I wrote this story for my sister's 21st birthday. She may be turning an adult in every country but she still loves Disney princesses and Disney itself like it was when she was five.
Happy Birthday, Sis and may your wishes come true.
7 years ago:
"June. June, darling?" a hoarse voice whispered. I took a step forward and look at my mom with great sadness. Her once bright blue eyes were dimming.
"Yes, Mom?" I asked. Mom opened her arms slightly to let me hug her for what i knew would be the last time. I ran into her arms, Mom's dark blonde hair in my face. I sniffed and swallowed.
"Hey, hey. Please don't cry. I love you. Remember that, my beautiful June." Mom said softly. I nodded and i felt tears come pouring out of my eyes, getting Mom's silky hair wet.
"Please don't leave me, Mommy." I choked on my tears. She kissed my forehead and then I felt Mom's hand from my back fall down to her side.
The shadows that were waiting for my last moments with Mom to finish, ran forward and pushed me back toward the door and into the wall. I dropped to my knees and started crying with my head on my hands and my long white hair surrounding a shield around me.
Mom was dead.
Present:
"Scrub the floors harder, girl." Morgana sneered nastily
"I told you, my name is June." I replied.
"June. What a common name. I will never use that name. If anything your name is Cinder." Morgana made a face of disgust as she said my name. I obeyed. It had been seven years since Mom died from the plague and six years since Father found Morgana. Having had two daughters from a previous husband. Nadia and Bella. Nadia is my age while Bella is only trailing by a year behind. And of course they hate me. I mean, the guy they both have a major crush on keeps asking me out. Chris Prince. I don't like him. But he likes me. Messed up, huh?
"Cinder! Work!" Morgana screeched, sending another wine glass hurtling towards me. I ducked at the last second and heard snickering in the door frame. I scrubbed the floor with the sponge and twisted my head to catch a glimpse of Nadia.
"What do you want, Nadia?" I grunted, my brows sweating from the intense work.
"You will do my English paper, I need to pick out my clothes for tomorrow. Chris should only have eyes for me." Nadia said dreamily.
I would gladly give you his eyes, I thought, if that meant he stopped looking at me all the time.
I scrubbed it harder and harder, my short nails digging in the sponge.
"That's enough. Go help Nadia with her paper and then return and finish the job. Do the attic too." Morgana huffed. I stood up and gave a tiny bow that was mandatory as I rubbed my dirty hands on my even dirtier apron. Morgana dismissed me as Nadia led me to her room. Her room, used to be mine. It was six times the size of my current room and its once daisy yellow walls were completely covered with photos of bands, male models, actors and Chris. A lot of Chris.
"Sit on the floor and write a perfect paper on Shakespeare's Dark Lady and the clues he gave in what Sonnets while I," Nadia pointed to the floor and twirled around,"pick some clothes for my encounter tomorrow with Chris."
I nodded and sat down and began to write. I wrote and watched Nadia through the corner of my eye try on shorter and shorter things each time. In the end she decided for a small golden-colored tank top with white short shorts. I saw her smile coldly and pat her clothes on her vanity table. Once I wrote a complete four pages, I stood back up, my legs antsy and numb.
"Done. Here it is." I said, my brain exhausted.
"It looks merely acceptable, so you may go. Go." Nadia rudely pointed out the door with her middle finger. I let out a breath and went back to me water bucket and sponge when Bella came demanding something too.
"I have to write a story because I told Angelica that I could so you have to tell me one." Bella whined.
"Okay. But I will be cleaning in the meantime. What type of story?" I asked Bella, who was so much nicer than her sister but not nice at all in usual standards. 15 year olds, I thought and shook my head, my hand moving the sponge up and down, up and down.
"A story about an evil wizard who is trying to take over the world who has to turn good sometime." Bella demanded. I racked my brain for thoughts and came up with a good starting sentence as I cleaned and Bella wrote it down.
"There once was an evil wizard named Golfem and he was not afraid of anything or anybody. His good enemy was named CharmingMan and one day..." I said the story, and when I was halfway through, I moved up to clean the attic and Bella followed me.
