Not Another Cinderella Story

Chapter 4 - A dress fit for a princess

~ Then the bird threw a and silver dress down to her, and slippers embroidered gold with silk and silver ~

Cindy wished, more than anything, more than jewels, more than the moon.

Cindy wanted to go to the ball, Peyton Charming's ball.

Somehow Fanny's whining and the fact that it would be the first time in her life were she got some freedom convinced her whole heartedly that going to the dance would be good for her.

But, of course, she knew that she had to convince Tracy first. Tracy hated whenever Cindy found a way to skip off of work, but Cindy knew that she had to find a way. After all, Fanny was depending on her going.

Cindy walked out of her room on Saturday morning, a new feeling of determination set in her mind. Tracy had to let her go to the dance, she'd already done all the chores the day before anyways.

She walked into the foyer and saw that the step-devil and the two step-demons were watching a rerun on the couch of some soap opera. The twins fighting every minute or so about which character looked more dramatic.

Cindy coughed to get their attention. Tracy gave her a quick look over and ignored her entirely. The twins were too invested in the show to even acknowledge that she had entered the room at all.

Cindy coughed again, this time louder. Tracy paused the TV, much to the twins' dismay, and turned her head roughly to face Cindy.

"What?" She snarled at Cindy.

Cindy was taken aback by her harsh tone, but recovered quickly enough to ask the dreaded question. "Can I go to the dance tonight?"

The twins laughed and Tracy stared at her in disbelief.

"You?" Drew sneered. "At the dance? Peyton Charming's dance where he is to pick out a new girlfriend?"

Ana copied her sister's expression. "You think you actually have a chance with him? An international pop star?"

"Well . . . I didn't . . . I don't want to go for that, "Cindy stammered, "I want to go with Fanny. I want to go and have fun."

"You wish to go to the dance?" Tracy gawked.

"Little Miss Cinders, at a ball!" Drew and Ana laughed together like it was the funniest thing in the world.

Cindy's heart sunk as the twins laughed at her. Her stepmother wasn't doing much better.

"Look at the state of your hair!" Drew squealed.

"Look at your clothes!" Ana squawked.

"People would only laugh at you, Cindy." Tracy's voice was full of mocking sympathy. "Although, isn't that what they always do when you're around?"

Cindy looked down in embarrassment. They were right, she was not the type of girl to go to a dance meant for an international pop star. She was filthy and only a disgrace to her father's name.

(Plus, it was cold last night and she slept by the dying embers in her basement fireplace, which meant that she was covered in cinders again.)

She took an embarrassing trek back to her room while the whispers and snickers of her step-family faded behind her.

What had she been thinking? Cindy thought. She was the equivalent of a maid in anyone's eyes, she wasn't fit to be at a dance like that.

"And, Cindy," Tracy added and Cindy stopped to turn back to her, "Make sure finish all the chores before you do anything else. Maybe then you can go to the dance."