By the time I get home I still haven’t figured out what to do. I call Fred (my pet bird) and he hops onto my wrist. Yes, I have a pet bird. Do you see now why I really don’t belong at this party? It’s just my dad and I, so we have room to adopt a lot of pets. He works a lot (he’s a super important lawyer), so they keep me company. I stroke Fred’s blue head and decide to call Happy. She picks up and I take a deep breath, “What exactly should I wear to this party?” I have to hold my phone away from my ear at the squeal she gives in response.

We settle on a blue dress with red flowers I bought for a skit last year and an hour later I’m ringing the doorbell at Courtney’s mansion. Her Mirror answers the door and gives me a long look up and down. She finally smiles and welcomes me in, and I’m taken aback as I look around. Everything in here looks too expensive to touch but it’s also absolutely filled with people. They all look to be about my age, but it’s hard to tell because everyone is wearing masks.

I see a girl with golden hair nearly down to her feet (It must be a wig but it’s still so extra) and another girl in what appears to be real glass slippers. I turn to Allison and I notice she’s also holding a gold mask on a stick, I manage to say, “I’m sorry, I didn’t realize this was a masquerade-” before she cuts me off. “It’s totally fine, this was a last minute idea of Courtney’s and none of us had your number!” “Oh! Okay, well I can leave and go get one and come back…” I reply hesitantly. She responds, “Don’t be silly, we bought extras, here this one matches your dress.” She snaps a mask onto my head, pulls my dark hair over the string and then spins me to face a mirror on the wall (oh, the irony!). The effect of the red mask over my pale face is a little jarring but I think it’s actually working for me. I turn to thank her but she’s gone and I can’t recognize her in the masqued crowd. I knew Courtney was popular, but how does she know all these people?

I sneak around three fancy pigs and a very cool dragon (this party has somehow managed a perfect combination of a zoo and formal wear) and hide in a corner of the enormous living room. I text our group chat because an idea has struck me. I write: This party is a masquerade! Get masks, dress nice, and I can sneak you in! My phone lights up with their approval of my plan. I smile. With my friends here this could actually be really fun.

I wander back out into the hallway when I hear Courtney’s voice calling from the top of the staircase. Her blond hair is shining out from behind a white half-mask and her pink gown emphasizes her royal bearing. “Alright everybody, thank you for coming! My parents room is off-limits, the food’s in the kitchen, kegs in the backyard…” she pauses and then smiles wide, “Let’s get this party started!” That line was apparently the cue for painfully loud dance music to start playing out of speakers I can’t see. I walk to the kitchen hoping to find someone I know and instead stand there nursing a root beer for several agonizing minutes. When I’m about to say screw it and go wait on the curb for my crew, I feel a hand grab mine.

A tall figure pulls me into the dancing crowd and spins to face me. I see his blue eyes shining out from behind a full-faced wolf mask. Could it be… no he would never want to dance with me. And despite my mask I think it’s pretty obvious who I am. I take a deep breath and then wrap my hands around the stranger’s neck. I tell myself to play the part of the party girl and try to dance and look like I’m having fun.

Right when I’m almost starting to truly enjoy myself a bright flash goes off to my right. I whirl towards the light and spot Allison. “Just capturing the best party moments!” She blurts out, waving her camera at me and the Wolf-Boy before running off. Well that was weird. I turn to shrug at my dancing partner but he’s pushing his way through the crowd. I almost follow him but someone pokes my back. I turn and find seven very welcome figures. “You guys clean up well!” I yell to them. Happy grabs my arm and we all manage to find the backyard.

Happy is practically shaking from the power of her smile. “Who was that guy?” She asks me, nudging me with her shoulder probably patting herself on the back for getting me out of my shell. “I don’t really know, he never even said anything,” I admit. “So you’ll just dance with anyone?” Grumpy scoffs. “Not you!” I snark back at him. Woah, that was a little rude of me. Where did that come from? Grumpy was just being well... Grumpy. He shoves past me, mumbling, “Fine,” and he storms back into the house. Bash breaks the tension and says “Grumpy has the right idea, we should probably split up before we draw too much attention to our very recognizable group.” I laugh and say “And you’re really helping with that.” He’s wearing a peacock mask with a jewel-toned suit. Bash really is the king of subtlety.

