Sweat dripping from your forehead, you hastily wiped it with the back of your hand. You then returned to sweeping. It was a hot day today. Even so, your stepmother wouldn't stop bothering you with chores - specifically the ones that were outside. The inside of the house wasn't any better, as the windows were opened and flies were buzzing around. You knew that by the end of today, you would be the one forced to spray down these bugs.
Nearing the bathroom, you tiredly walked into the small area and used the broom to brush the dust particles into the pan. Your [e/c] eyes accidentally caught sight of the mirror before you and you froze for a few seconds. Staring at yourself, you could see the dark circles that laid under the hues and the ashy gray soot that covered the side of your face. No matter how often you washed your face or showered, the soot stuck to you like a magnet. In terms of your clothes, that was a worst matter that you could barely fathom. You didn't have many spare clothes and it wasn't like you were allowed to wash your clothes often, so dirty clothes were all that was left.
That was part of the reason why you wanted to go to this ball so badly. You wished to for once forget who you were and experience joy that was no longer present in your life.
"Cinder!"
You nearly dropped the broom at the sound of high pitch squealing. Slowly turning around with a suppressed sigh stuck in your throat, you were met by one of your stepsisters, Rosa. Like her mother, she had thick, black hair that fell down to her waist instead of being put into a bun. Her squinty, brown eyes glared at you in annoyance and her red drawn lips were pursed tightly. Today, she was wearing one of her favorite gowns. It was a bright orange color and in your eyes, you didn't see the appeal. The laces were overdone too, but you weren't in the place to say anything.
"There's a fly in my bedroom. It's been buzzing in my ear for the last ten minutes! Why haven't you got rid of it yet?!" The girl shut the matching orange fan shut and jabbed it in the air towards you. You almost flinched backwards, but held your place and was glad that she would gain no satisfaction from your fear. You were afraid of stepmother, yes, but Rosa and Delphine were only annoying.
"I'll finish up the bathroom and then I'll kill the fly for you," you responded warily.
"No one's using the bathroom. My bedroom is more important, so why don't you just kill the fly first?!" she demanded, yanking the handle of the broom away from you. You began to protest, but she stepped out of bathroom and rose her eyebrows expectedly at you. "Well?"
Slowly submitting defeat, you followed right after her. Going through the narrow hallway filled of portraits of past ancestors that were not yours, you entered into the familiar kitchen. Passing the dining table and making way around the counter in the middle, you grabbed a bucket of water and quickly squeezed out soap into it. Mixing it well with your right hand, the cool water brushed against your skin, making you wish to dunk your entire self in it. You took it out when it was mixed enough and wiped your slimy fingers on your already-dirtied dress. Holding onto it, you began to head on over to your dear sister's room.
You climbed up the carpeted steps and lugged the heavy bucket behind you. Approaching the second floor, you had to stop for a few seconds to find your breath. When your heart calmed, you walked into the first bedroom on the left, where Rosa was already waiting impatiently for you. Her arms crossed across her chest, she tapped her foot repeatedly and grumbled incoherently. She pointed at a black dot in the wall and motioned you to hurry over to it. "It's right there! Cinder! Capture the damn thing before it flies in circles again!"
You stumbled over there with the wet bucket slightly sloshing over the floor. Ignoring your stepsister's glare for ruining her poor carpet, you placed the bucket on the floor. Scooping hands with the water, you carefully splashed it against the wall, aiming for the fly. It missed by millimeter and the fly flew away in lightning speed. Rosa started to scream at you for being so clumsy.
It was a long hour.
Exhausted and burned out, you trudged out the door of the wretched bedroom. Soaked in both sweat and soap water, you knew that you desperately needed a shower. Carrying the now empty and lightweight bucket down the stairs, you dropped it back onto the kitchen counter.
