My So Called Cinderella Life

Winter break was finally here. I was super excited, because, you know why? I was staying home as usual!

Kayla, Kate and Margaret were going to Florida for about three weeks. It was December 20th and they were coming back about January 15th. Our school opened again on the 20th.

Kaylie wasn't joining them this time because she was going on college tours the entire time and also taking a trip to Rhode Island because a cousin was coming from France. And she was super duper excited to see her, so she wouldn't be around.

So my week was spent hanging out with Peter, Daniella, Ryan... And Tory was on a trip to the Bahamas for one week with his family.

On Christmas day, all I did was look for any notes left around the house. But nothing yet. I went to go sit at the christmas tree and looked at the ornaments. There was ornaments that belong to Kate, Kayla and Kaylie and Margaret. None of mine at all.

Except there was one present left for me.

It was from Kaylie.

I picked it up. It was a medium-sized box wrapped with a christmas paper wrapping. And had a light blue bow on the top. I smiled and started reading the card, "To my lovely sister. Merry Christmas! I'm sorry I couldn't be here with you on this family day... I really want to... But it's kind of hard :/. Anyway, make it a great day for yourself and remember that I always loved you. You're the best, Love Kaylie"

I smiled. God, she was always so sweet.

I carefully opened the wrapping around the box, and then opened the cover on the box. It was a medium picture frame but it was kind of like an album, that you could flip through and place it on a table. I flipped through the pictures and it was pictures in order from when we met up until now.

Some of them had Dad's pictures as well. The recent pictures were from our iphones and we used the front camera to take pictures. It was blurry but it was still very sweet that she went to develop them.

I heard a knock on the door and quickly went to go open it. It was Dougie, our mailment.

"Dougie! What are you doing working on Christmas?"

"Office called me in to work morning shift because there were express deliveries that had to be done. Besides, holiday deliveries... You know how much that costs?"

I shrugged, "Beats me. I've never ordered anything."

"Well, honey. Believe it or not, it costs $50."

"Wouldn't it be easier to not to a one day delivery then? Aye, people these days."

He shook his head. "Well, I've got a package for Margaret Phillips Anderson from a family member up in the state of Maine... and the request was to send it straight to her on Christmas."

"If only she was here."

He handed me an electronic scanner and sighed, "Just sign it for me darlin'."

I took his pen and signed my name quickly and tapped the pen back. I took the package and waved at him, "Merry Christmas Dougie."

"Oh wait! I've got another thing for you Marisa dear."

"For me?"

He nodded and pulled out a big white envelope. At that moment, I saw Peter's car pull up at my driveway and I waved at him. I continued with Dougie, "So this is for me?"

"Yepp. This is also specifically said to send it to you on Christmas. You're in a surprise Marisa darling."

I slightly smirked and he quickly ran off, he turned around once more, "Merry Christmas honey!"

"Byee!" I yelled out. I went to put the box on the kitchen counter and also the white envelope and went to see Peter at the door. He came in along with Daniella and then I shut the door.

"Who the heck works on Christmas?"

"Express delivery men apparently."

"What came in the mail for you guys?" Peter asked as he was sitting.

I shrugged, "There's a package for Margaret and there's something for me. I should open it."

I went to the envelope and looked at the front of it. On the top left hand corner, it stated "San Diego State University: SDSU." My eyes began growing very big and I started, "Umm... It's from SDSU."

Daniella and Peter's eyes went big and I began smiling. "Oh my god. It's a big envelope. Oh my god."

Peter exclaimed, "Open it then! Hurry!"

I tore it open slowly and neatly and then pulled out the letter that came with it.

I began reading out loud, "Dear Marisa. Congratulations! I am pleased to inform you of your admission to the College of Arts and Sciences at San Diego State University beginning fall semester, 2011."

I grabbed the paper hard and started jumping up and down, "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh my god, I got in!!!!! I got in !!!!!! I got into my dream college !!! This is the best christmas everrrrr!!!!!!!"

Peter and Daneilla threw their hands up and came up to hug me. "Congrats girl!" Daniella congratulated. I continued reading and in the envelope was another piece of paper.

I started reading it, "To Marisa Anderson: It is a pleasure to inform you that the Committee of University Scholarships has selected you for the SDSU scholar for the class of 2015. You will receive this full-tuition beginning the fall semester of 2011."

"Oh my god! Full scholarship! Ahhhh! This day could not get any better. At all! Eeeeeeeee!!!"

Peter gave me a hug. "Congrats dude. You did it! I knew you could do it. No doubt about it at all."

I gave a huge smile. This couldn't get any better. They both hugged me and all I could do was smile. I even got a full scholarship. Finally, I can get out of this hell hole.

Well, if she let me. I had to make sure I had to though.

"So what are you guys doing here on a christmas day? Shouldn't you be with your families?"

Peter smiled, "We came to get you. Ryan's having a christmas party at his house and his parents invited us all over. So right now, my parents, Daniella's parents are there and a bunch of other adults that I don't know of. We don't want you to be alone on Christmas."

