Once Upon A New
York City
Once upon a time, in a land far away, there was a little
girl who had a very kind heart. She was
a very special girl who was loved by both her mother and father…
Ok, hold up. Stop
right there. If you’re going to write
this, then write the truth. It’s time to
backtrack and finally set the record straight on this particular fairy
tale. Yeah I know, EVERYONE thinks they
know the story of Cinderella, or at least they know what Disney and the Grimms
wish them to. Let me tell you, NONE of
that is the truth. Who am I and how can
I possibly know? Why, I was there for it
all. The name’s Drusilla… but you can
simply call me Dru.
Well now that the introductions are over… Let’s get back to
business shall we? How do I know the
entire story about Cinderella is a bunch of lies? I lived it!
That’s how! Do I sound
peeved? Annoyed? You bet your arse I am! Thanks to that spoiled little bitch my entire
life has been turned upside down! I
can’t even get a date without some guy saying to me “Oh you have the same name
as Cinderella’s ugly stepsister!” No
shit Sherlock! The grand prize for most
clueless goes to!
“Breathe Dru… Breathe.
We are here to tell the truth, remember?
To finally get the real story out there, and not the made up nonsense
everyone believes to be the truth.”
Ana reminds me as I sit here in the very booth of the diner
our mother met Cin’s dad. She is
right. I look back across at her
apologetically before continuing to explain.
It’s just that this all makes me so angry! Sighing, I take a sip of my coffee
as I contemplate what to say next.
Truthfully the best way to tell this story is from the beginning. That beginning happened fifteen years ago…
Past
Once upon a time, in the City of New York, there was a woman
named Beth, who worked as a waitress in a small diner within the Theater
District of Manhattan, over on 54th Street. Beth had beauty and grace, the kind that
reminded customers of the old Hollywood actresses, such as Greta Garbo or
Audrey Hepburn. She had a talent for
making every customer feel welcomed and special, not to mention never
forgetting their names or how they took their coffee. It was because of her beauty and giving
personality, many customers would return every day to simply seek attention
from Beth.
Once she had dreams of becoming an actress, who performed on
Broadway, and would win the applause of thousands. Those dreams were the dreams of the young and
were laid aside when she became pregnant at a young age with her first child,
Anastacia. A single mother at 19, she
instead worked to provide for her child; always determined that her daughter
would never give up on her dreams. A few
years later she would have another daughter, Drusilla. Though their life was never easy and often
they had to do without extras, Beth made sure her daughters were able to learn
how to appreciate what they did have. At
night, she would fill their heads with stories of magic and the glamour of
Broadway. The two girls loved when their
mother acted out the stories, and the three of them would dress up in their
small apartment. This was a magical time
filled with love, neither girl knowing their lives were about to change.
Each afternoon Anastacia and Beth would leave school only to
come to the diner with their homework…
“Hey Ana! Dru! You girls want some cocoa and
sandwiches?” Frank, the short order cook
and owner of Frank’s Diner, would greet them as they slipped in their favorite
spots at the counter; his Italian accent thick and heavy, as he waved a spatula
towards the two girls.
“Hi Frank!” Both
girls chorused… It had become tradition to expect Frank to ask about hot
chocolate and food. Dru looked to her
sister, and then around the diner itself.
She noticed their mother talking to an unfamiliar gentleman, definitely
not a regular. “Hey Ana… who’s that
mom’s talking to?”
Ana peered around her sister, pushing her glasses up on her
nose, while trying to see who Dru spoke of.
“Don’t know… probably just some guy asking directions. Anyway, what does it matter and I got a Calc
test to prep for, Dru. You so worried
who momma is talking to, ask her!”
Dru was peeved at her sister for being so annoyingly
nerdy. She sat there with her own books
open, tapping her pen on the counter as she watched her mother and the man
talking. She frowned deeply noticing the
man had his hand over her mother’s on the table, and that her mom was standing
awfully close to him. Something was not
right. A chill ran up her spine leaving
her uneasy.
“Here ya two go! One
Hot Chocolate with Cinnamon, and Grilled Cheese on Whole Wheat for the lovely
Ana!” Frank’s booming voice interrupted Dru’s thoughts as he placed their food
before them on the counter. “For Dru we
have Hot Cocoa with extra Whip Cream and a swirl of Caramel; plus, a Grilled
Cheese with Ham!”
Ana dived right into her meal while Dru simply stared at her
Hot Chocolate, her lips pinched together.
