Chapter 36: In Honour Of, Because Of

           Warning: PG-13 material ahead

           With only two days before the twins' big day, everyone was in a bit of a tizzy. On top of the stress of having a birthday bash, it was also full moon, which meant that everything looked odd bathed in the lighting, and everyone was acting a little off. Prince and I warned the kids to stay inside because of supernatural creatures. The full moon made every supernatural get a high-the werewolves would transform and hunt, the vampires would prowl for potential victims, fairies would play nasty tricks, and witches would cast wicked spells. It wasn't safe, yet, for some reason, Sandy felt like pushing it.

           "Sandy, what do you think you're doing," I scolded.

           "I'm selling my bakery treats," Sandy chirped. She was still on our property, but it was dangerous. She had set up her bakery set and was selling vanilla and chocolate muffins and cookies.

           "Get inside, it's dangerous out here," I said, ushering her inside. I went out later and stored her treats in the fridge.

           I went inside and read up on different recipes to make. Sandy had brought home some forms which asked parents to bake some treats for an event which the school was doing. Although I couldn't make much, I had no problem with making a few batches of cookies. I wanted them to be the best of the best though-nothing second class for me. Although it sounded snobby, I truly didn't see the point of the queen handing in some mediocre cookies.

           The first batch was done, and I laid out half a dozen cookies on a plate and called my kids to try them. They willingly obliged, of course. Prince also tried one, and I ended up just eating the last two. I would work it off later, of course. Eating a lot of junk food always made me feel guilty.

           I took out the next few batches and stored them in glass containers for the next day. I was confident about their taste, and was glad that I would get some appreciation for the cooking I was forced to perfect as a teen.

           "Prince, what're you doing!" I said, aghast. Prince turned around guiltily, securing his boxer shorts properly around his waist and flushing the toilet. He hurriedly washed his hands, avoiding my eyes. "Or more importantly, why are you doing that?"

           "Well, I'm supposed to reduce stress, right? This is a proven stress reducer..." Prince said, but he looked really guilty.

           "Darling, you look terribly guilty. I don't see how it helps you reduce stress. I can show you much more fun ways to reduce stress," I said with a wink, and Prince grinned at me. Since I was a woman who was occupied most days with attempts to get my name known as a singer, I usually felt no need to have intercourse. Prince and I did it once a week, normally, but it was getting increasingly difficult to find time since the kids were so much older and they weren't innocent to such happenings any more. Because of this, I was completely okay with postponing 'us' time, yet it was getting harder for Prince. One time, we went an entire month without doing it because of work, and Prince ended up asking Becky to let our kids hang at her house for a while so that the two of us could actually have the privacy we needed.

           The next morning, I walked down to find my three kids all sitting innocently at the kitchen table. Sandy was eating soup, Buzz was eating cake, and Andy was doing his homework. "Buzz, you should really eat something healthier," I tutted. "Andy, did you not eat breakfast?"

           "I did, mom," he said, pointing to the plate next to him, "Waffles. I eat normal breakfasts, unlike these two."

           "Sandy, I set the glass containers containing the cookies for the bake sale on the counter in the kitchen. Please grab them before you leave and bring them in. Don't forget."

           "No problem, mom."

           Incidentally, she forgot the cookies. I was not going to let my hard work go to waste, so I grabbed the cookies, climbed in the car, and drove over to the school. Now, mind you, Andy, Sandy, Buzz had all been put in the public school. It was a little sketchy looking, maybe a little dirty, crummy. Prince was working to improve the situation, but as he was not an elected leader, all he could do was make speeches and suggest ideas to the Prime Minister. Normally, a little push from Prince worked, but our current PM was firm on the fact that the kids got a good education, and that was all that mattered. We couldn't argue, considering that our three kids had a straight A average-yes, even Buzz. Andy was bright and a hard worker. Sandy was a genius and finished her homework in under ten minutes. Buzz often struggled, and asked Prince and I for help, but he always got it in the end and would always come home holding A papers.

           Anyway, the school was a little hippie. I pushed through the battered blue doors and asked the office for directions to Sandy's classroom. "I'm sorry, ma'am, not without identification," the secretary said, not glancing up at me.

           "I'm her mother, for crying out loud! The queen!"

           The woman glanced up at me and paled. "Oh my goodness! I'm ever so sorry, your highness!" The woman looked absolutely disgraced, and showed me Sandy's classroom with her head down.

           "Here are your cookies, sweetie," I said kindly. I was interrupting the class, but quite frankly half of the class looked like they were about to fall asleep. Every kid's head shot up as they realized who I was, and whispers traveled quickly through the class. 

           "Your mom is hot!" I heard one boy tell Sandy as I left. It was nice to know that I still had it.

           Since I was already out and about, I decided to pay a friend a visit. I hadn't seen Stardust Woods in a while, so I parked near her house and walked up. I knew the address, but I had never been there before, so I was surprised when I found a completely green, country type house. I climbed up the steps, and was startled when the door opened. Was she expecting me?

           "Hello? CINDERELLA?!" Stardust squealed, and ran forwards to give me a hug. "It seems like it was just the other day when you passed out at the hospital all those years ago! You were just a teen, then. Remember? On the field trip?"
           It all came flooding back to me and I grinned at her. "Right. You thought it was a fabulous idea to lay me down on the concrete instead of the grass."
           Stardust blushed. "I guess I wasn't thinking straight at the time. But how are you? You look great!" I caught Stardust up on my life, and she grinned happily when I mentioned that I had kids.