"...the evil one never gets the girl' Golfem sighed. 'Well he just did now' said Maria and she kissed him and soon they got married and lived happily ever after." I finished. Bella nodded than left the room. I cleaned the attic and then when i went downstairs and saw that the three evil members of the family were eating dinner.
Walking into the kitchen, I saw Bridget piling stew on a plate. She handed it over to me and i ate with my plastic fork and knife.
"Thank you, Bridget. I would starve without you." I said, smiling at the first and last food of the day, filing up my stomach.
"No problem June. They would actually starve you, you know. But that boy that keeps courting you, came by again today. Just after you left Nadia's room. She, of course, made him stay for a long time but just ten minutes before you came down from the attic, he ran away." Bridget chuckled. Chris came by again. He always does that but i am always working so I don't have time to tell him to leave. And to reject yet another date invitation. That boy has no shame.
"But he did manage to give me this to give to you." Bridget handed an envelope the size of my hand. I ripped it open and stared down at it.
" A dance." I said, deflated. Bridget peered over my hands.
"No. Three dances." She corrected me. I sighed, not sure what I had hoped but it hadn't been that. Bridget pinched my cheeks and hugged me.
"Go to bed. You have to wake up at four to clean the house then get to school at eight. Go now. You cleaned the house and you are tired. Go." Bridget said. I nodded, turned around and walked to my room. When I got in, I dropped into bed and fell asleep.
I woke up to little kisses on my cheek. Opening my eyes wearily, i saw exactly what i was missing.
"Chip! Squire! You made it back! How was the vacation?" I asked, happy to see my squirrel and mouse friend again.
"Oh, it was great. But we have a surprise for you..." Chip said and waved his tiny, furry, grey paw toward the floor. I lifted myself up a bit and I saw all my animal friends there. I smiled widely and when they all moved away, I saw they were standing on the most beautiful dress.
"That is gorgeous. Thank you so much." I said, relishing the moment, 5 years ago, when I found out that I could speak to animals.
"We'll put it in your good closet, June." Juniper, the barn owl, said. She turned her head 360 degrees and told the other barn owls to help. They lifted the large wooden plank from right next to my bed and put the dress right next to all the other beautiful things they made me. I always came to school looking nothing like what my original closet looks like and Nadia and Bella always were shocked but they kept coming to the conclusion that I shop-lifted. It was the first day back after the summer break and everyone tried to look their best.
Squire came closer and whispered in my ear, "We already cleaned for you while you slept. It's now 7 and you needed you beauty sleep. We'll help you get ready for school."
I smiled at that. I had once helped each of the animals with a problem and they thought they owe me a lifetime of favors but they didn't. When I told them that, they patted my cheek and said that at first it was to not be in debt but now it's because we are only friend I had that wasn't an animal was Kaelie and she was in 10th grade too.
I took a warm shower and wiped all the grunge of my skin and hair. I braided my hair that now reached my knees and put on a dress that Squire made with his friends. It was a reddish color that had a scoop neck and reached above my knees. Squire twitched his nose when he saw what dress I put on with happiness .
"Zeus? Please come help with June's hair." Chip called. The open window was filled by Zeus and about 10 of his bird friends flying in.
"Poseidon, Hades, Cronus. Go gather some red Zinnia's. Aphrodite, Demeter, Hera. You will put the flowers in her hair. Artemis, please go help the gathering group." Zeus directed. I was slightly amused of how important his stride was as the four birds left on a hunt to find my favorite flower, Zinnia. The three remaining birds that were assigned to fill my hair were not kept waiting long. A minute after they left, they came back with red Zinnia's in their beak. They put it on my bed and the designing group placed the flowers in my hair. I stood up and twirled around.
"Thank you so much. Wait here. I'll be back." I said, smiling. I ran to the kitchen and took a couple of acorns and half a loaf of bread. When i came back I gave split the loaf in half to feed the birds and the barn owls. The acorns were for the three squirrels that came with Squire. They ate happily as I filled my bag with my books and swung it over my shoulder.
