Alice was drawing on the margin of her notebook, when a folded piece of paper landed on her desk. Startled, she looked up from her notebook to see Wendy steaming. "Alice I have been trying to get your attention for 10 minutes!" She whispered hotly.

Alice bit her lip and shrugged, giving Wendy an apologetic look. "What did you need me for?" Alice asked.

"I was going to try and talk to you, but you don't seem interested," Wendy said turning around.

"Alright," Alice replied, scratching her pencil on the margin of her notebook again.

"Alice!" Wendy whispered.

"Miss Darling!" Mr. Hook paused his lesson.

The blood drained from Wendy's face, "yes Mr. Hook?"

"Is this history lesson not important to you?"

"It certainly is, Mr. Hook." Wendy said quietly.

"Then you will leave Miss Liddell alone!"

Wendy's face turned bright red. She looked down for the rest of the period. When the bell rang, Alice quickly gathered her things and left.

Alice tried to make her way through the hall before Wendy could catch up with her. She slipped through the crowd left and right to her math class, and grabbed the door handle, allowing her to go safely inside. She slid into her desk and waited patiently for class to begin.

When the bell for lunch rang, Alice exited her classroom and looked out the windows by the doors to the building. The sky was a dark grey, and it looked as though a new inch of snow would add to the piles of slush already on the ground. She sighed, with her hand on the door handle. With little effort, she pushed the door open, and stepped with her rain boot into a pile of slush. Initially, she winced, but after a few steps she had adapted to her slippery environment.

"Alice?"

She turned around to see a bright face. She examined him, trying to identify the characteristics. She looked at his large snow boots, up to his pooped collar sticking out of his overcoat. She examined his freckled nose, and his red hair.

He took off his large top hat and smiled. Alice gasped in shock. She squinted and reevaluated the figure before her. "Tarrant?" She said quietly.

"Indeed." The boy smiled, his large front teeth showing.

She hugged him, happy to see him again. At first, he was in shock, but then looked down at how happy Alice was and wrapped an arm around her. His white gloved finger poked Alice in the shoulder and she let go. "Enough for now, my dear." He said an embarrassed look on his face.

Alice smiled brightly. "I wasn't sure if I would ever see you after that day you pulled a teapot out of your bag! I haven't seen you since!"

Tarrant replaced his hat. He scratched his head, and began to search through his pockets. "What's wrong?" Alice asked.

"I seem to have misplaced something." Tarrant said, looking up the sleeve of his overcoat.

He pulled a pair of mittens out and handed them to Alice. She looked at him as he pulled out buttons from his pocket, and handed his scarf to her. She couldn't help but giggle as she watched him.

"I seemed to have misplaced it." Tarrant said with a frown, "let's walk Alice!" He linked his arm into hers, while her hands were preoccupied with his belongings.

They walked to a table and Alice gingerly wiped the snow off the bench, Tarrant doing the same. Tarrant sat down immediately, and watched as Alice swung her over coat and legs into the opening on the bench, in the most awkward way.

Alice pulled out her lunch and began to eat. She noticed Tarrant wasn't eating at all. "Don't you eat at lunch?" She asked.

"Oh right!" He began, "hold on one second!"

Tarrant reached into his bag and pulled out a large cookie. Alice giggled at the sight of it. "You know what goes great with cookies, Alice?" He asked.

"What?" Alice giggled.

"Tea!" He said, pulling a small teapot out of his bag, followed by a teacup, saucer, and spoon.

He carefully poured a cup of tea. Alice smiled at the absurdity of the situation. "Tarrant, I think you've gone bonkers!" Alice cried.

"Me?" Tarrant asked, smiling at her.

"Yes! But I'll tell you a secret! All the best people are!" She smiled.

"Oh! For you dear Alice!" He said pulling a small card from his sleeve.

"'Have a wonderful day, Miss Liddell.'" She read, and then looked at Tarrant.

He smiled. "Just something I scratched out in English."

"Have you heard of the Winter Ball?" Alice asked.

"Is that the large event being put on for everyone in town this year? I heard the event is usually exclusive." Tarrant said, looking down.

"Yes, I heard everyone in town was invited, my sister is excited to go. It's her type of event, really. She likes people all dressed in stuffy outfits." Alice sighed.

"Are you going?" Tarrant asked.

"My whole family is going," Alice replied, "how about you?"

"I'm really not the dancing type." Tarrant laughed.

"Mathilda is taking me to the tailor this weekend to get a dress for the occasion." Alice sighed.

"Seems like a big deal!" Tarrant smiled.

The bell for lunch to end rang, and Alice gathered her belongs and began to walk to class. She suddenly stopped, and turned to see Tarrant struggling to get out of the table. She suppressed a giggle. "Tarrant? Will I see you after school?" She asked.

