Chapter 2: Princesses on Parade

The pretty pink door was a barricade to a war zone.

Within the dressing room princesses where attacked by mushroom clouds of blush, toxic wafts of perfume, swamps of lip-gloss, and lethal four inch heels.

Fairy-godmothers flocked the skies, mending imperfections for their respective godchildren. Those without fairy-godmothers were helped by animal friends. And those without animal friends invested deep faith in her natural beauty.

Mirrors were crowed with puckered lips and dramatic poses, reflecting each princess's confidence that she was going to be belle-of-the-ball. Only one contestant's eyes were downcast from the mirrors.

Wendy sat alone.

Separated from the intimidating glamour, her hair still wet from the shower and dripping onto her bathrobe, Wendy turned a perfume bottle over her hands, pretending not to hear the gossip.

"She's not even a princess."

"You don't have to be a princess to be nominated, you know."

"Well you would know best, Mulan."

"What was she nominated for?"

"Most likely smallest cup size."

"Such a waste of time: she doesn't have anything to wear."

"Look at her just sitting there. I bet she doesn't know the difference between eyeliner and lipstick."

"Why was she even nominated?"

Wendy bit her lip. Why was she even nominated?

The pink door bulged under the weight of the ballroom music. A fresh rush of anxiety dispersed the gossiping princesses as the good fairies twittered over their heads, "Almost time ladies! Make haste! Make haste!"

"Oh land sakes!" Charlotte La-Bouffe – honorary princess – bounced across the dressing room, flinging glitter in her wake, "Isn't this just a'thirlling! So much to absorb! I'm jittery as a tadpole! Oh Princess Cinderella, do those glass slippers need a'buffin? Oh Princess Aurora, decafe or caffine? Oh Princess Rapunzel, I see your comb there over yonder! Oh Princess Snow White, here's that lipstick you wanted!"

Flipping back her obsidian bob, Snow White shook her head.

"No need, Charlotte." Refused the pale princess in a voice like poisoned honey. "I want a different hue."

Regally, Snow White reached across Wendy and plucked a lipstick from the girl's vanity. Invading the mirror space, the princess smoothed the lipstick across her thick lips. With a finishing smack, she turned imperially to Wendy.

"Blood red."

Wendy tried to smile, though she felt very small.

"You…look so pretty." She offered timidly, as Snow White dabbed delicately at her mascara. Breathing deeply, Wendy watched Snow White inspect her flawless milky skin. "I...I wish that I knew how to…well…how put all this on as well as you."

Searching Snow White's reflection for the slightest acknowledgment, Wendy ventured again, "I've never used make up, you see. And…my mother wasn't allowed to come in with me."

Snow White paused, index finger suspended over her eyebrow. A vanity aside, Aurora and Jasmine exchanged sly grins.

"Never?" asked Snow White, still looking in the mirror.

Wendy shook her head. "Never."

"And never." Aurora gushed, slinking behind Wendy, "Is an awfully long time. Right, Darling?"

"And this is a whole new world for you," said Jasmine, jumping into the triangle.

"On your first Disney Oscars nomination." added Snow White, twirling Wendy's pony tail – a little too tightly. "Would you like a princess makeover?"

Wendy's face glowed. "Truly?"

"Truly." Auroa chimed, spinning Wendy's back to the mirror. "Anything for a fellow nominee."

Wendy smiled but couldn't help squeezing her fingers together as the princesses converged, holding all sorts of cosmetics like switch knives. "Thank you so much. It's awfully sweet of – ouch!"

"Just eyeliner." Jasmine purred, pointing to her own eyes. "Like what I'm wearing. See? It brings out your eyes. Really makes them pop."

"Oh…well…if you say – "

"So what were you nominated for?" Snow White interrupted, smothering something sweet and gooey onto Wendy's lips. Trying to suppress a cough, Wendy fought to sit upright.

