The finished and final drafted I sent the contest people over at Figment. It's cut and edited to the word count that was issued.

Looking back at it now, I wish I could've kept the word count in mind when creating the first draft. There's so much of the finer points of the story that was etched away (in my opinion, anyway) Oh well.

Enjoy comparing the two versions!

Duckie

Duckie had been at the library late that night, but was broke, leaving her no choice but to ask her cousin for a ride home. He refused at first, having brought a lot of his college buddies for drinks. But Duckie was tired, and like hell she would be walking the streets this late at night. So she convince him to let her tag a long.

At least she was with family, right?

Wrong. The entire horde of trolls disappeared into the masses.

Duckie was forced to wonder around in search of her cousin. The nightclub scene didn't do her justice, as she was one of those people who stuck out like a sore thumb with her pigtails and flea market clothing, but it really did stink when people thought they could shove her here and there because of it.

"Move it, Ugly…"

Duckie lost her footing and began falling forward. Lucky for her, someone caught her in the nick of time.

To complete the cliché, she would have to look up and see someone extremely attractive, which, when she looked up, was exactly who she saw.

Said attractive man grinned and lightly stroked her chin, "Be careful next time, Beautiful."

Wow, he called her beautiful…be still her beating heart.

He walked off, sending her a dazzling smile. Duckie watched him go, so entranced she barely noticed the other women trailing behind him, glaring at her.

Reality hit full bloom, however, after she witnessed more Madonna-like women practically swarm all over him.

Duckie's shoulders slumped, He had to be a playboy, huh?

Her cousin was still going at it with his friends, so she settled for sitting at an empty table, tired…and slightly hurt.

What made those girls any better than her? Duckie was a thousand times better than them, and she knew it. She was smart, a good conversationalist…if you bothered talking to her. Heck, even playboy would've seen that she was the girl for him, those Madonna wannabes weren't half the woman she was. He was missing out on the deal of a lifetime.

All because she was…

She didn't want to say it, but she felt it.

In a world full of labels, she was stuck with the worst one. She didn't even pick it, yet she had accepted it. Why? She could be glamorous if she tried, she could change.

Months later, Duckie came back to that nightclub, thinking it appropriate to visit the place where her life ended and started. It was exactly the same, even though the faces where different, there were still Ogres and Evil Step-Sisters. But Duckie didn't have a label.

She sat and watched them all, until she saw…HIM.

Duckie froze in her seat. It was Prince Charming, or was he Playboy?

He was walking towards her. Duckie's heart started beating faster, she didn't expect to see him, what was he doing coming up to her? Her excitement died down when she made up her own answer. He had no idea that she was the same girl he helped-if he remembered-he probably thought that she was just his new hot catch of the night.

Her heart sank, but not entirely. Fine, he could try winning her-but she wouldn't fall for any of his tricks.

That in mind, she smiled and pretended she didn't even see him.

"What's your name?"

Duckie nearly jumped. His tone was casual and friendly, not at all flirtatious as she had been expecting.

She tried to gather her bearings, "D-um…it's Swan."

"Swan" extended her hand. Instead of a handshake, he gently took her hand and kissed it.

He ask the bartender for two drinks, this was enough time for Duckie to remember how to breathe.

"y-You don't believe me?" she asked him.

"In my line of work, you learn that you can't trust everything."

"How's that?"

He smirked, "Being a self-made millionaire, running across the world, getting paid-sounds nice, but if your afraid for one second of that money you won't make it," she watched how he fingered his glass of whisky, his piercing eyes shinning-out all other light, "You get so caught up in the status-quo, you end up lookin like someone your not."

"Must be hard."

"Are you the same?"

"I used to be," Duckie turned her attention to the dancing mass of people, "I spent so much time accepting a label that others gave me because it was the easiest thing to do. One night I started thinking that I didn't have to be that person. Why should I?

"Was it worth it?"

"I like to think so." She still has the highest GPA in the state, thank you oh-so-very-much.

"Enough talk," he pulled her off the stool with grace, "let's dance."

She felt the lights as they blinked from reds to greens, the dance floor, the music as it blasted from all sides, and more importantly, she felt him.

He was everywhere. With every move, every time he twirled her around, with every touch. From their fingertips, their bodies against each other, their eyes, they were always united. She could taste the sweat that they mixed together, the heat, their breathe.

It was almost magical.

He held her close, even though the world was still dancing.

"I wanna take you somewhere else," he whispered, "If you'll let me."

Duckie couldn't help but gasp when he let her go, walking passed her with a simple message of 'follow me or don't'. She clenched her heart. She also felt sadness. He would have never given her this offer, or even talked to her at all, if she were still her old self.

But on the other hand…what was her old self? You have to like yourself before others like you, Duckie was happy because she was the real her now. She wasn't about to live her life in regret for the past.

She turned around in order to catch up to him, only to find that he was still there, holding his hand out.

They ran out as fast as they could. Maybe too fast.

Duckie tripped, though her re-instated prince charming caught her.

This would've been a good thing if her glasses hadn't fallen out of her purse.

Duckie froze in place. Sure, a lot of people wear glasses, but to be honest hers were huge and not easily forgotten.

He picked them up, a feeling of dread washed over her…

Which quickly disappeared when all he did was place her glasses on her face.

He grinned and lightly stroked her chin, "Be careful next time, Beautiful."

He knew?

They stood up, staring deep into each others eyes.

"That other night…" he began, "I kept staring at you the whole time."

"Why didn't you talk to me?" she couldn't help but ask it. Was it because he was busy…or because she was…ugly?

"I kept thinking that if I did…then…you would want to change because of me. That would've ruined everything,"

It wasn't the answer she was expecting, "I've seen it happen before and I didn't want it to happen to you," he pulled her close, eying her intently

She smiled, "My name's Duckie."

He smiled, but all he did was kiss her.

So, whaddaya think? Leave a review and drop me a line!

And if your interested in more fairy-tale goodness, Check out my When Red Meets Wolf story and it's direct sequel Blue Red, Chained Wolf.

Thanks for dropping by!