Cinder & Ella

by Kelly Oram

  “When did that air? It’s almost Christmas. Did I miss it?”

  “It aired two weeks ago. The premiere is in three days.”

  “Two weeks?” I asked, horrified. “He did that two weeks ago and thinks I’ve just ignored him all this time? He must hate me!”

  Juliette rolled her eyes. “That man could never hate you and you know it. Here.” She handed me my phone. Brian’s number was already up on the screen.

  When she started to hit the CALL button, I shrieked and snatched it from her. “No, don’t!”

  Everyone looked startled. Juliette and Vivian exchanged a glance and then Juliette’s expression became desperate. “But Ella, you have to go with him!”

  “Oh, I’m definitely going.” I laughed. “But it will be so much more fun to surprise him at the premiere, don’t you think?”

  “That’s cruel,” Rob said.

  “No, that’s dramatic. Brian’s an actor. He lives for drama.”

  “It’s definitely more romantic,” Juliette agreed. “So what are the two things?”

  “It was a first-edition hardback of The Druid Prince, and it was signed to me by the author.”

  “Aww, that’s so sweet.” Juliette giggled. “Geeky, but sweet. And perfect. We can send Dad to go pick up the ticket tomorrow while we go shopping for a dress.”

  Stefan cried out in horror. “Shop for a dress? Ellamara, don’t you dare!”

  “Ooh! Ooh! Yeah!” Vivian leapt off the couch and started bouncing up and down. “Let my dads make your dress!”

  If I weren’t handicapped, I would have joined Vivian in her giddy dancing at the thought of having another dress made by her dads. I loved my Ellamara costume, but I thrilled at the thought of seeing what they would come up with having me in mind.

  I glanced at Stefan and Glen hopefully. “Do you think you would have time?”

  Stefan and Glen looked offended by the question, but before they could answer, Jennifer said, “They don’t need time.” When she gained the entire room’s attention, she smiled at me and said, “You already have the perfect dress.”

  There was only one dress she could possibly mean, but surely she wasn’t talking about my mother’s dress.

  “It looks beautiful on you,” she said, knowing I understood her. “And on a night that’s so important to you, what would be more appropriate than to wear something that belonged to your mother?”

  I wasn’t surprised by the way Juliette and my father nodded their approval, but I didn’t understand why Jennifer would suggest it. “You want me to wear my mother’s dress? In front of hundreds of people, and TV cameras?” I asked. “It’s revealing, remember? People would see my scars.”

  Jennifer’s smile turned pained. “Ella, I’ve never been embarrassed of you. I’m sorry that you misunderstood my concern. I’ve only ever been worried about your feelings. I know how cruel people are. I’m a model. I’ve been to hundreds of auditions where I was criticized for my imperfections—my thighs and butt weren’t firm enough, my nose was too big, my boobs were too small, eyes too far apart, I needed to lose a few more pounds…there was always something.”

  The world was truly unjust if Jennifer didn’t look good enough for it. She had to be the most gorgeous woman I’d ever seen. I couldn’t imagine people criticizing her for the way she looked. I couldn’t see a single flaw.

  “When I first started out, it was hard not to take every single comment to heart. I obsessed about everything everyone said about me. I got depressed. I developed an eating disorder. I self-destructed because I was insecure about my looks.”

  Her eyes misted over. “I just didn’t want you to feel that way. I didn’t want people to be cruel to you. You were dealing with so much already, losing your mom and having to adjust to a new family. I didn’t want you to be hurt if people stared or said mean things. I was trying to protect you. I’m sorry I hurt your feelings.”

  “It’s all right.” I looked her over again and wondered if she looked any different now than she had when she first started modeling. Obviously the “boobs too small” comment had driven her to the unnaturally perfect chest she had now, but I wondered how much else she’d changed. I didn’t think it was much. “You still model,” I said, “but you’re perfectly confident now.”

  “People still criticize me sometimes, but I don’t need to listen anymore.” Jennifer smiled at my dad with more love and sincerity than I’d ever seen anyone accomplish. “Your father makes me feel beautiful, and that’s enough.” She turned her smile back to me. “Maybe Brian Oliver will be the one who does that for you.”

