The fair was huge, and in the center was a brilliantly lit ferris wheel. I stayed latched onto my Mom's hand, staring in excitement and awe.

"Omma, that, can we go on that?!" I yelped, pleading to my oblivious Mom.

"We're not here for that, stop acting stupid." She crushed me in one short blow. I was 6 at the time, so my Mother calling me stupid was something that really hurt. I pouted and dragged my feet along the side of her as we walked, waiting to go home. It gradually became cold, and somewhat late as we rounded the park several times. She pounded on the numbers of her cellphone furiously every two minutes until we met a shady character standing by a cotton candy stand. My mother had pulled out a large sum of cash, and he had slipped her something quickly, almost too fast for me to see.

"Omma, can I get Cotton Candy?" I pleaded again. 

"No, I have no money, we have to get home." I chose to stay quiet.

Omma, was that really more important than your daughter?

10 years passed, without consequence.

Then,

I watched as the paramedics took my Mother away, an overdose of Heroin, and my Dad was dragged away in handcuffs, for drug dealing .

And I was dragged away to a foreign world in the city of Seoul.

I had stayed quiet for a long time, stuck in a foster home and forced to do chore after chore, study and study just so that maybe I could make something of myself. No social status, and my family being known as drug dealing drug addicts left me almost hopeless. Everyday I tried to keep fighting. 

I woke up in my foster bed, and looked over at my "sisters." My best friend had been adopted, but me being a little too old, it was almost impossible for me to be adopted. It was late and I felt too lonely to sleep. I put my shoes on and slipped out the back door. I didn't have anywhere to go, so I just walked. It wasn't too late. Maybe 10:00PM, so a lot of people were on the streets. Seoul city rarely slept. 

"Si Yeon!" I heard my name called from a distance. I squinted to see, but with my failing vision, and no money for glasses- I couldn't,

"Eh?" I called back. "Who is that?!"

A figure ran over to me and grabbed my hand. "Si Yeon, what are you doing on the streets at this hour. You have to come see my Father's restaurant." My friend Lee Cho-Hee began dragging me down the street. 

"Cho-Hee! I didn't know your father had a restaurant around here. He must be wealthy." I said.

"We're modest, that's all. I haven't seen my friend Si Yeon in half a year, is it?" Cho-Hee was a really gentle person, who had been kind to me when I was bullied by a group of girls in DongDaeMun market, they laughed at my clothes because they were second hand. She paid for my ticket, and sat on the train with me all the way home, just to make sure I was okay. After that we had met up whenever she was around, but eventually we had grown apart because of the distance. 

"We just moved around here, my Dad finally got up enough courage to open a Restaurant around here. It's really high class, but come eat, I'm sure he'll treat you." Cho-Hee was the only person I openly talked to since moving to Seoul. I barely spoke a word to anyone, but Cho-Hee knows my entire life story. She also knew I was modest. "But if you're not comfortable with that, I'm sure he'll let you do something for him as well."

I became relieved. I hated being a charity case, especially to my close friends. She understood that, because she once was not wealthy herself. "I will definitely repay him." I smiled.

"What are you doing walking around all by yourself?" She asked with a raised eyebrow. 

"I'm not tired. Remember Hye-Mi?" She nodded, and I continued, "She was adopted last week." 

Cho-Hee understood quickly. "So you must be really sad and lonely." Cho-Hee frowned. "Now I'm around, so we can spend plenty of time together when you're free. If your evil foster mother ever lets you out." She laughed, "Your story reminds me of a Fairy-tale. Oh! Cinderella! Where's your prince? I bet he's coming soon." I laughed at the thought of this.

"You know my life is nothing like a Fairy-tale.. even better than I know." I smiled.

We had walked a few blocks by this time, and we stopped infront of a victorian, english looking Restaraunt.

"I've been passing this place everyday from the Market and wishing I'd get to eat here one day. Cho-Hee, there's no way I can repay your dad for something so expensive." Was this really the same place I had been pondering about earlier today, wishing that one day I could afford something like this? 

"Come on in." Cho-Hee insisted.

"Can I really go in like this?" I looked down at myself, and then into the small glass window at the women in gowns, and men in suits. "Can we go through the back or something?" I asked. 

Cho-Hee rolled her eyes and pulled me around back. As we walked in, she yelled for her Father. 

"Who is this?" He looked at me fondly. "Ah.. Let me guess. You must be Kim Si Yeon?" 

I nodded, "Nice to meet you, Cho-Hee always talks so proudly of her father." 

"What manners you have, Si Yeon. Like the upper class, so regal." He smiled. I smiled back, yet flinched at his comment. I wasn't upper-class, and could never be. I felt insecure suddenly. 

"Let's get you something to eat." He handed me a menu. The menu was in English. "Do you need me to translate?" 

I shook my head. "I'm fluent in English." 

"Wow! Really. Anything else?" He asked. 

"I can speak a lot of Chinese, and French aswell." I laughed. "When you're not very fortunate, you have to be educated in many things. I've learned that." 

"Smart girl. I know what it is like to be unfortunate. Don't worry, Si Yeon. Something good will happen to a good person like you." His facial expression changed to compassion, but back to happiness. "Well I'll leave you two alone, then. What was it you'd like to eat?" 

I asked politely, "Can I have a Hamburger?" 

I stuffed my face, as we sat in the backroom. "Cho-Hee, do you think I could work here? I asked.

"Would you really want to?" Cho-Hee smiled. "No problem at all, we need a new waitress." 

"I've really needed a job. I'll work really hard." I promised.

"You're hired." Her father said as he entered the room to grab our plates. I pick them up for him, and followed him to the kitchen. 

"Really?" I smiled.

"Cho-Hee, tomorrow you should take her to the salon and have her hair done. Our employees here are expected to look beautiful at all times. You should have no problem shining as brightly as the rest, don't worry."

___

I walked home in a daze, I wanted to dance, I wanted to sing. I snuck back in and sat on my bed sighing with happiness until I fell into sleep again. 

___

I was really starting to wonder. Maybe my life was becoming a fairy tale after all.