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“BRIDGET!”
Bridget glanced up from her magazine, knowing the howl of her best friend anywhere. Although, with how loud Ella screamed her name, she was sure all of Wonderland could hear her.
“Ella?” Waving away the woman working on her nails, Bridget thanked her quietly and got to her feet. The Queen of Cinderellasburg didn’t match the aesthetic of the Red Palace, stark and obvious in her pretty blue blouse and pants combo. She was practically steaming out the ears, her cheeks a touch darker than usual, each step clattering like glass on the tile floors. “What a lovely surprise. It’s not often you come down my end of the rabbit hole.”
“I demand an explanation,” Ella claimed, jabbing a finger into her chest as she snorted, practically growing horns with how much red she was seeing. “Where is your daughter?”
“I haven’t the foggiest,” Bridget shrugged, placing both hands on her hips and tilting her head. It wasn’t often Cinderella of all people got steamed, Red being the girl to manage it was—unfortunately—not a surprise. “She’s out and about doing teenage things. You know I can’t keep up.”
“Bridget,” Ella drawled, heaving a deep gasp of air. “You need to control your child!”
“Oh? What’s she done now?”
“She’s rubbing off on Chloe, that’s what she’s done.”
Bridget snorted. “They’re doing far more than that these days, El.”
“B! I’m serious!”
“You still haven’t told me what my precious fireball has done yet,” Bridget pointed out, mindlessly twirling her hair. “I’d ask, but you seem too keen on listening to yourself shout. And that’s coming from me.”
Ella groaned but reeled herself back in, holding both hands to her temples as she huffed. “Chloe has…a…nose ring.”
“Ah,” Bridget blinked in surprise. She didn’t expect Chloe Charming to go for that sort of thing, but she supposed with a little push from Red (who had all sorts of piercings) it made sense. “Is that all? What a fuss over so little.”
“What do you mean ‘is that all’? There’s a bull-ring hanging from her face! Why would Red convince her to do that?”
“Because it’s a teenager thing, El,” Bridget laughed, waving a hand. “I was reading one of Red’s issues of ‘Royal-Teen’ and there’s all sorts of unique things the kids are doing these days. Feel lucky it wasn’t a tattoo.”
“A—a tattoo!” Bridget didn’t know it was possible for Ella to blanch, yet she somehow lost some of her melanin, becoming pale in the face. “Oh. Oh dear.”
“Ella you’re overreacting,” Bridget urged, waving a servant to bring a chair as she pushed her friend down into it. “It’s a piercing, not the end of the world.”
“But she didn’t even ask me, B! Not even a ‘hey mom!’. She used to be such a good girl.”
“Chloe’s still a good girl, El,” Bridget soothed, running her hand up Ella’s arm while hiding an eye roll. Chloe would probably always be her mom’s little girl. In comparison to her own somewhat wild daughter, she was a saint. “She’s just growing up, that’s all.”
“B-b-but she always asks permission. She doesn’t just waltz into dinner with a piece of metal in her face. That’s not my girl.”
“Ella, darling, are you sure this is about the piercing?”
“Of course it’s about the piercing,” the Queen snapped irritably, rubbing her temple with her white manicure. “Chloe doesn’t just…do that sort of thing.”
“Chloe is turning seventeen,” Bridget pointed out, causing Ella to slip even deeper down into her chair with a moan.
“Please don’t remind me. I’m getting old.”
“Oh tush, you don’t look a tick over midnight. It’s that good moisturizer you use.”
“Get to the point, B.”
“All I’m saying is that you’ve had Chloe’s leash very tight for…well…ever, I suppose. And though I should’ve done more to discipline Red, you have to let your girl live a little. I remember another somebody who did something without her step-mothers permission.”
“Don’t bring me into this,” Ella complained with a nose wrinkle. “That was different.”
“Is it though? If Chloe said she was going on a wild night of partying after midnight, would you let her go?”
“Well…n-no, I wouldn’t.”
“There you have it.” Bridget snapped her fingers. “Teenagers will do as they do, El. Chloe and Red are doing it just like we did. It’s part of getting older.”
“But a nose-ring?” Ella rasped. “Why not something else…anything else!”
“Yes, it is interesting she chose a piercing,” Bridget shrugged. “I suppose she could’ve come home with a motorcycle instead.” Ella barked in panic as Bridget laughed, causing her friend to whine and toss her head back. “Darling you’re really being over-dramatic.”
“My daughter is pulling away from me.”
“No. Chloe loves you very much; you’re just being prissy about letting her live the way she wants,” Bridget pointed out. “If you want to show Chloe you care about her interests, why not get a piercing of your own?”
“Absolutely not,”
“Oh come, I’ll do it too! It’ll be fun.”
“Bridget, no.”
“Do you want to support your daughter’s interests or not, El?”
Ella sputtered but glanced wearily past her hand. “But a piercing, Bridget?”
“Yes, a piercing. And I know just the one that’ll suit you.”
To be fair, Bridget didn’t actually think Ella would go through with it. But, surprisingly, she did so with much complaint and hesitance. Thankfully one of the girls from the salon knew how to work a needle. Bridget—already having many piercings of her own—got another one in the top of her ear. But for her friend, she chose something a bit more subtle. Just a little diamond nostril piercing on the right side. Ella stared at herself in the mirror, still a bit shallow in the cheeks, but tilting her head back and forth curiously.
“Well?” Bridget offered, placing both hands on her shoulders and giving them a squeeze. “It looks lovely on you, El. I bet Chloe will love it.”
“I suppose it’s not the worst piece of jewelry in the world. Christoper I think may have words about it.”
“Words of adoration from your Prince Charming, I’m sure,” Bridget chuckled, turning around as two teenage girls made their way through the foyer. “Girls! Red, darling, come here.”
“Mom?”
“In the salon. Come look! Ella and I have had a wonderful afternoon.” Red and Chloe entered, shopping bags still in their hands. Bridget turned Ella’s swivel chair around, showing off the diamond. “Ta-da! One peirced Queen of Cinderellasurg.”
“Mom!” Chloe gasped in surprise, dropping her things and grabbing her mothers hands. Indeed the shining silver septum ring hung from her nostrils, studded with a tell-tale ruby. Definitely Red’s doing. “You look amazing, I can’t believe you did that.”
“I may not be happy you’re growing up so fast, and I wish you would’ve asked about…this.” Ella reached out, giving the bull-ring a flick. “But I love you no matter what.”
“Oh mom, I love you too.”
Watching the two exchange hugs, Red nodded her appreciation as Bridget approached her, giving her a knowing fist bump.
“I can’t believe you actually convinced Chloe’s mom to get pierced. That’s insane.”
“You kids don’t get to have all the fun,” Bridget pouted, holding out a hand. “Pay up, sparky.”
“Ugh. You’re so annoying.” Red slapped a $20 into her palm. “I’ll choose a harder bet next time.”
“Yes, betting with you is becoming an investment, dear. I’ll be able to pay for your college before the years up.”
“Oh ha-ha, very funny.”
“I think so,” Bridget chuckled, kissing the crown of her daughters forehead. “Do me one favor, Red.”
“Yeah?”
“Don’t ever send Chloe home with another piercing again.”