Chapter 1
Ella felt rushed on the first day of school. There was no time to lose when the towns' clock chimed five in the morning. She showered, dressed, and ran downstairs to feed the old cat Lucifer and her loving blood hound Bruno. She silently hummed to herself as she prepared breakfast for the others in her family.
"Cinderella!" She heard the nasal call of Drizella. "Where are my shoes?"
"There in the front closet by the door, right under the coat you wanted to wear today." Ella called right back to her stepsister. She exited the small kitchen carrying three trays for her two stepsisters and stepmother. She placed them on the long table in the order that her stepmother, Eleanor, requested.
There were no words of thanks when Drizella entered the room with Anastasia. It was how things worked in the house. Ella was only there to serve her stepfamily, nothing more.
"Good morning, girls." Eleanor entered the room with the sour look on her face. She gave each of her daughters a kiss on the forehead, and bypassed Ella who ducked out of the room to care for the animal traps.
"Are you ready for the first day of school?"
"Of my last year!" Drizella let out a shout of excitement.
Ella couldn't help but let a small smile spread on her face as she checked a trap under the kitchen sink. Drizella's last year. She wondered what the house would be like when Drizella left. Sure, Anastasia would still be there, but she wouldn't be half as nasty as Drizella. Anastasia only teased and abused Ella because Drizella did. Drizella abused everyone.
After checking the trap, Ella ate a quick piece of toast and retired to her small room beside the kitchen. It was meant to be a guest room for when people came to visit, but it was Ella's little sanctuary after losing her room to Anastasia. There was a small cage on her vanity with a lone gray mouse inside. She sat down pulling her hair out of the blue ribbon.
"Last year with Drizella." She cooed to the mouse. "Can you believe it, Jaq?" She brushed through her hair getting herself ready for the first day of school. She chose her simple brown corduroy skirt, a blue peasant top, and her black flats. It was simple, comfortable, and easy to clean in.
She checked the small mouse's injured leg. No improvement. She was starting to worry about him. She found him a few days before summer ended in one of Eleanor's traps legs slightly mangled. She felt bad, and rescued the poor thing. He rested in the little cage she set up for him. After inspecting the mouse, Ella grabbed her ratty backpack and exited the room. She placed it by the kitchen counter and checked on her stepfamily.
They had finished breakfast. She watched Drizella and Anastasia bickering as they headed to the front door. Eleanor was busily reading her newspaper. Ella ducked into the dining room hiding her head as she cleared the trays of half eaten food.
"Cinderella." She cringed at the name her stepmother used.
"Yes, ma'am." Ella turned, but the woman didn't look at her. She was still busily reading the newspaper.
"Don't forget when you get home you need to clean the drapes, begin dinner, sweep the floors, vacuum the girls rooms, pick up their things, and the laundry needs doing." Eleanor went into a longer list leaving Ella to feel helpless. She always had a notion that Eleanor would clean a little while Ella was in school, but she was always disappointed. Eleanor wanted a housekeeper, and Ella was there to fill it.
"Yes, ma'am." She nodded her head and excused herself into the kitchen. She quickly cleaned everything up hearing the roaring engine of Drizella's car. For her sixteenth birthday, Drizella got a brand new car financed by the money left to Eleanor by Ella's late father. Anastasia got a gift card to a clothing store in the Grotto for her recent sixteenth birthday. Ella was completely forgotten, but she celebrated her sixteenth birthday in silence during the last school year. It was blissful.
She was running late cleaning and was forced to run to the bus stop. Drizella never gave Ella rides, but she didn't mind. It wasn't worth the extra five minutes she saved by riding with Drizella to sit through the numerous insults flung at her. Instead she rode the city bus which passed right in front of the school.
Everything was working out as it always had. Ella got off the bus and headed into Elias High School. The halls were busy with students trying to find their assigned lockers or classrooms. Students were catching up with each other. She tried to maneuver her way through the crowded high school. She found her bottom locker and sat on the floor carefully putting the few books she wouldn't need until after lunch in.
"Hey Cindy!" A cheery, sweet voice came from her side. She looked up and saw the sweet Snow White standing beside her.
"Hello, Snow. How was your summer?" Ella asked closing her locker and standing up. She slung her bag on her shoulder.
"Not too bad," The raven haired girl waved it off. "My father took my stepmother and me to a lovely resort. I met so many wonderful people there." She let out a breathy sigh. Snow White was the most personable girl in the whole school. Although she was only a sophomore, Snow knew almost everyone and conversed with them regularly. Everyone was her friend.
"Oh, look there's Aurora! She looks tired and the school year hasn't even started." Snow let out a small giggle. "We should catch up during lunch! You can tell me about your wonderful summer, Cindy!" Without another word, Snow bounced off to greet other people. Ella knew better than to think Snow would actually talk to her again at lunch. Ella spent her lunch times feeding the many lab animals the science department kept. It was peaceful and quiet.
She was happy to learn that her first class of the day was biology. It added a spring to her step as she walked to the classroom. She was good at biology and she aspired to become a veterinarian someday.
Entering the classroom, Ella took a seat at one of the second row tables. They were partner tables and knowing the science teacher, Mrs. Krunklehorn, Ella would be partnered with whoever would sit next to her for the rest of the year. She just hoped it was someone good. As the morning warning bell rang, students began to file in slowly. Familiar students she spent sophomore and freshman year with piled into the classroom.
Belle, a bookworm that Ella had only a few classes with in prior years, came into the classroom clutching her science book and a leisure book to her chest.