           "But enough about me. Stardust, it looks like you haven't aged a day since I last saw you!" I wasn't lying. Stardust looked younger than me, despite the fact that she was quite a few years older.
           "Well... you understand, of course, since you're the queen, right? So I was turned into a vampire, and vampires age so slowly. Things are still good between Brandon and I, and August has turned into a beautiful young lady," Stardust said.
           "August is adopted, correct?"
           "Yes. But that doesn't make her any less of my child," Stardust said firmly.
           We chatted a bit more, and at one point we simply burst out laughing. As she leaned back in laughter, I couldn't help but notice how similar Stardust's attire was to Drizella's. She was also wearing a sheer, red shirt over top of a zebra striped bra. It was suspicious, but I decided not to worry about it, and soon left Stardust's home.

           I guess that school had ended, because as I was driving home, I caught sight of Andy. He was in his work clothes, going to his job for the very first time. He was a part-time receptionist at the day spa. I rolled down my window and shouted good luck to him. He gave me a thumbs up before darting inside the building. It was good of him to take initiative, but I was worried. We had enough money that none of us would ever need a job. It was good of Andy to learn normal life skills, but I didn't want the stress of normal schoolwork and a job to be too hard on him. Sometimes, I regretted that I had never enrolled my children in any courses. None of them displayed any interest in sports, and only Sandy had expressed an interest in music. Until she decided what instrument she wanted to try out, though, Prince and I weren't going to sign her up for lessons.

           When I got home, I grabbed a plate of fish and chips to fix my hunger pangs. Then I went to find Prince who was (surprise, surprise) sitting at the computer in his boxers. I mean, I wasn't complaining. The view was nice. But his boxers probably reeked. I closed the computer with one finger. "Hey, I was working," Prince complained.
           "Not anymore. Get up." Prince obeyed, and I pulled him in for a kiss.
           "Sweetheart, I love you," Prince cooed.
           "I love you too, but your boxers stink."
           "You'll have to find a way to get me out of them," Prince said, grinning.

           "I think I've heard that one before," I said, pulling away and cocking my head to the side.
           "Hopefully from me," Prince said with a laugh, and I gave an awkward chuckle. Even after all of these years, I didn't know if the damage I had created was repairable. Prince knew when I was lying, though, and he knew that I hadn't lied since that one, unforgettable day. "Do you want to continue this elsewhere?" Prince said, tugging on my shirt.
           "Prince, the kids'll be home soon... I think I see their bus right now." Prince's face fell with disappointment. "Fine," I said with a grin, pulling out my cell, "You know I can't resist those puppy dog eyes."

           "Hello?" Sandy said, picking up her cell phone.
           "Hi, hon," I said, trying to ignore Prince kissing my neck. "Uh, where are you?"
           "I literally just got off the bus. I'm standing like ten meters from our house." I could hear the exasperation in her voice.
           "Okay, well, can you and Buzz go to the town park? I hear they have cool things to do there!" There was a pause which was so long, I thought we were disconnected. "Hello?"
           "Why?" Sandy asked, finally.
           "Your father and I are busy," I said, biting my lip.
           "You're going to have sex, aren't you," Sandy spat.
           "What? Sandy! No!" I lied.
           "I'm not two anymore, mom. That's fine, I need to go collect some bugs for school, anyway. See you later, I guess," Sandy sniggered, and hung up before I could get another word in. Oh well. It wasn't a big deal anyway.

         
           Since Prince and I both needed a shower, we decided to take it there anyway. "Wait, where's Andy," Prince questioned as we climbed the first staircase.
           "He went to work."
           "He has a job?"
           "A part-time job at the day spa."
           "Figures-when you were pregnant with him you went there weekly," Prince huffed.
           "Watch it-if you ever had to go through a pregnancy, you would, too. Maybe if you gave me more back and foot massages..."
           "I was fine with back massages, but foot massages? No, ma'am. Your feet stink," he teased.
           "I'll wash them off now, then?" I said as we finally made our way into the shower.

           When we were done, I convinced Prince to change into his normal clothes. He did, and then immediately returned downstairs to work on his book. I guess he loved writing too much to ever stop. I admired him for that, though I would never tell him. I grabbed Prince's boxers and brought them upstairs. I decided to do all of the laundry. When I turned on the washing machine, it started foaming at the bottom, so I had to take all of the clothes out. Then I pulled off the bottom panel, took out my trusty wrench, and repaired it. I knew my way around plumbing and electrical items so well that it barely took ten minutes for me to repair all of them. I had no challenge. I had upgraded most of the plumbing items so that they shot out soap and water to clean it after each use. I was still fiddling with the electrical items, though.

           When I finished, I reloaded the washing machine and filled it up with soap. To pass time, I snuck over to the chemistry table. Prince was busy, so dabbling with all of the different potions wouldn't hurt. In reality, I had wanted to hand Andy the potion as his teen present, but it seemed that I would have to give it to him for his eighteenth birthday. The big problem was that I was useless when it came to mixing the potion. I got a C+ in chemistry when I was in high school. And so, it came as no surprise to me when the chemicals I was mixing exploded, creating a muffled pop, and my skin was coated with the all too familiar ash. Drat.

