Table of Contents [Report This]
Printer Chapter or Story


- Text Size +
Story Notes:

Ella Fontaine

Thaddeus Channing

Suzzette Browne

Serena Browne

Sasha Browne

Belle





Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.


"I'm feeling unappreciated, now girls, help me out if you know what I'm talking about!"- Christina Aguilera

“Ella! Gimme some Henny without any coke this time!?”Sasha Browne said to her step-sister, Ella, as she handed her a full glass of Henny and coke back to her. She put her headphones back on,”You know I don’t spin good without my Henny! Go! Now!”she barked at her and went back to DJ’ing. “Lets get this party started, bitches! Whooo!”she said into the microphone as she played “Telephone” by Lady GaGa and Beyonce.

Ella nodded and rushed over to the bar when she was cut off by her other step-sister, Serena. “Ella! Where’s my Evian?”she asked her as she looked around.

“Serena, what are you doing out here?”Ella asked her,”You know Suzzette doesn’t like you out here before your set-“

“Exactly! Why am I out here!? I need my fucking Evian! I know you cant sing worth shit so you wont understand, but what you need to understand is that I need it immediately or I will sound like a tone deaf freak!”Serena said.

“Im heading to the bar right now”Ella said with a nod and headed to the bar. Serena stalking backstage in a huff.

“ELLA!”Suzzette, her step-mother yelled as she approached her,”If you are drinking on the job so help me God-“

“No, this is for Sasha. Im getting it for her. I didn’t touch it”Ella said as she went behind the bar.

“I went into the ladies room upstairs and it looks atrocious! I need you up there immediately!!!!”Suzzette snapped at her.

Ella sighed,”Yes ma’am”she said to her but she was already gone. She poured a straight Henny for Sasha and grabbed two Evian water bottles for Serena. She gave them to their respective persons, without a word of thanks, and went into the ladies bathroom upstairs. There was a long line for it. Great, now what? She sighed when she saw the sight. There was toilet paper everywhere, the sinks weren’t spotless, trash cans were overflowing and one toilet was stopped up. She didn’t understand. She tidied this bathroom to perfection when they opened 2 hours ago!

However, this was a typical night for Ella at “Happily Ever After” Nightclub. It was owned by her step-mother, Suzzette. When Ella’s father died, she used the money he gave her and bought this club and made a “Happily Ever After” franchise, which included a nightclub, clothing and perfume line. They were doing very well…..except for Ella. Once the franchise started making money, they all moved to the rich side of town and reaped the benefits. However, Ella was working for minimum wage and she slept in the attic of the huge house they all lived in. She didn’t have much. She lost a lot of her belongings when….

Never mind. She didn’t have much but she still had a lot. She got to work in the hottest nightclub in town. She should be grateful for what she did have. Her father always said that.

She put an “Out Of Order” sign on the stall door with the stopped up toilet and got her cart. She swept up the trash and towels on the floor and emptied the trash can. She cleaned the sink as the many gorgeous women retouched their makeup and washed their hands around her. They even used the various lotions and mints she left out but never tipped her. Bitches.

Stop. Maybe they aren’t bitches. Maybe they just don’t have any cash on them. It happens.

She put a smile on her face and opened the door and started to unclog the toilet. It seemed that someone took a whole wad of toilet paper and let it sit in there. It took a minute but she finally unclogged the toilet. She put the cart back in the closet and she heard the band start to play. She watched from the balcony as Serena took the stage and started to sing. Ella sighed, she wished she could sing and wear nice sparkly outfits. She followed a tall group of women into the bathroom and she took a seat on the stool. She proceeded to hand the women who had just washed their hands towels. Since Serena was singing, the bathroom was a little empty. However the three tall women came out the stalls and one of them started to laugh.

“Who told that bitch she had talent?”the tall dark skinned one with blonde hair said

“Girrrrrrlllll, who you tellin’. That’s the one thing I don’t like about this place”the light skinned one with the curly dark hair said

“She sounds like a cat on a bad day”said the tall redhead. Ella snorted. The three women looked at her. “Oh well she agrees. How do you listen to that every night?”

“I mean….she’s ok..”Ella said. If word got out that she thought that Serena couldn’t sing, Suzzette would have her head for it.

“Ok is a compliment…and a lie”the redhead said.