I walked slowly to the kitchen with Pluto, the baby barn owl, on my shoulder and my bag on the other. Grabbing a green apple, I headed out the door. I took a bite and Pluto said something so soft I couldn't hear it.
"Sorry, what did you say?" I asked.
"What are you going to do about the Chris boy," she said.
"Ignore him until he realizes, I don't want him to go out with me." I replied, scratching Pluto's head for a couple of seconds, then letting my hand return to my side.
As we were nearing the school, I went over the plan with Pluto.
"I'll leave you in a tree and Saturn will find you and give you something to eat and after school, I will return and we'll go back home. Okay?" I said gently. I felt Pluto nod. When we arrived at school, it was eight and I dropped off Pluto in the hollow of the tree I promised. I said goodbye then walked into school.
Chris was waiting for me at the entrance.
"Evans. Ready to go out with me yet?" He called.
I rolled my eyes, "Only in your wildest dreams." I said. Him asking me out and me declining was a part of every school day.
"Come on, Evans. Give me a chance." Chris begged. I shook my head and crossed my arms. He was only a meter in front and i was leaning against the wall.
"At least, come to the dance tonight." He added.
"I'll consider it." I shrugged, happy with my vagueness.
"June. Over here." Kaelie called.
"At least a see-you-later kiss?" Chris whispered. I leaned closer as i saw him pucker up with his eyes closed and then I turned around and walked away.
"Not fair!" He said, grinning. I flipped my hair over my shoulder and walked over to Kaelie.
"Did the old yes-then-no trick, I see. Good job. But now, we need to talk about Matt. He has been giving me mixed messages and now i am so confused." Kaelie looked tired. We walked toward the couches and fell down on them.
"What did Matt say?" I asked, worried about Kaelie and her getting her heart broken.
"He said that maybe he will call tonight. Cause that's what he texted me about this morning. What does maybe mean?" Kaelie said in paranoia about her boyfriend.
I sighed and said, "Maybe that is just what he meant. That maybe he will get the chance to call you. Unless he is too busy."
Kaelie pouted but nodded, "You're probably right. But now we have English. So. Lets go. Did you do your summer paper. On the dark lady?"
I nodded as our English teacher spotted us.
"Miss Evans. Miss Tyler. Great to see you again." Ms Janine enthused. We smiled, walked into class and took out are notebooks as we sat down in front of the class.
"June, your dress looks great, where'd you get it?" Kaelie asked quietly, not to bother the students that were filing in. I just smiled and averted my eyes as Chris walked in followed by Nadia. Or stalked by was a better use of the word. Chris quickly sat in the last seat which was right next to me and Nadia scowled but sat two rows back.
Chris leaned closer to me and whispered, "How about now?"
I raised my eyebrows and he chuckled to himself. Kaelie shook her head as I saw her crumple a paper and toss it underhand to me. When I opened the paper, I saw her big loopy writing.
-June-
Just date him, will you. This is getting boring and I know you want to. Just say yes next time. Or kiss him. JUST DO IT!
-Kaelie-
I saw Chris smile to himself as I realized he had read the note.
"Keep your eyes to your own fan mail." I hissed. Chris's eyes lit up in amusement.
"First tell me that you do not want to go out with me." Chris whispered.
"No. I don't want to go out with you." I said under my breath as Ms Janine starting talking.
"Ha. Jokes." He said softly, paying half attention to the lecture about Shakespeare's secrets and his Dark Lady.
"Not. Kidding. Watch. The. Teacher." I broke my words in fragments so they would be easier to understand.
Chris rolled his eyes and mouthed 'not over'. I turned forward in my chair and just listened to Ms Janine's voice drone on about clues for the dark lady.
"I... um... have to go. Sorry Kaelie." I apologized as I ran away from Kaelie to Pluto. Nearing the big tree, I saw Saturn fly away. Placing Pluto on my shoulder, I rearranged my school bag on my shoulder. I started speed walking home.