           I hurried downstairs to bathe. So far, the only who had any success at the chemistry table was Buzz. He seemed to be natural at it, although he did have to blow stuff up several times before being more careful. Buzz's life was awfully busy though, with his schoolwork and... I wasn't sure what else Buzz did in his spare time, honestly. Whenever I looked for Buzz, it would take ages and ages, and when I'd finally find him, he'd be sitting innocently reading a book. I knew he wasn't completely innocent, though. Prince and I had received a few calls from the school informing us that Buzz was picking on other kids. And I know-it's a terrible thing to think of your own child, but I couldn't help but noticed that Buzz seemed to have a mean streak in him. Just like any mother, though, no matter what Buzz did, in my eyes he would always be my little angel and I would always love him, despite the fact that he wasn't very angelic at all.

           "So, where did you go?" I asked Sandy when she came home. It was dark out, and I had just about to send Prince out to get Sandy, but she told me she could manage it. I didn't want to be over protective with any of my kids, especially because I knew what it was like to not have freedom.
           "I rode my bike around, trying to find what I needed for my project," she told me. "It's not for a class, though, it's for a club. I actually found a hunk of iron, which was unplanned, so I'm keeping it in my room. Iron isn't worth that much, so it's not a big deal. I also managed to find what I was looking for, though. A ladybug! I don't find bugs that gross, thank goodness, because the ladybugs here are massive! Pretty much the size of my hand."

           "Then I ran over to the main park. It was amazing! There were concession stands, photo booths, a soccer field... all kinds of cool stuff! You guys really need to go there!" Sandy said. I shifted nervously, hoping she wouldn't catch onto my plan.
           "Really? What did you do there?" I said, moving the subject along quickly.
           "I didn't have that much time," Sandy continued, "So I only managed to go on the roller rink. They lent out free roller skates, so I didn't need to worry about it. I was okay, and I fell a few times, but it was fun."

           "And where did you go, Buzz?" I asked, turning to him.
           "Uh... I stayed home," he said nervously.
           "What? What did you do?" I asked, narrowing my eyes at him.
           Buzz looked away, but he knew he couldn't lie to me. "Oh, I just, um, set up a couple of pranks, is all."
           "Where?" I planned to disarm them right away.
           "All of the chairs in the living room and all of the sinks," he said, picking at his clothing.

            "Buzz..." I said in a warning voice, "What else did you do? I know you're not telling me the full story."
           "Also the couch in front of the television, the shower, and the toilet," he blurted out, and then bit his lip.
           I sighed. "I knew there was a reason why you were so quiet. Well, no harm done I guess. They were harmless pranks."
           Buzz's face lit up. "Thanks mom!" I shook my head as my children raced each other up the stairs to bed. I never could stay mad at the boy. Maybe that was a bad thing. But it certainly helped the relationship I had with my children.

            The next morning, the morning of my twins' birthday, I made a giant plate of pancakes, along with a dollop of whipped cream. Not only was my cooking improving with great leaps and bounds, but the way I presented my food looked nicer, too.
           "Breakfast's served!" I announced to my family, and the twins came barreling down the stairs. Buzz grabbed three pancakes and gobbled them down before racing upstairs. I had no idea what he was so frantic about, but I wished him a very happy birthday and received a distant 'thanks' before he disappeared up the stairs.
           "Happy birthday, Sandy!" I said, handing her a plate of pancakes and kissing her forehead.
           "Thanks, mom," she said sleepily, wiping the crust from her eyes.

           "Don't mind if I do," Prince said, serving himself a plate of pancakes.
           "Thanks, mom," Andy said, grabbing two pancakes and cramming them into his mouth.
           "Andy! A little more class, please," I said, appalled.
           "Sorry, mom," he said once he swallowed, "But I need to finish up my homework."
           "Andy, why are you doing it this morning," I asked patiently, following him into the dining room.
           "Because I forgot, all right? I've been under a lot of stress lately," he snapped, rolling his eyes at me.
           "Don't you dare roll your eyes at me, young man!" Normally, Andy's behaviour was impeccable and respectful.
           "I've got homework to do, too," Sandy chirped, pulling out her notepad.
           "Kids! You should not be doing homework the morning of! Prince! What do you have to say about this?" Prince's eyes widened as he swallowed a piece of pancake.
           "I-I-I, um, whatever you say, dear," Prince choked out. Andy snorted.
           I opened my mouth to continue berating my children, but my phone rang. "Don't think that I'm letting you off the hook this easily," I said, walking into the other room to pick up my phone.

