HOME | DD

Description
ZiZie leaned on the condo balcony railing, bored. For all of her life before, ZiZie had lived in nothing more than a one-room house. But her parents had died, and a woman named Gothel became her foster parent. Gothel told ZiZie some sort of story about how ZiZie's father had stolen some zinnias from her garden for his sick wife, and how in payment he named Gothel ZiZie's legal guardian. ZiZie didn't believe it, but at the end of 7th grade Gothel had taken ZiZie out of school and kept her in the condo. She didn't treat ZiZie poorly in any other way – she got plenty of food, and clothes, and was cared for well enough – but ZiZie thought that if she had to stay another day inside, alone, she'd go crazy.

"ZiZie! Hey, ZiZie!"

Startled, ZiZie broke off mid-thought and peered down. On the balcony a few floors below her stood a boy about her age, leaning so far out that it seemed that he might fall. "Jordan? Jordan Prince!"

"It is you!" Jordan had been one of ZiZie's school friends. He was smiling. "What are you doing here?"

"You wouldn't believe this, but my new foster parent, Mrs. Gothel, keeps me locked up here day and night," ZiZie called down to him. "I haven't been let out in, like, six months! And I have no connection to the outside world – no Internet, no phone, no nothing! The only reason I'm out here at all is because she's away at work and she didn't think anyone would be outside for me to talk to in this weather. What are you doing here?"

"Staying with my aunt and uncle for winter break," Jordan replied. "You're like Rapunzel, huh? Too bad you don't have the hair to go with it!"

"I don't have the hair," ZiZie agreed, "but…" She paused. "Hold on a second." She ran inside the apartment and came back out a moment later with a rope made from sheets tied together. She tied one end to her balcony and tossed down the other. "Climb up, please?" she pleaded. "I really want to have some actual human contact after all these months."

ZiZie kept cajoling, and finally Jordan climbed the sheet-rope to her floor. Having him with her made ZiZie long for the outside world even more, so she begged Jordan to help her get out of the condo. Again, Jordan protested, but ZiZie showed him how she really was locked in. He reluctantly agreed to help her. They made a plan: every day, while Gothel was at work, Jordan would call for ZiZie to lower the rope and he would climb up, bringing the materials and tools for building a ladder. ZiZie was terrified of heights and wouldn't climb down just a rope made of sheets.

ZiZie kept her escape plans secret. Until, without thinking, she mentioned something Jordan had said the previous day.

"Jordan who?!" Gothel said sharply. "Have you been talking with someone? I've kept you safe up here, and now you've gone behind my back? How has he been contacting you?"

ZiZie refused to answer, which only made Gothel angrier. In a fury, she searched the condo and found the half-made ladder and the rope of sheets. Then she locked ZiZie in a closet. Gothel kept ZiZie locked in the closet until the next day, when Jordan, as usual, leaned his balcony and called for ZiZie to throw down the sheet-rope. Gothel quickly tossed it down, but when Jordan climbed up, he found himself face-to-face with ZiZie's foster mother.

"Meeting secretly with my daughter, have you?" Gothel snarled. "Well, you won't be seeing her any longer!"

Before Jordan could say a word, Gothel dashed his head against the balcony railing, knocking him unconscious. She dragged him out of the condo and into the stairwell of the building so that when his aunt and uncle found him, it appeared that he had fallen down the stairs.

When he came to, Jordan told his aunt and uncle the truth of what had happened. He eventually convinced them to go upstairs and look at Gothel and ZiZie's apartment. As they neared the door, they could hear ZiZie yelling and screaming and Gothel's voice raised in anger. Shocked, they banged on the door until Jordan's uncle threatened to call the police. Then Gothel opened the door.

Jordan and his aunt and uncle had come just in time – Gothel had been about to take ZiZie to the downtown orphanage. They managed to get ZiZie's former foster parent to let them take the girl away; after all, she had been about to be put up for adoption anyway.

Eventually Jordan's aunt and uncle formally adopted ZiZie. The Prince family owned a large and successful business, and ZiZie was astonished to find that they had made her an heir to it.

In this way, the poor girl became part of a Prince's wealthy family and lived happily ever after.