"Carry me in your hands and then you can run." Pluto chirruped. I followed her orders and broke into a sprint. The wind beat at my hair and dust got in my face. When i got to the door, i knew i had mere minutes to get the house looking ready. I opened the door quietly and rushed to my room. Saturn was waiting on my bed and I passed her Pluto and admired how she held her daughter and flew out the window.
I quickly stripped my dress off and hid it under my mattress so I could wash it later. Pulling my dirty housemaid dress from my closet, I heard the entrance door get thrown open. I grabbed my sponge and bucket and started to clean the hallway.
Morgana appeared in front of me. "I see you already started cleaning. I would double your pay but I don't pay you anything." She screeched, laughing. "Today, you will be relieved of your cleaning duties for three hours."
I started smiling but Morgana held a hand in front of my face. "You have to go to the mall to help pick out a dress for Nadia and Bella for tonight's dance. The first theme is Victorian Era." Morgana smiled dreamily. "And they have to look perfect."
Dance? What dance? I was about to say but then realization dawned on me. Chris's dance. I nodded swiftly and then left out the door to go to the mall. Without my apron of course. Just my worn-out dress.
The mall was just next to the house so I enjoyed the sunshine as I walked slowly to the big mall. When I got there, Nadia and Bella were tapping their foot in wait.
"I'm here." I said.
"Good. We need to stop by every dress shop to see if they have the three dresses we are looking for. Chris will finally make me his girlfriend. It is going to happen. It's fate." Nadia sighed happily. Bella elbowed her older sister and then walked in the mall. I trailed behind and pulled my white hair to cover my face so nobody would recognize me.
"River Junction. There it is. The first theme. Let's go." Bella pointed out the store and she grabbed my arm and pulled me in.
At first I was overwhelmed by the strong flowery scent but then when I saw the poofy dresses, my eyes widened. I followed Bella and when she picked out a dress that was a midnight blue with a butt that stuck out. When Bella went to try it on, I had to help Nadia find a dress. And she did. Nadia's choice was a white dress with small brown flowers and underneath was a long green skirt. When she went to try it on, Bella came out demanding that this was the one. And that after they will stop by Forever 21 and Boohoo. And Clare's.
I nodded and carried the two bags to Boohoo which was the next stop. In Boohoo, they just picked a dress and moved on.
Nadia's was a pink sequin midriff dress and Bella chose a black and gold dress. I just gazed longingly at dresses I would have bought if I had any money. At Forever 21 which they chose the dress shop to be the last theme, they saw each two dresses that they squealed at happily. Nadia saw a dark purple rosette and a tiered strapless. Bella went for bright colors with a crackled aquamarine mini and a red tube dress.
We were about to stop at Clare's but then they saw a store with masks and they rushed over. When we turned around, I bumped into someone. When I looked up, I saw the person I wanted to see least.
"Woah. Hey there, Evans. Whatcha wearing?" Chris asked softly. I turned my head and shook it.
"Where'd your sharp tongue go?" He added.
"Pth. Dont mind Cinder. She is supposed to be working. Come on. Now!" Nadia demanded sharply. When I followed her, Nadia stopped and turned around and gave a flirty wave. I rolled my eyes but trudged along. When we got home, I felt sick that Chris had seen me but once I dropped of the bags in Nadia's and Bella's room, I went to ask Morgana something I would have never done if I hadn't gone to the mall.
"Morgana? I wanted to ask if I may be present at the three dances." I asked shyly.
"On one condition. The whole house must be spotless by the time my daughters are in the car to leave for the dance tonight. If there is even a speck of mud and you are late because you are cleaning it, you may not attend any of the three dances. Is that a deal?" Morgana said. For the first time, I actually was happy at home.
"Yes. Thank you so very much. You wont regret it!" I called as I ran into Morgana's room to clean. I cleaned everything and I still had ten minutes before the girls would leave. I was about to go get changed myself until I heard a shrilly voice.
"Where do you think you are going?" Morgana shrieked.
"Well, I cleaned everywhere so I am going to go change." I responded.
"No. You forgot something. Follow me, Cinder." She commented and she turned around and walked down the hallway. She led me into a room that I had cleaned.
