Never the Same
Cinder twisted the last screw onto the gray android's body that she had just finished repairing. She gave a sigh of relief. "That should do," she told Iko.
"I can't wait! You do know the ball is only in a week away now?" Iko's mechanical voice hinted at her uncontainable enthusiasm, a trait that Cinder had never seen before in any other android. "Look at the headlines! Prince Kai is even making a special appearance! It's your first year, too! You're of age! We need to start planning immediately!" Iko almost squealed, pretending to swoon at the mention of Prince Kai.
"Don't you get it, Iko? I'm never going."
Iko's fans whirred. "I don't compute." Cinder jammed the power button forcefully and the android's sensor lit up. With some satisfaction, Cinder shut it down again to bring to her booth the next day, then sighed. "Iko, Adri would never let me."
"But you're of age! And finally! You won't believe how long I've been waiting for this, to get you the perfect dress, to buy you silk gloves...," Iko continued in her fantasy, her three-fingered hands clasped in front of her. Cinder groaned, knowing already that this was a dream that would never come true. "And Prince Kai!" Cinder felt that if Iko could squeal, she would.
"I don't think I'm going this year...," Cinder muttered, "…or ever." Iko turned her head slightly, her fans slowing down a tad. "I'm still confused." Cinder reached for the wrench and the next android, thunking it down in front of her. Would Iko ever accept that she was nothing but a cyborg?
An exited shriek issued from upstairs. A pair of feet bounded down the steps, ending with a thump as Peony, in a hurry, decided to jump the last steps. Dust bunnies rose from the floor from Peony's landing.
"Cinder! Cinder, Prince Kai is going to be at the ball this year!" Peony shrieked. Cinder smiled, reminded of Peony's celebrity crush. Since this year was Peony's first, too, she had been hearing of the ball nonstop for the last month. "I'm going to wear the biggest dress with lace and bows… He'll have to notice me!" Peony twirled around the room gesturing wildly with our arms. "And of course, once he dances with me, I'll introduce him to you, too!" Cinder laughed, not wanting to stop Peony's daydreams. Peony beamed at her, expecting an answer. Suddenly, a call bounced though the walls of the basement.
"Peony! Pearl! Come so I can see if these dresses fit!" Adri called. Peony shrieked and bounded upstairs again. Cinder slowed followed without thinking. When she reached the top, she saw Adri holding the most splendid dresses that took her breath away. Shimmering with silver, Peony's dress was light turquoise with laced ribbons, flowing like a summer river. Pearl's dress as beautiful, if not more. It was sophisticated lavender that drew everyone's eyes in. Cinder scanned the room for a third dress, knowing already that there was none. Peony seemed exited at first, then saw Cinder. She looked from the dresses to Cinder, noticing the same thing Cinder had realized. "What are you doing here?" Adri asked impatiently. "Why aren't you downstairs fixing those androids for your clients?" Cinder felt the gaze of Peony and Pearl pressed down upon her, Peony with sympathy, Pearl with an air of haughtiness. She bit her lip and turned around again to go back downstairs. It was useless to even come up.
"Cinder, wait! I might have an extra dress I can lend you!" Peony cried desperately.
"It's fine. I'm busy anyway," Cinder replied, knowing that the small dresses wouldn't fit her, even if she could go. She tromped down the steps towards Iko, who probably was still standing alone in the basement, her hands clasped in front of her, overwhelmed with her fantasies. Cinder shook her head. She shouldn't even think about going to the ball. It was impossible, yet she yearned to anyway. All these years, she had dreamed this would be the day that Adri realized she was just as good as her other daughters. That dream was now gone. She was not normal. She was a cyborg, a cyborg that could never and would never be allowed to go to the ball, or to be a normal person ever again.