Once on Instagram III

A Wondrous Place

A/N: I am so sorry this took me like a month to write. I kept getting distracted by other ideas for this so I have like five drafts started (or finished whoops) to post over the few days. I've also (as always) had too much schoolwork to do, and that slowed me finishing this as well. But I should be able to post for the next several days since I have so many drafts lol

February 18, 2018

Toto started barking wildly even before the doorbell rang, as if he could sense someone approaching the house. Ruby was the one who opened the door and invited Henry inside.

"Violet should be out soon," Ruby assured him.

It was only a few seconds before Violet came into view. She was wearing a light purple dress that sparkled when the light hit it right. It stopped just past her knees and was paired with matching shoes that resembled ballet slippers, laced up her ankles with silky ribbons. She held her mask in her hand. Violet grinned at Henry. "You ready to go?"

It took Henry a moment to respond. "Y-Yeah. You look really pretty."

"Thanks!" Violet walked over to Henry and entwined their arms. Dorothy had now stepped into the room after calming Toto down.

"Look at you two! I've got to take a picture!" Henry and Violet both groaned as Dorothy pulled her phone from her pocket. "Be glad taking pictures is easier now than it was in the 1930s and smile!" Dorothy instructed before snapping several pictures. It wasn't too long before they were outside, heading to Emma's car so she could drive them to the dance.

~

Grace and Ella had already claimed a table by the time Violet and Henry arrived. Their masks lay on the table for now, since the dance didn't technically start for another five minutes. Ella wore a shimmering blue dress that ironically looked similar to Cinderella's dress in the animated Disney movie. Grace was wearing a pink dress that might as well have come straight out of a Barbie movie.

A few seconds after Henry and Violet arrived, Nic and Ava walked up to the table. They were both dressed in suits and Ava looked nervous, as if she was going to be judged for not wearing a dress.

"You're here!" Grace exclaimed. She stood up and brought Ava and Nic into a double hug. "I love your suit," she told Ava before sitting back down next to Ella.

"I-- Thanks." Ava smiled.

"It's so cool to see formal wear from so many different stories!" Ella said, looking around the room. The others nodded in agreement. They talked for a while as the last students trickled into the room. Violet's eyes slowly drifted to a nearby table and landed on a girl in a green dress who was sitting alone. Violet was pretty sure she'd been sitting there for a while. She leaned over and whispered something in his ear.

Henry glanced over at the girl and it suddenly hit him why she looked familiar. She'd moved to the Land of Untold Stories over winter break and was in their English class.

"Should we invite her over here?" Violet whispered.

Henry shrugged. He was pretty sure she was a character from their show, but he didn't know anything about her role, which was troubling. Then again, it might not be relevant even if he did know anything. Before Henry had the chance to give Violet a straight answer, she had already made her way over to the girl and sat down next to her.

"You're Tia, right?" Violet asked.

The girl nodded. "And you're... in my English class."