Just like most teenagers, I was lounging on the couch on a Monday night watching the X-Factor. My thirteen year old sister was braiding my dark wavy hair for when I sleep. If I don't do this every night I wake up with dread locks.
My nineteen year old cousin, Josh, was lying on the ground below me as he sent a text to his girlfriend, not paying any attention at all to the TV.
I watched, envious of all the amazing acts that got through. I was supposed to be up there. I was supposed to be in front of all those people performing. I was supposed to be up there doing what I love most, making music.
Just before I clicked submit for the online X-factor form a wave of doubts and insecurities washed over me and I chickened out. Now I was sitting here at home with a whole lot of regret.
The ads came on and Sophie, my sister, had just finished my hair and I was about to get a drink when a high pitched squeal scares the crap out of me and making me fall of the couch onto Josh, who groans.
"Get off me fatty," he moans.
I slap his chest, "Shut up, stick." I rolled off him and gave him a death glare. I look at Sophie who is eye-raping the TV screen.
I turn around and of course on the screen, is The Xavier Matthews.
"If you stare at that screen any harder, you'd be going to jail for harassment, Soph," I say sarcastically but she ignores me.
"It's Xavier, its Xavier, it's Xavier Matthews!" She keeps yelling. I roll my eyes. Of course it's the light brown hair, blue eyed heart throb which had girls across the globe constantly in tears with his annoyingly catchy songs.
The ads were about some new reality TV show which he would be hosting called The Search for Sleeping Beauty or something like that.
The ad break was over and Sophie is still going on about the stupid pop star.
The X-Factor just made me feel disappointed in myself so I just quietly slipped away to my bedroom.
I woke up on the floor. The sound of male laughter made me open my eyes as I saw Josh pissing himself laughing. I stuck my finger up at him. The bastard had pushed me out of bed.
"I'm leaving in ten minutes if you want a lift to school." He says as he walks out of my room before I could attack him.
I sigh and make my way to my wardrobe and choose and oversized floral t-shirt and black pants almost like leggings as well as my brown combat boots.
After I put my hair in a messy side plate I grabbed my school bag and ran out of the house yelling a goodbye to my aunt and grabbing a piece of toast on the way. As soon as I shut the door of Josh's car he sped out of the driveway.
He is a deadly driver.
The radio was playing one of Xavier Matthews over repetitive and auto tuned songs but before I could change the station Josh skidded to a stop outside the school gates. I said a quick thank you before he sped off again.
My only friend, Lilly, was waiting outside the school gates. Her beauty stood out at school with her long straight black hair and sea green eyes. I made my way over before she coughed and whispered not subtly at all, "Lover boy two o'clock."
Not knowing where 'two 'clock' is I looked around before I saw Cameron Jacobs, my crush since year seven. We've only talked once and that was when he had kicked the soccer ball and it hit me in the head knocking me out for a moment. He helped me off the ground and said sorry. That was two years ago.
I elbow Lilly in the ribs before we walk into the school together, where I see our school principal Mr. Talbot walking towards us.
Oh crap, I hope he hadn't found out about the time I skipped class last week.
"Miss Kennedy, I would like to see you in my office just after the bell rings," he says sternly and walks off.
I turn to Lilly who is staring at me with wide eyes, "What did you do Miss Kennedy?"
I shrug but am internally panicking inside and it doesn't help that the bell just rang. I sighed and Lilly hugged me before she ran off to English with her other friends.
I go upstairs to where the principal's office was. The receptionist smiles brightly at me and ushers me into his room. He's standing up behind his desk before he tells me to sit down. I immediately slip into the leather seat ready to be yelled at. My palms were as sweaty as soccer player's shins. Maybe that was too far.
He stared me up and down with his scary glare. I gulped loudly and mentally said goodbye to my family hoping they could somehow hear me.
Then the one thing I would never thought I'd live to see happen.
Mr. Talbot smiled. He actually smiled.
Okay, had someone replaced him?
"Annabelle, I have some good news for you," he said while grinning like a Cheshire cat.
I nodded for him to continue.
"Out of the thousands of schools in the States our school has been one of a hundred schools chosen to enter a contestant into a brand new TV show."
My heart stopped for a second. I did not like where this was going.
"Have you heard of the TV show coming out soon The Search for Cinderella?" He asked.
I mentally groan. 'Please, no,' I thought. Instead I smile and nod, "I think my sister might have mentioned something."
He smiles even wider, "Well our staff has chosen you to enter the TV show representing our school."
My heart dropped. No, I couldn't do this. I don't do well with cameras and people especially girls. That's why Lilly and I hang out with four idiot boys to avoid the bitchiness within the girl tribe of our school.
And the biggest reason of all is I absolutely despise Xavier Matthews. I think he is an egoistic boy who is fed on his father's fame and connections, which is how he became famous in the first place. All his little publicity stunts are obvious. Maybe not to the millions of screaming girls screaming for him, but to other artists and small-time musicians like me, and just ordinary people in general.