           "Hello?"
           "Cinderella. It's Anastasia," she said briskly. Anastasia only phoned to keeping me updated on the latest happenings.
           "Oh. Hi. What's up?"
           "Mom died."
           "What?!" My heart stopped.
           "Mom. Your step-mom. Lady Tremaine. She had a heart attack a few days ago. She died." A few days ago? That meant that Anastasia had held off the phone call until now. Probably using the time to grieve.
           "Are you okay? Is there going to be a funeral?"
           "In her will, she asked to not have a funeral, so Anastasia and I buried her yesterday. In her will, she left the little that she owned to Drizella. She left a note telling you that she really did love your dad, and that she was sorry for all she had done. She said that she hopes you can forgive her."
           "Of course..." Even after all of the horrible words, sharp insults, and cruel punishments, if it wasn't for step-mother, I wouldn't have the great life that I did now. And deep down, she had known that too.
           "Drizella is on medications now. She doesn't cry, but she sits still for hours. It's been hard on Robbie."
           "I can imagine." There was a dull pause. "How is Lucifer?"
           "He's going to be put down soon."
           "Can I see him?"
           "No. He's at the vet now. It's too late."
           My heart broke in two. In the end, Lucifer had been nothing more than a pampered sweetheart with a grumpy and aggressive disposition.
           "Bye, then. Cinderella."
           "Bye."

           I wandered around the rest of the day in a daze. The woman who was so strong, so stubborn, gone? The one who made me strong and stubborn, gone? The one that I hated and wished my father had never married, the one who never spoke a good word to me, the one who forced me to clean and cook until my hands were so scarred with callouses, blisters and burns that I couldn't even tie my own shoes-gone?
           I blundered about, as if half drunk, and finally found my way to the chemistry table. My hands were numb as I pulled on the safety clothes and started pouring in chemicals-chemicals which I knew had dangerous properties. One and two and one and two and one and two and BOOM. This time, the explosion was loud enough to not only burn my clothes off, but rattle my mind. Like a zombie, I drifted out of the house. I had no goal. I took the car. It wasn't my smartest idea that day, but it also wasn't my stupidest. My destination? The hospital, which also served as a science lab.

           At the science centre, I found some metals, all placed randomly about. They were large chunks, and though I didn't know what they were, I knew that I wanted them. The fact that I was almost naked and covered with ash didn't cross my mind, nor the fact that my hair was sticking straight up on end. No, all I cared about was collecting the metals.

           When I couldn't find anymore chunks of metal, I went around harvesting the fruit and vegetables which were available. Apples, limes, pears, lettuce-you name it, I was taking it. I wasn't fully conscious of what I was doing, of course. Part of what was going on was the explosion, but a large part was the death of step-mother. I was not fond of the lady, in the slightest, but the last time I saw her... she looked so frail, as if she was going to snap in two.

           "Cinderella?" I looked up in fright from the middle of my pickings. I was crouched down plucking fruit off of a bush. Barry was the one who addressed me. He was wearing a sharp beige business suit, clean shaven with his hair neatly trimmed.
           "Hi, Barry," I said, looking down and resuming my plucking. If it wasn't for the dark powder on my cheeks, a blush would've been visible. I was so ashamed of the way I looked!
           "Why are you almost naked and covered in ash?"
           "I-" I said, my lip quivering. "Step-mother is dead!" I burst out in tears, and the next second, Barry was by my side, scooping me up into a hug. He patted my head softly, quietly shushing me and telling me it was going to be alright. "Oh, I'm so sorry Barry," I sniffled, drawing my head back, "I made your business suit all wet!"
           Barry smiled and wiped the mixture of tears and ash off of my cheek. "Tears will dry, hon. Listen, you get yourself home and clean yourself up, alright? No one wants to see a nearly naked queen crying in the streets." I managed a small smile back. After a quick thank you and a hug, I was on my way home.

           I managed to get home and slip into the shower undetected. However, my patience quickly wore thin when the shower didn't seem to be working. There was a loud puff, and I stepped out of the shower in confusion. Maybe I would just bathe? I glanced at the mirror and screamed in annoyance. "DAMN IT, BUZZ!" Why neon yellow? It was absurd. After fiddling with the shower a bit more, I managed to fix it and get properly cleaned off.

           Now properly cleaned off and dressed, I walked into Prince talking on the phone. "What is it?" I questioned, but Prince shushed me. A minute later, and after a lot of 'Yes's, 'Uh-huh's, and 'Right's, Prince hung up and turned to me.
           "I'm going to get my blood tested. The doctor says that they want to see if I'm doing any better. I'll be back well in time for the twins' birthday party though, so don't worry."
           "Good-luck," I said, kissing him on the cheek.

           I decided I would be productive as well, and went to sing for tips (in my weird work outfit) in front of the City Hall. I placed my tip jar near King's grave, and sang song after song in honour of Prince's father and my step-mother. No one tipped me, since most people were simply fancy workers and did not want to hear songs of woe. I proceeded to sing songs in honour of every dead person I knew. My mother. The real one, the right one, the best one. My father. He made a mistake, but his love for my mother and I was endless. King. Because he guided Prince along the right path. Because he was like a dad to me. And step-mother. Because if it wasn't for her, I wouldn't be who I was today.

           I spent the rest of the day preparing for the party. I decided that I would give my kids a treat and drive them home early, since the bus had stops to make. "Hey mom! What're you doing here?" Andy asked curiously, emerging from the school.
           "Hey, Andy," I grinned, "I'm going to drive you guys home today."
           "Oh, thanks! Listen, mom, I have something to ask you..."

**Andy's POV**

           "I should've told you this earlier," I started. I was so afraid! Mom would be absolutely pissed that I wanted to blow off the twins' birthday. "But someone asked me to prom."

           "Oh la la! Who, pray tell?" Mom said with a giggle, grinning broadly.

