The first week the Wonderland students arrive at Auradon Prep, nobody pretends to be welcoming.

Whispers follow them through the halls. Tables go silent when they sit down. Even some teachers seem unsure of what to do with them.

And Guest Kingsley hates it.

Not because she's one of them.

Because she's not.

Born and raised in Auradon, daughter of the famous Alice Kingsley—the girl who discovered Wonderland long before any of this—Guest had spent her whole life hearing stories without ever meeting a single Wonderland kid.

Until now.

And somehow, the first one to become interested in her just had to be Max Hatter.

Everyone knew Max was strange.

Not dangerous strange.

Wonderland strange.

The kind that smiled at things nobody else saw, spoke in riddles, and laughed to himself when his thoughts got ahead of his mouth.

But what nobody knew—

Was that Max Hatter had become utterly fascinated with Alice's daughter.

He'd grown up hearing stories of Alice from his father. The Mad Hatter spoke of her with fondness, calling her his dearest friend, his partner in impossible adventures.

And then Max met Guest. And it was over.

Not that he'd actually introduced himself properly.

No, "meeting" wasn't quite the right word.

It started with Max quietly following her around campus.

Not in a creepy way— Well, maybe a little.

But mostly because he kept losing his nerve.

He'd wait until she wandered off alone—to the library, the rose garden, empty hallways between classes—and then suddenly appear with that lopsided grin and too-bright eyes.

"You're Alice's daughter, aren't you?" he'd asked the first time, practically materializing beside her.

Guest nearly dropped her books.

"And you are—"

"Max Hatter!" he'd said excitedly. "My father says your mother once convinced him that clouds taste different depending on the weather. Is that true? Do you like tea? Do you hate tea? What's your favorite color? Do you dream in color? What's your favorite flower? Why do people in Auradon walk so fast?"

He'd asked so much so quickly she could barely answer before the bell rang.

And then he'd vanish. Only to find her again later. And again. And again. Always when she was alone. Always with another hundred questions. Always smiling like she'd hung the stars.

Because Max was going mad. Not angry mad. Not dangerous mad. Wonderland mad.

Hopelessly, impossibly obsessed with knowing everything about Guest.

Auradon barely tolerated the Wonderland kids.

Seeing Alice Kingsley's daughter—the perfectly respectable Auradon girl—spending time with the Mad Hatter's son?

People would talk. People already talked enough. So their conversations remained hidden.

Behind bookshelves in the library. Under the old willow tree after classes.

And every time Max saw her, his face lit up like she'd stepped straight out of one of his father's stories.

"Guest!" he'd whisper excitedly, appearing seemingly from nowhere. "Quick question before anyone sees—what's your favorite impossible thing?"

And somehow, despite herself, Guestwould smile.

Because Max Hatter looked at her like she'd fallen straight out of a fairytale.

And perhaps the maddest thing of all— Was that she was beginning to look forward to being followed.