Disney Memorial Academy had an impressive reputation, being highly distinguished in the eyes of colleges, even despite the stark diversity of the student body. The founder of the prestigious high school had insisted that at least a third of the students needed to be scholarship students, kids that had the potential but not the funds.
It might've been a noble ambition, to give kids a chance to wish upon their stars and have a hope of achieving something. But because of the cost of so many scholarship students, the tuition for non-need-based students skyrocketed and only the very richest of parents could afford to send their children to the academy. So now, there was a great divide between the students, one that was invisible but absolutely apparent to everyone and anyone that looked in on the institution.
And Mickey De Primo was there everyday, working in the school that was his pride and joy. He, himself, had attended the Academy in its first years and had even met Walt Disney, the man behind the idea. It worried the man to see such distance between the two factions of students.
But as he watched the kids milling around in the Courtyard from his high office window, Principal De Primo came to the conclusion that it wasn't because they couldn't get along; they just didn't try. It was possible for the two groups to mingle. He was sure of it.
Principal De Primo's widow's peak wrinkled as he witnessed a few students from each half of the Courtyard standing up to leave at the same time; the two groups met at the steps, stopped as they caught sight of each other, and then the students without designer clothing stepped back and allowed the others to go first.
With certain groups, the situation would've played out with a little less finesse. There had been quite a few scuffles throughout the school's history, nothing too extraordinary but enough to annoy the staff every month and keep the Vice Principal, Donald Whitefeather, on edge.
Mickey sighed, thinking, If only there was something to bring everyone on the same level… no differences… no names or expensive clothing to distinguish the rich from the poor…
The Principal's dark eyes suddenly lit up and he spun around excitedly, striding across his office to open the door with a flourish.
The dark-haired woman at the desk just outside his door was startled by his sudden appearance, dropping a stack of papers with a little scream.
"Minnie, I've got an idea," Mickey said.
"Mickey," the woman gasped, bending down in her chair to clean up the papers. "You scared me half to death."
"When is the first time the Courtyard is free with a feasible amount of time to plan and organize a dance?"
Minnie sat back up. "What are you talking about, Mickey?" she asked in a sweet, very high-pitched voice. "We already have a dance coming up. Homecoming is right around the corner…"
"No, no, no, that's organized by the Student Government. I'm going to make this dance a mandatory masquerade…"
Minnie stood up, her eyebrow still raised suspiciously, and straightened her polka-dot skirt. "Mickey, we both know that you are against masquerades because of the high-risk of party-crashers. What are you up to?"
Mickey smiled.