Ariel strived to be different, traded her speech for legs, and managed to kill an octopus-witch. Belle traded her life for her father's, resisted a jerk's proposal, and lived with a beast. Cinderella had an evil step mother and two ugly sisters, a poor life, a midnight spell, and a missing shoe. Jasmine refused marriage, gave a poor boy a chance, and was forced into an arranged marriage to an evil, power-hungry wizard. Mulan fought in the war to save her father, pretended to be a man, and saved the emperor. Sleeping Beauty had a royal life, was put on a spell to eternal sleep until her true love kissed her. Snow white had a jealous step-mother, seven brother-like friends, and a poison apple.

So Ariel acted stupid for the most part, Belle hung with jerks, Cinderella partied till midnight, Jasmine took risks, Mulan was a poser, Sleeping Beauty slept all the time and Snow White hid around with seven guys? So how is it that they all managed to have their prince charming? Their prince to find out their secret...return their missing glass slipper and...kiss them back to consciousness.

And why in the world couldn't I have this?

Because in my land, there was a slim chance to ever see royalty in person. Let alone have them fall in love with you.

"ST.CLAIRE! Pay attention!" my coach called. I came back to realization that I was busy playing a volleyball game. Right as I looked over, I immediately prepped my arms and volleyed the ball back over the net and fell to the ground. Their defender set it back, but my teammate spiked it to the ground and with the buzzer, we won.

"And that's the season, ladies and gents," our announcer said over the mic. Finally. The end of the season. I was free of volleyball for the rest of my life. The only reason I went out for it was for my step-mom. But considering that she was at the other side of the gym, celebrating with my step sisters, it's not like she cared.

***

"Well congrats," my friend, Blue, said as we walked home from the game. I didn't bother on asking my step-mom for a ride.

"Thanks," I groaned. He bumped his hip with mine, making me laugh.

Blue Christopher was my best friend. He looked out for me and knew me the best, but of course our friendship was forbidden according to my step-mom. He was...poor. We weren't. Although he lived in the small house somewhat near our huge one, he didn't attend the same school as everyone else in our neighborhood. I went to Richland Private High School; the best private school in the region. The only reason I had such a privilege was because my dad sponsored the school before he died and it was basically in his will to have me attend and graduate from there. Even though I wasn't really welcomed. Just like at home.

At the age of six, my mother died of sickness. She left behind a locket that now never came off of my neck. My dad was all I had left...and then he met her. Lily Cantwell and her two twin daughters, Lydia and Leticia were added to my family at the age of twelve, but then my father died, leaving behind everything. My step-mom claims that the riches and property wasn't specifically bestowed to anyone, so I was stuck with her and my sisters, and them only. Lily was in charge of the assets. And in that sense, she was in charge of me.

And let me tell you, it was hell.

"So are you going to the ball tomorrow?" Blue asked me.

"Are you kidding?" I laughed. "As if the evil witch will let me."

The annual ball was tomorrow. All three private schools would attend: Maryland, the all girls' school; Highland, the all male school; and Richland, my school. Did I ever go to any of these balls? No. Why? Because if anyone in my family was to go to any ball in hopes of meeting anyone rich or royal in the masquerade would be Lydia and Leticia.

"Amy," Blue whined. "It's your last year. Will you do anything?"

"No, probably not," I answered honestly. We were now approaching our department.

"I'll see you later," Blue concluded with a sigh.

"Night," I replied before walking off. Although we lived by to each other, I had to walk half a mile more just to reach my house.

As I past the street, I heard someone by the trash. They sounded as if they were in pain. I walked over and touched the shoulder of a scavenging for something. They turned over their shoulder and revealed an old hag with crooked teeth and mix-matched eyes.

"The heir to the throne shall revolve at sunset, on the brink of night. Doves of love will take flight. But if you miss your opportunity, it shall be the death of the spawn of a tree," she said with a raspy voice. I started backing away. "And thus—"

"Get away from me," I said, repulsed. I backed away and started to leave, but her long-nailed hand grabbed my forearm and turned me around to face her. I was staring right into her swirling dark eyes.

"Listen child—"

She was cut off when there was a piercing scream into the night. I looked over and saw that the light to my house was on and I made out the figures of the girls just getting home. I broke free of the hag and rushed right over.

"What's wrong?!" I asked, frantic, out of breath as I stepped on the porch.

"Candace just said that Sir Logan Christophe is going to the ball tomorrow!" Leticia and Lydia squealed. I sighed. Wasted breath, much.

"After four years, don't you think that Candace has some weird obsession with making up appearances from the royals?" I asked her.

"Shut up," Lydia commanded. I rolled my eyes.

"Why would it matter anyway? You're all wearing masks," I reminded. Even though it was quite obvious to recognize those of your acquaintances, I'm sure a royal wouldn't go through the hassle of revealing someone's identity on the night they just met.

"You filthy girl, you're just jealous because you're not going," Lily said with her nose turned up. I rolled my eyes once more and headed downstairs to my cellar-of-a-room.

But my dreams were quite vague.

The heir to the throne shall revolve at sunset, on the brink of night.

