura counted down and "accidentally" dropped the bouquet over the girl's shoulder. When she bent down to pick it up, the photo was taken.

"Cheese!"

When the girl got up she noticed it was already taken. The camera man made a gesture as if asking if they wanted another one. "One's enough," said Madaura.

Unfortunately, this was no fairy tail.

"He took his her hand and he kissed it. Then he swooped her up onto his horse, and the beautiful princess and the handsome prince rode off to his castle, where they lived happily... ever... after." As he finished the story he began to tickle her.

The girl giggled "do fairy tails come true, Dad?"

He closed the book, hesitating on the answer, "well, no. But dreams come true."

The girl looked up at him, "do you have a dream?" She asked.

"Yeah. My dream is that you'll grow up and go to college, and then someday maybe you'll build your own castle."

The girl thought about it, "where do princesses go to college?"

"Uh... They go, uh... Um, where the princes go. They go to Princeton. But Y/N, you know, fairy tails aren't just about finding handsome princes."

He paused and continued "they're about fulfilling your dreams, and about standing up for what you believe in. It's just like I always say-- never let the fear of sticking out keep..."

The girl interrupted him "...keep you from playing the game."

"That's right."

They smiled and laughed. "And, just remember, if you look carefully, this book contains important things that you may need to know later in life. And I'll always love you, to the moon and back."

Her dad reached into his pocket and handed her a silver bracelet. The girl nodded and her dad kissed her forehead. She looked at her snow globe, seeing the snowflakes fly around violently. A soft rumbling and erupted into and earthquake.

"Earthquake!"

My kingdom came crumbling down the day the Northridge earthquake struck the Valley.

Her father leaned her against the door, keeping a firm grip on her.

"Help! Help!" Shouted Madaura.

"Don't go!" Yelled the girl.

"I'll be right back." As his hand slipped from hers, that would be the last time she ever saw him again. The girl looked in fear as her snow globe crashed down on the floor, shattering the glass. Signifying her fallen kingdom.

I lost my best friend that day. And, from then on, the only fairy tales in my life were the ones I read about in books.

The girl walked up to the home plate, reminiscing on the time here spent with her father. She walked off, not finding the joy in the spot anymore.

Since my father didn't leave a will, my stepmother got everything. The house, the diner...and to her dismay, me.

The twins watched as the girl took her walk of shame up to the attic, where her new room was located.

She looked back as they giggled at the situation. She continued up the stairs and turned on the lights in the attic, flopping down on the bed. Admiring the bracelet around her wrist, one of last gifts her father gave her.