Luckily, Selena’s perfect shoes had survived the ordeal with my stepsisters unstained. The same couldn’t be said for her sister’s dress.

She made me promise not to worry about it as she dabbed a little blush on my cheeks. Harper wrapped my hair around the curling wand. All I could do was sit and let them work. Finally, they stepped back so I could walk over to the full-length mirror on the wall next to the door.

“I love it, you guys,” I said, admiring my hair for the first time ever. No pesky flyaways near my forehead. Instead, soft waves framed my face, and for the first time, my cheekbones stood out. And my eyes. I hardly recognized myself, but it wasn’t too much make up. Just enough.

“You guys are…magic,” I said. Lena and Harper smiled as I touched my hair. “So soft.”

“Wait ’til Baller929 sees you,” Harper said next to me.

“I almost forgot,” Lena said, digging out a pair of long, dangly, sparkly earrings from her purse. “Put these on.”

My mouth fell open, and I stuttered for a second. “I—my ears aren’t pierced,” I said lamely.

Lena’s outstretched hand went back to her purse. “Oh. It’s okay. We can skip the earrings.”

I tried to smile but was only reminded of my last conversation with my dad.

Awkward silence filled the air until Harper stepped up and carefully placed the crown on my head.

With the earrings on and a crown resting on my tresses, Harper stepped back and whispered, “You look like a real-life Cinderella.”

I beamed. She was right. For once, I felt like I stood out. My eyes. My dress. My hair. The shoes. It was all perfect.

“You’re ready,” Lena said, handing me the mask.

No one else had walked into the girls’ bathroom. No one else knew who was really under the golden mask except Lena, Harper, and Rey. Everything felt possible for this new me.

They left, giving me one last hug, so I could enter the dance alone and find Baller929.

I checked my phone one last time. It was already a few minutes past eight. Then I tucked my small bag behind the couch in the bathroom. I’d come back for it after the dance. I wasn’t sure how long I would stay—it all depended on Lena’s cousin, but hopefully, they’d keep my stepmom busy for another hour or two.

Then I’d be back at the gala, and she’d never know.

I stepped out of the bathroom and moved toward the ballroom.

Just like the bathroom, the entire building was impressive. The intricately designed carpet belonged in a royal palace.

I handed my ticket over to the two costumed teachers sitting at the entrance.

One of them yawned and hardly glanced up before saying, “Go ahead.”

It had been bright out in the lobby, but it was dark in the ballroom. Dark and loud.

And just like a real ballroom, a spiral staircase wound down to the dance floor.

The song came to an end, and only chatter could be heard for a moment before the DJ made an announcement. His voice boomed over the speakers, but I couldn’t focus on his words.

I kept my attention on the stairs. I really didn’t want to trip and fall down them. That was not the big entrance I was hoping to make.

In the distance, Rey, Harper, and Lena danced together in a corner. They saw me and gave me a small wave.

I took in all the sounds and sights as I started down the staircase.

I don’t know if it was all the tulle, but I felt light, like I was floating on air, not walking.

“We will be announcing the winners of tonight’s costume contest soon, so make sure one of the judges going around the floor get a good look at you because there are lots of prizes up for grabs!” the DJ said.

A huge white light landed on me, and I couldn’t see out to the dance floor anymore.

“Oh, and look, Cinderella has arrived at the ball! Where’d you leave your pumpkin carriage, Cinderella?” the DJ asked with a laugh.

I let my hand on the rail of the staircase guide me as I walked down the rest of the stairs. Thankfully, the spotlight left me as the next song started.

Baller929 had said to meet him in the center of the dance floor at eight, and I was already a few minutes late. Heads turned in my direction as I made my way there through the throngs of people dancing and shouting. I’d never felt more stared at in my life. I had always been a nobody, invisible, and now I was all everyone could look at.

The fear inside me threatened to take hold, but I pushed it back and let this new, more confident version of me take over.

The middle of the dance floor teemed with dancing dressed up couples, even a group of pirates rocking out.

But I couldn’t see Baller929. What would he look like?

I twisted around full circle, wondering if he would catch my eye in some way. How would I know it was him? He hadn’t told me what he would be wearing.