  What Jennifer said made sense. I thought back to the night Brian and I met, how he stole my breath away when he kissed my scarred knuckles. He’d told me I was beautiful then, and I’d believed him.

  “If he makes you smile like that,” Rob said suddenly, “then he’s worthy of you.”

  I hadn’t realized I was smiling, but my cheeks heated again under everyone’s stares.

  “Okay, fine,” Vivian said. “Since I can’t help with the dress, then at least let me do your hair.”

  “And I’ll take you for a manicure,” Juliette offered. “If you aren’t comfortable going to a salon, I’ll give you one myself. I’m pretty handy with a bottle of nail polish.”

  My entire body shook as I stood in front of the full-length mirror in my bedroom. My nerves hadn’t given me a single moment’s reprieve in three days. Sometimes I was so excited I thought the wait might kill me, and other times I was sure it was the fear of what was coming that would do me in.

  I’d caught a little of the news over the last few days. The city of Los Angeles was anticipating tonight’s premiere. Everyone was speculating about whether or not Prince Cinder’s Ella would show. Local news anchors, talk-show hosts, radio DJs—everyone.

  The craziest part is that they were all excited. They wanted me to show up. Brian’s interview had been a stroke of genius. He turned the two of us into a modern-day fairy tale—the ultimate romance. I’d gone from the most-hated woman in America to being a national sensation overnight. I was no longer a crazy obsessed stalker, but a beautiful, smart, funny, strong survivor. The public loved me now.

  Of course, it was also genius on Brian’s part because it guaranteed him he’d get what he wanted. If I didn’t make it to the premiere, the nation would hate me all over again a million times worse than they’d hated me before. So fickle, the American people were. And enthusiastic. Such a large crowd had gathered outside the theater in Westwood where the premiere was being held that the police shut down traffic on two city blocks. All those people were waiting for me.

  “I think I’m going to throw up.”

  “And mess up my lipstick?” Vivian asked from where she was sprawled on my bed, flipping through a magazine. “I will kill you.”

  Juliette smirked as she tucked the new silver and pearl comb my father had given me into my hair. “Brian’s going to ruin her lipstick the minute he sees her, anyway.”

  Vivian snorted and I blushed. For, like, the twentieth time that day. You’d think after the hundreds of jokes that had been made at my expense over the last three days, I’d be desensitized to them by now, but no. Any reference to Brian at all and I still went completely middle-school shy.

  Vivian smiled at Juliette in the mirror, a wicked gleam in her eyes. “Brian is allowed to mess up the lipstick. She’s not.” She studied my face again for a moment, then frowned. “I totally hate you for looking so good in that shade of red. I would kill for your tan.”

  I looked at my lips. The bright red she’d painted on me was killer against my caramel skin and looked even better coupled with the bright yellow of my dress. Add to that the way my blue eyes popped, and I looked exotic. Mysterious. Perfect for a mystic priestess.

  My hair softened the picture. Juliette decided to leave my hair down and just give my natural curls some “umph.” Umph turned out to be, like, thirty gallons of product. My chocolate-brown curls fell around my shoulders
and down my bare back with one tiny section pulled delicately away from my face by my comb.

  My new hair comb was beautiful and very elegantly matched my mother’s pearl necklace. My father surprised me with it this morning saying that he wanted to be there in spirit with me tonight too, like Mama would be. I cried like a baby and both Juliette and Vivian flipped out—screeching about puffy eyes. You’d have thought it was my wedding day and not just a first date.

  Granted, it was a really big first date.

  “You know?” Vivian said thoughtfully as she looked me over. “The strangest part of this is how perfectly Candy Cane completes the ensemble.”

  I smiled. “I told you it would work.”

  After I agreed to go to the premiere the other day, the first thing Vivian did was demand to see my dress. She offered to give Candy Cane another facelift and turn it yellow, but I wouldn’t let her. I liked the way the rainbow of color added to the personality of the dress. My spirited mama would have loved it.