“She thinks she cant be honest with us. She works here and doesn’t want anyone to know your bad mouthing her huh?”the dark skinned woman said. “I wont tell anyone. Suzzette and I are like this”she said as she crossed her fingers

“That’s what Im afraid of”Ella said. “But I agree with you all. I told her to get lessons but then they chewed my head off”

“I hate a bitch who cant take constructive criticism!”she said,”I see you here all the time…whats your name sweetie? I love your face, don’t she have a cute face?”the other women nodded.

“Thanks….”Ella said with a smile, she never got compliments! “My name is Ella”

“Well my names Belle, like Belle of the Ball. GiGi”she said as she pointed to the girl with curly hair,”and KiKi”she said as she pointed to the redhead. “You also have such nice hair but you put it in a bun all the time. Let yourself go”she said as she took the pins out of her hair and Ella’s long dark hair fell around her shoulders. “Oh your marvelous”

“And your drunk, B”GiGi said. “She goes on makeover crusades when she drinks”

“That’s ok”Ella said with a shrug as the women proceeded to wash their hands and Ella gave them towels.

“Oh! You have Burberry!? God bless you”KiKi said as she took the lotion and rubbed it on her hands and pulse points.

“Lets drink some more to drown out that tone deaf bitch”Belle said and the other women laughed. “For your trouble sweetie”she said as she put a bill in her tip jar. “See you around”

“Or see you very soon, we may have to break the seal again”GiGi said and they left. Ella waved goodbye to them and smiled. She wished she had a group of girlfriends like that. She looked at herself in the mirror and played with her long hair. She sighed. She tidied the bathroom and then her walkie talkie went off.

“ELLA, CLEAN THE STAGE, PRONTO!”Suzzette said. That meant that Serena’s set was over.

She went downstairs and mopped up the stage as Sasha started to DJ again. She was playing “Just Dance” by Lady GaGa. Ella knew every word to every Lady GaGa song now. She played the whole Fame Monster cd on repeat it seemed every night. After awhile, people were too drunk to notice.

“Excuse me, who’s in charge of this place?”a handsome man approached her and asked her. He had the bluest eyes she has ever seen and such a cute face! “Ma’am?”

“Oh sorry. Her name is Suzzette Brown….did you have an appointment with her?”

“Of sorts”

“Whats your name?”she asked him.

“Thaddeus Channing. I have an artist who needs exposure and your club will help put her on the map”

“Okie dokie, one second”Ella said and picked up her walkie talkie. “Um, Suzzette??”

“WHAT ELLA!? I DO NOT HAVE TIME FOR BULLSHIT”she yelled

“I have a Thaddeus Channing here? He said he had an appointment of sorts”she said as she looked at him. He shrugged and nodded.

“OH! TAKE HIM UP TO VIP AND GIVE HIM WHATEVER HE WANTS I’LL BE RIGHT THERE!”

“Um she said-“

“I heard her”Thaddeus said with a smile. “After you?”he said as he followed her through the crowd. They got on an elevator that went up to the third floor, which housed the large VIP room which had its own bar, couches, pool tables and a small stage with a pole where a “dancer” was doing her “tricks. Suzzette’s office was also up here as well as the green room and locker rooms for employees. “Nice”

“What can I get you to drink?”

“How good are your Long Island Iced Teas?”

“Good”she said with a smile

“Your just saying that because you work here”

“No they really are!”

“So if I bought you one, you wouldn’t cringe or spit it out?”

“I cant drink on the job but I assure you, they are great and very strong I might add”

“That’s what I like to hear”he said as he sat down,”Can you put an umbrella in it for me please?”he asked her

“Sure”she said. And he had a sense of humor!? She went to the bar and ordered the drink for him and brought it back over. “Well Suzzette will be here any moment-“

“That’s fine, no rush, how about you keep me company?”he asked her,”Whats your name?”

“Ella”

“So lemme guess, you are working in this nightclub to save up to go to Hollywood?”

“Nice guess, thank you, but no. No Hollywood for me”

“So you work here because you like it?”

“Ugh…well Suzzette is my step-mother so it’s a family business type thing”

“Oh”he said, not expecting that,”Well you got to have a passion in something”he said. She smiled and tucked her hair behind her ear,”You’re a hair model. Or a model in general”

Ella laughed,”Your too sweet. I love to dance though”

“Yeah? Why haven’t I seen you out on the dance floor?”