You paused and your eyes widened in horror as you remembered a vital piece of information. Before the fly fiasco that had happened with Rosa, your stepmother was saying something about how she wanted you to sell some ripe fruits at the market. There was no such thing as rest for you today. Letting out a small whimper in the quiet midst of the kitchen, you quickly darted to the downstairs living room. Kneeling down onto the stick-like mat that you slept on right next to the chimney, you looked through the pitiful pile of clothes. Once you got what you were looking for, you went back into the bathroom.
Yanking the white dress off of yourself, you then pulled on brown trousers and a plain blouse. Gathering your [h/c] locks in the palm of your hand, you tied it up and snuffed it into a newsboy cap. When you made sure you looked enough like a boy, you left the space and found the basket that contained the fruits stepmother gathered. Exiting the house, you were back on the same streets you've been on last week. But instead of going to that one tailor's shop, you were stuck staying out in the dreaded heat.
The situation reminded you of that strange man you saw, in the store with the toys. His eyes seemed to have glowed in the dark...like a feline of some sort. The top hat he wore didn't make him look sophisticated at all, but rather more playful in a wonky way. You didn't even talk to him, but you somehow got a feeling from him. His toys were as mysterious as him - they were products you have never seen before.
You quickly shook your head to yourself. As you have told yourself before, you were not going to wander into any unknown territory. All it would do is get yourself in trouble.
The outdoor market didn't have as many customers today, due to the warmth. Walking through the crowds with your head held high, you put on the persona of a young man. Unlike as a woman, you didn't need to cower and stay unnoticeable; for the time being, you got to have a sort of freedom. Which was why you quite enjoyed this job, even when it could be tiring and hard.
Arriving at your stall, you stretched your fingers into the basket to retrieve the fruits. Placing them into the boarded wooden gaps in front of you, you organized them by fruits.
"[Male Name]!" A familiar, accented voice called out to you, so you looked over to the stall beside you to find Aziel. The indian middle-aged man was tan and had warm, brown eyes. A large smile was stretched on his face and his white pearls beamed at you. The two of you had been working alongside each other for years and he was the only one here who knew you were actually a girl. He sometimes reminded you of your father.
"Hello Aziel," you responded, making sure your voice was low and masculine enough in case of fellow passerbys that could hear you. "When did you get here?"
"Many hours ago," he told you, pinching the front of his tan shirt to fan himself. "So I'll be leaving now. I just wanted to check in with you though."
"I'm doing just fine," you answered. "I hope you're well?"
He gave you a curt nod, the corners of his eyes wrinkling. He tossed you a coin to which you fumbled with. You clenched the rounded thing and looked up, your lips brimming with protests. You then noticed the apple he was holding, taken from your stall. He winked at you and let out a chuckle. "I knew you were going to argue if I freely gave you a coin. Well, that's all then. I wish you luck on your sales."
He spun around and began walking, giving you a backhanded wave. Within a few moments, he was totally gone from your sight, mingled in with the other people. You let out a sullied sigh, disappointed you didn't get to talk to him that much. He was also one of the reasons why you somewhat liked this job.
No. There was no time to complain. Walking up to the front of the stall, you began to advertise your fruits. Your voice pegged down to several octaves, you tried to be as loud as you could. "One silver coin for an apple! Two silver coins for an orange - "
A tall frame appeared in the corner of your eye. The same brown and blonde locks that you couldn't stop thinking about. The tall, top hat continued to rest on his head and a black simple outfit went to match with it. You wondered how he could stand the heat in such clothing.
His murky green orbs slowly blinked in the distance and you knew it was him. With ease, he slipped away from your view. It was a terrible idea, but your legs had a mind of its own and they began to move. Pausing in your advertising, you scrambled after where you last saw him, and ran, since you were dressed male and didn't need to think about society's rules.
Scanning everywhere in search for that one boy, you continued zigzagging through people and ignored their screams for your manners. It wasn't until you reached the end of the market that you stopped and bent over, panting heavily.
He was gone.