           I turned pink. "A boy. Leon DeLeon."

           "That's... an unfortunate last name," mom commented.

           "But prom is tonight. I wanted to ask you if I could go?" I inquired. "I've already asked Sandy and Buzz, but they're cool with it. I love them and all mom, but prom is an amazing opportunity!"

           Mom's face fell, slightly, but she smiled again. "Yes, you can go, Andy, sweetheart. As long as the twins are okay with it, so am I," mom said.

           "Thank you so much mom!" I cried, stunned yet relieved. I pulled her into a hug.

           "What are you wearing?" She asked, taking on a new energy.

           "Oh, I dunno! I haven't got a tux or anything!"

           "Not to worry, I've got the perfect thing for you. It's a late birthday gift, I suppose. It was meant to be an early age up gift for your adult years, but this will do, too!"

           As mom drove the three of us home, we told her all the fun parts about our week. We also described some of the not too fun parts.

           "Jessie was acting really weird," Buzz said from the backseat. "She accused Andy of betraying her. She said that he no longer spent any time with her-"

           "Which is a downright lie!" I interrupted. 

           "-and that the whole prom thing was just another excuse to get away from her."

           "Wait, Buzz, you can see Jessie?" mom asked in confusion.

           "No, but sometimes, when she's really emotional, I can hear her. Andy filled me in on the rest, though," Buzz explained.

           "But I understood where she was coming from," I said, "and I begged her to forgive me. I explained that I hadn't meant to avoid her. I was just getting caught up with schoolwork."

           "She forgave him, of course," Buzz said, rolling his eyes, "And she said that she was sorry, too, but it was difficult on her because she wasn't used to Andy having other friends than her. She said that because Andy was the only one who could see her, he was her only friend, so it was difficult on her."

           

           "The moral of the story is, as I told Andy," Buzz continued, "Bitches be crazy!"

           "Buzz!" Mom snapped, "Watch your mouth!"

           "Sorry!"

           "This morning, Dee and I sat on the bus together," Sandy piped up. "What was it you said again?"

           I chuckled. Of course Sandy would think of something so trivial as that. "I dunno, something like 'It's your birthday soon, are you excited?'"

           "Yeah, that's it," Sandy said, drifting off and looking out the window. Mom and I exchanged slightly concerned looks before changing the topic.

           "So dad took me out driving some more," I told mom.

           "Oh, yeah? Are you going to get your G1 soon?"

           "That's the plan. I know the driver's manual from cover to cover, and dad has given me some useful tips to remember. I've learned a lot through experience though."

           "Do you find it stressful?"

           "I think it's more stressful on dad, honestly. But he's very good with keeping his cool and informing me patiently when I'm doing something wrong."

           Mom's eyebrows furrowed, but she said nothing.

           "What book have you been so involved in, Buzz?" Sandy asked curiously. She, too, was a book fanatic and was quite scholarly.

           "It's just some light reading, really," Buzz explained, blushing, "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain. Excellent reading."

           "I don't know how you would consider that light reading," mom said with a low whistle.

           "Yeah, funny you say that," Sandy said, "Because I was done my homework the other day, Buzz, and I noticed you left yours out, so I did it for you."

           "WHAT?!" mom cried, swerving the car slightly.

           "I was wondering how it got done," Buzz said quietly.

           "Sandy, I don't want you doing Buzz's homework anymore. Buzz, I don't want you handing in any work which you did not do yourself," mom said sternly. A look passed between the twins, and I knew that next time, they wouldn't tell mom. The twins were a lot closer than they had been a few years ago. They helped each other when it came to schoolwork and socially. I was always the ear that they could confide in. Jessie was the person I came to first with my secrets. I told Leon my deepest passions and wishes.

           "Guys, guess what I bought you?" mom announced as we pulled into the parking lot.

           "A chess table?" Sandy guessed.

           "That's right! Happy birthday! It's in the backyard!"

           The twins squealed with excitement and tore off to the backyard. Although I was only a year older than them, my parents told me I was a lot more mature. Mom said it came with being the oldest child, but dad disagreed. He said that it was because I didn't have the same connection as the twins, so I had to try harder. In any case, I was happy to see the twins matching each other's skills at the table.

           I decided to remedy things with Jessie. "I like him, Jess. As more than friends. I want to be his boyfriend. This is like a dream come true for me."

           "Don't worry, I get it," she laughed. "I have dreams, too. Now, I'll leave so you can get changed into your prom clothes."

           "Thanks, Jess," I said, but I picked up on the edge in her voice when she noted that she had dreams.

           I sorted through the clothing in my dresser before pulling out the clothes mom had promised she had bought for me. Trim dark dress pants, a crisp white suit, and a black bow tie to finish the look off. I ran my fingers through my hair before giving up and deciding that it looked fine. I was lucky I wasn't a girl-the majority of the girls probably had hair and makeup appointments planned for that day.

           I trotted downstairs to wait for my limo. "Mmm, looks good mom!" I said, glancing into the kitchen. Mom was making homemade hamburgers, meat, spices and everything.
           "Thanks, hon," she said, and turned. "OOH! You look so CUTE! Just let me get a few photos..." I blushed as mom cooed over me, taking out her cell phone and snapping up some pics. She smiled happily. "Oh, Andy, you just look so precious. You know, when I was your age, we didn't have a prom. We had a ball, instead. That's where I met your father."
           I rolled my eyes. Mom and dad told me over and over about the extremely romantic way that they met. "I know, mom. It's very sweet."
           "Have fun at your prom," mom said happily, kissing me on the forehead.

