Well, I was looking forward to it so much that the time simply seemed to race by until the ball! I had everything ready.
Anastacia had helped me sew a dress, and I had done all of my chores for that day so there was simply no excuse for Regina not to let me go! I might not have looked grand enough for a ball, but at least it was better than my maids apron.
But as soon as I walked into the foyer to meet Anastacia, Drizella and Regina as planned, I knew something was wrong.
"What on earth does she look like?" Drizella sneered. "We're going to a ball, Cinderella, not a brothel."
Regina said mockingly, "Cinderella, when I told you to dress yourself, I thought you could at least manage to do so appropriately. You cannot turn up to the ball like that, child."
No. They could not do this to me. Regina had never been planning on letting me go at all. She knew I had nothing else. She had destroyed all my other clothes. This was all I had.
I could feel tears of resentment and frustration building up in my eyes.
"I don't have anything else, Regina. You know that."
I turned pleadingly to Anastacia.
"Please, Anastacia. Tell them. Tell them you helped me make this!"
"Anastacia... you did this? I thought you were supposed to be a fashion designer!" Drizella smirked.
"Surely you're mistaken, Cinderella. If Anastacia had made something as tacky and distasteful as this, I simply wouldn't let her attend the ball either. And I'd suggest she find a new career, perhaps something more... suited to her intellect. For her own benefit, you understand."
She gave Anastacia a sideways glance loaded with meaning.
Anastacia was caught on the crossfire. This was time to see where her loyalties truly lie.
"Ugh. Like I would go anywhere near that mess! No, I agree with you mother. There's no way you can let her out of the house like that. We have to protect our reputation."
"Well then it's settled. You simply cannot go, Cinderella. I expect the house to be spotless when we return."
And with that, they paraded out the door. Anastacia avoided eye contact with me.
I stormed back to my room. How dare they! Those witches. Anastacia had completely stabbed me in the back. Although I understood she had been forced into it by Regina, right now I was too angry to be rational.
I needed my mother now more than ever. Feeling like an idiot, I said, aloud: "Mum. I need you. Please, I need a dress and a way to get to the ball."
I closed my eyes and exhaled. This was never going to work. I was doomed. Stuck here forever.
And then I felt it. As I rubbed my neck, I noticed my necklace had changed. And now that I thought about it, my dress felt heavier. I looked down. I was wearing my old favourite dress! The one I thought Regina had destroyed! And my gloves, and my best glass slippers! And I knew, just knew, it was my mum's doing.
"Thank you!" I whispered excitedly.
Who needs a fairy godmother when you have your mum watching over you from the afterlife?
Right. Now I just needed a way to get there.
I went outside and just paced the ground, thinking of what I could do. I had no money and no friends to call in favours from.
Finally, I had an idea - I could call Malcolm and ask him to send a taxi for me! I had just pulled out my phone when it rang by itself.
"Hello?" I said cautiously.
No one ever called me.
"Hello, Miss Disney? We have a car waiting outside for you."
"Erm... who sent it?"
"It's anonymous, Miss. But don't worry, it's all paid for. To the Landgrabb residence, yes?"
I beamed with relief. Mum strikes again!
"Yes, that's right. Thank you, I'm on my way."
And a short ride later, in one of the fanciest cars I'd ever been in, I was at Malcolm's house. I was so nervous. Not only would I have to face Regina, Drizella and Anastacia, but the whole reason I was here was to talk to Malcolm and ask him for help escaping them. I knew it was a long shot but if he could just loan me some money to get my own house, I could get my old job back and pay him back all the money. He was my only hope.
I wasn't sure what to do so I just followed the music straight into the ballroom. Malcolm was there, the only male in the room, sitting alone on some sort of posh chair and looking bored out of his mind.
He stood up when he saw me come in.
"Cinderella! I'm so glad you could make it. I almost thought you weren't going to come."
"I almost thought I wasn't too! It's a long story. But I'm just glad I'm here now."
"Me too. I was so bored." he whispered. "My dad's making me throw this stupid ball because he wants me to get a girlfriend. But everyone here is... well, not my type."
I stifled a giggle. As we talked, Drizella and Anastacia were shooting daggers at me.
"Wow, how very bourgeois of your dad." I grinned.
He laughed. "I know."
As we looked into each other's eyes, it was like the rest of the room faded away until I almost couldn't see or hear them anymore. All that mattered was me and him.
And suddenly, I didn't want to ruin the one good thing I had left. I didn't want to destroy our newly-fledged friendship by begging him for money. I just wanted to enjoy this one last night of freedom as much as a possibly could, because it would be worth so much more to me this way.
We spent the whole night together. Talking, laughing, dancing. I felt bad for his other guests who we were basically completely ignoring, but it just felt like there was so much to say and do that they couldn't get a word in edgeways. We were tripping over our words excitedly to tell each other stories about our lives (me leaving out the last year of course), both of us trying to outdo each other with tales of our childhoods, injuries, most embarrassing moments, whatever came up really. I completely forgot about my situation, and through talking about my mother and father, it almost brought them back to life for a few hours.
We even ate dinner together, sharing our favourite meals and recipes, talking about restaurants and cafes we loved. I was surprised and delighted to find out that he loved the cafe where I used to work.
At some point in the night, he impulsively pulled me in for a hug. I don't think my heart had ever beaten so fast.
"So this is love..." I thought to myself. I finally understood what all the fuss was about. Well, I couldn't help it. I was a hopeless romantic after all.
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The ball scene! Hope you guys like it, I tried to keep it as close and realistic as possible (for taking place in the Sims universe
) And well done Eldridge, you guessed right about the fairy godmother!
