[EVE]
Wait . . . why would I be one of the evil stepsisters? If anything, I'd rather be one of the mice that make dresses!
If I was going to be in this play, then I wanted to be one of the mice, for sure.
I raised my hand, voicing my opinion to the teacher.
"Your classmates have already voted for you to be one of the evil stepsisters," the teacher said with a calm smile. "Don't worry, they only have a few lines, unlike Cinderella herself, the Evil Stepmother, and the Prince."
"It's only fitting that she's one of the evil stepsisters. She was stealing Sophie's role, right? Even though she was adopted but she acted like the real lady of the Rosette. Its disgusting." I heard one of my classmates mutter under her breath.
When I looked over at her, she quickly clamped her mouth shut and avoided my gaze.
"Idiot, don't harass her in the open! Didn't you hear what happened to Jessica?" someone else whispered sharply.
I chose to ignore them and turned back to the teacher. "But what about what I want?"
The teacher let out a long sigh, her expression patient but firm. "This is a democratic process, Eve. The majority have already cast their votes."
I realized there wasn't much I could do. Further arguing would only draw more attention, and that was the last thing I needed.
Of course, the role of Cinderella went to Sophie, and the Prince's part was given to none other than Daniel.
Lucky me.
As for the role of the other stepsister, it fell to Riri Mashima. She was half-Japanese and half-Irish, and apparently the illegitimate daughter of some tycoon. Because of that, people often looked down on her.
Riri wasn't exactly welcomed in high society, either. She wasn't ugly by any means, but she wasn't the kind of beautiful that turned heads.
Her slightly slanted eyes gave away her heritage, and most people automatically dismissed her because of it, giving her those sideways glances filled with judgment.
Yet, Riri must have been one of the most optimistic girls I'd ever met. She accepted the role with open arms and great enthusiasm, like it was the most exciting thing ever.
Didn't she realize that playing one of the evil stepsisters was basically being cast as the outcast?
evil
sisters'
! Pay attention while we discuss how to proceed with our Cinderella play. I hope you're not already plotting ways to torment our Cinderella."
The others snickered as the president's gaze focused solely on me and Riri, completely ignoring Daniel, who sat right next to us.
The message was obvious: they were targeting us, but especially me. I could feel their eyes watching for a reaction.
"That's right!" Riri piped up, her expression all innocence. "We're meeting to plot exactly how to bully Cinderella. Isn't that the whole point of the show?"
The class president scoffed, pulling Sophie close like she was a helpless little lamb. "The point," she said, voice crisp and strict, "is that good prevails over evil in the end."
Riri blinked, looking genuinely perplexed. "Yes, but to show how good Cinderella is, she needs someone to stand out against. How would she shine without the villains being
bad
?"
She tilted her head, then nodded to herself as if solving a complex puzzle. "So really, isn't the whole point of our role to, well . . . bully her?"
The entire room went silent, unable to respond. Whether they liked it or not, Riri had a point. How would "
good
" ever win without a bit of darkness to set it apart?
I bit back a grin. Was Riri a genius or just blunt?
I wasn't sure, but I had to admit it was refreshing to see someone spell things out. After all, without evil, there would be no story to tell.
I smirked when my eyes met Sophie's. Maybe she'd start regretting being Cinderella now that she realized I had free rein to "
bully
" her on practice and on stage.