Broken Glass Slipper

Emma's Point of View

I ran as quietly as I could back up the stairs. I pulled on some worn jeans and an old T-shirt. That was pretty much my whole wardrobe. Felicity never allowed me to wear anything else. Not that it mattered. I was never allowed outside unless I was at work.

I shot a glance in the small mirror I had, and gathered my messy hair into a ponytail. It was the only thing I knew how to do with my hair. Felicity never let me do anything else with it.

She claims she's trying to protect me, ever since what happened two years ago. She claims she's trying to keep me safe.

I appreciate what she thinks she's doing.

I appreciate her kindness. She's kept me under her care. Her house, clothing, food, it's more than I could ask. But something in the back of my head nags constantly whenever she says certain things.

"Go do this."
"Help them."
"No, you can't go."
"No, you can't go outside."
"No, you can't go to the college campus."
"No, you can't."
"No."

It was strange. I used to be allowed to do things with my life, things as I pleased. But now... I can't. I'm not sure how much more I can take. My online professor has been talking about helping me find a better college. One far away. I'm not sure how that's going to play out.

I slipped back downstairs, and knocked on Felicity's door. She answered, "Come in."

I opened the door, and stepped inside the monster's lair.

One of the few things I've never understood is Felicity. She was obsessed with cleanliness, but her room was messier than a few kitchen disasters stuck inside of a tornado, all sprayed over with instant pudding. Excessive light gives her headaches, so the blood red curtains were always closed, as well as her door.

"You are excused from your chores today," Felicity mumbled with her toothbrush in her mouth. "But in their place, I have something else for you to do."

My shoulders sank.

She spat out her toothpaste, and washed her mouth out before sitting at her sink with her brush in hand.

"Your sisters are going to the iTunes festival. Help them get ready," Felicity grunted, yanking the brush through a wicked snarl in the back of her head. "Our goal is to get them invited by that band they love to the after party. If that doesn't happen- will you get over here and brush this knot out?" She grumbled, thrusting the large brush into my hands. She continued, "If they are not invited, I'll take them out somewhere nice. We won't be back until around one or two in the morning."

I nodded, intent on getting the last, little knot out of Felicity's hair. Once, I got it out, Felicity took the brush and grabbed my wrist, squeezed, and pulled me down so I was down at her level.

"I expect at least Arabelle to be invited," Felicity growled in my face, the stench of her newly brushed teeth mixing with the obnoxious aroma of her expensive perfume. "If at least Arabelle is invited, perhaps I won't be as... displeased. However," she continued, baring her teeth, "if neither of my lovely girls attend, you will continue to not receive lunch, and you will not receive dinner as well," she finished, smiling at her cruel bargain.

"Yes, ma'am," I replied, blinking rapidly to halt the tears forming.

She gave me a small, obviously fake, smile, before pushing me away.

I slowly walked out of the room of horrors, trying to compose a list in my head of things to do.

-Get Arabelle ready
-Get Jessa ready
-Turn in paper

Shoot.

I whipped around, and ran as fast as I could up to the attic. Logging on, I begged the slow, old computer to hurry up. It finally loaded; I turned in my paper, and not a moment too soon.

Breathing a sigh of relief, I slipped back down stairs to Arabelle's room. I knocked before opening the door. Taking a deep breath, I walked in, slowly taking in her crammed closets and bursting drawers. I flinched when I saw Arabelle sitting on her bed, staring at me with an expression so evil, Satan would have tucked his pointed tail beneath his legs and run.

"Let's get started, peasant,"Arabelle smirked, before giggling in a high, nasal shriek.

---

Five hours later, my head was pounding and my eyes were burning. Not only had Arabelle rejected everything I put together, she managed to insult me regularly in the process. I trudged over to Jessa's room, and knocked, praying for patience, and hoping for a God to listen. Jessa flung the door open with a smile. I managed a smile back, and the pain in my head lessened.

She grabbed my wrist, the one Felicity abused, and pulled me inside her room. Hissing through my teeth, I massaged my wrist and gazed at the friendly walls of Jessa's room. Her room was bright and lit, like Arabelle's, with the difference of my presence being welcomed.

