##################################

[THIS CHAPTER HAS BEEN REVISED]

ღ Finding Cinderella- 3 ღ

-Kylie-

Valentine's Day. What a big, pink sugar coated mess...

It was really weird how fleeting Earth time was when you spent most days staring into space. But how could whole days have passed me by and not Valentine's Day?

Well, it's not like I hated Valentine's Day; I was sure Hallmark really needed t hat extra boost. It was just that, it always reminded me of that experience back in the ninth grade, which I couldn't forget no matter what I did. I also hated the way people mistook my bitterness as a by-product of being single or not havi ng a date for Valentine's.

I could practically feel the love in the air; it made me nauseous. That insipid stench of conveniently applied colognes and perfumes wafting together with scent s of breath spray and anti-dandruff shampoo truly made my stomach turn.

I was pretty sure Julianne and I were the only people who didn't get gifts from anybody that day, much to her disappointment. So we just exchanged chocolates wi th each other, and I pretended to be mildly interested in our "tragic" situation .

I couldn't complain. Sometimes, it was hilarious to have your best friend as you r valentine.

If I hadn't met Tristan, I'd probably be living a little differently. I tried to imagine myself as infatuated as the people around me.

Even though I acted like a boy at times, what with my baggy clothes and all, dee p down inside I'm still a girl. But that guy couldn't understand any of it; he w as an idiot. He was the one who made up the "tomboy" nickname just to piss me th e hell off, and the word spread like the plague throughout our campus...

Now people actually saw me like I was some kind of freak of nature, so most guys steered well clear of me, perhaps out of fear.

Bah! Whatever. Forget about boys. They're just a bunch of jerks, anyway.

While we were passing by his table, Julianne asked me why I was ignoring Tristan 's invitation to sit with his friends, but I just shrugged, hiding my grumpiness by munching on a cheeseburger. I never liked to stick with that guy for more tha n five seconds; otherwise I might get a rash.

Besides, it would be totally awkward if we, the unpopular duo, sat down at a tab le with the popular guys. To be honest, I would rather sit alone on a spike than entertain the likes of them.

"He was just being nice to you, Kylie," said Julianne as she picked a fry off he r plate and chewed it. "You've know each other for years, but you still act cran ky around him."

"I hate the guy," I said frankly, without a trace of guilt or remorse. "You alre ady know what kind of hell he's been putting me through."

My eyes darted to his table across the canteen, where he was laughing with his m inions probably constructing another evil plan. Oh, groan.

Seeing my expression, Julianne giggled. "You two got a really tight bond, huh? W ho knows, maybe you'll marry each other someday in the future."

I almost barfed when she said that.

"What kind of 'tight bond' are you talking about?" I snarled. Sometimes I though t Julianne was going insane. Marry each other? I'd rather spend the remainder of my life being alone than be stuck with that jerk forever, thank you very much. "Please stop saying things you know will get me mad, Jules."

She laughed hysterically. I tried to ignore her and looked away. Really, what wa s the fun in this whole situation? I couldn't stand conversations, which include d him.

"Hey, people!" a saccharine voice called through the crowd.

Vanilla perfume reached my nostrils as Lacey sat down and hugged me after she pl aced a truckload of her received Valentine's gifts on the table with a loud cras h.

How was she able to do that year after year?

Lacey was neither a cheerleader nor a celebrity in our school-she was just an or dinary junior student, actually-but guys were still attracted to her anyway. Wha t was she doing right? Was it the looks? Maybe Tristan had turned her into anoth er one of his cronies... But then again, at least she was nice to all the clique s at our high school.

I eyed a baby blue card stuck on her golden chocolate box. The label said it was from Clark Young. Maybe I had to throw that chocolate away before Lacey could e at it up, because who knew? It might have been poisoned or spiked with love poti on for all I knew. Tristan and his friends could be very dangerous if they wante d to be.

"Guys, I want to tell you something," Lacey was squealing, leaning closer to us. "Okay, here it is... I've been chosen as Queen for the ball!"

