This is my take of the classic tale, Cinderella. Enjoy and review!

Cinderallen

"Where are you going?" a deep voice behind Allen Knight thundered. He knew that voice; it was the voice of his step-father, Rex Roy. Maybe he's talking to Bo or Ace, Allen wished from the deepest part of his soul. He quickly grabbed the door knob in order to slip out quietly.

"Allen, I'm talking to you here," Rex thundered again.

Allen's heart felt like it just dropped a thousand stories. "Darn it," he muttered. His hand dropped from the door knob like a rock.

"Allen!" the now enraged Rex yelled. He hated to be ignored, especially by Allen.

Allen took a deep breath and then slowly turned around so he was facing Rex who was standing behind him with his muscular arms crossed. "Yes Rex, you called?" asked Allen as nicely has he could muster.

"You're darn right I called!" Rex replied. "I have a very important job for you."

"I'm sorry Rex, but I have my violin lesson," said Allen. Rex why can't you just leave me alone? Why is it that his stupid little jobs always come up when I have plans of my own?

"Well you're going to miss it because I need you to do something really important."

Allen sighed, "Can't it wait until I get back? I'm only going to be gone for like an hour and a half. Plus I missed on Tuesday because you insisted that I do inventory all day! I need to go to my lesson so I can work on my solo for my upcoming competition. I need to do well in this competition if I'm ever going to be noticed by any top music schools or any top orchestras!"

"Well since I'm paying for these all important lessons of yours I think I have the power to decided when you can go and when you can't. I could just cancel them altogether," threatened Rex, his eyes dark.

Allen again sighed deeply. He put the violin case he was holding down on the tan tiled floor, "Okay, what is it that you want me to do this time?" It better not be inventory again.

"That's my boy," Rex smiled.

I'm not your boy. I'm not even your son, thought Allen angrily. The only connection we have is the fact that you married my mother before she died. Other than that we have nothing and once I leave for college I'm gone for good.

"What is it that you need me to do, Rex?" I just want to get this over with so I can get to my lesson.

"Before you can go to your lesson I need you to update my books," said Rex slyly.

"What! Why do you need me to update your books now? Why not tomorrow? I don't have a lesson tomorrow! Why can't I do it tomorrow?" asked Allen. He was desperate to find a way out of this.

"Because I need them by tomorrow and stop asking questions. I told you to do something and I expect that it will be completed ! You don't have a choice in the matter so just do it before I start taking away some of your privileges!"

Allen knew he was treading on thin ice right now, Rex had taken away many of his privileges over the years so there was meat to his threats. "Okay, how about I postpone my lesson until after I finish your books. Would that be okay with you?" Please say it's okay!

"If you think you can finish in time," responded Rex.

"I might, what time do you need them by?" Yes!

"Oh, about 6 o'clock."

"A.M.?" Replied Allen shocked. You've got to be kidding me!

"Yes A.M. you dimwit. What's wrong with 6:00 a.m.? Don't think you can finish in time?"

"No, I can do it," replied Allen. I didn't think he knew what 6 A.M. was.

"Now that we have that covered, go get to work. I'm checking your work before you leave this house!" Rex then handed him a flash drive with the past books stored on it and several shoe boxes stuffed full of all the receipts and memos he could find.

"Yes sir," submitted Allen. He picked up his violin case and struggled to carry his load up two flights of stairs to his room in the attic. Once he reached his room he gently placed his violin back in his practice corner and grabbed his cell phone with his now free hand. His fingers automatically dialed his best friend R.J.

"Hey R.J." Allen dumped the shoe boxes on his bed and walked over to his laptop. Might as well get to work while I talk to him, Allen thought.

"Hey Allen, what are you doing talking to me? I thought you had a music lesson right now?"

"So did I," Allen replied. He put in Rex's flash drive and quietly sighed as he looked at the work he had to accomplish. Allen ran his finger through his black hair making the ends stand up at odd angles.

"Don't tell me. Rex has you doing one of his stupid little jobs again? What is it this time?"
"Getting his books in order; I have to have it done by 6A.M. tomorrow."

"Dude, that sucks. Why can't the man just leave you be and let you live your own life. Isn't it bad enough that you lost both of your parents by the time you were 12? It's like he lives off watching you suffer."

"Yeah, well until I turn 18 I'm stuck living with him," replied Allen. "I can't wait until I get to leave him for good."

"Me too man, I just wish I could do more for you."

"Well you could tell my teacher that I won't be coming for my lesson for a while yet," replied Allen. He started to sort through the papers Rex had given him.

"Sure no problem." Allen then heard R.J. yell, "Hey Dad! Allen can't come to his lesson today because his evil step-father is making him do his dirty work."

Allen smiled. He could still remember the day his mother took him to his first private lesson with R.J.'s dad. During his lesson R.J. kept on coming into the room with his toys and his dad kept on shooing him out. Finally at the end while their parents were talking the two were able to play and have been best friends ever since.

"My dad wants to talk to you," R.J. said, breaking into Allen thoughts.

"Okay," Allen replied. He continued to try and sort through Rex's papers.

"Allen," R.J.'s dad said quietly.

"Hi Mr. Williams, sorry I can't make it right now," answered Allen.

"That's fine Allen, but this the second time this week and you know you need to work on your solo."

"Yeah I know, but my step-dad won't let me go until I finish up an important job for him. I tried to tell him but he insisted."

"I understand family comes first. Do you need R.J. to come over and help you?"

"No, I'll work faster alone. I'll call you when I am done."

"Okay, sounds good. Goodbye Allen and good luck with your job."

"Thanks Mr. Williams," responded Allen.

R.J. got back on the phone, "You sure you don't want me to come over and help you? I'm not doing anything this afternoon."

"Yeah I'm sure. No offense, but you might be a bit distracting to me and I'm like the only person who can read Rex's handwriting. Plus I don't think Rex would like it very much if you came and helped me."

"If you're sure. I'll call or text you later to see how's it going and if you're still working by like 10 o'clock I'm coming over and you won't be able to stop me."

Allen smiled, "Well I sure hope I won't still be working that late since its only 4 o'clock right now but you never know with Rex's stuff. I appreciate the support man. I'll call you later." The two friends said goodbye and Allen ended the call. "Now I need to get to work. Man, Rex can be so disorganized," Allen muttered. He shuffled through the papers, "This might take a while."

Please let me know what you think so far!