A/N: Hey guys. Man, I have way too many plots in my head. But after trying to resist this show I couldn't help it. I'm really enjoying it. I enjoy all kinds of feedback. Hope you guys enjoy.

"Shiver and quiver, little tree. Silver and gold throw down over me," Ria whispered to herself as she looked out the backseat window. She wore a tight short silver dress, much to her annoyance. How she wished she could have stayed home. Yet, she couldn't. Not only was she being semi-forced to go out. She was also, in a way, going to live a fantasy. She was going to be Cinderella, except, she didn't have a midnight curfew.

She could already imagine it. Walking into the crowded party room, only to have the people part and stare at her. Starling City's prince, Oliver Queen, spots her. He is enchanted and walks over to her. And…

Ria shook her head. It was a silly thought. She wouldn't be able to handle it if people stared at her. No, she would be the quiet one. Just a pair of eyes, staring at the people who laughed, dance, partied, and had fun. If she was lucky she would catch a glimpse of Oliver. But she wouldn't talk to him. She couldn't. Katie would kill her. She was only coming because Katie, her roommate, needed two friends.

"Okay," Katie said, before smacking her gum. She held a little makeup mirror to her face and quickly retouched the makeup that was on her face. "So, we're a part of their group. Okay?" she asked as she moved the mirror over her head and fixed the single strand that seemed to be out of place.

"Sure," Ria replied as she sat up straighter and pulled her short dress down. She was in the car with her two roommates.

"I can't believe we're doing this!" Alice squealed as she clutched the steering wheel.

"We're a part of them, Alice!" Katie snapped. "No pretending like we don't fit in. Oh, and if any of you bitches get kicked out don't you dare get me kicked with ya. I don't know you, if you can't fit in. Trust me, if you get me kicked out as well, there'll be hell to pay. You two live with me."

Ria rolled her eyes. It wasn't like this was the first or last party that Oliver Queen would host. He had already hosted a few parties after his return, having spent five years alone on an island. But Ria, Alice and Katie were never invited. But why would they be? They were middle class at best. They lived in a decent apartment, slightly closer to the slums then they would have liked, well, closer than Alice or Katie would have liked. Ria cared little about where she lived, as long as she could sleep and eat in peace. She had lived in worse. But it was Katie's doing that got them into the party. And Ria had to admit, only to herself, she was curious as to what happens at a rich boy's party.

"I can't believe you got us in," Alice squealed again as she hoped up and down.

"Oh my god, like, chill out, Alice!" Katie snapped, trying her best to sound snotty.

Ria tuned the two women out and focused back at the passing city. She had arrived a few days before Oliver. Of course, there was no one to greet her. She didn't receive a fanfare, despite returning home. Well, not exactly home. She had lived in the city for a short while when she was seven, but it was the best time of her life that she could remember. Laugh and play. The memories brought a smile to her face. And then her mother died and her father moved again. It was that brief moment of happiness that brought her back, hoping she could recreate those feelings.

She had found Katie's advertisement for a roommate on a website, and only showed up for the appointment before Katie accepted her. Almost immediately, Ria regretted her decision to stay. Katie and her were almost polar opposites. While Katie loved to party, Ria preferred to spend her nights quietly in her room. Katie was having none of it most of the time.

"Got that, Riri?" Katie asked, interrupting Ria's musing.

She let out a sigh. "It's just Ria, Katie. Not Riri or Ira or Rara or anything else. Just Ria," she couldn't help but snap. She hated when people gave her a nickname and insisted on it despite her dislike.

"Whatever," Katie said, waving her hand in the air.

"And no, get what?"

"You need to pay attention. Keeping your head who knows where and you'll be the first to get kicked out. Leave that silly book of yours behind. We're here to party not read or write," she huffed.

Ria discreetly put her small pocketbook into her purse. "Sure, Katie," she lied.

"Park here, park here!" Katie screamed, causing Alice to grab the wheel and slam on the breaks. They could hear the cars behind them come to a halting stop and honk at them at the same time.

Ria touched her forehead. She could feel a headache coming.

"Here," Katie said, tossing a small bottle of pills back to her. She could tell that Ria was going to get a headache.

"Thanks," Ria said, but put the bottle in the pocket in the back of the seat.

The three women stepped out of the car at nearly the same time. Katie smacked her gum again before spitting it out.

"We better hurry," Katie said as she briskly made her way down the street. It didn't take the girls long to get to the back of a building. Katie whipped out her phone and texted someone before putting it back in her little purse.

"God, it's cold," Alice huffed as she wrapped her arms around her body and hopped up and down.

Finally, the door opened and a man wearing a caterer's suit glared at them.