"I cannot answer that question at this time, Alice, for I do not know where the end of the day will take me." Tarrant replied.

Alice smiled and began to walk to class. She hurried to the locker room to change for P.E. she slipped on her gym shirt and shorts, and laced up her athletic shoes. Carefully, she pulled her hair up into a ponytail.

She exited the locker room and met Peter outside. The slush around was unsettling, and the chill in the air had Alice shivering. "Alice? Are you ok?" Peter asked.

"I'm fine." She lied.

"You look a little cold."

"It's fine, I'm sure were going inside soon." Alice reassured him.

The class was called inside the gym for physical fitness activities. Alice groaned. This activity required the class to be split into boys and girls. Peter shot her an apologetic look as he was herded off with the other boys.

Alice looked around at what was left of the girls. "Alice!" One girl called, "tell me about-what's his name?- Tarrant? How he comes and talked to you!" She laughed with a sinister smile.

Alice frowned, and tried to ignore the other girls. "What's it like to have an imaginary friend in high school?" Another girl asked.

Alice began to steam. She tried to control her temper. "Peter isn't here to stick up for you Alice!" A girl called.

Alice put her hands over her ears, trying to block out the voices. "What's wrong Alice?" The girls taunted.

"Stop!" She shouted.

The other girls laughed as Alice tried to hold back hot tears. The gym teacher blew the whistle to go change, and Alice ran to the locker room, tearing her sneakers off in the way there. She quickly changed back into her uniform, and stood by the edge of the gym waiting for Peter.

"Alice?" She heard Peter's voice.

He rounded the corner, and saw Alice. "Alice? What happened?"

He moved in to put an arm around her, and she put her hands to her face and started sobbing. Peter didn't ask any further questions. He pulled her in and let her sob on his shoulder.

The bell rang, and Alice looked up at Peter. "Time for class." He said quietly.

Alice walked slowly to her final period, only wishing the period would end sooner. She sat through the period, the clock moving too slow.

When the final bell rang, Alice gathered her things and darted from the classroom. She walked across the courtyard, scanning the campus for Tarrant. She frowned when she didn't see him, and continued walking toward the front gates.

Suddenly she noticed a large top hat resting against a tree. She quietly walked over to the tree. "Oh, Alice. I thought you weren't coming." Tarrant said, uninterested.

Alice laughed. "How were your last two periods?" She asked.

"Fine." Tarrant replied.

"Do you want to walk home with me? I have to leave, my sister is waiting to take me to the tailor today."

"Certainly," Tarrant smiled.

Alice managed her way through all the slush on the ground. She looked nervously at the ground, watching each of her steps. Tarrant carelessly stomped through the slush. They walked silently, separate in their own worlds. "Alice, why is everyone so excited about this Winter Ball anyway?" Tarrant asked.

"I dunno, formal occasions aren't really my type of occasion, but my parents are dragging me along." Alice replied.

They rounded the corner. Alice glanced at the window as they passed the diner. It was a force of habit, and she did it without thinking. They continued down the street, and Alice heard a high pitched giggle. Her face screw up from the awful sound. "I have Hercules wrapped around my finger, then he'll be all yours!" She heard a coy voice as they passed.

"Ha! It'll destroy Megara!" She heard a twisted laugh.

She looked at Tarrant, who appeared to have heard nothing. She paused for just a second. "It's the blonde twerp that hangs out with Megara!" She heard.

Three girls emerged from the shadows, surrounding Alice. "What did you hear?" The girl with thick black hair, the size of a tree trunk, asked.

"Nothing," Alice lied, her eyes wide.

"She's lying!" The blonde girl snarled.

Alice held her breath. The girls closed in on Alice. She looked around frantically. "Really Aurora, you guys, or girls rather, have nothing better to do than torture this girl for information she doesn't have?" Tarrant's voice slipped through the snarls of the girls.

The girls backed off Alice and turned to look at Tarrant. "Who are you?" Aurora asked.

"We're not playing games Aurora, you know very well who I am." Tarrant replied.

"Jasmine, do you hear a voice talking to me? I'm not sure, I just hear this irritating buzz, like a fly in my ear!" Aurora replied.

Jasmine nodded. Aurora looked back at Tarrant with a smirk. "Aurora, I'm not playing games, leave Alice alone." Tarrant said firmly.

Aurora looked at Tarrant. "Who are you?" She asked playfully.

Alice watched the two of them. "So?" And slick voice rang in her ear, "are you gonna tell us or not?" It said grabbing one of her wrists.

Alice gasped. She turned to see Drizella. "You could be the perfect bait!" She smiled.

From the shadows, Jasmine's boyfriend, Aladdin, emerged. "Al, hold her down!" Drizella called.