"Hey, Cindy." Belle waved taking the empty table behind her. Ella just waved back and turned her attention to the clock. The bell signaling class was about to start and her seat was empty, as well as Belles. If she was lucky, this was the whole class and she would get partnered with Belle. At least Belle did her work, Ella didn't mind her.
Then just as the final bell rang, a tall, burly figure stepped through the door.
"You were almost late!" The science teacher clasped her hands together. "Take a seat and I'll go over role."
The student was very tall with a full head of jet black hair. He looked like the size of a barge and wore a winning smile. Ella had never shared a class with him and wondered who he was. He shot a girl in the front look a daring grin making her giggle and blush. Ella couldn't help but laugh.
She figured since she was the closest chair, he would take a seat, but he made a beeline for Belle's empty seat. He must have wanted something closer to the back. He didn't look like he was interested in science at all.
"Right! Now that everything is settled." Mrs. Krunklehorn grabbed a sheet from the table. "Role call!" She enthusiastically laughed. "Now, some of you have had me before. For those of you who haven't, I am Mrs. Krunklehorn, the science department head here at Elias High School. Now, when I call your name you can raise or hand or say present!" Her voice trilled on the word present. She began going through the list and Ella looked at every student when they answered. One student hadn't even showed up, and Ella wondered if that would be her fated partner.
"Larose, Belle."
"Present." The rich voice of Belle came from behind Ella. Ella turned and smiled at the girl who smiled right back before returning to her leisure book.
After a few more students, Ella heard, "Richards, Gaston."
"Present, of course." The boy from behind her had a roaring voice making Ella jump a little. She turned to him and he wore the same smirk he came in with. He oozed confidence.
"Yes, right." Mrs. Krunklehorn made a small check on her sheet. "Tremaine, Ella."
Ella merely raised her hand to which Mrs. Krunklehorn nodded. She was the only teacher in the school who actually called Ella by her real name. Not Cinderella, as Drizella so viciously spread, but just plain Ella. Somehow, Drizella couldn't convince Krunklehorn that Cinderella was Ella's name. Yet, every other teacher bowed to Drizella's whim.
For the past few years, Ella succumbed to the name Drizella gave her. It was easier to go by Cindy or Cinderella than to correct every single person in the school. They never listened to her anyways.
"Now, the person you are sitting next to will be your partner for the rest of the school year." Mrs. Krunklehorn clapped again in excitement. "So take a few minutes and introduce yourselves, tell them your age, and one thing about yourself." The classroom instantly filled with noise and Ella turned to her side happily reminding herself that she was without a partner.
"I'm Belle," Ella overheard Belle say to her new partner. "I'm sixteen, love books. And you?"
"Gaston Richards, seventeen, and charmed to meet you." Ella saw out of the corner of her eye a wink that he gave her. He was certainly confident about himself.
"Well, that's good." Belle seemed to be paying little attention to him. Ella turned forward feeling a little guilty for eavesdropping. She took her notebook from backpack and began readying herself for notes.
"It is, isn't it?" She heard a chair scrape behind her, but didn't look behind her.
"So Cindy," Belle's sudden voice made her jump.
Ella shyly turned around, "Yes?"
"Why don't you introduce yourself? If you don't have a partner, you can work with us."
"Oh, well I'm Ella." Belle had a confused look on her face, no doubt from Ella using her real name. "I'm sixteen, and I guess I like animals?"
"Oh good, well, this is Gaston, and you already know me." She let out a smile. "Gaston has yet to tell me what he likes, but I'm sure you two can talk about it. I need to sharpen my pencil." Belle quickly stood and practically ran to the other side of the room.
Ella looked at Gaston, but his eyes were trained on Belle's backside.
"Right, well, nice to meet you, Gaston." She turned around again at her desk. Finally, Mrs. Krunklehorn brought the class back together. She gave an introduction of the class and a synopsis before the bell rang. Ella jetted out of the class first still struggling to put her notebook away while she wandered the hall to her English class.
There was a new English teacher teaching the juniors. She wore a bright yellow sundress and kept her hair bundled into a tight bun. She looked really young and was flustered easily. Ella felt bad knowing that some of the older boys might try and take advantage of this. Yet, the teacher seemed to be able to hold her own after finding a groove.
After two more periods, the upperclassmen were able to break for lunch. Ella made a small detour to her locker to get out her sack lunch. She put her morning period books away and pulled out a few for her classes after lunch.
"Oh, there you are, Cindy!" An exasperated Belle approached her. Ella was surprised to see the brunette actively seeking her out. Belle was a little bit of a loner, just like Ella, but Ella liked it that way.
"Listen, can you do me a favor?"
Ella couldn't quite figure out what Belle would want from her. It had been barely a full day of school and before today they barely talked.
"Sure?" Ella offered zipping up her backpack and standing up.
"Cool," Belle shifted her weight and looked away, "Do you think if I talked to Mrs. Krunklehorn, you would switch partners with me?"
"I don't have a partner." Ella pointed out.
"Well, unless that kid shows up." Belle countered making Ella nod remembering the absent student.
"Right, but why do you want to switch?" Ella asked. Belle looked around the semi-crowded hallway.
Whispering, Belle leaned forward, "Gaston is kind of… pushy. And creepy."
"He just seemed a little over confident." Ella shrugged. She took a breath knowing she'd immediately regret her decision, "I mean I'll switch if you want, I don't mind."
"Awesome! Thank you, Cindy!" Belle opened her book again and walked away. It was an incredible feet to walk through a crowded area with their nose stuck in a book. Belle did it gracefully.
Ella glanced over at the other end of the hall where she saw Gaston standing amidst a group of guys all laughing together, but Gaston's eyes were focused on where Belle was disappearing to. This wasn't going to be easy.
