Troyler, A Cinderella Story

Stepmother

"TROYE!! Get down here this instant!"

"Yes, Stepmother," Troye replied, rushing down the stairs. As he walked rather hastily into the kitchen, he was stopped by his stepmother tapping his foot at him. She was dressed in a red skin-tight dress. The color of blood.

"Troye, what is this?" she said, pointing to a pile of crumbs on the floor. "You know how I feel about messes."

"I'm sorry, Stepmother. It was an accident." Troye said softly, bracing himself for the unfair punishment that his stepmother always forced upon him.

"I don't want this to happen again, Troye. Ever." Stepmother whispered, her voice hard and cold like her heart, "Since you made this mess, I want you to clean it up." Troye nodded, immediately dropping to the floor and sweeping the bread crumbs into his hand.

"Yes Stepmother." Troye's voice shook as he said those words. Stepmother only handed him a toothbrush, and Troye took it, knowing what she meant.

"I want every inch of this floor scrubbed clean by four o'clock, and you had better make sure they meet my standards. You had better get scrubbing. It's already 3:20 and time is ticking." She said, turning and walking away. Her high heels clicking on the mahogany hardwood floors.

Why me? Why do I have the worse person in human existence as my stepmother? Troye thought as he bent down and started scrubbing away at the floor. He paused and pulled out his phone and headphones from his pocket. Plugging in the headphones, he turned on some of his father's music. He popped the earbuds in his ears and smiled at the familiar sound. It's the only thing that gives Troye comfort anymore.

He chuckles, remembering how at some of his father's shows, Troye would get on stage and sing with the band. The audience would laugh and clap as Troye did silly dance moves while his father strummed away at his guitar.

Troye loved traveling with his father and his band, Hopeless Betrayal. He played cards in their tour bus with the members. Thanks to them, Troye knew how to play multiple instruments like guitar, piano, drums, and bass. But his favorite was singing.

He went back to scrubbing, making sure to get in all the tiny spaces in between the floorboards. He hummed along to his dad's melodious voice.

His humming was interrupted by a high heel tapping in front of him.

"What do you want, Caroline?" Troye asked, an irritated tone in his voice.

"Could stop your terrible humming before my ears start to bleed? Nobody wants to hear the shit your dad passed off as music," she said, her voice harsh and her face cold.

Troye didn't hum again. His heart was hurting from his stepsister's comment. Troye fought the tears back. "You are so pathetic," Caroline laughed as she walked past Troye, and out of the kitchen.

"Why did you have to leave me?" Troye whispered, his tears forcing through his eyelids and rolling down his cheek. He felt so fragile. So alone. A sob wracked his skinny frame as he tried, and failed, to regain his composure.

Troye was almost knocked over by his dog, Jagger. "Hey, boy!" Troye sniffed, scratching Jagger behind the ear, "are you here to help me?" Jagger responded with a lick planted on Troye's cheek, making him laugh. "You can always cheer me up, boy." Jagger just wagged his tail and trotted away happily.

Troye scrubbed the last inch of hardwood with the toothbrush. He glanced up at the clock. 3:54. He stood up, toothbrush and spray cleaner in hand, and put both in the cupboard under the kitchen sink where all the cleaning supplies goes.

What is keeping me here? Troye wondered. Why should I have to stay here? Why can't I just go? Nobody would care if I left. Troye ran up the stairs to his room on the third floor, a new burst of energy filling his mind and body.

He dug through his closet till he found his school backpack, which wasn't getting much use, because it was summer. He stuffed as much clothes as he could in it. Jeans, shorts, shirts, socks, boxers, sweatshirt. Troye smiled.

I'm actually doing it.

He searched in his secret hiding spot behind his dresser till his hand grasped a wad of money tied with a rubber band. All the money his dad left him. He counted $345. He stuffed the wad in the pocked of his shorts. He wrapped up his phone charger and put in the front pocket of his backpack. Then Troye grabbed the final thing he needed: a picture of his father and mother on their wedding day. He carefully wrapped it in a sweatshirt and placed it in his backpack.

I'm doing this.

He grabbed his father's guitar. Troye could play and sing for tips; he did it anyway. He slung his pack over his shoulder on took a final look at his room. He smiled, and shut the door.

Troye bounded down the stairs, adrenaline coursing through his veins.

I am freaking doing this.

He slipped on his Vans with ease and opened the front door. He was stopped by Jagger running towards him, trying to get out the door. Troye shut it quick before the dog could slip out the door. "You don't think I'd forget you, buddy!" he said, grabbing his leash and clipping it to the puppy's collar. Troye opened up the door again, taking a deep breath, and stepped out, slamming the door behind him.

Troye ran. He ran so fast. He ran away from that terrible place, with his best friend, feeling nothing but free. He looked down at his panting dog and smiled. He smiled at how happy something as simple as running made him. Jagger didn't have a care in the world, and in that moment, neither did Troye. All he knew was that he was away from the source of all of his anger. All of his depression. All of his sadness. All of his pain. And Troye was never going back.

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Hey guys! I hope you like this little Cinderella story! It was so much fun to write! If you have any suggestions please leave a comment or message me! If you like this I also have another Troyler fanfic called When Troyler Happened, so feel free to check that out if you want! Thanks so much for reading! I love you lots!

XOXO- Ally