Valentine Masquerade

Hope you enjoy this new story! For entertainment only!

Valentine themed short story that I will start posting today until Valentine's :D

This story takes place over a year later since Betty quits Mode; and in this instance Daniel didn't go after her...

...yet ;)

Chapter 1: Cordially Invited

Betty watched her sister try on dress after dress, sighing when she asked for the hundredth time which one she liked best. "Hilda! Come on! I already told you which one I liked, but all of them looked great on you, so you just pick your favorite!"

"Betty! You're no help!" Hilda pouted as she came out of the dressing room in this body hugging red dress that had a slit on the side.

Betty rolled her eyes. "Then why did you drag me here? Why didn't you bring Justin along?"

Hilda sighed "because he had to practice for his play."

Betty smiled, but said "I really liked the light pink one with the v neckline and open back with the pink tie that wraps into a bow in the back. It looked so amazing on you."

Hilda sighed "Betty that dress was more you than it was me! Oo! You should get it! And you should come to the party I was invited to!"

Betty shrugged "No, I rather not"

"Betty, you need to go out! It's valentine's day! The most romantic day of the year, and it's been over a year since you've dated anybody!"

Betty sighed "Well, I don't want to make a mistake again. Walter cheated on me with Gina Gambaro, and tried to win me back with batteries!"

Hilda laughed while Betty sighed as she said "besides, I haven't met anyone nice."

"Well, this is a perfect opportunity to meet someone. It will be a masquerade party!"

"How does that help? I won't know who I was meeting?"

"That's what's great about it! It can just be a one night thing! Have fun a little! Loosen up Betty!"

"I'm fun!" Betty protested. Hilda rolled her eyes this time "Sure you are. Since you quit 'the place that shall not be named', all you do is work!"

Betty smirked "that's because I'm determined to make my dream come true! I don't need anyone to help me get there but me!"

Hilda smiled "Well, doesn't mean you can't go on a date along the way" she shoved the dress Betty said she liked in her hands and pushed her into the fitting room. "Hilda! I'm not going to that party!"

"Will you just try the fricking dress!?"

Betty sighed as she reluctantly tried on the dress. As she looked at it in her hands a faint smile crossed her face. She really liked it. It was such a pretty pink. She usually liked the brighter pinks, but this dress was just super pretty. The light pink, the lace, the style, the bow…

She tried it on and looked in the mirror and smiled. Dammit, she loved it!

She walked out and her sister grinned "Betty! You look so hot, mami! You are getting this dress and I'm dragging you to this party whether you like it or not!"

"Really? You think it looks nice?"

"Nice?! You look so amazing in it! Especially with your boobs and this butt!" she said as she smacked her sister's behind. "Hilda!" Betty squealed in embarrassment and smacked her hand away causing Hilda to laugh, but Betty to blush, especially when she saw the sales associate walk by with her eyebrow raised.

"Come on, Betty, you look so great in that!"

Betty smiled as she looked in the mirror again, but was surprised when her sister took her glasses off "Hey, give me my glasses back"

Hilda held them away "uh-uh, you are not going to be wearing these tonight! You are going to wear a mask. I saw a perfect one at the costume shop that will match your dress"

Betty looked at herself in the mirror, and saw her sister look at her. Betty giggled "Fine! I'll go, alright!"

"EEK!" Hilda hugged her "Yes, it's going to be so much fun!"

"How did you get invited to this party anyway?" Betty asked curiously, wondering how her sister got invited to a party that was being hosted at some kind of mansion.

"I did hair for this makeup artist and she usually does makeup for fashion shows and special events and she got invited and invited me and a plus one to get to know people."

Betty smiled "I'm so proud of you, Hilda! You've really found your passion with hair and makeup"

Hilda smiled "Thanks Betty, I guess both of us are working to make our dreams come true"

Betty frowned "Looks like mine is taking the slow train"

"Hey, mami, you are going to make your dream come true, I just know it! Nobody stands in Betty Suarez's way!"

Betty smiled and hugged her "Thanks Hilda!"

Hilda grinned and smacked her butt again "Now, we just gotta find you a smokin hot man tonight!"

Betty blushed, and whispered "Hilda, will you stop?" as a guy walked past the dressing rooms and checked her out, shooting her a playful smirk. Hilda chuckled "See, it's working already!"

Daniel sighed as he stood outside watching people decorate the garden with all kinds of lights and a combination of pink and red flowers everywhere. His parents demanded that he attend this Valentine's Masquerade party and were not taking no for an answer. And what was worse, he was going to be a dateless loser.

He would much rather be partying anywhere but his parent's mansion tonight. In fact, he'd rather be at home hiding under his covers.

He couldn't believe his fiance broke off their engagement two days before Valentine's day on national television all for some story on how she hooked him into proposing to her in sixty days!

What a total bitch!

He wanted to stay cooped up in his apartment and curl up in a ball. He felt awful. He wasn't even sure he was heartbroken. He was more so pissed and felt betrayed more than anything.