Julianne gasped and congratulated her on the spot for her big opportunity, but m e? I just frowned and stared at Lacey skeptically. No, I wasn't jealous of the p opularity she'd experienced growing up-in fact, I was happy for how well she was doing in her high school life-but I was a little uncertain all the same. After all, they might have chosen Tristan as King. The ball was his holy occasion, you know.

I'd never have allowed that guy to lay his filthy claws on my sister, even if it was just for a dance.

"So... who's your partner?" I asked, failing to add a nonchalant tone to my voic e. "Is it Tristan?"

"Hmm, no," Lacey said. "They didn't choose the previous king to come back again. I don't know who the king for this year's ball is, but they said he's in your y ear."

Thank goodness, it wasn't him. Now my mind could somehow manage to be stress-fre e.

"But don't spread it to the others, guys. It's supposed to be a secret," she imp lored.

I munched away at the rest of my burger while the two talked about outfits and m akeup for the Valentine Ball. I couldn't really join in, since I had absolutely no taste in that kind of stuff; besides, I certainly didn't have plans to attend the ball in the first place. I'd have preferred to be watching a movie marathon than wasting my time at an event like that. And if I did happen to attend the b all, Tristan would definitely make fun of me. He would say I looked hideous in a cocktail dress or something.

Julianne and Lacey were practically crying after I told them I wasn't going. Lac ey begged me to come anyway, telling me I'd lose half my life if I didn't; I sti ll shook my head, though, confident in my decision.

I was not going to the ball, and that was final.

But when I told them, they looked as if a kitten had just died in front of them.

"Really, guys stop it with the faces," I said, shaking my head and laughing. "I' m not going to change my mind, I swear."

I raised my palm as a sign of the pledge, and Lacey just pouted her lips. "Okay sis," she sighed; "you should come with us after school, though. We're going sho pping."

I narrowed my eyes at Julianne, who grinned widely. "Shopping?" I said.

One of the things I hated most: shopping. It's seriously tiring, not to mention annoying spending your entire day roaming around the mall, looking at things you couldn't even buy.

But Lacey and Julianne kept chanting "please" over and over for nearly two minut es until I finally sighed and nodded. Guess I had no choice then. These girls we re so persistent that they'd never quit until I gave in.

"Fine," I grumbled resignedly.

"Yay!" Lacey said, clapping her hands before hugging me tightly.

I sighed again. I bet this day would be way longer than I'd expected.

***

"Green gown? Yuck! That will make me look like a giant broccoli with boobs," Lac ey said.

Then Julianne answered, "Pfft, how about blue, then? It matches your eye color."

"Hmm, yeah, but I don't really think it suits me too well."

"Oh, so would the black be better on you?"

"It'd look very sexy at the ball, but..."

"Oh you'd look totally sexy in that."

"I know, right? But doesn't it make me look fat?"

It just went on and on and on. Did I mention I hated shopping? Oh yeah, I did th at already. Well you get the picture.

 

I resisted the urge to block my practically bleeding ears with my hands. Why wou ldn't this end? They had been talking without end about their preferred dresses - constantly complimenting and reassuring each other ever since lunch break and on until after school- and they still hadn't decided on a final outfit yet.

Wow, I'd never thought girls could be so meticulous about colors. Okay, so yeah, I'm a girl, but I didn't exactly go crazy over favorite colors or whatever. Tha t's Lacey's job, not mine.

"Sis," said Lacey, demanding my immediate attention as she curled her arms up on mine. "What color do you think would flatter me?"

"Gee, I don't know, a rainbow?" I said, brushing my nose. "Sorry, guys, I'm tota lly clueless about fashion and stuff like that," I added as I shrugged for good measure.

"Typical Kylie," Julianne said with a chuckle, shaking her head in amusement. "Y ou'll never get any fashion ideas out of her."

I made a face, and she laughed even harder. Had that been intended to be an insu lt? Well, she was just lucky she was my best friend. Her words couldn't hurt my ego, unlike Tristan's.