I looked at him with puppy eyes, "Can't someone else do it, like Anna or Britney?" I said their names because they liked being the center of attention, they liked being the spotlight and were more confident then I was.
That was why I sang covers of songs and posted them on YouTube. The only people who have heard me sing in person were Josh and Sophie but no matter how encouraging they were I was still too scared to perform live.
Mr. Talbot raised an eyebrow at me, "No, I need someone there who will give our school a good image. I don't need some screaming girls to go on the show who will wreck our credibility. You are a star student who is real and who America will love. I want you to go."
I sighed and looked down at my lap thinking. If I did go to the show maybe it would help me build up my confidence and it could be my big break.
I was surprised to see Mr. Talbot giving me a pleading look in his eyes and I groaned, "Fine, I'll go and do it."
I was surprised to see him actually smile and clap his hands.
"Thank you, thank you so much Annabelle!" He grinned.
I sighed and groaned again as he handed me a manila envelope.
"All the information you need is in here. I've had my secretary already fill out your application form you just need to sign it here," He said, taking a small bunch of papers out and flicking the pages to one which had many lines for people to sign. Your aunty and teachers have already signed."
So my aunty knew about this?
I signed my practiced signature before he dismissed me. The bell for second period already rang so I met Lilly in the English room. She was already in the back row and as I made my way to her she raised an eyebrow at me. Once I sat down she whispered to me, "Is it true, you're going on the show?"
"How'd you find out?"
She gave me an 'are you crazy' look. "You should know by now Annie. It's Mrs. Felicity's daughter. She spreads gossip as fast as STD's." I gave her a look at her analogy. She shrugged and said, "Seriously, that girl cannot keep a secret and having a secretary as her mum spells trouble. Mrs. Felicity knows everything about everyone in the school and so does her daughter, Hailey."
I shrugged, "fair enough but yeah I'm going on the show."
Lilly let out a little squeal, "Oh, my gosh, this is so exciting! How are you not excited?"
I gave her a small glare, "Maybe because it's Xavier Matthews."
She grinned, "That's why you have to be excited, Annie. It's Xavier Freaking Matthews!"
I rolled my eyes and faced the front. Mrs. Black walked in, a female version of Severus Snape, which made Lilly shut up.
By the end of the school day, the majority of the school knew I was going on the stupid TV show. Britney had actually approached me yelling some not-so-nice things about me before Lilly let her sass queen side show and Britney stepped back. And even Cameron Jacobs came up to me and said something!
By the time I got home exhausted but when Aunty Rose walked through the front door I gave her a dirty look.
She grinned at me and smiled, "How's my little star?"
I rolled my eyes and flopped onto the couch, "I'll be going deaf within two days due to the amount of unneeded screaming and suffocated from hairspray fumes just to impress a stupid teenage boy who had nothing else better to do with his life."
She raised an eyebrow, "done yet?"
I nod breathless.
"Honey, you'll be fine. When your principal asked me I wanted you to go so you can show off your amazing talent you have. I don't care if you don't win or not I just want you to live your dream and make your parents proud of you," she said gently.
She was careful bringing up my parents knowing how sensitive I was about it.
"Do you think they would have wanted me to go?" I ask her like a little kid.
She smiles, "Of course sweetie," she hugged me a hug I've been craving for so long. I missed my mum and her scent of lilacs but I could deal with my aunt's scent of rose. Her name was Rose after all.
Josh slammed the door and walked through, wrecking our little moment.
"Whoops, sorry."
I rolled my eyes at him and walked to my room. I slipped out the information from the manila envelope. One was the program which I didn't bother to look over, another was the packing list.
What to bring:
· Five modest tee shirts
· Five modest shorts
· Two casual modest dresses
· Three pairs of shoes
· One pair of sports shoes
· Sports clothing
· Toiletries
· Any materials/costumes/props/equipment needed for the talent show
Makeup and hair products are not necessary as stylists will be around. Make sure all clothing is decent and presentable as our TV show will be giving a clean image.
I internally laughed. There will be a hundred teenage girls there and they will definitely find a way to bend the rules. I dragged out an old fashion leather suitcase like the one Maria had in The Sound of Music. I was about to start packing when my little sister, Sophie, barged into my room.
"OH MY GOSH YOU ARE GOING TO MEET XAVIER MATTHEWS! YOU'RE GOING TO BE ON TV. OH MY GOSH, YOU'RE GOING TO BE FAMOUS!" She squealed.
She took a breath and then said, "I'm done."
I rolled my eyes, "Do you want to pack for me? I really can't be bothered."
A/N: Hey guys! This is the first chapter of The Search for Cinderella. I hope you guys enjoy this as much as I love writing it. Please fan, vote and comment x
Question of the update: Where about in the world are you from and if you could go anywhere where would you go?