"I already cleaned this room, Ma'am." I said.
Morgana was smiling triumphantly. "Perhaps you did, but you still have one thing to do."
I inhaled deeply then asked, "What?"
Morgana lifted a big bucket and spilled its contents on the hay carpet then grabbed two empty buckets and placed them on either side. I gasped.
"You see that there are white seeds and black seeds. The white seeds, you have to put in one bucket and the black in the other. Simple." Morgana directed and within a second she had disappeared. I felt tears spill down my face and through my tears I placed one seed in one bucket and the other in the other. When I heard a pecking on the window, I wiped my eyes and opened it.
"We have come to help you." The birds chirruped in unison. I saw them fly through and start dividing the seeds. They had a couple left and then I heard a sound that made my hope crumble. Wheels driving away. I started crying again, unsure why I had been wanting to see Chris. The door opened slightly and I saw Bridget walk in and hug me close while I cried.
"The boy. The one that kept asking you to be his girlfriend. Do you think you like him back?" Bridget asked softly. I thought about the question.
"I think I do." I said in a small voice.
"I am so sorry. I would help you but I have to prepare dinner for Morgana. Please feel better." She said and then left.
When Athena finished, she flew over and sat on my knee.
"I know about love and I know how much it hurts. I think I have an idea." Athena cocked her head at me then made a bird call.
I waited and then I saw a flash of gold out of my window. I ran out the back door and went to see what had happened. I looked down and saw a snowy owl with a golden aura surrounding her.
"Oh, dear. You aren't wearing that to the dance, are you?" The owl hooted.
"I missed my ride, but who are you?" I asked.
"Your fairy godmother, Chantai, of course." Chantai said.
"Then why are you an owl? Shouldn't you be a fairy?" I watched as Chantai jumped on a higher crate.
"We have work to do, dear. Your Victorian dress! And I know which will look fabulous on you." Chantai said and then she began to chant:
A maid's dress is not something to wear,
At a Victorian dance with perfumed air,
And it is solely because I care,
And make her beauty exquisitely rare!
I felt something tingling my feet and when I glanced down, I saw mist surround my legs and it going higher and higher and when the mist swallowed me up and then evaporated me, I felt different. My hair had been swept into a bun and when I glanced down, I saw I was wearing a black and green dress with -of course- a poofy butt. When I touched my face, I felt a mask covering just my eyes.
"Thank you so much. But..." I trailed off.
"How could I have forgotten. Transportation." Chantai waved her wing and a pumpkin that was right next the crate was made into a orange Porsche.
"Thank you. Thank you, Chantai." I smiled as I got into my orange car.
"Your welcome, child. Remember. Be back at midnight." Chantai hooted.
"Midnight? Why?" I asked, slightly deflated.
"Because at that time, your dress will become one for a maid and your car will be a pumpkin. Now go. The dance started at eight and you are half an hour late. Go and have fun. But remember: Midnight. I'll be here tomorrow, same time!" Chantai called. I waved as I drove off at maximum speed.
When I parked the car, I saw Chris sitting down on a bench in a suit and tie. I walked over and sat next to him
"Hello. I heard you are the host." I said.
He looked at me. "June? You came?" He exclaimed.
"N...No. My name is Jessica." I responded, thinking it was better that he did not know who I was.
"Oh. Hello Jessica." He smiled sadly.
"Who is June?" I asked.
"It is a girl I have liked a lot for a long time but she hates me."
"She cant hate you. Why?"
"I don't know. What are you doing here anyway?"
"Never been to a dance so I have no idea what illegal things happen inside." I answered truthfully. Chris burst out laughing.
"Never?" He asked and when I shook my head, he stood up. "Well. That's a problem. Let me show you." Chris reached to take my hand. I stood up and I followed him inside.
"I don't see anything illegal. Just a lot of dancing." I looked around and saw people dancing really close to each other. Like, really, really close.
"It's like dance-rape or something." I muttered. Chris got another burst of laughter and then patted me on the back.
"You know, Jess, you are very amusing." He said.
