(Drizella's name was given the alternate spelling Drusilla and then I nicknamed her Drew because so far I don't know anyone who would name their daughter (or son…) Drizella and I couldn't find any "modern" alternatives. Anastasia still keeps her name, Cinderella's last name is the last name of her author, Charles Perrault, and I named Lady Tremaine "Georgine" because I felt like it. Also, I think I'm a dialogue-aholic…writing a ton of paragraphs makes me feel bleh…)
Chapter One: If the Slipper Fits
"You could have arrived sooner. We have company."
These were the first words out of the woman's mouth as the door opened, revealing her biological daughters. She stood there, arms crossed, and one disapproving eyebrow raised. Her signature scowl formed on her lips. Behind the woman, you could see a large black cat creep out of the shadows. It slinked over and sat proudly next to its mistress. Its smile was like a devilish grin, almost as disturbing as the Cheshire Cat's.
Her daughters clumsily stepped into the foyer. They smiled sweetly, but their smiles were similar to the cat's.
"Why, Mother," one said, "we would've been here way sooner, but Ella made us late."
"Totally!" the other responded. "If she just would've hurried up with Drew's bags, then we would've been here a whole lot sooner."
"Bags?" The woman shifted her weight, pondering a possible punishment. "What bags?"
"The bags she got when we went shopping! Didn't you max one of her credit cards, Drew?"
Drew hit her sister upside the head. "Ana, you ditz! Why did you say that?"
The woman watched as her daughters argued and eventually started some sort of slap fight. They were such disappointments. How could they have turned into such shallow young women? They obviously did not attain such behavior from their mother. Their mother was one of the kindest souls you could ever meet, raising her stepdaughter as her own even after her parents' deaths. Who or what could have been causing this negative influence?
A sixteen-year-old girl emerged from the doorway, carrying three backpacks and five shopping bags. She dropped the shopping bags on the floor, earning her a screech from Drew. The woman nodded towards the kitchen and the girl scurried off past the company. Out of the corner of her eye she recognized a girl from school, Snow, and immediately knew what was going on. Her stepmother was going to offer "parenting advice" straight of her book, Stepmothers: Wicked or Protective?.
The book was a source of pride to her stepmother. Known as one of the most popular stepmothers and family counselors, she was often sought after for advice. The first chapter, named "Chores: Love Them", seemed to be a big hit with the stepmothers in their town. The girl knew her stepmother seemed to enjoy that particular chapter. The list of chores was typed and put on the small table in the foyer under a glass paperweight. Today's list was light. The only big command was to make hors d'oeuvres.
She mentally kicked herself. Of course there was something she was forgetting.
"You go to Disney High, right?" Snow appeared in the doorway, carrying tuber ware. "It's Ella, I think."
"Yeah," Ella said. She walked over to the sink and began washing her hands. "Your mom is here for counseling?"
Snow took the lid off the tuber ware and the smell of leftover apple tart filled the room. "Yes. She seems paranoid. You know that knew brand of makeup, Skin White As Snow? Well, she's practically been buying up the whole stock, mumbling something about how it'll make her look younger."
"I'd rather have a mom who's paranoid rather than a control freak like mine. You should see the lists she gives me! Reset the mousetraps, sweep the floors, refill the birdfeeders!"
A crash was heard and the two girls looked towards the foyer. Ella could hear her stepmother scolding Ana and Drew, her voice becoming high-pitched as she tried to control her anger. Then, her voice softened and became refined as another woman spoke.
"I'm surprised at how well you handle it, Georgine," the woman said. "Not many people can raise such a poised daughter and also manage their spouse's unmentionables."
Snow blushed and laid the apple tart on the serving dish Ella had set out. She then smoothed her dress and quickly scurried back into the foyer, leaving Ella alone. Ella could almost picture how her stepmother looked: mouth slightly agape, eyes squinted, and her hand clenched in a fist behind her back. After trying for many years to convince people that she was the wicked stepsister, it was nice for someone to see through Georgine's rouse.