"God dammit, Katie," the man said, allowing the three girls to enter. "I said at 10:00, not 10:30."

"Hey Jeremy," Ria said, recognizing Katie's brother.

"Hey Ria," he said, giving her his best smile, before quickly escorting them through the halls.

"Thanks, Jer," Katie mumbled.

"Here," he said, handing them three laced masks.

"What's this?" Katie asked.

"Last minute. Mr. Queen's making fun of that green vigilante dude. You know, he wears that deep hood. So all Queen's guests are wearing masks, masks better than hood I guess." He shrugged. "Probably won't last a night. Anyway, I got these for ya."

Katie smiled and clapped her hands excitedly as she put the mask on. "Oh, I love it," she whispered.

"Hold on," Jeremy said as he opened a door and peaked through. "Okay, go go!"

The three girls quickly entered the main room. Within seconds both Alice and Katie disappeared into the crowd leaving Ria standing alone. It didn't matter. Everyone was drinking, talking, or dancing to notice her.

"You stick out like a sore thumb," Jeremy whispered to her.

She nodded and slowly made her way toward a group of people talking. Out of the corner of her eye she could see Katie already flirting with a guy.

"You would think that five years alone on an island would change a man," one of the women, in the group Ria was going to join, said.

"Alone? I read in a paper that he was tortured there," one of the men replied. "From lack of women."

The group laughed.

"Can't imagine living five years alone on an island without a woman around," the same man mused.

"I wish I were with him. Imagine. Spending five years on an island alone with him?" another woman cooed. "We would…"

"Hey," the first man interjected. "What about me?"

"Oh, baby, I love ya, but I'm sorry. Oliver is just hot," the woman replied. "Stranded on an island with him…"

Ria moved away from them. She didn't care much for gossip. Whether true or not, the man deserved his privacy. Her head started to thump as her little headache started to get bigger. She glanced around trying to figure out which group to join. She wasn't the best at mingling when it came to people she didn't know.

She spotted some stairs and quickly headed up them, entering the second floor. Immediately, she regretted her decision when she spotted a couple on a little couch. The party was barely started, but the two near her seemed oblivious to it and her as they kissed.

Ria moved away, giving them privacy despite the fact that they were in a somewhat public place. She felt silly, as if she were hiding from the participants of the party. It wasn't as if they even noticed she was around. The second floor was open so that she could look down into the crowd. She finally stopped and slightly leaned against the railing as she looked down at the people.

The people below her looked as if they were having fun as they talked, drank, and a few danced. She closed her eyes and tapped her foot as the music filled her body and her headache eased. It was so strange that, despite the beat of the music, it made her feel so free.

"Not enjoying the party?" a man asked her.

She jumped and gasped in surprise as she turned to look at the speaker. "You scared me," she said, placing her hand on her chest, trying to ease her pounding heart.

"Sorry," he said as he raised his hands in the air, showing her he had no weapons.

"I'm actually enjoying it a lot," she said with a smile. "They're enjoying it too."

"Oh?" he asked with raised eyebrows.

"Sure. I mean look at them. Able to drink for free and gossip to their heart's content. Or if some want they can dance." She pointed to a young woman who wiggled her body as the group next to her talked. "A few can hook up. All thanks to Mister Oliver Queen."

He laughed. "He hasn't been the only one to host a party," he pointed out.

She shrugged. "But compare this party to say one that his mother does. Not saying she makes bad parties. But they are a bit more formal with major consequences if you make a mistake or don't completely socialize. What other social function is there that allows people of a similar age to 'cut loose' so to speak?"

He chuckled as she smiled at him. "Well, sometimes there are dire consequences to those who do make fools of themselves."

"Ah!" she said, almost too excitedly. "But that's where the masks come in."

"Oh?"

She nodded her head. "Sure," she said. "I mean, look. Some people are easily recognizable mask or no mask. But the masks offer a sort of anonymity. I'm sure if you quietly make your way toward any group you can easily merge in with them and hear things that they may or may not say otherwise. Sure, people may know who is talking or acted terribly, but having a mask almost pardons the behavior. They may get in a little trouble, but won't be socially outcast for however long of a time." She shrugged her shoulders.

He laughed, shaking his head. "I guess that makes sense to a point," he said.

The crowd slowly parted, causing Ria to perk up and watch as a particularly beautiful woman walked past. A few men broke off from their prospective groups and quickly surrounded this woman.

"Princess Incognita," she whispered.

"What?" he asked her.

"Oh, sorry," Ria said. She could feel her cheeks go red. "Ever seen The Slipper and the Rose?"

"I haven't been around," he said.

