November 26, 1995
"Well, Ashley, we are just delighted to have you in our play!" Maxwell exclaimed to the young girl facing him. Her name was Ashley Price, and she would be in Maxwell's new showing of 'Into The Woods'. She was fourteen years old, but looked much older. She had wavy blonde hair that reached to her mid-back, sea blue eyes, a nicely built body, and a pale complexion. She was a truly beautiful girl. She smiled happily and looked over at C.C.
C.C. looked her up and down. "You should make a delightful Cinderella" she said, brushing a lock of hair behind her ear, "and I-"
Niles cut her off. "The wicked stepmother." She shot him a look and he smirked. Just then, Fran came sauntering into Maxwell's office.
"Maxwell, Maxwell! You will NOT believe what just happened! Val and I were at the mall when-" she stopped, noticing Ashley. "Well hello there! And who IS this beautiful girl?"
Ashley blushed slightly and began to open her mouth, before C.C. stepped in front of her.
"Nanny Fine, this is Ashley Price, the new Cinderella for Into The Woods. If you would kindly not change her voice, her clothes, her hair, her nails even, we would appreciate it."
"Oh shutup, C.C." Fran, said, slapping her lightly on the arm and pushing past her, "the girl doesn't need help with clothes." Ashley looked down at her tight pink shirt and jeans.
"Can I go get a glass of water?" she asked politely.
"Of course you can, dear!" Fran cried, "Niles will show you where the kitchen is, won't you Niles?"
"Yes" C.C. said mockingly, "won't you Niles?"
Ashley chuckled. Niles rolled his eyes and motioned for Ashley to follow him. She followed him out of the office, into the living room, and finally into the kitchen. He poured her a glass of water. Before he left, she asked him, "what's going on with you and Mr. Sheffield's partner?" she asked, eyebrows raised. She knew flirting when she saw it.
"Nothing. Do you think I would even think about her that way? How repulsive!" he yelled.
"You don't tell lies very well" Ashley remarked.
"Oh, come off it" he groaned, and left the kitchen.
Ashley finished the water just as C.C. entered the kitchen. "Hey, uh, C.C." she said. C.C. turned her head.
"Do they have a bathroom in this place?" she inquired.
"Uh, yeah kid just beside the staircase. You cant miss it."
Ashley thanked her, and rushed to the bathroom quickly. She locked the door and sank to her knees, her stomach pains excruciating. She lifted up her shirt and looked at the bruises. Fresh bruises. Her father had been angry last night. She stood up and opened the medicine cabinet. She finally found a bottle of aspirin, and shakily poured five into her hand. She swallowed them dry, used to the taste of melted pills on her tongue. She never needed water. She stared at herself in the mirror. "Monster…" she whispered to herself, as the pain from the bruises slowly faded away.
November 30, 1995"Into the woods without regret the choice is made the path is set! Into the woods……out of the woods, and home before dark!" the cast sang all together. Maxwell smiled brightly at the cast, C.C. by his side. The actors all sat down on the stage, extremely tired. Ashley wiped her brow with the back of her hand. "If I hear that song, one more time…I swear I'm going to strangle somebody" she muttered under her breath.
"And I have a very good announcement! We have our costumes here!" He picked up a large box, resting by his theater seat.
"Try them on and we'll have a look at you." They all rushed to their dressing rooms, costumes in hand. Ashley put on her blue skirt, and the peasant top that went with it. That's when she realized. The peasant top was short sleeved, and raised just above her bellybutton, revealing her bruised stomach.
"Oh god" she whispered, "I cant go out like this!"
She sat down on her dressing room chair, wondering what to do.
C.C. and Maxwell studied the cast, all delightfully dressed in the costumes. Then they realized Ashley was missing. "C.C., would you please go and get Ashley?"