Someone tapped me on the shoulder, and I whirled around.

It was someone dressed in black from head to toe as a ninja, complete with plastic sword at his side. Black cloth wrapped around most of his face, leaving only his eyes visible.

“Cinderella, I’ve been waiting to meet you all night,” he said in a silky voice. He came a little too close.

I took a couple of steps back and tried to smile.

The music turned to something slow, and he stretched out his hand. “Will you have this dance with me?”

I looked for an escape but saw none.

“Baller929?” I asked.

“I’m not sure what that means, but allow me to have this dance with you,” he said, taking a small bow.

Okay, wow. This guy was a little weird.

“What’s your name?” I asked, still not taking his hand.

“That is a mystery,” he said. “We are both here as someone else tonight.”

That voice. It was familiar. Was this Baller929?

“Would the lady care for some punch and conversation then?”

His hair. Some of it was poking out of the cloth. It was curly and light brown and short.

This was the guy who sat in front of me in math!

He couldn’t be Baller929…could he?

I had to figure out the truth.

“What position do you play?” I asked. “In basketball?”

Baller929 had told me this a couple times. I knew the right answer.

“I’m afraid the only sport I play involves a skateboard,” he replied. “Do you really not want to dance with me?”

He sounded a little disappointed.

I leaned in toward his ear. “Sorry, I’m here with someone else tonight.”

“Goodbye, Cinderella.” He nodded and bowed. “Until we meet again.”

He left, and I laughed to myself. This had to be the same guy in my math class, but I’d never heard him say more than a sentence in there. He was always sleeping with his head down on his desk.

I shrugged. Maybe he wasn’t a morning person.

My mind went back to the task at hand. If that wasn’t Baller929, where was he? Did he think I was a no-show tonight?

Other than several people busy dancing and having a good time, I was alone in the middle of the floor. Pretty soon, I’d be out of time, and I’d have to leave.

I waited a few more minutes. Nothing.

The past year had come down to this moment. An online stranger had become my best friend, and I would finally see his face. Maybe he would see mine. But would he even show up?

A short guy from my science class dressed as Thor, styrofoam hammer and all, also asked me to dance. I politely said thank you but no.

I made up my mind.

If Baller929 didn’t show up in the next five minutes, I was going to find Lena, Harper, and Rey and ask them to take me back to the gala. No point in risking getting in trouble with Sophia for nothing, especially after that run-in with Courtney and Lindsay.

So I waited. And waited some more.

I checked my phone. It was time to go.

Just as I turned to leave, I stopped.

A prince wearing a small silver crown was making his way to me. In his chest armor and boots, he looked like more of a medieval prince, but he was definitely royalty. And he was tall. That I could tell right away.

He smiled and walked up to me. I recognized him. Unlike me, he wasn’t wearing a mask. He was the guy from my chemistry class. The guy with the amazing smile.

Jesse.

I couldn’t believe it.

Baller929 had been in my chemistry class all along…

“TheRealCinderella?” he asked.

The sound of his voice shook me inside.

I nodded. “Yeah.”

He held out his hand, and I took it. He shook it, but I was too dazed to do anything more than hold on.

“I’m Baller929,” he said with a smile.

Probably at the shocked look on my face.

I took him in. His kind brown eyes blinked back at me. His chiseled jaw and broad shoulders made my heart falter.

“You look incredible,” he said, his gaze on my dress.

I should probably say something right about now. “Thank you. I love your costume too.”

“I figured it would make sense seeing as how you’re Cinderella… Definitely made it easy for me.”

I stared up at him like a dummy. His smile made my insides feel like they were melting. I took a deep breath. I couldn’t mess this up and spazz out.

All of a sudden, I felt fake, wearing this elaborate costume in front of him. I pushed that thought out of my head.

As if on cue, a new song came on. The kind that made you want to jump and scream and sing.

This was supposed to be my night.

If my friends were here, they’d tell me that exact thing.

He asked loudly. “Do you want to find somewhere where we can talk?”

I nodded, taking his outstretched hand. This was it.

I took a deep breath and followed Baller929 off the dance floor.