"Let's go dance," he added and pulled me in the crowd. Soon, I got what dancing meant. Jumping around and yelling along to the words.
"Got to go to the bathroom. Where is it?" I yelled to Chris. He yelled the directions to me. I nodded and found myself out of the crowd. I took a left and then a right and found myself in a bathroom. I locked the door and looked in the mirror. I saw a few strands of my hair falling down and I saw my sapphire eyes looking back. I took a deep breath and checked the time. I had fifteen minutes. I gasped and rushed out. I ran out to my car and someone pulled me back.
"Where are you going. The party ends at three." He said, trying to pull me back it. My heart fluttered and I shook my head.
"No. I have to get home." I responded.
"Please." Chris whispered.
"I would. Believe me, I would stay. But I can't." I said softly then turned around and leaped in my car and drove off. The second I hopped out of the car, the car became a pumpkin again and my Victorian dress disappeared. I sighed and walked into my room and when I changed into my Pj's, my head was echoing a name I thought would only bug me.
Chris.
And with that, I fell asleep.
When I woke up in the morning at five, I had a smile on my face. I smiled while I cleaned and smiled while I fed the animals that came right before school. Pluto had been sick so he was staying at home while I went to school. When I entered the place of unholy learning I felt that something was wrong. The whole day I was trying to figure it out and during last period study hall, I realized. Chris didn't ask me out. Not once.
I turned around and called, "Hey! Hey, Chris."
Chris looked up and I saw his velvety black eyes stand out from his tawny blonde hair. My heart fluttered a little.
"What is it, Evans?" He asked.
"What? No asking me out? Not gonna warn me first that I was going to have a good day?" I teased.
"Would you have said yes?" He asked cheekily.
I raised my eyebrows as an answer.
"Anyway. I like another girl now so your days of tiresome rejections are over." Chris cheered.
I clapped softly. "Who is this unlucky girl that now is the subject of your attention?"
"Her name is Jessica. I met her at the party you said you would go to." Chris grinned.
"I said I would consider it. But is there anything else you know about the girl? Except for her name." I said.
"No. But still." Chris answered innocently.
"Get a room!" Kaelie called. Everyone started laughing when I turned red. I sighed and turned back around. Half jealous that he doesn't like the June me anymore but glad that he likes the Jessica me.
"Do you think it would have been at the Hilton?" Kaelie asked. I elbowed her in the ribs as she leaned over.
When the bell rang, I slid my books into my bag and hurried home to clean the house.
I cleaned every spot and even Morgana didn't argue. All she said was that I could retire to my room earlier. And I did.
I watched Saturn try to teach Pluto how to fly. Starting from my bed, down. I'd pick him up and place him on my bed and Saturn would give a small tip on how to improve and then Pluto would jump off and try to fly. When I saw the golden glow outside my window that I was waiting for, I ran out.
"Chantai! You're back!" I exclaimed
"What? Did you think I would leave you here with nothing to wear to the dance. You are crazy." She said all 'hipster' like.
"Why'd you talk like that?"
" Wha'? 'S not good?" Chantai said, crossing her wings.
Everything was the same as last night. Except for during that chant, instead of 'Victorian Era', she said 'Black And White'. And my dress was midriff and it was white and silver. And my hair was pulled into a braid.
When I got to the party, Chris was waiting for me.
"Hey Jess." He called and opened my car door.
"Strange car. Orange. Like a pumpkin." Chris mused.
"Now, if you're done insulting my car, we could go in to dance." I suggested.
"Now, you're talking. Come on." Chris pulled me in again and again I had a great night. Except for the fact that when I looked at the snack bar, Nadia and Bella were glaring at me. I could tell that they hadn't realized who I really was.
At eleven, Chris took me out in the garden and we sat on a marble bench and watched the fountain.
"Jess?" Chris began.
"Mmm?" I was too focused on the beauty of the fountain to give a proper answer.
"You know I really like you, right?" Chris tried again.
"I really like you too." I answered. I looked past the fountain and saw the clock. I had ten minutes.