“Now little one…” Frank began as he bent his large frame to peer under
her hair at her face “Why so serious?”
Dru looked up at Frank and motioned towards her mother “Who
is that man talking to mom? Do you know
Frank?” Her voice held both impatience
at unknowing and a quiver of fear at the intimacy her mother and the man
portrayed.
“Ahhh, yes… Well… I got orders to fill… Can’t keep the
guests waiting, now can I? Who else is
going to cook the food?” Frank quickly
wiped his hands on his apron, avoiding the question Dru put to him as he skirted
back around the counter. “Now you two
eat up!” With a sigh of frustration at
having no answers, Dru did exactly that, eating and focusing on her American
History homework.
Later that evening, back in their small apartment, as the
three of them sat down to dinner, Beth looked upon her two daughters. Her eyes were glowing with excitement and her
body tense, almost as if she could not contain whatever it was she had to share
with them.
“Girls…” she began as she sat slowly and carefully down
placing the bowl of pasta and meatballs on the small table. “I have some news, some amazing and wonderful
news!”
“Does this have to do with that man you were talking to
today?” Dru asked, her voice more aggressive than she meant for it to be. She was immediately sorry for the way she
spoke and muttered “Sorry, Momma.”
“No, no… it is ok. You are absolutely right, dear heart.” Beth
reached across the table to take a hand of both girls within her own. A soft smile upon her lips, tilting her head
slightly to the side, she explained “Ana… Dru… his name is Anthony Westwood,
and he has asked me to marry him!”
“WHAT!” Dru and Ana
squealed at the same time in shock and wonder.
“You’re getting married?”
“What about us?”
“Where will we live?”
“Who is going to take care of us?”
The two girls began to fire off questions, both talking over
top of the other. Beth sat back laughing
at their innocence and with joy. Holding
out her arms for both of them, which the girls rushed to hug their mother, she
stroked their hair as she explained.
“Ah, my silly precious girls, what imaginations you both
have. You will live with me of
course. Anthony with be your new father
and here is the best news of all. He has
a daughter your age. You will have a
sister. Her name is Cindy Elizabeth.” They listened to their mother’s voice explain
all this with awe and wonder. Dru could
not help but feel scared, though she kept it to herself, not wanting to ruin
her mother’s happiness.
After the news of that night, time simply flew quickly. The girls met Anthony and liked him. He was a kind and jovial man, not to mention
very handsome. Though they were unsure
what it was exactly he did, they knew he was a corporate lawyer, and he was
wealthy. Anthony helped the girls to
feel at ease, and welcomed. They loved
him simply for making their mother happy.
When they met Cindy for the first of several family dinners,
Dru and Ana were very nervous. Cindy
spent the entire dinner texting her friends on her iPhone. She also made comments about their home of
how “quaint and adorable” it was to live in such a tiny home. They had never met anyone like Cindy
before. All their friends at school had
parents who worked and lived within the same neighborhood. Cindy, on the other hand, went to a private
school, and shopped at stores on 5th Avenue. She talked excessively about exclusive
designers and how fun it would be to take Dru and Ana shopping.
“Oh, we are going to be the best of friends! I can already tell!” Cindy exclaimed in a
false voice while hugging the two girls’ goodbye that first evening. “Isn’t this just simply exciting! We will go shopping, and you can introduce me
to your friends… well maybe we can do that another time! Ta ta!” and with a wave and buzz of her
iPhone she was out the door. This was
their life with Cindy in the months that lead up to the wedding, lots of false
promises and insults hidden under the mask of civility.
Life didn’t get any better after the wedding, though it did
become overwhelming for Dru and Ana.
They were enrolled at Lemon Prep, a private school in upper
Manhattan. Soon they were surrounded by
top technology and students from some of the wealthiest families of NYC. Ana quickly fell in love with all the
technology and potential for learning.
Dru, being more artistic, discovered the art studios. It also became
apparent quickly to both girls, that within the chain of hierarchy, Cindy was
Queen Bee of the popular crowd. Cindy
introduced Ana and Dru as her new sisters, only when she did she made it sound
as if both girls were simply a charity she took on. Obviously the kids Cindy ran with would not
be accepting Ana or Dru any time soon.