“Too busy”

“What kind of dance?”

“Lyrical mostly and I dabble in hip-hop”

“Nice, I love hip-hop, its my favorite style. So you take classes?”

“I don’t have time, its just a hobby”

“Its only a hobby when you let it. Music would have been my hobby but I fought hard to make it my career. Its hard but rewarding. You have to make the time”

“Time is not on my side. I work here every night and I help manage our clothing store and jewelry line. I never have ‘me’ time”

“That’s too bad. What would you do if you did?”

“Go to the beach everyday and dance”she said with a smile

Thaddeus smiled,”Sounds like a good plan”he said

Suzzette walked into the VIP room and saw Thaddeus sitting on one of the couches and noticed that Ella was flirting with him. What the hell? “Mom, where is he?”Serena asked

“There he is. Ella’s flirting with him”

“Oh hes a God! Mom, I want! I want”she said with a laugh

“And you’ll have him once we seal this deal”Suzzette said,”First we have to stop this love fest”she said. “Ella, Magda needs you downstairs pronto”she said to her and Ella jumped. Suzzette raised her eyebrow at her,”So nice to meet you Thaddeus, this is my daughter, Serena”

“Pleasure meeting you”Thaddeus said to them.”It was great meeting you too, Ella. Thanks for keeping me company”he said. Serena glared at her.

“Nice meeting you too”Ella said shyly. She walked a few steps when she felt a hand on her arm

“If I wanted you to flirt with my potential clients, I’d be happy to pimp you out but for now, you do as I say? Got it?”she said

“Sorry Suzzette, but I wasn’t flirting with him”

“Looked like it to me. You have your hair down, you smell like Burberry and you were all smiling and giggling. I pay you to work, not fuck around, got it?”she said. “Your father let you do whatever you wanted but shits different now. We got a business to run. Kitchen. Now!”she said and walked back over to Thaddeus and Serena. Ella ran off. “Sorry about that. So, it seems that Esmee Denters wants to use our nightclub?”

“Well I do, she just wants to perform. This would be a perfect platform and a perfect start to get her name out there”Thaddeus said as he shifted uncomfortably in his seat. Unfortunately, he heard Suzzette and Ella’s conversation more than Serena’s gushing.

“Well I would be happy to help you out. And do you know whats perfect? You can help me out as well”Suzzette said,”My daughter, here, is very talented as well. She’s got the experience, she sings here every night but we just cant get her demo into the right hands and since you have your own label….”she said as she slid Serena’s demo across the small table between them. “Serena will use your recording studio and with your guidance she can be the next big thing while Esmee can take Serena’s spit and get bigger than she already is. What do you say?”

Thaddeus looked at the demo and he looked at Serena’s eager eyes and Suzzette’s piercing ones. Suzzette was a bitch, he can already tell, but unfortunately, she can help him out in the biggest way possible. “It’s a deal”

“Well it’s a busy night tonight, so how about us three have dinner tomorrow night at Mirabella’s? I can have Ella set up a reservation and we can really talk about this”Suzzette said.

“Sounds great. I eat late, so around 8?”

“It’s a date”Serena and Suzzette said.

*

Ella ran to the elevator and pressed down to go to the kitchen. She looked at her reflection and wiped away her tears. She hated when Suzzette brought up her father, and especially when she told her how good he treated her. He loved her and treated her like his princess. Suzzette never liked that. She still didn’t. She and her father were close and after her mother died, they always took a vacation to Malibu, California to visit her mother’s family. They did it every year. It was their tradition. They would pack everything they could, rent a convertible and drive to the beach with the top down as they listened to “Bad” and the “Purple Rain” soundtrack on repeat while singing at the top of their lungs. They would visit their mothers family and relax. They did the same thing last year and Suzzette was furious that she, Serena and Sasha weren’t allowed. “Its just a trip for Ella and me, you understand”. However, Ella had come back alone. They were driving home when their car went out of control, they crashed into another one. Her father’s body was flown across the highway while Ella flipped into a ditch with the car. Ella survived. Her father didn’t. Sometimes she wished she was dead too and the worst part of it was, she knew Suzzette felt the same way.

*









You must login (register) to review.