"Oh my god, Chris. I am so sorry but I have to go. See you for the last dance. I curtsied and ran to my car and it was the same as last night. Jumped in it, drove like mad to get home, second I jumped back out, it was a pumpkin and my dress was dirty again. When I walked to my room and lied down in bed, changed into my Pj's. I kept thinking about what Chris would have said.
You know I like you, right?
His deep voice echoed in my mind. What if he was going to kiss me. unconsciously, I dragged my thumb across my bottom lip. With that thought in mind, I fell asleep, not happy like last night. But confused.
Confused and in love.
When I got back from school and started cleaning the house. My head was spinning with rumors of Jessica.
They say that she stole Chris's heart. They say that Chris was writing Jessica Prince plus Chris Prince all over his notebook and that he dotted the i's with hearts. They also said that she hypnotized him. Rumors went all day and I know that Nadia invented almost all the bad ones. I scrubbed the floor harder and my arms were crying with exhaustion. Again, I had managed to clean the house quicker than usual days.
"If you keep cleaning like this, I will give you one free day a week, where you have to go out to the mall or something and then may return in the evening. But you must have to turn 17 first." Morgana had said. For the first time ever, I tolerated Morgana. Not despised but just tolerated. Barely.
This time, when I got out to meet Chantai, I felt slightly down. He wouldn't know who I really was and he wouldn't like June again because he would miss Jessica.
This time, Chantai's chant was different:
The love they shared was one of a kind,
One that so many couple's struggle to find
The one last dance with the music of the bass,
Make her dress perfect cause next time she sees him will be in class.
The same mist surrounded me and when the mist left, I was wearing a long strapless dress that was the color of a ocean at when the sun is covered by a cloud: a light blue-green. My hair was curled and it reached the small of my back. When I looked down, I saw glass heels. I gasped.
"Thank you so very much, Chantai."I squealed.
"No. It's fine. Go. Go have your last dance. Midnight. Remember." I lifted the snowy owl and placed a kiss on her head.
Then, I jumped in the car and sped away toward the party. Chris was just standing up from a bench when he walked over and opened the car.
"How did you know it was me?" I asked softly.
"I always know. You are beautiful." Chris whispered.
I smiled. "Really?"
"Not really. About knowing, I mean. Your car is almost glow in the dark." He responded.
I shook my head amusedly.
"Who are you, Jess? I barely know you." He said.
"You know my name." I pointed out.
"That's the point of barely." Chris commented.
"Fine. What do you want to know?" I asked.
"Favorite animal, favorite color, why." Chris gave me a list. I saw his eyes twinkle.
"Fox because nobody else does and red because I think it is the color of hope." I answered honestly.
"Favorite family member and why."
"My mom cause she was the best. And she brought out the best in people." I felt my eyes tearing up.
"Was? When was that?" Chris asked, pulling me close.
"Seven years ago." I sniffed.
"Dont cry. Your mom is so proud of you wherever she is and she is watching over you and will always be in your heart." He kissed the top of my head in a brotherly affection.
"You think?" I asked, my tears stopped creating tracks down my face.
"I know. I know what cheers me up. Dancing. Come on." Chris said as he dragged me in and onto the dance floor. We danced and when he pulled me outside, just outside the entrance doors, I felt elated. I had half an hour left until ten to.
"Isn't it beautiful?" Chris asked.
"Yea. It is." I said, looking up into the starry night.
"You are too." Chris said, then tilted my face up and kissed me. I was shocked. I backed away and Chris looked worried.
"Did I do something wrong?" Chris asked.
"No." I shook my head.
"Can I finally see the face behind the mask? Please." Chris begged. I shook my head harder, my curls bouncing around.
"I... I have to go." I choked out. I looked at the time and started running towards my car.
"Jessica! Please come back!" Chris called.
I felt my shoe slip off but when I turned around to pick it up, I realized Chris would have enough time to pull my mask off. I turned back around quickly and with my heart in my throat, leapt into the car and drove home.
When I got home, my car was still a car. My dress was still that beautiful color. I had come home half an hour early. I sat on my bed and wept.