           I went outside to say goodbye to the rest of my family, but I couldn't help but giggle at the sight of one girl. She was on one of the spring rides which I had ignored as a child, and she was laughing like mad. She jumped off and started hiccuping. "Buzz-hic, Buzz!" she cried out, giggling and hiccuping as he rushed forth to her. "I feel like I'm five again, oh my gosh, that was hilarious."
           Buzz smiled at her, and I realized that she was the girl. She had pale blond hair and green eyes. She was Charmaine Chamberlain, the girl that Buzz was obsessed with! It suddenly occurred to me how many C names were in the world. I shook my head and instead stalked the two of them, eavesdropping on their conversation. Hey, I was allowed, I was his brother!

           I was proud of my brother for working up the courage to invite Char over for his birthday. Out of all of us, despite the fact that my brother did often get a lot of girls crushing on him, my brother was definitely the most shy about actually making the move. Sandy was very self-confident and wasn't afraid of rejection, but it didn't matter anyway since she wasn't interested in anyone. I, on the other hand, made sure of my feelings with someone (Leon) before making the move. Depending on how the night goes, Leon and I might become a couple!
           I must have missed something in the conversation, because the next thing I know Char and Buzz are laughing like madmen. "Have I told you that you're hilarious?" Char snorted, grinning at Buzz. Buzz looked away, growing bright red, a tiny smile on his lips. It took everything in my body not to be an annoying big brother and aww at them really loudly. 

           Something seemed to go sour in their conversation though, because the next thing I knew Buzz was making a face at her. "At least I'm not a teacher's pet!" Buzz! That was not the way to get the ladies to like you! Char pouted out her lip and I feared for their friendship.

           Relief washed over me when Char giggled and made a face back. "You're calling me the teacher's pet? Ooh, I'm Buzz, Mrs. Parker, Mrs. Parker! You look very pretty today Mrs. Parker, ooh, yes, Mrs. Parker, thank you for that A+, I really enjoyed the math assignment!"
           Buzz and Char fell into a fit of laughter, and I decided that I would leave them to their, er, teasing. I supposed that everyone had their own ways of flirting. Leon and I were fairly obvious, though. Our flirting was a bit more sexual, and a lot older. It was interesting to find out that Buzz was a bit of a brown-noser, though...

           Instead of interrupting Buzz's time with Char, I wished Sandy happy birthday and asked her to pass along my wishes to Buzz. I then noticed my limousine pull up and strolled off to greet it. Dad stopped me, though. He was in the middle of stopping Talan, who was in werewolf form, from eating stuff in our trash. I pitied him. The werewolf disease really was terrible. When they reverted back to their human form, they would be completely confused and unable to remember what happened when they were werewolves. That's what I was told, at least.
           "Look at you. You really look like a man, now, Andy," dad said, and I almost saw tears in his eyes. "You're going to be the man of the house, soon enough. You'll be king. Maybe. Do you think you'd be ready to take on that responsibility?"
           I nodded firmly. "I'm willing to sacrifice a lot for the good of the kingdom, dad."
           Dad bit his lip. "I'd prefer for you to have an amazing life than give up opportunities in order to be king. I just want you to be happy, son." Dad's voice cracked. There was a pause, and I looked down to spare dad the embarrassment of me seeing him cry. "Looks like your limo is waiting, son. Have fun," dad said in a much stronger voice. I nodded and left. Moments like that reminded me of how grateful I was to have the family that I did.

           To save money, we were just using my family limo. About ten of us were going to go, so I was the first one to get picked up. I was going to make sure that I was seated next to Leon. Although, knowing him, he'd probably sit next to me anyway. I wasn't about to take any chances though. It was my first time in a limo, but I could sure get used to the feeling. There were drinks, a television, a phone set, and little baskets filled with snacks such as pretzels, chips, and candy treats.

           My chauffeur looked cool enough, though there was a piece of glass separating us. I didn't like how she was treated like a servant, so I pressed the little button which lowered the glass slightly. "How can I help you, Prince Andy, sir?"
           Little shivers of delight went down my back as she addressed me as Prince Andy. My parents didn't like to associate themselves as being royal, and we were very casual about it, but it didn't stop the mention of royalty from arising on occasion. "Er, no need to call me sir, or Prince Andy for that matter," I said politely, "I just wanted to know... What exactly is prom like?"
           My chauffeur raised an eyebrow at me, but when she saw that I was being serious and wasn't giving her a pity talk, she explained about the different variations of prom and the different customs in different countries. She was very intelligent and well informed, and though I didn't want to sound rude and snobbish, I was quite surprised that she didn't use her intelligence for something more than being a chauffeur. 
           I relaxed when we picked up other party-goers. Tonight would be the best night of my life.