We decide to pair off, and I go back into the throng to find Grumpy. As I’m heading up the staircase I’m flanked by two girls I think I recognize as members of the Court. They gently lead me to a room that must be Courtney’s. “Um, what are you doing?” I ask, in what I hope is a very firm tone. I find a group of kids spinning a bottle and Grumpy is sitting with them. Girls appear to actually be attempting to land it on him! I guess without his typical beanie-flannel combo I can see the appeal. He stands up and looks like he’s about to apologize to me but the Court girls pull me into a dark closet the size of my bedroom at home. They lock the door behind them. I turn and find Courtney reclining on some pillows, Allison is beside her trying to imitate her position. “Snow!” Shouts Courtney, sounding a little tipsy. She pulls me down next to her. People have been dragging me all over the place tonight!

She leans over to me and whispers in my ear, “I really want us to be friends, Snow.” I’ve always had mixed emotions about the nicknames my friends gave everyone spreading throughout the school. Courtney certainly loved being “The Queen” but I was finding I didn’t particularly love her calling me Snow. I wonder if she even remembers my real name. I ask her, “Why?” And seriously, why would she want to be my friend? She responds with a twisted smile, “Well for one, Ryan certainly thinks very highly of you.”

Oh no. Here it is. I guess I’ll explain. Last year, Ryan was struggling in a lot of his classes. He paid me to do a little bit of his homework for English. I would slip it into his locker and this rumor went around that I was writing him love letters. I feign innocence, hoping that the rumor is old news, and ask her, “What?” She answers in a surprisingly straightforward manner, “Oh, he just really appreciated your help in English.” Good so she knows the real story, or close enough at least.

Courtney gets up on her knees, pushing surprisingly hard on my shoulder for support. “Come on girls! Let’s have a little fun!” she smirks. Someone is knocking on the door and she ignores it. She reaches over to a little box and pulls out a bag of red pills. They look like candy but I’m still about to politely decline when she pops one on my tongue as I open my mouth. For a moment nothing happens, but the pounding on the door gets more insistent. I ask her what the pills do and she laughs before saying, “Magic.” I try to insist on an answer but the room is spinning. Why isn’t the Court taking any? I start to lose feeling in my arms. I fall back and Courtney leans in over top of me. “Ryan. Is. Mine.” She hisses. She knows about the English homework, why would she think I want Ryan? Allison waves the camera at me for the second time this night. Oh no, the Wolf mask guy. Ryan must have been trying to make her jealous or something. Light floods into the room and it burns my eyes. I hear my name being called, but I can't keep my eyes open any longer.

I'm running through the woods, arms flailing wildly. I trip over the hem of my long gown and a crown topples off my head. I try to push myself up again and a pain shoots through my ankle. I manage to stand again and risk a glance behind me. I spot the wolf, he has also paused with me. He scares me but I know he is not what I run from. His eyes seem to plead with me to keep running. So I do. I keep running, longer and faster than I ever have before, in flimsy slippers growing more and more muddy. The forest is a different place at night. I crash into a boy in a dark thicket. I don't know what he's doing here but I recognize his face. Still I have to keep running. He grabs me by my shoulders before I can leave and starts to shake me “Snow, snow!”

“No,” I mutter before I fully awaken with a gasp. I'm in a hospital bed and Grumpy is hovering over me. “Snow, are you okay?” he asks me with more genuine concern than I've ever seen in his face. “I think so. I feel fine, maybe a little thirsty.” I respond with a hoarse voice. Grumpy calls for a nurse and the events of last night’s party start to filter back into my mind. “The queen!” My strange dream still has me a little confused about reality but I know that Courtney did this to me. Grumpy replies “Courtney? The police are investigating her right now. Turns out you might not be the first girl she's done this to.” No way. This whole thing sounds more like a story than my real life.
“I'm really happy that you're okay,” Grumpy mumbles, his cheeks flushing adorably. I notice he's still in his clothes from the party, which look like they’ve seen better days. “How long have I been... asleep?” I ask him, curious and concerned. Grumpy’s face grows even redder, “Um, about two days. Your dad is here too, he just went to get coffee. The rest of the gang is visiting later.” “You’ve been here this whole time?” I ask, even though I know the answer. Grumpy takes a moment before replying and glances away, “I didn’t want to leave you.” I smile and reach out to grab his hand. I think I feel a new story starting to form.

The End!