The Search for Cinderella

Chapter 11

Rose laughs at me. "Stop fiddling with it, you look great."

We make our way to the big lounge room and I see Xavier talking to Elliot in the corner. He looks over when the doors open and I couldn't believe his expression when he sees me. His eyes pass over me at first and he looks behind me as if expecting someone else before shock crosses his face and he takes me in dumbstruck. Finally he catches my eye and I give him a small smile and he grins back at me.

Rose and I make our ways to our seat and the tense environment between the girls makes us fall into silence.

Five girls would be going home tonight leaving ten girls behind.

Soon enough the theme tune is playing in the background and Elliot introduces the show. One girl will be eliminated after each ad break.

As the show went on I surprisingly got more and more nervous and was completely shocked when I realized that I didn't want to leave the show right now. I wanted to stay a bit longer.

So when the last rose was handed to another girl I breathed a sigh of relief. Elliot wrapped the show up afterwards and few girls lingered around. I needed to clear my mind with my confused feelings at the moment.

I walked out of the room like I was in a trance and made my way upstairs to my room but instead I took the key from around my neck and opened the door which led upstairs to Xavier's sanctuary. It was empty so I sat myself at his desk and looked around the room.

On his wall there were so many photos of him meeting so many people I looked up to.

I was kind of envious. I wanted a life like he did.

I wanted to produce albums and sell singles worldwide and becoming number one on the charts.

I also wanted to stand up against pop culture on behalf of all the girls out there. The way we are portrayed in the media I absolutely hated. How some men sing degrading songs about women, how music video clips showed women merely as objects.

I mean, there's got to be more to music.

Instead of just love and sex, there's definitely got to be more to music.

There's so much more happening in the world which these people turned a blind eye to and I just wanted to be up there so at least the rest of the world can see that there's more to music, more to girls and more to life.

I faced his desk and saw his macbook which was left open. Touching the mouse pad the computer woke up and I was greeted by his background which was a photo taken when Xavier when he was younger, maybe twelve. There was his beautiful mum next to him with an arm wrapped around his shoulder and his dad next to his mum with an arm wrapped around her waist. She was smiling and had flowers in her hair. She was wearing a floral maxi skirt and white singlet and her wavy golden hair framed her young face. She looked peaceful.

Mr. Matthews looked peaceful as well and less stressed, even Xavier seemed happier and peaceful.

On his desktop there were two folders which caught my attention the first one said 'Different Worlds Final'. I knew that his first and only album was called Different Worlds because I had to buy it for my sister for her birthday. The other folder had the words "Original Songs."

Opening I saw hundreds of mp3 files of songs I've never heard of. Turning the volume down, I opened one and immediately was greeted by an alternative acoustic sound. And then Xavier sang.

It was literally indescribable.

I turned it up louder as the room filled with the relaxing music in the background and the authentic voice of Xavier Matthews which no one in the public has ever heard before.

The song nearly finished when I voice spoke, "Did you like it?"

I jump and spin around to face Xavier himself. He looks nervous as he waits for my verdict.

"Xavier! It's absolutely incredible how come it didn't go on the album?"

He shrugs but noticeably relaxes when he knows I like it.

"Can I listen to more?"

He walks over to the desk and pulls out a USB stick and hands it to me.

"All of those songs on it are written by me, lyrically and most of the guitar. I had help with some other instruments."

I nod and take the USB putting it into my jeans pocket.

"Just make sure they don't end up on the internet or something."

I nodded, "I promise."

We hang out for a while discussing our favourite bands and type of music and despite his music, we both had a similar taste in bands. Soon he gets a call from his manager saying that he had an interview to do so together we left the attic and he was rushed to his car while I went back to my room. I take the USB and put the songs from it onto my tunes and then sync it with my iPod. While the computer was loading it I saw titles from his album which had "Original" written in brackets next to it.

It soon finished and I shuffled the songs. A song called Whisperer came on. Xavier's deep, rocky voice sang the first voice acapella with no instruments and goose bumps appeared on my arms.

After the intro a beautiful piano melody joined in and another track of him harmonising the painful lyrics made it sound almost ghost like. The lyrics were sad and grieving and I knew immediately he was singing about his mum. The bridge was him, completely stripped down, without the piano and without the harmony and he sang in a merest whisper, 'And I, will always love you. As you hold me in your arms and your whisper fills the air'.

I teared up. I actually teared up. This was real Xavier. Pure and golden Xavier and this was the beautiful Xavier hidden away from the rest of the world which only I have seen. I didn't care anymore about his reputation, who knew if it was real or not. But I couldn't believe that the boy who wrote this heartbreaking song could be the guy sleeping around with girls and getting on the bad side of law.

He had a heart.

A heart of gold.

But people didn't know that, as people had blackened his soul and the world moulded him into what they wanted.

They forgot that he was human after all.

A/N: Hope you guys liked this chapter I want to try and draw at the chapters a bit more do he book will be longer; at least hopefully 30 chapters.

Question of the chapter: One goal you want to achieve in life?

Much love,

Alexis x