  “Girls!” Dad bellowed from across the house. “The car’s here!”

  Sheer terror had my knees locked up in an instant. I stopped breathing, too.

  “You’re going to be fine,” Vivian said. “It’s just Cinder. You’re just going to see a movie with your best friend. That’s all.”

  “Yeah.” Juliette snickered and turned my head so that I was looking at the huge poster of a shirtless Brian she’d tacked to the back of my bedroom door. “And Cinder looks like that and wants to father your babies.”

  “Not helping,” I breathed.

  Anastasia appeared in the doorway and sighed. “Brian Oliver is so wasted on you.”

  Both Juliette and Vivian glared, but I refused to get angry. Anastasia was not going to ruin this night for me. “That’s probably true,” I agreed, surprising her with my playfulness. “Still, I’m not going to look a gift horse in the mouth.”

  It could have been my imagination, but I swear Ana’s lips twitched once. She ran her eyes up and down my body and I waited for the nasty, snarky comment, but this time she surprised me. Shrugging, she leaned against the doorframe, hovering at the threshold to my room as if she didn’t want to leave and yet didn’t want to come in at the same time. The silence got awkward pretty fast.

  I was actually surprised to see her. She hadn’t said a word to me since I got home. She’d done a good job of never being in the same room as me. She didn’t look happy right now, but for the first time since I’d met her there was no hostility. She was actually trying to make an effort for once. It was probably Dr. Parish’s doing. My dad and Jennifer had been making Ana see my psychologist for a few weeks now. About time, if you asked me. The girl had as many issues as I did, if not more.

  “You look good,” Ana said suddenly.

  I tried to play it cool and failed miserably. I’d never had a decent poker face, though. “Um, thanks?”

  “You know,” she added, “for a freak.”

  I knew she was teasing, but neither Vivian nor Juliette appreciated the humor. “Did you need something?” Juliette snapped.

  Ana glared at her sister, but then met my eyes and a look of determination swept over her face. I couldn’t tell what the look meant, but it wasn’t anger. Her determination wasn’t defiance. It was something else. Resolve.

  “It was me who gave up your location that day,” she said. “I took a picture of you guys with my phone at dinner and sent it to a couple of celebrity gossip sites. It’s my fault you guys got ambushed.”

  I wasn’t surprised she’d been the one—I’d always had my suspicions. What surprised me was the confession. She wasn’t throwing the info in my face; she was apologizing. She looked as comfortable in her skin at the moment as I felt in mine. It was as if feeling remorse and admitting wrongdoing was a brand new experience for her.

  I was glad no one jumped down her throat. If anyone had, I’m pretty sure she would have become defensive and the moment would have been ruined. She and I needed to get past our issues with one another.

  “I didn’t mean for everything that happened,” she said.

  I shrugged with what I hoped was nonchalance. “The lie Brian’s people told wasn’t your fault.”

  She shook her head. “But they wouldn’t have told it if those paparazzi hadn’t shown up at dinner.”

  “Maybe not that night,” I agreed, “but it would have happened eventually if I kept hanging out with Brian.”

  Vivian snorted. “Uh, you guys weren’t hanging out, you were making out.”

  Juliette burst out laughing. “Good one!”

  I smacked them both and looked back at Anastasia, shocked to see that she was smiling. “Anyway, I’m sorry,” she said, trying to wipe the grin from her face.

  “Thanks.”

  She turned to leave and I stopped her. “Are you going to ride with us to the theater tonight?”

  She shrugged again, managing to keep a bored look on her face, but I could tell she was touched by the invite. “I may as well. I’ve got nothing better to do tonight.”

  I smiled and said thanks again.

  “Whatever,” she replied. She started to saunter away but then stopped and said, “When you guys come up for air tonight, ask Brian if he can hook me up with Logan Lerman.”

  “You mean if they come up for air,” Juliette teased.

  “You guys! Shut up already! Seriously!”

  I wasn’t kidding, but for some reason all three of them laughed at me.