The kitchen door opened and two boys walked in. Ella quickly shut the door behind them and held up her pointer finger to shush them.
"You two shouldn't be here!" she whispered harshly. Outside she could hear Georgine asking impatiently for the hors d'oeuvres. "You know she's banned you from the house, and Lucifer's been told to go after you two in heartbeat."
"Relax, Ellie!" The boy took off his orange jacket and threw in on the chair. "Besides, we brought you something."
The other boy held up a to-go box and opened it to reveal Prosciutto-Wrapped Grissini. He smiled a big toothy grin and said, "Jacque and I figured the Terrible Twos would make you late, so we picked up something from Tony's Restaurant."
"You'd be amazed at how walking dogs for the Browns can have its advantages, not including Scamp's behavior of course."
Ella thanked her friends and, after placing the appetizers on a tray, walked into the sitting room. Drew stood next to the piano as Georgine sat down and Ana started playing a few scales on her flute to warm up. In the chair next to the fireplace sat whom she presumed to be Snow's stepmother. The woman's eyes scanned the room, probably looking for any imperfections she could find. They landed on Snow and she sneered.
The appetizers were placed on the coffee table and soon enough, all eyes were on Drew and Ana. Ana curtsied deeply, hitting Drew in the face as her arm went up. Snow and Ella snickered, but the woman looked at Georgine with a smug look on her face. Of course her daughter would never make such a mistake. Anyway, Ana adjusted her stand, arranging her sheet music as Georgine began to play. All smugness vanished from the woman's face and instead went to Georgine's. She played beautifully, but then…
"Sing sweet, nightingale. Sing sweet, nightingale, high above me. Oh, sing sweet, nightingale. Sing sweet, nightingale…" a loud and crackling voice sang.
And then...
SQUEEK! SQUEEK! SQUEE!
"My ears!" the woman exclaimed, standing up abruptly. "I thought I came here to be entertained and learn a thing or two about raising my stepdaughter, but I see I was mistaken!"
Snow looked at Ella with a small smile on her face and pity in her eyes; however, the pity was replaced with shock when her stepmother grabbed her arm and dragged her to her feet. Georgine stopped her daughters from creating more racket and rushed to the woman to stop her from leaving. She secretly hoped she wouldn't look as nervous as she felt since she couldn't lose another client. Only yesterday, a woman came in as happy as can be, but she left in a fit of anger, tears, and a few choice words. Why, you may ask? Well, if you want, Ana and Drew can play you another song?
"Regina, please excuse my daughters. They were just warming up. Weren't you, girls?"
"No weren—ow!" Ana exclaimed, Drew jabbing her in the stomach.
"Of course were, Ms. Grimhilde," Drew said.
Regina stopped, but did not look so certain. "I'm sorry, Georgine, but maybe I should find another counselor, someone with a bit more control."
She turned and opened the door, recoiling when she noticed a man standing on the doorstep.
"I have a letter for Miss Ella Perrault, Anastasia Tremaine, and Drusilla Tremaine from a Mister Princeton Charming."
"A letter!"
Ana and Drew ran to the door, shoving Regina and Snow aside, and grabbed the letter simultaneously. They fought over the letter for a minute or so before Georgine took it out of their hands. She read over it carefully and her eyebrows peaked with interest.
"What does it say?" Ella inquired, excitement bubbling within her.
"It says he is inviting all the students in his grade to his seventeenth birthday and that you may bring a guest," Georgine said. "Unfortunately, you cannot attend due to your chores. What a pity. Anastasia and Drusilla, this Saturday we will go shopping and, Regina, you are happy to join us. I am sure the girls would love to have Snow be their guest."
"As lovely as that sounds," Regina said, shushing her daughter and walking out the door, "we do not associate ourselves with anyone we consider not fair."