I slightly smiled, "By the way you guys are dressed, I wanna guess that I have to dress nicely."

"It was Ryan's request. He said for you to wear a dress too." Daniella said.

I looked down and sighed, "A dress?"

Daniella nodded. "I brought a few over for you to choose from. Stuff that you could actually wear. You do have leggings right? You can just wear that."

I sighed and nodded. Then Peter continued, "But bring an extra pair of jeans too. Ryan has his own skateboarding ramp and it is HUGE! Just leave a pair of your Etnies or DC shoes in my car or something."

I nodded and shrugged, "Alright. I'm in. But Daniella, you gotta help get me dressed. Cause I don't know anything about how to look girly."

"You mind if I go to Kaylie's room? I wanna look around." Peter asked. We both looked at him and raised our eyebrows. He shrugged, "What? I needa find a way to ask her out perfectly."

I nodded my head. "Such a stalker."

Peter continued, "And you need to let us in on this secret because I'm dying. All I know is that Kaylie is somehow your sister and Paul left notes around the house for you to find. So no one's here... So tell away."

Daniella began pushing me and headed towards the upstairs. "Well explain to us while we're getting dressed and Peter across the room. Go!"

Daniella brought me four dresses of her and the one that stood out to me was the white buttoned down one. It went down to almost my knees but if I wore leggings it would be okay.

As I got dressed, I told Peter and Daniella the entire story. When I finished getting dressed, Daniella pulled out my ponytail and started curling my hair. Peter called out, "Wait. So Margaret isn't just a regular professor that met Paul at the university board?"

"No! Definitley not!" I looked through Dad's diary [the one I taped the notes too] and reread it once more.

"So Mr. Alfred knows Margaret well?" Daniella said as she began braiding my hair. Peter laughed, "Knows her in bed."

Daniella pouted her mouth, "I'm sticking up my middle finger on the inside."

I laughed and she continued with my hair. I began thinking. "Kaylie said to Kayla that day that she refused to be the daughter of a murderer. How would Margaret be a murderer though? I know she's mean, but I didn't think she could... Kill anyone."

Peter yelled, "Dude! If she killed Paul, you're living under the same roof with a criminal. That is not safe."

"Is that why she hates me? She doesn't like Mom so she treats me terribly."

"It could be, girl." Daniella replied.

"I still don't understand though." I heard something knock over and Peter yelled, "Sorry! Knocked one of your pictures over. Am I gonna get killed?"

"Funny!" I called back. Daniella made two little braids and tied it to the back to make a slightly half pony... It looked cute, but I have no idea if it matched with me.

Peter came into the room and started, "Riss. I might have found some answers to your question."

We both looked at him and he handed me three little pieces of paper. I smiled, "Where'd you find it?" I got up and grabbed the three notes.

"It was behind the picture frame hanging up. The picture with Margaret, Kaylie, Kate and Kayla. When I knocked it down these three little thingies fell out."

I started reading out loud, "Number two. I'm sure you know that mom and I grew up together. We were actually born on the same day and almost the same time. Our mothers were in the room next to each other when giving birth."

I sighed, "That I know."

I grabbed the second paper and began reading, "Number three. Your mother and I were very close. I think we knew we loved each other for a very long time."

I repeated, "I know that too."

I then grabbed the last one which was number five and read out loud, "Last one behind this picture. When we entered middle school we met a very nice girl named Margaret and we became very good friends with each other. People even called us the three musketeers."

I quickly grabbed the diary and taped the notes to it. I smiled, "It's all coming together. Oh my god. Margaret had a crush on my dad during middle school... But Mom and him were dating. In high school, she began sleeping around... that included Mr. Alfred... And in college, she flipped when Dad proposed to Mom... Mr. Alfred came already knowing Margaret because they had a thing with each other. Margaret left, and when she came back she already had a kid which had to be Kate. And I wanna guess the night that Dad and Mom, you know... caused them to have me. Along with the night that Margaret and Dad had sex, caused them to have Kaylie. Then I need to know the story after that."

Peter's phone started ringing and he smiled, "It's your boy." He said that looking at me. I raised my eyebrows at him, "Who?"

"Sheckler?"

I sighed, "He's not my boy."

"He is getting annoying talking about Cinderella. Doesn't shut up about her. If he knew he was you, I think life would get easier. I think he's starting to like you."

"Starting?" I asked Peter.

"There's some feeling in there. By the way he looks at you and everything. The guy doesn't really have a lot of girlfriends, Marisa."

Daniella nodded, "I think it's time to tell him."

I sighed, "He'll know someday. When we're graduated."

They both groaned. Peter picked up, "Yo!" He put the phone on speaker and I heard Ryan's voice, "Yo you guys coming soon. Adults are coming and I'm getting bored."

"Take care of your little brother."

"Meh. He has his friends over too."

"Alright, we'll be there soon. Marisa's getting dressed."

I heard Ryan laughing, "If she's getting dressed that means she'll probably look extra cute today."