**Cinderella's POV**

           I adjusted the temperature of the oven, making sure to get it right. I wanted to make a great homemade meal for the party. Cheeseburgers. A food that everyone can eat, and they're easy to make. I glanced out the window to see what Sandy was up to. I knew that Buzz was out front enjoying his time with the sweet little girl, Char. They were quite cute, and I knew that Buzz wanted to pursue her once he aged up. Sandy, on the other hand, was chatting away to Becky. Sandy called Becky 'Aunt Becky', which made Becky quite pleased. Becky really was like a sister to me, though. 

           Becky presented a set of water balloons to Sandy, and the two of them went to filling them up. I chuckled under my breath. Despite all that Becky had gone through, she was still just a child at heart. Sandy picked up a yellow water balloon, and with strength I didn't know she possessed, whipped it at Becky.

           Everything happened in slow motion. The balloon exploded at Becky's stomach, and the force sent her flying backwards through the air. Her arms reached out dramatically before she fell to the ground, her head sagging. I wanted to help Becky and make sure that she wasn't hurt, but if I didn't take the burgers off at the moment, they would burn. I decided to salvage the burgers. Sure, it wasn't something a friend would do, but I was proud of those burgers! Besides, Becky couldn't be too badly hurt.

           I was proven right, as I glanced up the next moment and Becky was up on her feet, grinning as if she didn't have a care in the world. "Fool ya!" Becky yelled to Sandy, launching a water balloon at Sandy. Sandy let out a shriek of laughter and dove out of the way.

           Before things got out of hand, I shouted out the window, "Dinner's ready!" I then started serving people up. I made Talan and Robbie eat outside, since they were in werewolf form (it seemed like there were so many supernaturals running about those days!). Sandy and Buzz ate very quickly, saying that they wanted to hurry up and age up. Buzz was a little sad since Char had to go home early, but she promised that the two of them would get together soon enough.

           Buzz was first up, of course, since he was slightly older than Sandy. I took out a fairly expensive camera recorder and started filming as Buzz blew out the candles.

           Buzz looked around in awe for a few moments as he took in the world for the last time as a child. Then, the sparkles started emitting from him as he turned on his heel, looking as if he would rule the world. I started involuntarily screaming happily and blowing the noise maker. Buzz shot me an annoyed look, but he grinned despite himself.

           Buzz curled up in a small ball started screaming with pain. I was reminded of when I aged up, and when Andy aged up. I wanted to reach out and help my little boy, but there wasn't much I could do. Sandy, who had timed the time in which Buzz had blown out his candle, blew hers out exactly one minute and thirty eight seconds after Buzz, not wanting to wait around this time.

           Buzz lifted into the air and light started coming out from in between his legs. It was a little weird, so I looked away. By the time I looked back, he looked like a proper teenager.

           Buzz was dressed in an overcoat much too large for him, and pants which had shredded with his growth. His cheeks still carried a pink glow, and his eyes were as mischievous as always. "Your turn, twinsy," Buzz chuckled, blowing a noise maker in Sandy's ear. She merely rolled her eyes as light started spurting from her.

           Sandy's transformation was a lot faster. She, too, curled up in a small ball, but she didn't cry out in pain. She was already experiencing puberty, so it wasn't like a sudden jolt. If anything, Sandy aging up would push her past puberty. That was what happened with me, at least.

           In a moment, Sandy was a teenager. I was taken aback by how much she looked like me. She had her granddad's blue eyes, but her facial shape, nose and eye shape resembled mine, and her hair colour was the exact same. She was a very pretty girl. Prince would have to beat the boys away with a bat.

           I cut some cake for the guests. Sandy shoveled it in like the hormonal teenager she was. I noticed that her fingernails were abnormally long. I'd have to remind her to cut them. Her hair was pulled back in a tight bun. I wasn't surprised when Sandy quickly put her dish away and then raced into the washroom to fix her hair and makeup. After all of her experimenting as a kid with makeup, she was excited to look grown up. I didn't condone makeup, but I wasn't against it, either.

           I trailed into the bathroom to show Sandy all of the new makeup supplies I got her, to make sure that she didn't mix any up. Sandy wasn't much of a girly girl, but she was especially thrilled that I got her a private set of hairbrushes, eyeliner, lip gloss, etc. 

           "Hey mom," Buzz said, walking in as well.

           "Happy birthday Buzz!" I said, tugging him in for a hug.

           "Thanks. I was wondering about clothes?"

           I chuckled. "Don't worry, I've got you covered. I put new clothes in you dresser." I didn't want to seem predictable, since I had done the same for Andy, but my kids really didn't want too much. I didn't want to brag about them, but I was sure that other parents would love to have my kids. Okay, maybe I bragged a little.

           While I talked to Buzz, I noticed Sandy had finished her hair and makeup. She looked completely transformed and I gasped. "Sandy! You look stunning!" I ran forwards and I couldn't help but cry a little as I kissed her. "My little girl is all grown up!"

           "Okay, mom, that's enough," Sandy said with a laugh, pushing me off and going upstairs.

           "If only guys could improve their looks like that..." Buzz said wistfully, gazing at himself in the mirror.

           "Don't be silly, Buzz, you are a very handsome young man. Let me just help you fix your hair a little..." Try as I might, Buzz's hair refused to cooperate, and I ended up only making it slightly better, but Buzz seemed to like the look and went off grinning.

