# Back to... A Cinderella Story: Chapter 5



## Huilunsoittaja (Apr 6, 2010)

Nicholas looked at himself in the mirror. He wore on his tuxedo, custom fitted just for the occasion, decked with gold cuffs and watch. He definitely had the look for tonight. But that wasn't what he was thinking about.
That day at school, 5 girls had approached him, begging for him to be their personal escort. He had to say no to each of them, because he honestly didn't know. He was confounded: how could so many girls want him, and yet not satisfy him? The truth was, he was very sad. He was very rich, the probable the reason why he was so popular, but it wasn't always enjoyable. Most of the time, he could sense the girls were only kissing up to him to compete with their peers, and were not really caring about him or his feelings. There wasn't a single girl at school that he really liked. All of them were vain and frivolous to him. The truth was, he was almost dreading the Prom. Who would he be forced to talk with, dance with? It was going to be a long, long night. He sighed, and stepped away. He went off to hire the limo which would take him and his friends with their dates to the site.

"You're who?" Ella stared in unbelief. She wondered if this was a hallucination, and rubbed her eyes.
"You heard me," the woman grinned, and stood up. "I'm here to help you. More than that, I'm here to make this the best night of your life."
Ella could only stare.
"Look, come here child..." she took her arm and put it around Ella. Somehow, Ella was no longer afraid.
"I've heard your pleas, and I've seen your pain. I've been watching you a long time, longer than you know. This is a gift for you."
"...A gift?"
"Yes! Let me show you... what's happening tonight?"
"Well... the Prom for my high school."
"Yes. Do you want to go?"
This took Ella back. It was so bold of a question that it required a bold answer. But she hesitated. Would it be too much to ask, to desire?
"Of course it's not too much!" the woman said, reading her mind. She began to laugh at Ella's surprised expression. "Darling, it's alright to want to go. Every girl would want to. But this is up to you: would you want me to give you this chance?"
"...Yes," Ella confirmed.
"Good! Then let's begin! Come with me," she led Ella onto the deck. It was still light outside, and considerably warm.
Suddenly, a little gray bird came to the deck, and perched on the woman's red coat. Something was in its mouth.
"Take it," she said.
Ella reached cautiously and pulled the thing from its mouth. It was a piece of paper. She looked at it. It was a prom ticket.
"You can't be... no, you can't be serious!" this was blowing her mind. The woman in the red coat only laughed more.
"It is what it looks like, Ella. And it's not stolen: I paid for it. But quick! Time flies, and we have much to do!" Ella was again led back into the house.
"First, shoes!" the woman took her finger, and touched Ella's feet. There was a flash, and Ella saw silver-glass high heeled shoes on her feet.
Ella felt like she had nothing to say anymore. It was just unbelievable.
"You like them?"
"Like them?... I love them," she said quietly.
"Good! Because I designed a dress just for you that would match perfectly!" Here, the woman stepped toward her, and put her finger on Ella's heart.
Ella could feel the change this time. A magic light spread from that point across her arms and down her legs, and her hoodie and jeans were enveloped in light. In another flash, she wore on a dress.
"Wait!" the woman went up to her and covered her eyes. "Just wait! Let my friends come here first and finish you up."
"Friends?"
"Sure! Hey girls, come right in!"
Ella remembered that her window was still open. The other birds!
She heard a fluttering into the room. Although she couldn't see their change, flashes made it apparent that they were becoming people too. All her "friends" were now coming to her real aid.
She closed her eyes now, and felt their hands touch her hair, beginning to arrange it. She also realized that this dress she was wearing was really comfortable: usually prom dresses have so many plastic and sharp parts that make them difficult to wear. But not this one: it was light, and very soft.
In a few moments, her hair was arranged, and make-up was put on her face.
"Hold my hand, darling, keep your eyes closed," the woman, who Ella now conceded as her "fairy godmother," took her some steps away. She went behind her, putting her hands over Ella's eyes.
"Ready? Look!" she took her hands away, and Ella opened her eyes. She stood before the grand mirror in their hall.
Her expression was priceless.