She sighed. "Well, probably not a movie you would like. It's old. Been out since 1976. Cinderella story. Anyway, Cinderella enters the ball and uses the name Princess Incognita. Her entrance kind of reminded me of a Cinderella entrance. You know. The beauty walks in and suddenly all the men want to make her acquaintance."

He chuckled.

"Oh gosh," she said, finally looking over at him. "I'm sorry. I'm being rude. Name's Ria."

"Ria?" he asked as they shook hands.

"Well, nickname," she said.

"And your real name?"

She shook her head. "Oh no," she said. "First, you'll only laugh. And then you'll try to give me a worse nickname. As it is some people try to give me a nickname with Ria. Riri, Rara, even Ira or Iras. The problem with those two is that in Spanish ira means anger, rage, wrath." She chuckled shaking her head. "Sorry, I'm rambling."

He laughed. "I promise I won't laugh at your real name."

"Ollie!" Tommy shouted, causing the two to look over at him.

"Yes, Tommy," Oliver said as he raised his mask. Tommy had apparently ditched his mask somewhere. He gave Ria a puzzled look before he focused his attention on his friend.

"Rebecca's been looking for you. Your mother had me swear that you would be nice and talk to her. Hi," he waved at Ria.

"Hello," she said.

Oliver let out a sigh. "Alright," he said. "I'll be right there."

"I don't think we've met, name's Tommy," he said, reaching past Oliver and smiling at Ria.

"Ria," she said, shaking his hand.

"Mind if I steal him for a moment?"

She shrugged. "Not like I had dibs or anything," she said. Mentally, she slammed her palm into her face. Dibs?

He laughed. "Good to meet you, Ria," he said as he pulled Oliver away.

"Nice to meet you, Ria," Oliver called out.

"Same," she replied. She waited for the two to disappear down the stairs before she rushed to a chair and sat down. Her heart raced in her chest. She had spoken, more like rambled, to Oliver Queen. She quickly checked back on their conversation. Had she made a fool of herself? Why hadn't she recognized him? His face was in all the papers constantly since his return, almost as much as the vigilante.

She shook her head, giving up on her recollection. Her mind kept on going back to her saying 'dibs'. Yeah, she had to have made a fool of herself somehow. Cinderella! She had mentioned a fairytale to him. Did he think that she was trying to hint at something?

"Ugh," she whispered to herself. "You're such a dumbass." She stood up and straightened her dress before letting out a deep sigh. Well, she couldn't keep on hiding, even though no one, except for Oliver, seemed to notice her. Still, better not to have Katie angry at her. They were roommates after all.

It didn't take her long to reach the main floor and return to the party. She easily spotted Oliver this time. A crowd surrounded him from all sides as he raised his glass in the air. She didn't hear what he was saying, nor did it matter. He fit in so easily with the crowd. She couldn't help but be mesmerized.

The emotions around her quickly shifted from partying to hostility.

"Ollie!" Thea shouted just as a man pushed his way through the crowd. Everyone seemed surprised by the man's actions and quickly moved away, giving him a clear entrance in which to escape.

Ria didn't wait a minute as she turned and ran through the back. She hoped she was correct in her assumptions. She reached the door and waited.

"Three, two, one," she whispered before throwing her entire body into the door. If she was wrong then she would look foolish to no one. She wasn't.

"Shit!" a man shouted. "You hit me, you bitch!" He screamed, holding onto his nose. She had hit him with the door. He raised his right hand, and she saw the distinct outline of a gun. She slammed her high heel into his foot, causing him to scream again, before jabbing his stomach with her elbow. She pulled the gun out of his hands and jumped back, holding it up toward his face.

"The purse please," she asked, holding out her left hand.

They both heard the shouting of people. He threw the purse at her and she easily caught it with one hand. Her vision flashed red, causing her to moan and lower the gun.

"I'll teach you," the man snarled as he rushed at her.

She couldn't move. Her head hurt too much. She tensed her body, waiting for the punch to come. But it never did.

"That's no way to treat a lady," a gruff voice snapped as he threw the man back.

"Screw you," the man snapped at them as he scurried to his feet and ran off.

"Go," she said as she slowly got to her feet. "Get him." Her vision finally cleared and she realized that the vigilante was in front of her.

"Are you…"

"I know you don't normally go after those guys," she interrupted. "But he tried to hit me. Hurry before he gets away."

The man nodded and quickly ran after the fleeing thief.

Ria leaned against the wall before moving away from the party. She didn't notice that she still held onto Thea Queen's handbag. Nor did she realize that she had left her purse on the ground behind her. Exhaustion filled her body and mind. All she wanted to do was go home, fall asleep and pray that the headache would be gone in the morning.