Peter and Daniella smirked at me and I began blushing. That was quite an adorable comment.

They hung up the phone and Peter sighed, "Well... Time to confess?"

"Later." I concluded.

@ Ryan's house:

So, Ryan's house was probably just a little bigger than mine. It was humongo! First, the house was one house... but it was separated with like, I don't what to call it, a bridge? In the house. So Ryan and his little brother, Kane and his other brother, Shane stayed in one part of the house and his parents in the other.

His parents were very sweet to me and they seemed to have already know me.

"Oh Marisa. Yes, I've heard and seen you... Multiple times. Ryan has a bunch of pictures of you in his room. And he says you're one of his new best friends."

"He does?" I asked.

"Yeah. They're even blurry ones. The pictures that he took with his iphone... On the front camera."

I slightly laughed. I remember those pictures. When we were bored at the skateboarding park, he always took out his iphone and used his front camera to take pictures of us. Now his parents said that he went to develop them, even though they were blurry. Did that mean anything?

I heard Ryan groan, "Mommmmm. You embarassing me again?" I turned around and smiled at him. He waved at me and came to put his arms around my shoulders. I got butterflies when they were on my shoulders. I saw Peter and Daniella making fun of me out of sight and I kind of glared at them. Mrs. Sheckler started, "I'm not embarassing you. I'm just saying the truth. That you have a bunch of pictures that you guys take on the iphone posted up in your wall."

He turned to look at me, "I thought you already knew that."

I shrugged and stuck my tongue out at him. Mr. Sheckler then stated, "Well guys. Have fun. We'll be around. Nice finally meeting you, Marisa."

"Nice to meet you too." I concluded. Ryan then took his arms off around my shoulders and started, "You look... very pretty today."

"Thanks."

"Hungry?"

"A little."

"Let's get something to eat then."

He patted my shoulders and we went to the food table, meeting up with Daniella and Peter. He gave Peter a hi-five and Peter started, "Dude. Did you do renovations on the ramp? It looks bigger."

Ryan nodded, "It was Shane and Kane's request."

I pouted my mouth and nodded. Ryan put his arms around me again and winked at me. I smiled. What was up with him?

So all we did for the night was take pictures with each other... Play with Kane [because he was super adorable] and Shane was kind of quiet, but still very good looking like the eldest brother.

At around 8 ish, Kaylie called me and I went outside to take the phone call. I was on the balcony and I could see the skateboarding ramp perfectly. "Wow. Sheckler lives in a mansion."

"You're at Ryan's house?" Kaylie asked.

"Yeah. He invited me over so I figured I'd come... I didn't want to be any more bored than this."

"Sorry I couldn't stay. You know Margaret."

I sighed, "Yeah apparently. Anyway, thanks for the gift. It was very sweet."

"You're welcome. Thanks for mine. It was great."

I got Kaylie a mug that had our pictures on it and because she always drank something hot in the morning.

She continued, "So how are you and Ryan doing?"

"He seems very... I don't know with me today. Hasn't talked about Cinderella at all."

"Maybe he's forgetting her and coming onto you now."

"Let's see about that."

"Well. I can't talk for long cause Margaret calls me like every five minutes to check up. So I will call you before I sleep tonight."

"Alright sounds good."

"Bye sis."

We hung up and I turned around bumping into Ryan. I slightly jumped and started, "Geez. When did you stand there?"

He smiled, "Like the ramp? It's cool at night."

We turned around and leaned forward against the balcony together. "I like everything about your house. It's so... Warming and welcoming... And huge."

He laughed and then had his back against the balcony facing me. "So no family to spend Christmas with?"

"I haven't had a real family since I was nine. Only Kaylie, but we never get to see each other during Christmas at all. They're always away."

He sighed, "A mean step mother. Two mean stepsisters. Sounds so much like Cinderella."

When he said Cinderella, I gave him a look and he scratched his back. "Hey. Give me a break."

I slightly laughed and continued looking out into the dark sky. He continued, "I'm starting to get bored of finding her. She's very... not open."

"More like she's afraid of telling you who she actually is."

"But if she actually likes me, she should show herself, you know? She obviously knows who I am."

"I think she's afraid. She could be a very normal person and she doesn't wanna waste your time and your image. After all, you are known as National Athlete of the year."

He smiled. "Yeah. But I'm starting to get a distant from her. I feel like I've been closing myself up because of one girl when I shouldn't be. You know what they said about love making you blind."

"You loved her after meeting her once?"

"Well... Do you believe in love at first sight?"

I wanted to answer, well... I did with you.

I laughed, "No idea what I believe in."

"There was definitley something when I met her. But now I haven't found her at all... It's just... Getting old. If I confessed something, would you hate me?"

"Depends what it is?" I joked.

He shrugged his shoulders and leaned against the balcony again. He cupped his hands together and breathed loudly. He grabbed my hands and held it. My heart was starting to beat very fast.

"Would you hate me..." He stuttered like he couldn't talk but he continued talking after a few seconds, "I kind of, really like you."