He did like Sofia. She was sexy, attractive, confident, passionate, but that was about it. He wasn't sure he was totally in love with her. He felt like a moron to be played so hard.

She said she wanted him to know how it felt to be played like he played with all those girls he used to date and toss away.

That was over a year ago!

He wasn't that guy anymore.

He stopped those one-night hookups and meaningless flings, and decided he needed to grow up and just prove to himself he wasn't a screw up like his father so repeatedly convinced him he was over the years.

He frowned. Why wasn't anything he did good enough? No matter how hard he seemed to try it was always a let down. Maybe he was meant to be a miserable screw up.

"Daniel, darling, please try not to sulk about this evening"

Daniel sighed and looked up "Mom, how the hell am I supposed to feel after you know who did what she did to me?"

Claire made a face and said "I never trusted her."

Daniel rolled his eyes "Mom, please."

"I'm just saying. You'll find someone. You just have to open your heart"

"And look what that got me!"

Claire chuckled "Daniel, dear, as much as I wish that didn't happen to you, I don't even believe you opened your heart to her. I think it was mere infatuation and seduction, not love that was between you"

Daniel sighed, but knew his mother was right. He hated when she was! It was so damn infuriating!

"Fine, but look, do I really have to come tonight?! This blows! Why do I want to be around people who are in love, reminding me of the fact I have no one?"

Claire smiled "You might meet someone special"

Daniel rolled his eyes "yeah right! It's a masquerade party. Isn't the whole point not to know who you're meeting"

Claire smirked "Well, then maybe that's what you need tonight"

Daniel felt annoyed and wanted nothing to do with this blasted party. He figured he'd go and get dressed. He had nothing better to do, it seemed. He sighed and went upstairs to his old room and found a black box on top of his bed. He picked it up and opened it to find this intricate white mask. "There is no way in hell I'm wearing this!" he muttered to himself.

Betty looked at her reflection in the mirror "Hilda, are you sure I look ok?"

Hilda rolled her eyes "mami, are you seriously gonna ask me ever five seconds! You look amazing! Right, Justin?"

Justin nodded with a grin "Yes! It's true, AB; you look so awesome! Lace is totally in this season!"

Betty and Hilda laughed at how serious he was, and how excited he got about this stuff.

Betty took a breath "I'm just so nervous. I have actual butterflies!" Betty said, as she looked at herself, feeling totally different. Her sister did her hair in loose curls clipped in the center by a pink flower clip, and light shimmery eye makeup; and the dress looked so amazing on her it completely threw her off, and she wasn't wearing her favorite glasses so she could wear her mask, so she had to wear contacts, and finally her smile was so bright, she felt actually happy to see her reflection for a change.

Hilda laughed "You look great, Betty! That dress is smokin on you!"

Betty smoothed her hands down the dress, feeling her smile surface, thinking that her sister was right. The dress seemed to highlight certain features of her figure that normally she'd feel embarrassed about but since she was going to be wearing a mask tonight, she felt not as concerned about her looks. In fact, she felt so excited and confident, like she could be anyone she wanted.

She smiled and looked to her sister. "Alright, ready to go?"

Hilda grinned "yes, but not before I give you these!" her sister handed her a box with a card on top. Betty looked at her with a wondersome smile "What's this?"

"Just open it! It's a gift!"

Betty opened the card and saw that it was an invitation to the party. It had the most lovely cursive writing that read 'you are cordially invited'

Hilda smiled and handed her a pen so she could write her name. Betty looked at her, but bit her lip as she took the pen and wrote down her name, trying her best to write it just as prettily as the printed writing. "That is so awesome! If you and mom meet someone famous you better take a picture!" Justin demanded.

They laughed "Deal!"

Betty smiled as she started to open the box and gasped when she saw the mask inside "Hilda! This is beautiful!"

"I know, right!? I remembered seeing it and knew it was going to be perfect with this dress!" Betty admired the mask which was silver with pink swirls on one side and the same shade of pink as her dress on the other with this intricately laser cut butterfly design on the other side. It was perfect.

"Thanks Hilda" Betty hugged her and smiled as she put it on.

"Wow, that looks so awesome AB! Check out my phantom of the opera mask!" Justin said as he held up his half mask to cover his eyes causing Hilda and Betty to laugh.

Hilda put on her red lace mask, embellished with red and gold beads "Eek, this is so exciting!"

As they were getting ready to leave, their father walked in and said "Wow, girls, you look wonderful!"

"Thanks papi!" Hilda said, Betty hugged him and placed a kiss to his cheek.

"Have a good night my girls, how am I so lucky to have such beautiful daughters?" he said with a smile.

"Papi" Betty blushed, but Hilda grinned "that's right, we're two badass beautiful chicas!"

Betty and Ignacio laughed, shaking their heads in amusement. "Alright, come on Hilda, let's go, before I change my mind!"

"Oh, no you don't! Bye Papi, bye Justin, love you!" she pushed her sister out before she could even think about it.