Jessa wasn't as mean to me. She was only rude and mean to me around Felicity and Arabelle. I walked over to Jessa's bed, sank down onto it, and looked at what she picked out. A few dresses, not too bad. I helped her find some finishing touches, and then I excused myself.

As I was washing the remains of the breakfast dishes, the phone rang.

"Hello, this is the Swern residence, help speaking," I said into the phone, choking through my long rehearsed intro.

"Hey, Em. It's Mary," a well-known voice answered.

I instantly felt happier. Mary was a twenty-four year old woman who had given up on men, and decided to make her own daycare, so she could be around innocent, little kids. She had the sweetest spirit, which was a nice change when I worked at the daycare, as opposed to working at 'The Swern Residence.'

"Hi, Mary. Everything okay?"

"Yeah, well- no. I need you to come in to work. Like, as quickly as you can."

"Okay. I'll see what I can do."

I hung up the phone and found Felicity in her bathroom, plucking her woman mustache. I told her that the daycare called, and that they needed me to come in. She glared at me for a good minute before making a disgusted noise in her throat, and waving a hand in my direction

I began my twenty minute walk, but I didn't mind. It was nice outside. I also walked to the daycare five times a week.

I arrived at work, and clocked in, then stared around, confused. There wasn't anyone here. I walked into the office hallway, and saw the main office light on. Carefully, I stepped over to the door and knocked. I saw Mary rushing over, and she opened the door, glee evident on her face.

"Hi, Emma!" she exclaimed, her eyes practically glowing with pride.

"Hey, Mary... What's up? Where is everyone?" I asked, peering out of the huge window.

"Oh, they're gone. I have a surprise for your birthday!" Mary squealed, clapping her hands.

"Oh, Mary, you shouldn't have! Wait. My birthday isn't today..." I said, returning my attention to Mary.

Mary looked at me with concern. "Em, what day is it?"

"Thursday," I said, smiling.

"No, no, the date," she clarified, her hands nervously plucking at the hem of her shirt.

"The third of... Oh," I gasped, as it hit me. November third. My birthday.

"Happy seventeenth birthday!" Mary shouted. "What did Felicity have you doing all day?" She asked, leading me over to a chair.

"She had me get Arabelle and Jessa ready for the iTunes Festival," I replied, plopping down on a chair.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I know that must've been hell for you," Mary mumbled, as she began rummaging in the messy drawers of her desk.

"No, really, it was fine," I said, distracted by her crazed search. "Mary? What am I doing here? And, what exactly are you looking for?"

"I've gotten you your present," Mary replied, pulling out a box.

"Oh, Mary..." I trailed off, eying the box.

"Here, open!" Mary commanded, setting the box gently on my lap.

I looked down at the white box, hesitating.

"Open them, before I do it for you!" Mary impatiently said, bouncing in her seat.

I laughed, and lifted the lid of the box, and saw a mass of black fabric. I pulled it out. It turned out to be a dress. A very short dress.

I looked at Mary with a quizzical expression, but reached for an envelope that was under the dress. I opened it, and saw a paper voucher. For the iTunes after party?

I set everything down before turning to Mary.

"Thank you for the little black dress, and the party voucher. Now, what in the devil were you thinking? I can't go to a party! And, how did you even get that party voucher? Isn't it only for the performers?" I said, twisting my hands nervously.

"And invited guests. My brother is the coordinator, so he gave me a voucher. So I could give it to you," Mary explained, looking nervously at me.

"Thank you, Mary. But, I can't go. I don't have anything to wear," I said, trying to think of a good reason why I should go.

"I think the dress will cover you there. I also found some really cute white heels to go with it," Mary countered, reaching behind her desk once more, and pulling out another box.

"Mary, I don't know how you think this will all work!" I feverishly ranted, pushing my hands into my hair, trying to get a grip on reality. "I don't know how to do my hair, I don't have any makeup, I doubt I'd even look pretty in that dress, regardless of your magical emergency sewing," I said, getting up and pacing the length of the office. "My legs are immensely hairy, since I've never been allowed to shave them, ever, and I don't know how to walk in heels!" I finished, turning to Mary, my chest heaving.