It was by far the most beautiful dress she had ever worn, and have even seen! It was pure white with silver inflection in the fabric so that the white shimmered. There were diamonds intricately woven around in beautiful patterns, but not too much to make it gaudy. She wore white gloves that went up her arms, but there were no sleeves. It was so beautiful, Ella almost thought it was a wedding dress. But it was even better than that.
Ella looked at her dark hair. It was tied back and put in a bun, with ends coming down in curls. Diamonds were woven into her hair almost as if they grew out like flowers. Her face also had just enough make-up to give it a glow, but not too much.
Silver and white. Her favorite colors for dresses when she was little.
"Hm. There's something missing, isn't there?" the woman said to herself.
Ella turned around. She finally noticed the others in the room. Along with the woman in the red coat, there were 4 young women in maid's outfits, 2 in black and white, 2 in gray and white. Just like the birds outside. They were beaming for how beautiful Ella looked.
"What could possibly be missing! This is all too good to be true!" Ella couldn't help laughing at the whole situation.
"Yes, well, one thing is missing. You need a necklace. That's the part I hadn't thought of yet."
"Wait!" Ella looked around, and went to the couch. She left her broken necklace there.
"Look! I have this... necklace. But it's broken... could you fix it? Please?" Ella held up the necklace to her godmother.
"Ah, yes, that would match..." she took it from Ella and put the broken ends of the chain between her fingers. With a spark, she took her fingers away, and the chain was fixed.
"Thank you so much! You don't know what this means to me!" and Ella immediately, walking toward the mirror put it around her neck.
"Yes, it's very nice. But it's not quite right."
Ella frowned. "How not?"
"It could be better," the woman grabbed for the pendant between her fingers.
"Wait!"
Ella's godmother looked up.
"It was a gift from my mother. Don't... change it. Keep it as it is. I need nothing more."
The woman smiled. "I see... that was a wise decision," Ella could see this satisfied her very much.
"Well, Ella, we're almost done! There's just one more finishing touch! Thank you, my friends, that was all I asked for," the maids all smiled and bowed in reverence.
"It was our pleasure," said one of them happily, and bowed.
Ella could just imagine that voice singing.
Ella's godmother then took her outside to the car, the black rusted Sedan.
"This will not do. This is best," she touched her finger on the car, and once again a light spread across the car.
To her amazement, the car wasn't only made better, it was made longer! It turned into a brand new white limousine!
"And... I figure you want a chauffeur too?" the woman whistled for another "friend" to come. The whistle was, no surprise, very similar to a red cardinal's whistle.
A squirrel hopped onto the driveway, and perked up, looking at both of them with very intelligent eyes. Ella couldn't help smiling at the thought of what would happen next.
The woman knelt down, and touched the squirrel on the nose. Immediately, there was a flash, and the squirrel turned into a handsome man with a gray and white uniform.
"Miss Ella," the chauffeur bowed, "Allow me to drive you. Sure, you may think I know nothing of driving, but I've been given the skill for this purpose tonight."
"Well, that's almost everything, Ella."
Ella flipped around toward her godmother, and embraced her.
"Thank you! Thank you! I don't know how to thank you! This is too good to be true!!"
Her godmother laughed, and stood back, "Don't mention it, darling! This is all for you tonight!"
Ella gasped. "It must be passed 7 now! The Prom has already started! I need to get there right away!" Ella would have gone to the back seat of the limousine, had the woman in the red coat not grab her hand.
"Not so fast."
"...What? What else if there for me?"
"...A warning."
Ella frowned, worried. "What do you mean?"
"This won't last Ella. There's a limit to my power, however great it is. And this is your one requirement Ella, listen carefully: you must leave the Prom before Midnight. Not later. When the clock strikes 12, everything will begin to fade. If you're caught, you'll regret it. Will you promise me that?"
"Yes, I will."
This new truth dismayed Ella. She wished she could stay the whole night, but there has to be a limit to every good thing. So she submitted.
"Thank you for everything... godmother."
The woman smiled. "I'm proud of you, darling. Take care of yourself... and have the time of your life!"
Before Ella stepped into the limousine, she turned around to ask the woman one more question: did she somehow deserve this? But the woman was no longer there. She had disappeared, or more likely, flown off.

So, beyond her wildest dreams, Ella was off to the Ritz-Carlton...


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