           It was getting late, so I started to clear guests out. I found Robbie and Talan in the dining room, standing on the chairs, literally shoving their face into their cakes as they ate like animals. "Robbie! Talan!" I scolded, smacking them both on their noses. They whimpered guiltily, hanging their heads. "C'mon, guys, it's Friday night," I sighed, giving into their puppy dog eyes, "Go hunt some deer or something. Don't hurt anyone though!" I called after them as they scampered out the door. One of those days, we really needed to come up for a solution to the werewolf issue. 

           I changed into my pajamas and got ready for bed. It was a clear night, and I could see some of the stars twinkling in the distance. "None of them shine as brightly as you," Prince said, kissing my cheek. 

           Even though we were married, I couldn't help but blush. Prince could be so romantic sometimes, even if it was cheesy. "Stop it, you," I said, grinning. "One second, I'm just going to call Andy to make sure he comes home safely."

           "Hey mom, what's up?" Andy said cheerily. I could hear laughter of boys and girls in the background. Some of them sounded drunk. I pushed it from my mind for the time being.

           "Are you on your way home, sweetie?" I asked worriedly. I didn't want to be overprotective, but I didn't want Andy to get in any trouble.

           "Yeah, we're in the limo now. I should be home in five, okay?"

           "Okay. Bye, sweetheart."

**Andy's POV**

           After smelling my breath for alcohol, mom tossed me a juice box to quench my thirst. Someone had spiked the fruit punch, so I hadn't had any. It wasn't that I was a goody-two shoes, but drinking didn't interest me, especially when I needed to be on my toes for Leon.

           "Wow, I almost didn't recognize you," I said, coming into Sandy's room. She turned. 

           "I started braiding my hair but just gave up," Sandy confessed, playing with the one braid in her hair.

           "Well, you look pretty," I said. It was meant as a compliment, but I couldn't help but wonder if any guys were going to try and hit on Sandy. I didn't see Sandy around school nearly as much as Buzz, but I knew I could depend on Buzz to protect Sandy.

           "Thanks, Dee."

           "No problem. Happy birthday, sis."

           Buzz was waiting for me in our room. He had on the tiniest little speedo looking thing, lying on top of his covers with his hands over his stomach.

           "I thought you were naked for a second," I coughed, pretending to gag.

           "I like to show off my rockin' body," Buzz cackled. "So, give me the deets!"

           I grinned and changed out of my stuffy suit into my pajamas. "What's there to say? The limo ride was awesome. Leon and I chatted the whole time. When we got to the dance part, Leon dragged me out in the middle with him. I was kinda scared at first, to be honest. But everyone was really supportive, for the most part, and Leon was laughing the whole time."

           "Doesn't sound very romantic," Buzz pointed out.

           I climbed into bed. "It wasn't at first. But everyone was slow dancing, Leon pulled me into a more private part of dance. And we looked into each other's eyes and Leon told me how he has romantic feelings for me. I mean, I figured he did, but it was nice to be told. And then I told him how much I liked him and we danced some more..." I felt myself swooning slightly.

           "You're just a romantic, aren't you?" Buzz said slightly sadly.

           "Maybe a little," I admitted. "Okay, a lot. I mean, I read romance novels and watch lovey dovey shows, but I just want a happily ever after. Is that so much to ask for?"

           "No, you're right. Did you guys kiss?"

           "Yeah, totally, we started making out and then we pulled each other's clothes off and started making love on the dance floor-" I said sarcastically.

           "BLEH! Okay, I get it!" Buzz said, scrambling under his covers. "But seriously, did you?"

           "No, I want to take it slowly. Like, really slowly. I expect we'll go on a few dates before we kiss each other," I explained.

           "Right, 'cuz Leon likes to take it even slower than you," Buzz pointed out.

           "Well, whatever. How did your night with Char go?"

           "She left before she could see me age up. I guess it's good, since now I look older than her and it'd be weird for me to hit on her."

           "Do you know when she ages up?"

           "I think a week from now or something. She'll probably get a cake sooner, though," Buzz said hopefully. "What else happened at prom?"

           "Someone spilled a bit of punch on me and refused to apologize, so we got in a bit of a brawl," I admitted. I wasn't especially proud.

           "No kidding?! Awesome! You won, of course, since I don't see any marks on you."

           "Actually, Leon intervened at lifted the guy up by the shirt. The teachers came along and took care of him."

           "I didn't think you had that in you," Buzz said, impressed.

           "Me neither."

           "Wow, Andy, what's that?" he pointed to crown sitting on the dresser.

           I blushed. "My prom crown. I won prom king."

           "Crap, that's great! You're popular now!"

           "I kinda convinced a few people to vote for me," I said half-heartily. I was a little ashamed by the way I won. It was basically only because I was a prince, so the school voted for me because they thought it was funny.

           "Doesn't matter. You still won," Buzz said firmly, cheering me up a bit.

           "Buzz? Thanks."

           "For what?"

           "For being there for me. For being my brother."

           "I can't help it, can I. I'm stuck with you," Buzz joked. I grinned a little. "Congratz on being prom king. That really is awesome, dude."

           "Thanks. I thought my night with Leon was more important, though."

           "It is. Was. Whatever."

           "Cheer up, Buzz. Char will age up and I'm sure you two will go out."

           "Really?"

           "Definitely."

"Happy Birthday, Buzz."