The Search for Cinderella

Chapter 7

He smiled at me as I probably stared at him in shock.

I toned out the rest of them talking and Elliot wrapped up the show. Finally, once the cameras were shut down, he glared at the girls, "How could you not have known the answers to those questions. I gave you guys-- " He cut off looking at me and then quieting down his voice.

So he had rigged the questions for them to win. Rose gave me a look.

"They're done talking. I have a feeling we should run."

And we did. We sprinted back to the mansion as the girls behind us ran after us yelling hate and abuse.

That night Rose slept over in my room where we had a movie marathon watching corny Disney movies on my laptop. These included Starstruck, The Princess Protection Program, Another Cinderella Story and Mulan.

During the remainder of the week before the eliminations all of us girls had free time to do whatever we wanted. The only thing was that there would be cameras with us following what we did to 'sell' us to the public so that they would vote. Thankfully Rose and I were assigned with Jono again who was starting to become like an uncle.

Honestly, I was missing my normal and calm routine from back home so I managed to drag Rose along with me to the closest Library I could find (with Jono following behind). The closest library in this part of California was a small one in an old sandstone building which belonged in the sixties. When I walked in I was hit by the scent of musk and old books. An old lady sat at the counter with a thick book. She looked up and smiled at us when we entered and then quietly went back to her book. I wandered off leaving Rose and Jono for half an hour browsing over a few books. I couldn't borrow any without a card but it was just the simplicity and quietness I seeked in the library without the chatter of girls and the stuffy scent of hairspray.

Finally I found Jono and Rose again in the little kids section. Jono was playing around with features while Rose was doing some stretches on the ground.

"Rose, do a dance for us," I finally said as the great idea struck me. She gave me a strange look though.

"We're in the library."

I shrugged, "Oh well, what happens in California stays in California."

"And goes on national TV," Jono added. I shot him a dirty look and he shrugged.

She sighed, "I have nothing to dance to."

I pulled out my iPod and randomly selected a song and the familiar beat to Wings by Little Mix played.

Sophia must have put this song on my iPod.

Rose gracefully stood up and started moving to the beat before she finally got into the music and let the rhythm lead her body. I saw Jono recording this without her awareness.

I clapped enthusiastically until I noticed another librarian death staring us. What happened to the nice one?

In the end we were kicked out of the library despite Jono was recording and we were part of a national TV show. The old witch obviously didn't care about media. What would her grandchildren think of her?

On the way back to the mansion Rose dragged us into a pound as she had been missing her dog. She made us stay there for an hour playing with the gorgeous puppies and I must admit I fell in love with a baby chocolate Labrador with the biggest brown eyes. He was adorable and I wanted to adopt him but I don't think we were allowed pets in the mansion.

For the whole hour the puppy, that had the very original name of Coco, played with me. When Jono said that we should go I gave him my puppy eyes not noticing he was still recording.