She groaned and looked over at Niles, who was there upon Maxwell's request. "Go, peasant." He said. She glared at him, and climbed up onto the stage. She pushed back the curtains and traveled down the long hall of dressing rooms, until she finally came to Ashley's. She knocked on the door lightly.
"Hey, kid, come on, your holding the show up."
"I don't feel well" Ashley called, panicking. She looked around for something that would cover her. She grabbed a red silk robe hanging on a hook by the door, and tied it around herself.
"That's bull, and we both know it. Look, if you don't like the costume, tell Maxwell, but you have to show him now."
"No!" Ashley called, seriously panicking.
C.C., who was having a bad day, growled, "fine, then I'm coming in."
She opened the door forcefully. She saw Ashley standing there, the red silk robe tied tightly around her. She saw most of the peasant top. "Kid, its not so bad. Look." She reached for the knot of the robe, to pull it off.
Ashley jumped back. "Don't" she said firmly.
"Ashley, its okay" C.C. said exasperatedly, advancing toward the girl. She reached out her hand again, but Ashley backed farther away.
"Stop it" she warned.
C.C. marched over to her, "Come on kid, Let me see!" she groaned, grabbing Ashley's arm. Ashley ripped her arm away with such force C.C. stumbled backwards.
"STOP YELLING AT ME!" she screamed, "AND STOP CALLING ME KID!"
C.C. looked at her, stunned. "Ashley, I wasn't yelling at you."
"Yes you were" Ashley snapped, "get away from me!"
C.C. just stood there, looking at her.
"GET AWAY!" Ashley yelled. C.C. blinked, gave the girl a weird stare, then quickly left the dressing room. Ashley sank down on the couch.
"Nice" she whispered to herself, "real nice."
C.C. sat down next to Maxwell, still in a state of shock. "Where's Ashley?" Maxwell asked.
C.C. looked at him. "She wasn't feeling very well."
"She most certainly needs a ride home then" Maxwell remarked, swiveling his head around to look at Niles.
Niles gave him a pained look.
"Well Niles, it is your day off. C.C., would you mind driving Ashley home?"
C.C. tried hard to look appalled. "But Maxwell, certainly you wouldn't give me HIS job."
"C.C., please" Maxwell begged, his brow creasing in frustration.
"Oh, alright" she said, "I'll go get her."
Ashley quickly pulled on her jeans and sweater, carefully folding the peasant top and skirt. The only reason she had auditioned for this was because she didn't want to be around her father all the time. She still went to school, sure, but what would happen during winter break?
A light knock came at the door, startling her. "What?" she called out, catching a glance of herself in the mirror. The door to the dressing room opened, and C.C. emerged.
Ashley cringed, half-expecting C.C. to hit her.
"Oh, come on, I can't be THAT frightening" C.C. said.
"It's not that. Sorry, I um, just am having a bad day."
C.C. studied her, and somewhat didn't believe her.
Ashley sat in the passenger seat of C.C.'s car, staring out the window. She stared at the city lights, admiring their beauty. Once they reached her apartment building, C.C. said, "Wow, Ashley, you live really close to me. I'm just a mile away."
"In the penthouse of your building I suspect?"
C.C. laughed. "Yes…sadly." Ashley smirked and got out of the car.
"I'll see you later. Oh, and about that thing in the dressing room-"
"Don't worry about it" C.C. interrupted, "bye."
"Bye!" Ashley shouted from the walkway. C.C. drove away.
Ashley entered the main lobby to her building, and walked to the elevator. She took it up to the twelfth floor, and walked down the long hallway to her apartment. She took the key from her pocket, and cautiously unlocked the door. She looked around in the darkness, and flipped up the light switch. She then felt someone grab her arm, and hit her hard across the back. She turned around to face her father.
She charged down the hallway, and dove into the bathroom. She locked the door quickly, and sat against the wall, her hands over her ears. Her father was banging on the door continuously, screaming all sorts of curses at her. She buried her head in her knees, tears running down her face, wishing for it to stop.