Description
ZiZie leaned on the condo balcony railing, bored. For all of her life before, ZiZie had lived in nothing more than a one-room house. But her parents had died, and a woman named Gothel became her foster parent. Gothel told ZiZie some sort of story about how ZiZie's father had stolen some zinnias from her garden for his sick wife, and how in payment he named Gothel ZiZie's legal guardian. ZiZie didn't believe it, but at the end of 7th grade Gothel had taken ZiZie out of school and kept her in the condo. She didn't treat ZiZie poorly in any other way – she got plenty of food, and clothes, and was cared for well enough – but ZiZie thought that if she had to stay another day inside, alone, she'd go crazy.

"ZiZie! Hey, ZiZie!"

Startled, ZiZie broke off mid-thought and peered down. On the balcony a few floors below her stood a boy about her age, leaning so far out that it seemed that he might fall. "Jordan? Jordan Prince!"

"It is you!" Jordan had been one of ZiZie's school friends. He was smiling. "What are you doing here?"

"You wouldn't believe this, but my new foster parent, Mrs. Gothel, keeps me locked up here day and night," ZiZie called down to him. "I haven't been let out in, like, six months! And I have no connection to the outside world – no Internet, no phone, no nothing! The only reason I'm out here at all is because she's away at work and she didn't think anyone would be outside for me to talk to in this weather. What are you doing here?"

"Staying with my aunt and uncle for winter break," Jordan replied. "You're like Rapunzel, huh? Too bad you don't have the hair to go with it!"

"I don't have the hair," ZiZie agreed, "but…" She paused. "Hold on a second." She ran inside the apartment and came back out a moment later with a rope made from sheets tied together. She tied one end to her balcony and tossed down the other. "Climb up, please?" she pleaded. "I really want to have some actual human contact after all these months."

ZiZie kept cajoling, and finally Jordan climbed the sheet-rope to her floor. Having him with her made ZiZie long for the outside world even more, so she begged Jordan to help her get out of the condo. Again, Jordan protested, but ZiZie showed him how she really was locked in. He reluctantly agreed to help her. They made a plan: every day, while Gothel was at work, Jordan would call for ZiZie to lower the rope and he would climb up, bringing the materials and tools for building a ladder. ZiZie was terrified of heights and wouldn't climb down just a rope made of sheets.

ZiZie kept her escape plans secret. Until, without thinking, she mentioned something Jordan had said the previous day.

"Jordan who?!" Gothel said sharply. "Have you been talking with someone? I've kept you safe up here, and now you've gone behind my back? How has he been contacting you?"

ZiZie refused to answer, which only made Gothel angrier. In a fury, she searched the condo and found the half-made ladder and the rope of sheets. Then she locked ZiZie in a closet. Gothel kept ZiZie locked in the closet until the next day, when Jordan, as usual, leaned his balcony and called for ZiZie to throw down the sheet-rope. Gothel quickly tossed it down, but when Jordan climbed up, he found himself face-to-face with ZiZie's foster mother.

"Meeting secretly with my daughter, have you?" Gothel snarled. "Well, you won't be seeing her any longer!"

Before Jordan could say a word, Gothel dashed his head against the balcony railing, knocking him unconscious. She dragged him out of the condo and into the stairwell of the building so that when his aunt and uncle found him, it appeared that he had fallen down the stairs.

When he came to, Jordan told his aunt and uncle the truth of what had happened. He eventually convinced them to go upstairs and look at Gothel and ZiZie's apartment. As they neared the door, they could hear ZiZie yelling and screaming and Gothel's voice raised in anger. Shocked, they banged on the door until Jordan's uncle threatened to call the police. Then Gothel opened the door.

Jordan and his aunt and uncle had come just in time – Gothel had been about to take ZiZie to the downtown orphanage. They managed to get ZiZie's former foster parent to let them take the girl away; after all, she had been about to be put up for adoption anyway.

Eventually Jordan's aunt and uncle formally adopted ZiZie. The Prince family owned a large and successful business, and ZiZie was astonished to find that they had made her an heir to it.

In this way, the poor girl became part of a Prince's wealthy family and lived happily ever after.