As we left the building, Julianne ran ahead to a car that was parked a couple fe et away from us. Lacey ran excitedly for the back seat while I lazily made my wa y to the front. I was reaching for the handle on the door when, suddenly, someon e grabbed my waist and pulled me away.

I screamed. Who the hell-

"Kylie!"

That annoying voice.

I spun around; my fist was already balled up, but before it could land squarely on his cheek, he quickly evaded and blocked it with his hand.

"Hey, hey, easy there, tiger." He smiled cheekily. "Did you miss me?"

"Since the few hours we saw each other in the cafeteria? Yeah, really missed you , babe."

"That's cute," Tristan answered casually.

Ugh, son of a building block. Couldn't the guy detect sarcasm?

Lacey poked her head out of the car and gasped loudly. "Ky, what are you-oh, my God! Seriously, are you guys planning to have a wrestling match in the middle of the parking lot?" she exclaimed.

I pulled my hand away. "Where the hell did you come from?" I exclaimed at him. " Appearing out of nowhere like that, don't you know better than to sneak up on pe ople?"

He shook his head. "Jeez, calm down Kyles. No need to make a scene. I just wanna talk to you."

"Oh, get lost, Hartford."

I thought he would get pissed off, but then his lips formed an arrogant smirk. " Aw, c'mon!" he said. "I came all the way here just to see you."

Julianne shriek from inside the car, as if this whole scene were in some kind of romantic film. "Wow!" she cried. "Could it be that you two are already heading to the dating stage?"

"What!" I screeched. Ooh, that girl was so dead.

Tristan snorted. "Nah, it could never be like that, could it?"

I sighed in relief. At least he could admit it.

 

Then he continued, "Actually, I just wanted to know where you guys are going rig ht now."

I could sense something fishy going on. Crossing my arms, I tilted my head to th e side and tried to look superior. "We're going to the amusement park, why?" I l ied, forcing a mean grin. I knew just how much Tristan hated amusement parks. He aring one word about them was enough to make him shudder, or at least get him a little irritated.

But he just made a face, yanked on my left arm, and began leading me away down t he street.

"Oh, really? Well I was wondering if you might spare me an hour, or two."

"What? No way! Why should I come with you?" I gasped, trying to pull my arm out of his grip, though he just tightened it more. "Lacey! Julianne! Get this idiot' s paws off of me!"

"Girls, please excuse us. We're just going somewhere," he said to Lacey and Juli anne, ever the gentleman... bleeh!

I spun around and saw the two with amused expressions on their faces. How could they look like that while I was in the middle of a crisis? I guess Tristan's evi l charm had worked on them, as usual.

"Wait, are you deaf?'" I cried out. "I never said I was going anywhere with you! "

I looked helplessly at Lacey, but she just shrugged and made one of those "I-can 't-do-anything-about-it" smiles. Gah, this was so frustrating! Even my sister wa s trying to hook me up with this kind of guy!

Tristan started dragging me across the parking lot, and I began to pull harder i n the opposite direction. I needed to escape from this situation badly, before h e could do God-knows-what to me. I tried yelling loudly to make him let go, but he just sighed and picked me up in one swift motion, effortlessly carrying me ov er his shoulder.

"What the-Tristan, put me down right now!" I screamed, pounding him on the back several times. "Let me down! Let me down before I kill you!"

But all he did was ignore my yells, laughing his heart out like the evil person he was. And yes, I was definitely putting him down as "evil" after this little s tunt.

He continued to carry me until he reached his red Porsche, where my head smacked hard on the seat after he'd thrown me inside. I cursed. Was this a right way to treat a woman? Oh wait, that's right, he didn't even see me as a girl, how coul d I have forgotten?

"Jeez, Kylie, you could do with losing a few pounds. I could hurt my back," he c omplained as he started his engine.

I narrowed my eyes at him. "So? What the hell is it this time?" I continued. "Wh ere exactly are we going?"

He rolled his eyes. "Calm down, Kylie. I promise I'll get you back in one piece, " he said. "Just stay with me, don't ask too many questions, and everything will be fine."