The Cheshire Dance

Dancing In The Spotlight

Stunningly curled hair cradled her face, and the LED lights glowed violet. A lilac dress reached her knees, with a cream top. Lilac lavendar was printed on the top, and the sleeves were lilac lace. Cream leggings covered her legs, where mint slip ons had been put on.

Trixie blushed self consciously as every one stared at her walking through the crowd. Briar rushed up to her, the heart sunglasses on her forehead bobbing up and down. The music started up again,and people began dancing. Trixie was lead to the group of Royals, where a few hopeful boys hung around for Apple's attention. When she saw Trixie, she waved them away with one porcelain pale hand and rushed delicately to Trixie.

"Darling! You look simply stunning! And no date?" Questioned Apple, already leading her to their table, where a tall glass of Rasberry Fizz was waiting. Over the pink bubbles, Trixie recounted the days events. The open mouthed awe of her new friends was enough to tell her that her feats had been amazing.

Apple suddenly stood up and wandered over to the Frog Prince's son, and talked quietly to him. He chuckled, then looked at her, confused.

"Wait, you really think I'd go out with geek freak over there? Geez, Apple, I'm not that desperate!" He said, loud enough that the room could hear.

The music stopped with a screech, and slowly, Trixie stood up. She ran, hot tears streaming down her carefully made up face. She heard faint shouts for her to return from the party room, but kept going, eventually ending up at the EAH pool. She stumbled blindly into the locker room, and pulled her slippery blue togs onto her hot flushed skin. She dived into the cool enveloping water, swimming strong strokes and finally just floating.

In the dungeons of her thoughts, she barely registered the splash that meant a newcomer, and simply kept staring up into the sky, at the glowing stars that hung there. Suddenly, she was flipped over, and spluttering, she rolled over and splashed randomly. Cries of dismay could be seen bubbling to the surface of the water, where a figure was hiding on the bottom. Trixie dived down, grinning widely, and found a stranger looking at her with eyes like summer breezes on a beach. His hair waved gently in the current, making him look Wonderland grade cute. He smiled at her, and then held out his hand. Trixie thought for a bit, and then kicked away playfully. He chased her, eventually capturing her, and they floated together in the water for a while, smiling at the stars together.

As the dawn sun rose over the horizon, Trixie got out of the pool, and with a wave to her new friend, she walked, sodden, to her dorm, and found Cerise waiting expectantly on her bed.

"You are Wonderlandian, aren't you?" She asked, and Trixie froze.

"What? That would be, uhhh, illogical," she responded, trembling.

Cerise pointed at her dress, which had torn, and revealed her Cheshire tail. Trixie blushed, and ran into her closet. Would the embarrassment never end? She changed quickly into combat boots, tartan knee length skirt, and black blouse. A black silk hood covered half of her face, and when she walked out, Cerise looked at her, surprised.

"I was the only one who saw, Wisdom. You must keep up the act! Any way, I have a secret of my own!" And slowly, Cerise lifted her hood, revealing wolf ears poking out from the curls of her brown hair. Trixie gasped, and then smiled. She had an ally now.

The school days went by easier now, and eventually the debacle of the party was forgotten. But Trixie couldn't forget the boy she had met in the pool, and the magical moment they had shared. Every day, she scanned the faces of those she met, trying to see a resemblance, but in the end it was futile. So Trixie turned to other things, such as what her story would be, and what role she would play. At the end of Year 3, each student at EAH went into their story. Trixie had been moved up a year, with the next Snow White, Evil Queen and others, and would be entering her story early, but while her classmates thought they knew, Trixie did not. She voices this to her Wonderland friends, but they could not think of a solution. So she turned to her new friend, Cerise.

Cerise said nothing, just dragged her by her wrist up two flights of stairs, and to the principals office. She pushed open the door, and raced past the secretary, who sat, shocked, as Trixie flashed an apologetic look, before being taken through the entrance to the office, where Headmaster Grimm was sitting in a deep stupor. Cerise kicked his chair, and he started, glaring at Cerise before turning pale at the sight of Trixie, and looking back and forth from each girl. However, Cerise did not allow him to pause and add up the facts, simply slammed the door and stood squarely in front of him.

"How could you?! She doesn't have a Tale! You idiot!" She screamed, looking him right in the eye.

"I-I guess I didn't think of that," he responded, eyes downcast. Trixie was surprised at his submissiveness to this girl.

"Look, I don't either, Maxie will be taking over Red Riding Hood, and I will be left Tale-less. Same with Poppy O'Hair! We need a solution, and I have one. Create a new Tale!" Cerise said, shocking both the Headmaster and Trixie.

"What?!" They gasped in unison. Cerise smiled triumphantly, casting a satisfied look over both of them.

"I'm not an idiot. I invented a machine that can scan your personality, and puts you in the Tale as a particular role. We do a scan here of every body who hasn't got a Tale, and they get put in the new one!" She said, and slowly, Trixie and the Headmaster nodded.