Alice watched Cinderella's step sister as she whispered in Jasmine's ear. Aladdin gripped Alice's wrists. "Aurora let her go." Tarrant said, calmly.

"Not until she tells me what I want to hear!" Aurora replied.

"Aurora, let her go!" Tarrant repeated, raising his voice.

Aurora smiled at him. "No need to get angry, Tarrant." She smiled.

"You do remember!" He smiled.

Aurora looked in shock. "W-what? I-I mean who are you?"

Tarrant smiled. "Let her go, or I will tell everyone you know me."

Aurora was speechless. Her mouth hung open, searching for a rebuttal. "Aurora, didn't you ever learn that it's rude to leave your mouth hanging open?" Tarrant teased.

"Al, let her go." Aurora finally said, looking at the ground. "You win today Tarrant." She said quietly.

Aladdin released Alice, and Alice ran to Tarrant and wrapped her arms around him. She was much shorter than him, and she rested her head on his chest. Aurora took her friends and left.

Tarrant made the motion to move, but Alice stayed. "Thank you." She said softly.

He smiled, and she let go. He wrapped an arm around her shoulder and walked her the rest of the way home. As they reached her house, Alice could see the glowing light of the Christmas tree in their window. She glanced across the street at the Darling house, only to see Wendy frown and draw her drapes as Alice looked up.

"So I guess this is good bye." Tarrant said quickly.

"Indeed." Alice replied.

She waved as she skipped up the steps. "Alice! I told you to be home right after school!" He sister called.

"Well, some things came up." She said sternly.

Her sister replied with only a displeased look. "We need to get to the tailor Alice!"

She followed her sister out to the car, and got inside. Her sister began to talk about styles of ball gowns, but Alice's mind began to wander. She looked out the car window, and watches as the scenery blurred by.

The car came to a stop as it pulled into a parking space. Alice looked at her sister, who was turning off the car. Alice unbuckled her seatbelt. She opened the car door and hopped out. "Why are we at the train station, Mathilda?" She asked.

"Alice, if you were listening, you would have heard the best tailor is downtown, we have to ride the train to get there." Mathilda replied impatiently.

Mathilda purchased tickets for the train, and they waited on the platform. When the train arrived, they boarded. Alice sat quietly on the train as it made stops. Her mind was wandering again, recalling the day's events. "Alice! We're getting off!" Mathilda called.

Alice followed after her sister. "Honestly, you're worse than a toddler," Mathilda muttered.

They walked down the street, and stopped at the Tailor's door. Mathilda pushed Alice inside. The tailor greeted them. She quickly pulled a large catalog with all kinds of dresses and options. She smiled as Mathilda flipped through them with Alice.

Each time Mathilda asked her a question, Alice would shrug. Alice chose a few simple styles, and the tailor took her to select fabrics as Mathilda looked through the book for her own choices.

"What color dear?" The tailor asked, "a nice pale blue would go well with those flowing golden locks, or perhaps a nice shade of green?"

"Pale blue sounds nice." Alice said.

The tailor opened a large door in the back room of the shop. Alice looked at it with wide eyes. "Go ahead in." She smiled.

Alice took a step inside the door, and found she had stepped in a room with walls covered in bolts of fabric. "Now dear, here is my selection of fabric I usually use for formal gowns." The tailor pointed to a section of the wall. Alice picked a satin that was a light sky blue. Her sister entered the room and selected a shade of purple.

The tailor took Alice and had her stand on a box as she measured a hoop skirt and underskirts to Alice, and then her sister. "So I here this ball is going to be a night to remember!" The tailor smiled.

"It's so exciting they're opening it to the public and people of all ages this year!" Mathilda replied.

Mathilda paid the tailor, and they exited the shop. They hurried onto the busy street. Alice followed along after her sister. They made it back to the train station and boarded the train.

As the train made scheduled stops, Alice looked out the window, and her mind began to wander. At one particular stop in the agricultural part of the route, she looked out to see a small white rabbit in the field. Her brow furrowed as she stared at it. It appeared to be staring back at her.

The train began to move again, and she continued to look out the window. "Curiouser and curiouser," she said softly.

When the train arrived at their stop, they got off and walked across the parking lot. As they got in the car and began to move again, Alice stared out the window once more.

She rested her head on the door as her sister drove them home. They pulled into their driveway, and Mathilda parked the car, and they got out. When Alice walked inside, Dinah was curled up by the door. She stood up and rubbed her head on Alice's leg. "Hello Dinah!"

"Mreow?" The kitten responded.

Alice swooped down and picked up the kitten and carried her upstairs. She walked into her room and put Dinah on her bed. The kitten immediately curled up and fell asleep.

Alice sat on her bed and pet Dinah softly as the kitten purred. Alice smiled and couldn't wait for the semester to be over.