Red

Chapter Eleven: Cinderella

I stared at myself in my bathroom mirror, where I'd been for the past ten minutes. 

"But are you sure blue's my colour?" I asked Gretel. "I mean, my name's literally 'red'." 

"You look very pretty," Gretel insisted. "Like a princess!" 

I took a breath. "But are you sure it's flattering?" 

Hansel groaned. "Jeez, Red, Gran already likes you. You don't have to impress him." 

I flushed. "I'm not- I wasn't- I don't go to balls, okay? I just want to look my best." 

"You look fine, I swear. This website says that shade of blue looks good with your skin tone?" Hansel waved my phone, sounding confused. 

I turned, examining the dress from all angles. "And are you sure you guys will be okay home alone?" 

"Red, I am twelve. I can handle myself and my sister," Hansel insisted. 

Gretel's head jerked up, her blonde curls bouncing. "Someone's at the door!" 

The doorbell rang. 

"Okay," I muttered to myself as I went to the door, "that's creepy." 

Gran stood in the doorway, a single rose in his hand. The coloured accents of his suit matched my dress perfectly. 

And wow, he could wear a suit. His waves of hair weren't gelled back like I feared they would be, and his tie matched his eyes. Which meant my dress matched his eyes. 

Good memories, I thought.

"Wow. You look- you look really beautiful," he said, a smile across his face. 

"You too. Or, no, not beautiful." I shook my head. "Handsome, you look really handsome,"

"I brought you a flower," he said after a minute and handed me the rose. 

I took it. "Thanks. Um, I'll just-" 

"I can take it." Hansel jogged into the room. "You two go have fun." 

I smiled and turned to Gran. "Ready?" 

He nodded and offered me his arm, and we left the apartment.

In the moonlight, his eyes seemed deeper, almost like the ocean. I couldn't stop staring and part of me was worried it was getting weird. 

"You're not wearing your glasses," I noted as we stood in the elevator on the way down to his car. 

"Yeah. Contacts." He turned to me. "What do you think?" 

"I don't know." I smiled. "I almost miss them, I think." 

I thought it was adorable that we were dressed in clothes more expensive than my apartment, going to the party of the year, and we were still driving around in Gran's beat-up Jeep. 

Eloise Ashfall had married Prince Charming's older brother Elliot, and as such, the party took place on the land of the Charming Estate, in another one of their houses. The second-largest, if I could recall correctly.  

Hundreds of people in their best clothing made their way up the infamous steps where Eloise escaped Elliot and the magic of her gown wore off. A brush of adrenaline went through me, but I shook it off. 

The valet went to park Gran's car and he offered me his arm once more. Halfway up the steps, his arm slid down to hold my hand like it was the most natural thing in the world. 

And it really felt like it was. For years, nothing had felt natural or normal for me, but Gran always had. 

My ever-logical eye of the storm.