Doves of love will take flight.

But if you miss your opportunity, it shall be the death of the spawn of a tree...

***

"Hey Richland! Stand up and cheer, let us know you're here! Knights, knights go, go, go!" our cheerleaders yelled during school at lunch. They had a need to extend their performances to the lunch room because apparently pep rallies and competitions and games weren't enough times for their exposure.

"Oh great. More of the cheerleaders," I droned to my one friend, Kelly.

"They really don't know how stupid they sound, do they?" she asked.

"Nope. I don't think so," I laughed.

"So what are you doing about tonight?" she asked.

"What do we usually do?" I asked. We usually just hung out. But the look on her face told me otherwise. "Are you seriously going without me?"

"Amy," she whined. "It's our senior year."

"So?"

"I want to actually do something," she reasoned.

"Right..." I said, looking away and crossing my arms.

"You know you can't stay mad at me," she cajoled. I looked over to her blue eyes and wide smile. I couldn't hold back my sympathy.

"Fine," I complained.

"And I don't know what the big deal is," she started. "You can go too."

I laughed.

"Yeah right. And then I'll go and fall in love with some mystery prince," I snorted. We laughed and then stopped when a pair of bitches approached us. With one look to Kelly, she fled. They never liked her in the first place.

"Hey sis," Leticia greeted. I sighed and then they walked me down the hall, sandwiching me.

"So about tonight..." Lydia started.

"It's like every other night," I finished. "I'll be locked away in my room, stuck with just about every chore known to mankind on behalf of you two."

"Oh goodie, you know the drill," she sneered. I rolled my eyes.

"Too bad there's something new on that list," Leticia added. What now?

"We need you to pick up our dresses tonight," Lydia announced. I looked down at their long legs that were bare by the shortness of their skirts.

"You both have two perfectly good working legs. Do it yourself," I decided.

"We'll be busy getting ready," they reminded. I shrugged.

"You do that every year—scratch that. Every day," I said.

"Please," they whined. "After all...we have the key."

I stiffened up and stopped walking.

"Fine, I'll pick up your stupid dresses," I said with clenched teeth.

"Oh thanks, sis!" they squealed. They handed me their receipt so I could pick up their sh!t.

They always sucked me into sh!t like this. The key was everything to me. It locked the lock to my room, the lock to the jewelry boxes, storage shed, and basically every box...even to my Mom's trunk with all her memories...if the girls decided to lose the key, I would never see my mother's life. I still haven't.

I rubbed my mother's small necklace in remembrance, but then was shoved from behind by some dumb jock.

***

"Ah. Here they are," the tailor shouted from the storage room. She walked out with two black dress bags, covering the design of the dresses so I couldn't even see them, even though I knew Lydia and Leticia's style wasn't the best. "Are they for you and your friend?"

"Mmh...try step-sisters," I replied with a drained look. She leaned over the counter.

"To be honest, I'm glad they aren't yours," she whispered. "When I rang them up, I saw how hideous they were."

I snickered at her comment and grabbed the two hangers.

"I don't understand why these girls are so dead set on looking so fabulous, but have no real fashion sense," I dissed. The lady shrugged.

"And what about you?" she asked with a smile.

"Me? Getting a dress—especially for the ball? Yeah right," I scoffed. She got a confused look.

"Well I think you'd look gorgeous in one," she complimented. "I could go grab one for you—"

"No. I'm fine," I declined. "I'm not allowed to go anyways."

With a hard swallow, I left the store with the twins' ugly dresses.

***

"Are you stupid?!" Lydia yelled at me after she looked at the dresses, which were actually quite stylish. "These are not our dresses!"

"Take them back, at once," Lily commanded. "I will not have my daughters dressed in such low quality clothes."

And so, I was back on my way to the tailors, the only difference was that I got to drive my truck, which was only rarely able to use due to the twins and their "pranks".

"Excuse me?" I shouted over the counter as the store was empty. I noticed that there was purple smoke and glitter on the floor coming from the storage room, and then the tailor stepped out with a friendly look.

"Decide to pick out a dress?" she asked with her purple and gray swirling eyes.

"Um no. You got my sisters' dresses wrong," I said, starting to hand the wrong bags back to her.

"Oh. My apologies. I must have switched the tags unknowingly," she said, turning to the storage room without taking the wrong dresses from me. She returned with Lydia and Leticia's blue and dark purple dresses which were ugly with ruffles and bows and sh!t. I knew that those were the correct dresses because I had witnessed their horrendous wardrobe every day.

"Here," I said about the old dresses.

"You may keep them," she nodded once with a small smile.

"But—" I was cut off when she just left. "What am I supposed to do with these dresses?!"

No answer.

So I just turned around with all four dresses and left. The right dresses hung on the hangers in the passenger side seat while the other two were basically stuffed between the back and front seats of my truck. They had no use anyways.

***

Chores were done. Dinner for the girls was done. What else was there to do?

"Amy! I'm going out to the town! I'll be back at one in the morning! If you leave, you will be punished!" Lily yelled through the house before the door slammed shut. It was a never ending grounding...

*2*