  We came out of my room to find Dad and Jennifer waiting in the kitchen. To my surprise, Rob was sitting at the bar. His eyes fell on me and he jerked upright so fast he nearly fell off his stool. The way his Adam’s apple bobbed, it looked as if he’d just attempted to swallow a baseball. “You look amazing,” he rasped.

  Chalk up another blush for the day. “Thanks.” I came over and gave him a hug. It took him a little longer than normal to let go. “What are you doing here?”

  “I had to come see you off. Couldn’t let you leave for your big date without wishing you luck.”

  I hugged him again, this time with much more feeling. Rob had a way of calming my nerves. It was all his cool confidence and calmness about everything. I’d been worried things would get awkward between us, but Rob was always so easygoing. He’d settled into the role of “just friends” with ease after he realized how much Brian and I really meant to each other. I was so grateful I got to keep him as a friend. I was going to have to find him a girl of his own sometime.

  “You want to come in the car with us?” Juliette asked. “Dad rented a limo so we could all drive her over there.”

  “There’s some concern that she’ll hijack the car and make a run for it if we let her go alone,” Vivian added.

  I rolled my eyes at her, but she might have had a small point.

  Rob’s only response was a smile and an offered arm. I accepted it and did my best not to hyperventilate as we all piled into the limo.

  It took us over an hour to get through traffic since we had to wait in the long line of cars arriving at the premiere. Then, suddenly—too suddenly—the car stopped and the door opened to a roar of noise and endless flashing lights. I looked outside and the first thing I saw was red.

  “It’s the red carpet!” Juliette squealed, bouncing with excitement after noticing the same thing I had. “You’re about to walk the red carpet!”

  There was a man in a suit waiting to help me out of the car. It was now or never. I gave a quick round of hugs, saving my dad for last. “Good luck, kiddo,” he whispered in a voice clouded with emotion. He cleared it and then projected in a macho tone, “Remember, young lady, home by one.”

  Juliette groaned. “A curfew? Seriously? Dad, may I remind you that she’s nineteen and as of yesterday legally no longer in your custody?”

  I hadn’t cared, but I loved that Juliette felt the need to argue on my behalf.

  Dad sighed. “Cut me a break this once, huh? I haven’t gotten to play the big scary dad for Ella yet, and
I’m not even getting to meet her date.”

  Laughing, I gave his shoulder a pat. “You’ll have a chance to threaten him soon enough, I’m sure.” I grinned at the girls. “I plan on asking him to come help me haul boxes on moving day.”

  Vivian, Juliette, Ana, and even Jennifer all swooned a bit.

  “See if you can get him to do it without his shirt on,” Juliette said.

  “Juliette!” My dad made a strangled noise in his throat and then let out a breath. “This Brian Oliver thing is going to turn me prematurely gray.”

  I laughed and gave my dad a hug, surprising us both when I kissed his cheek. “You’ll love him,” I promised. “And I’ll be home by one.”

  My dad hugged me again and had to clear his throat before he replied. “I love you, kiddo. Go knock ’em dead.”

  With that, I took a deep breath and then climbed out of the car. The man waiting to help me ran his eyes over me, pausing for a moment on my scars and cane. His face lit up in a wide grin when understanding hit him. “I hope you’re ready for this,” he whispered, waving his hand in the direction I was supposed to walk.

  “Not in the least,” I assured him as I took my first step toward a brand new life.

  The red carpet extended the entire block leading up to the theater’s entrance. It was lined the entire way with bright lights, thick velvet ropes, and heat lamps. I smiled to myself when I saw the lamps. I’d tried to get out of the limo with my coat on—it was the week before Christmas, after all—but Ana threw a hissy. She snatched the coat, insisting that no one walked the red carpet hiding their outfits. It turned out she was right.

  Photographers and reporters with video cameras and microphones stood along the outside of the velvet ropes, and behind them was a crowd of people so big I felt as if I were standing on the pitcher’s mound at Fenway Park.

  There were a number of people walking up the carpet ahead of me. I recognized a few of them, and others were unfamiliar. Kaylee Summers was smiling pretty for the crowd, clinging obnoxiously to an actor I recognized from a popular movie about vampires. Somehow, it seemed fitting.