"Well…I uh…I don't know. But my mother said no one knows until Mickey calls them to stage –"

Aurora laughed. The perfume vials quavered. "Silly! Everyone has at least some idea! You know…like Audrey and Mulan are eternally in the running for Biggest Jocks."

Wendy cringed as Jasmine jabbed a curler at her eyelashes.

"Jane and Belle…Biggest Nerds."

Snow White blew pink powder. Wendy sneezed.

"Esmerelda, Jessica, Megara… Biggest Slu—um –Sexiest."

"Oh how funny, I have it!" Aurora leaned over Wendy's shoulder, "Do you think you got nominated for Sexiest?"

Wendy gagged.

"Me?" Red with unfounded embarrassment, Wendy shook her head. "Oh no. Oh goodness no –"

"Awwww look at her, that's so adorable." Snow White angled a thin eyebrow. "Don't be shy. You must think you're pretty. Don't you?"

Frozen with indecision, Wendy mouthed shapeless answers. "…I...I…well…" Other princesses were pausing to stare. Some were suppressing giggles. Some were shaking their heads. Wendy's face burned under the attention as Aurora and Jasmine smeared makeup over her face while commanding her to admit she was pretty.

"Don't fret, little Darling." Show White suddenly interrupted. With an acidic smile, she turned Wendy's face to the vanity. "Just look. See how pretty you are now?"

Wendy's mouth dropped.

Disgustingly vibrant colors caked her face. Blue lips, pink concealer, green mascara, and an assortment of purple beauty marks complete with a thin black moustache and monocle sketched with eye liner.

Wendy blinked and body glitter sprinkled over her cheeks. Numbly, she looked up into the barrel of a levitating blowdrier. Tinkerbell sneered briefly before powering the blowdrier into Wendy's eyes. The body glitter heated and crusted over her skin.

"Stop it! Please!" Wendy batted at the blowdrier, then at the mirror (which was also chuckling). The blowdrier reeled, bucking Tinkerbell like a donkey but the laughter of the princesses surpassed the roar.

"Let's do her hair next!"

"Someone grab my crimper!"

"Gel! Hand me the gel!"

"Little Miss Quasimodo!"

"Think you can be a real princess now, do you?"

"The gel! Here! Now hold still…"

"Eh hem! Eh hem! Ladies."

Glittering in pink, Minnie Mouse stood in the pink doorway. She was a petite presence, from her hot pink heels to velvet ears, but her shadow cut deeply into the guilty scene. She couldn't see what was wrong, but her ears were perked suspiciously.

"Mickey started the opening ceremonies." Minnie finally said, un-squinting her long eyelashes. "Line up alphabetically Ladies. Just like we practiced. By first name."

"Miss Minnie." Aurora and Ariel drooled, half crouched over the legendary mouse. "Miss Minnie, it's an honor. Such an honor! Please…don't we look splendid? What do you really think?"

Minnie's eyes flickered. Here lips seemed engaged in a tug-of-war game, as if her mouth was holding back what she really thought. Her gaze swept across the flustered dressing room, but the source of commotion was blocked by miles of chiffon skirts.

"Follow me." Minnie said stiffly. Spinning militaristically on her heel, Minnie Mouse marched the procession of princesses to the grand ballroom where Mickey waited.

Snow White floated from the dressing room with careless consideration for the disaster she left behind. After all, she was the first Disney Princess, thus deserved every reward Mickey had to offer. She was the fairest in all the land. And she would not allow anyone, not even a little girl, to dispute that.

Obediently, the other princesses followed Snow White. Only Mulan, goaded by Merida, silently placed a towel in Wendy's lap to express her empathy.

Wendy buried her head, letting the tears dampen the towel.

"It's not fair!" she cried into the towel. "I can't be pretty! I can't be beautiful! I can't be a princess! I can't. I can't. I can't!"

Smudging the rest of the horrible makeup off her skin, Wendy ripped her nightgown from the rack. As the hanger swung, she ran to the pink door.

But before she reached the handle, the door opened.

And smiling there, black eyes sparkling, was Peter Pan.