So this is what a heartbreak is like.
Two blue birds sat on my bed.
Kruchina and Metis. The birds were each named after what they are good at giving advice in what god or goddess fit their personality most..
Kruchina was for mourning and Metis of lies and deceit.
"Look, June, you shouldn't have lied to him but all the same it did save you trouble from those evil stepsisters of yours." Metis said sadly.
"I know what you are going through. I loved this male bird and he loved me back but we could never be together because I was a bluebird and he was a mockingbird. In the end, we both chose mates of our own kind though it broke my heart." Kruchina sighed.
"Will it ever hurt less?" I asked softly.
"Of course!" Metis exclaimed.
"Don't lie, Metis." Kruchina scolded.
"I am the goddess of lying and deceit. It's what I do." Metis explained but quieted down.
"Honestly. No. It will hurt later as much as it does now but you will be able to push the pain at times. It is like looking at a scar on your arm. If you don't look at it, you forget it's there but every time you look down, there it is and the more you try make it better, the more you reopen the wound." Kruchina chirruped. I hung my head. When the clock struck midnight, my dress was replaced by the working one.
"Thank you Kruchina. And you Metis." I tried a small smile but failed miserably. The two birds sailed out the window and I changed. I slept that night horribly. But how else would you sleep if the guy who you love doesn't love the real you?
I woke up to the sound of scrubbing. When I opened my eyes, i saw my room filled with wildlife.
"We came to clean for you. You sad, Kruchina said. We clean." Purple, the monkey, said.
"Thank you." I called.
"You have ten minutes to school. Go change." Yellow responded.
I nodded and pulled out a short denim skirt with a yellow tank top that had a picture of an acorn on it. I changed into it quickly and grabbed my books in one hand and bag in the other and rushed to school. There was a queue to go in. I spotted Kaelie near the front.
"Hey. What's going on?" I asked quietly.
"Chris is making every girl try on a damn glass shoe to see who his Jessica is. She lost one of the shoes. Right now, I would want to kill her if I saw her." Kaelie hissed back.
"Hey!" I said then realized it was too late.
"You're her? Of course. That makes so much sense now. But I kinda hate you because we girls have to wait in line to try in a damn shoe while you are too scared to tell him." Kaelie's eyes widened.
"Why doesn't anyone leave?" I asked.
Kaelie pointed into the distance and I saw armed men walking around.
"Why doesn't anyone just sneak around to the back door?" I asked thinking that would be perfect sense.
"Because we bloody don't know they IS a back door. Let's go." Kaelie cussed as she let me bring her to the backdoor. I opened the door and we were in the boiler room. I led her up the stairs and we were in the equipment room where we opened the door and came out next to the English classroom which luckily was our first class.
"I need to remember that." Kaelie whispered. I watched as I saw barely any people walk around the halls.
"It's empty." I observed. I walked into English and at Kaelie's request, told her all the entrances and exits.
"Teacher's pet." Kaelie commented after the list. I flicked her shoulder as she gave a little yelp of pain and rubbed her shoulder and glared at me. I giggled a bit.
"Tsk, Tsk. Well, Miss Evans. I did not see you at Shoe Duty this morning." Chris said teasingly.
"Maybe you forgot." I suggested.
"No. See, I checked every girl in this school except for you two." Chris seemed persistent.
Kaelie looked away and shrunk in her seat.
"Please try it on. I'll do anything, just prove to me you are not Jessica. Kaelie will go first. Right, Kaelie?" Chris smiled.
Kaelie stuck her foot from under her desk and when Chris took her shoe off and try to put the other one in, her foot was too big. He put her shoe back on and then Chris turned to me.
I looked in his eye evenly as I took out my left foot and he slipped the shoe in. It fit.
"Jessica." He breathed.
"No. My name is June." I said and when I did, the other glass heel fell out of my bag and a mist surrounded me. I felt at peace and when the mist disappeared, I was wearing my dress from last night. The class clapped and then Chris asked a question that I never thought would bring me such joy.
"June. Will you go out with me?"