Home life was different, with the girls never having a maid
before. Each of them still got up in the
morning and made their beds, while Cindy simply left her room a mess for the
help to clean up after her. If they
wished for a snack, they cleaned up after themselves. Cindy on the other hand, would order the maid
to fix her something and leave her dishes scattered around the house with half
eaten food. In truth, it became clear
very soon to Beth and her daughters that Cindy had no concept of responsibility
and was very much a slob. Beth decided
it was time to change things. She spoke
with Anthony, gaining his approval before giving her orders to the help. Once she made clear her intentions she called
a family meeting in the living room.
“Cindy…” Beth began her voice kind and yet firm. “There will
come a day when you will be on your own living in the city. As that day is not long off, you need to
learn responsibility.”
Cindy scoffed and ignored Beth, more interested in texting
and posting on Facebook. Beth, noticing
that Cindy was ignoring her, walked over and lifted the phone from Cindy’s
hands, leaving her stunned with her mouth open.
“Now perhaps you will listen and show respect to others
while they speak.” Beth stated coldly as
she moved back away. “As I was saying,
it is time you learned responsibility. I
have had a long talk with your father, and he agrees.” She pauses to take in
Cindy’s reaction.
“Daaadddyyy!” Cindy whines “She is being mean! She took my phone!” Anthony listened to her,
his eyes sad as they look upon her for what felt like the first time. He had not realized how spoiled his daughter
had truly become. Wishing only the best
for her when her mother died at such a young age, he sought to surround her in
luxury.
“Beth is right” He explains, his voice tinged with sad
weariness, as he passes a hand over his face.
“You have been given everything a young girl could wish for, but you
have no concept of responsibility. How
will you survive out there in the real world?”
“I will live here with you, daddy!” Cindy waves her hand
away at such nonsense.
“No pumpkin, you will not.
There will come a day you will live on your own, as such you need to
learn.”
Beth stepped forward and crouched low to take Cindy’s hands
“We want to teach you to become a better woman.
A woman who can survive no matter what life throws at her.”
Cindy never liked their plans for her. Every morning she had to get up and make her
own bed. She was put on an allowance,
the same as Dru and Ana. If she wished
to eat a snack, she had to clean up after herself. Cindy was forced to eat meals without her
iPhone, and was made to come home after school to do homework, the same as her
step-sisters. If she wished to go
shopping or attend an event she must ask permission from her father and new
mother before going. She was only
allowed to go if her grades were improved, homework was done and her chores
were finished.
Life would continue like this, with Cindy complaining to her
friends about her horrible step mother and her evil ugly step-sisters, who made
her life hell! Everyone believed Cindy,
poor little rich girl forced to live the life of an average teenager. It all would change Senior Year, with the
Senior Prom. Ana was going, and as she
had no date, thanks to Cindy malicious rumor mongering, she asked her sister if
she would like to come with her. Dru
jumped at the chance to see the very thing she would have to wait another two
years for.
Cindy, on the other hand, was grounded. She had been caught shoplifting at a boutique
in SoHo. Beth and Anthony made Cindy pay
the proprietor back with her allowance, plus grounding her from attending Senior
Prom. What no one knew was Cindy already
had her dress, custom made with Marc Jacob shoes. She waited until all were gone, Ana and Dru
to the Prom and Beth and Michael out to the Opera. Pulling the dress out from deep within her
closet, she quickly got dressed, did her makeup and called for a cab.
Upon arriving at the Prom, Cindy was greeted by her
multitude of friends. Ana and Dru were
shocked to see their step-sister, but they were not the kind to make a
scene. Cindy simply smirked in their direction
before wandering off to dance. It was of
no surprise to anyone when Cindy was crowned Prom Queen that evening.
“Oh, thank you! Thank
you everyone!” Cindy gushed into the microphone. “I especially wish to thank my two beloved
sisters, Ana and Dru. Without them what
ever would I do?” This was followed by multitudes of snickers and laughter
throughout the crowd.
Present day
So there you go… There were no glass slippers. No fairy godmother to come rescue Cindy. All you had was a spoiled little rich girl,
who always won in the end. What happened
to Cindy? Why does everyone want to know
what happened to Cindy? Fine, I will
tell you.
Cindy met her Prince Charming alright, though he wasn’t very
charming in the end. He blew through her
money and now poor little rich girl is having to earn her livelihood the hard
way. I look up as a fresh cup of coffee
is placed in front of me by a very pregnant waitress.
“Thanks Cindy…
Tell Frank Dru said hi.” What can
I say…? Life’s a bitch, you know? 
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