Who was Ella?

Kit's fingers were numb. He knew what he had to do, though it felt like a breach of privacy, logging in to someone else's Instagram account. Kit was determined to get to the bottom of this mystery girl. He wondered if Ana was in some kind of trouble but she couldn't admit it in front of her stepbrother or stepmother. But that didn't explain how weirdly they both treated Eleanor as if he was an outcast. Kit, for his part, liked Eleanor a lot more than the two ladies.

The account opened on the first try. There wasn't a single post on it. Nothing except the icon. Kit felt disappointed. He opened the chatbox and their last chat was lying there with his last message still highlighted. The owner of the account had deactivated it before the message came.

There were a few other chats, but Kit didn't want to breach her privacy anymore. Instead, his fingers found the archive button. There was a single post existing on the list of archived posts. Kit almost dropped his phone. It was a picture of Eleanor, smiling at the camera.

There was a long caption. As Kit's fingers scrolled up and read, each word seemed foreign to his mind. Every single thing was getting clearer by the minute.

Hi, this is Eleanor, or Ella...the 'girl' in glass slippers, because that's what it feels like to walk around every day. As if the shoes I walk on will shatter one day and pierce my soles and make me incapable of walking anymore. And I sometimes wish nobody has to step in my shoes ever. You see, I was born as Eleanor, but as days passed by, I realised that I didn't identify with the gender assigned to me at birth. Yes, they call it gender fluid and I'm okay with who I am, but apparently, everyone is not. My stepmother and stepsister don't allow me to step out of the house or make friends for the fear of their name being spoiled in society. I just want to get a job. I love sewing dresses and want to be a fashion designer, but I need to get out of this hellhole first. So, I created Ella. Ella is my other half, it's me in my truest colours, who I choose to be. So what if I'm not a Prince? I will always be your Princess Charming whenever you need me.

P.S Stepmom might close this account if she gets to know about it, so I'm archiving this post in the hope that someone someday might appreciate who I am for real, not who I am forced to live as.

Kit blinked once, twice, still unable to believe the incredible story of the unexpected Cinderella. Snitches of their earlier conversation were rushing back at him.

Adjectives don't have genders, neither does beauty.

I guess it's the expectations society has from men and women, putting them in conventional moulds.

He had been too quick to jump to conclusions and Eleanor, aka Ella had warned him repeatedly.

And Kit stayed still for a moment, debating what to do. He could go back and check on him, but he doubted if Lady Tremaine would let him in. Kit knew he had to decide fast and Eleanor's beautiful eyes were floating in his vision. His cheeks felt unexpectedly warm at the thought of Eleanor. And his fingers scrolled to the most unexpected contact on his list.

"Hey." A sharp female voice sounded at the other end.

"Tessa." Kit breathed. "I think you were right. I found someone that night at the party..."

🏳️‍🌈

Kit narrated everything about Eleanor's dreams to her. She listened patiently without interrupting him.

"I can help Ella start at a designing school that I know," she offered. "It's a place where no one would judge him for who he or she is. It's the twenty-first century. How are people still so ignorant?" Tessa seemed angry as she bit back some bitter words.

"So now what?" Kit asked, not sure anymore.

"Go rescue your Cinderella. What are you even thinking?" Tessa sounded cross.

"But how can he...she...they be my Cinderella?" Kit stammered. "That's not how fairytales are."

Tessa was silent at the other end. "Do you like him?" she asked finally.

Kit felt a sudden warmth spread through his body.

"I think so. I don't know. I mean..." he spluttered.

"Love doesn't know genders, Kit Silverstein," Tessa admonished

"I..."

"Love is not always a fairytale. We write our own fairytales."

🏳️‍🌈

Kit turned back and half ran, half flew through the streets. On reaching the door, he decided against knocking. Instead, he picked up a loose, rounded pebble from the ground.

He felt like a ten-year-old again, throwing stones at people's windows. He had been a mischievous kid before he had completely withdrawn himself from his surroundings. The pebble hit the metal frame with a sonorous thud. Kit held his breath for Eleanor's stepmom to get out screaming, but it was all silent.

He debated throwing another stone when the window opened just a crack.

Eleanor's eyes widened at seeing him. Kit's heart skipped a beat.

Come with me," Kit waved. "You can stay at my mansion and do what you want to do. You don't have to be locked up anymore."

"I can't do that," Eleanor whispered.

"Be my midnight Princess, Ella," Kit insisted, surprising himself.

Eleanor flushed red. "Last time I heard, the Prince brought the glass slipper for Cinderella and bravely took her away."

"Someone told me that they are no damsel in distress," Kit winked. "Be my brave Rapunzel and escape now."

"Only if you take me on your trips too," Eleanor winked back.

"Anything for the one that doesn't try to fit into glass slippers made by the society," Kit remarked fondly.

A pink backpack landed on the pavement with a thud in response. 

🏳️‍🌈

Author's Note. 5K words completed.
Written for #rewindtheclassics2021 by WattpadFairytales collab.

Hope you guys enjoyed the twist at the end. Do tell me if you like it!