Mary laughed, and pulled me over to the bathroom.

"Relax! Just trust me."

---

"Miss Emma! You look amazing!"

"I still don't know how this happened."

My hair was perfectly curled with bobby pins holding it in place. My makeup was subtle, but made my face stand out in a way I never thought possible.The dress fit like a glove. My legs were smoother than silk, and I was a natural at walking in heels.

I looked... Sexy. More importantly, I felt sexy.

I clicked my way out of the bathroom, clutching the paper voucher.

"Mary, how am I going to get there? How do I dance? Do I have to drink?" I gasped, stopping the middle of the hallway, new fears rising to the surface.

"Hey, Emma, just breathe, and live a little! I'll drive you. Watch the other girls dancing. I have a feeling you'll catch on pretty quick. And no, you don't have to drink. In fact, I suggest you don't, if you don't want to get caught," Mary giggled, wrapping an arm around my shoulders, and steering me toward the door.

I looked down, and nodded. Am I really going to do this? Hell, yeah.

---

Mary dropped me off near a screaming mob of preteen girls. I saw about four, or maybe five guys wallowing in the middle. I spotted a girl never the edge of the crowd that looked nice, so I walked up to her and asked her what was going on.

She looked me up and down, and then spat out the following words: "Oh, like you don't know. I bet you're a Belieber, aren't you? Or even a Directionater? Either way, you're still a bitch."

I quickly turned away. I didn't even get what she was talking about. Belieber, Directionater, those words meant nothing to me.

I cautiously walked up to a different girl, and asked her the same thing.

"What's going on?"

She replied, "It's One Direction! They're here! I'm so happy!"

I glanced at her, before shifting my eyes to the boys in the middle of the emotional hormone pit.

So, this was the famous One Direction.

"Oh. Great. Do you have a favorite?"

"Yeah, Niall." Seeing my confusion, she added, "He's the blond one!"

"Oh. He's, umm, cute," I said, attempting to appease the girl, and end the conversation.

The girl slowly turned her head to face me. And then she fell off the thin line between crazy, and insane.

"What? No! First of all, he isn't cute. He's gorgeous! He's an angel from Heaven! And second of all, don't you dare try to make a move on my man!" The girl raged, pushing her hands against my shoulders. Then, with all the force she could muster, she slapped me. She slapped me so hard, I fell to the ground. I realized there were tears falling from my eyes.

When I managed to get to my feet again, she had surged into the crowd.

I looked at the boys struggling to get away one last time. I locked eyes with the boy that girl had labeled as Niall. He looked slightly scared, but mainly confused, and a little bewildered.

I groaned, and walked to the side entrance of the building that the after party was at.

"Excuse me, did Mary give you that voucher?"

I looked up startled, and nodded. The man smiled, and handed me a small, black mask.

"It's a masquerade. Go have fun," the man said, opening a door.

I thanked him, and entered the door to a world I had never visited before.

Notes

It has been an extra long two weeks. Wow. Okay. So, I have some business to take care of.

1) Thank you to my subscribers! I can't believe I already have 7!

2) If you wanted to, maybe, spread my story around, that would be so amazing. Like, you don't even know. Just a side note, it helps to know that people are reading my story. It makes me want to write.

3) Miss M was my editor for the first two chapters, but she is currently incapable of editing for me, so I have found a new editor. She is temporary, but only if Miss M comes back soon. If not, well, I don't really have a choice.

4) Okay, so can I just say, 1D Day. I can't even, like, just, no. I'm so depressed, it's over! I say we tell the boys- actually maybe we should ask -to do another one next year or something. Yeah?

5) I've noticed that some FanFiction authors post a question in the notes section for the subscribers and herself to answer, and it's actually very fun. It's helps the author get to know her subscribers, and the subscribers get to know the author. Would you guys like that? I'm just reaching for things to get y'all involved.

So, thank you for reading all the way through my messed up thought crap, and yeah! Thanks for reading! PLEASE subscribe/vote/share/comment!!!

~PickNandos