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Rose
Rose had waited four years for this paper he was holding in his hands:
Dear Rose,
Welcome to the School for Good and Evil. For thousands of years, the greatest of heroes and villains have come through our classrooms before they ventured into the Endless Woods to find their stories.
Enclosed is your ticket into your school and we are anxious to meet and enlighten you in what it means to be Good and what it means to be Evil. We thank-you for submitting an application even with the events that occurred with the last class. We assure everyone that the schools have returned to their glory and is perfectly safe.
We anticipate your arrival in a fortnight. Welcome to the School for Good and Evil where fairy tales are real.
Prof. Clarissa Dovey...Sophie of Gavaldon
Dean of Good Dean of Evil
That had been almost a fortnight ago. Rose left for the School for Good and Evil today. His parents had been outraged when they found out he had submitted an application to the school with what had happened Millicent's year and all. It had all of the kingdoms concerned about the school and everyone was hoping the school would be shut down for good with the Headmasters gone. This letter he held in his hands told him that that was not so. It also told him his dreams of becoming a Prince of the Woods were not shattered.
Rose grabbed his luggage and quickly hauled it downstairs where his grandmother and step-grandfather were waiting for him. They were the only ones excited for him on his way to the famed school.
"There's the Prince-to-be," Rose's Grandmother fawned. She licked her finger and rubbed his face, even though there was nothing there. "Are you ready for school? You'll be charming the skirts off of those princesses tomorrow!"
Rose blushed as Jack and his grandmother chuckled. The only perk of age seemed to be getting to say whatever came to your mind without being scolded. "Off, you go. It's time to start your own adventure! The Flowergrounds will take you there. We will take care of your luggage. We hope to hear all about it! Be sure to write!" and they pushed him out the door.
Rose wandered out of the castle walls a short ways off to a pumpkin patch. He found the purple pumpkins and lifted the top up much as one would the lid of a teapot. A thin caterpillar in a violet velvet tuxedo and matching top hat was revealed. He snatched the ticket from Rose's hand.
"No spitting, sneezing, singing, sniffling, swinging, swearing, slapping, sleeping, or urinating in the Flowerground. Violations will result in removal of your clothes. All aboard!"
A vine whipped out and yanked Rose in. He held his screams as swirls of purples, greens, and blues flashed by him. The vines spewed him out into a tunnel and hooked him into an ivy harness. The maze of lines bounced about as he rode it and he felt nervousness get to him. He was concerned he might hurl, but then thought, does hurling count as spitting? And held it in as best he could.
The vines pulled Rose up into a churning wind wheel of gold light and he felt wind, then air, then earth as his arms unfurled into the sky and bloomed out of the ground like the flower he was named after.
Rose found himself besides a glistening lake where around him he watched girls blossom up out of the ground like he had. The girls were gowned beautifully with an array of bright colors. They each had delicate matching slippers and their hair tumbled in shimmering gold, sparkling ebony, waves of fire, and all other beautiful colors.
Rose grew concerned, however. For they were all girls. Remembering what Millicent had told him about her second year here Rose glanced up at the golden gates arching the words:
The School for Good
Enlightenment and Enchantment
So it wasn't a school just for girls. Then where were the other boys? Rose's thoughts were interrupted as he felt a shove from behind. Upon a glance he saw three fairies pushing him towards the handsome ivory castle adorned with diamonds.
As the fairies herded the girls and Rose into the castle, Rose's concern about being the only boy returned. The girls in front of Rose kept glancing back at him and giggling. Then they would hover together in a gaggle and giggle. He felt the bridge of his nose burn red. Once all of the girls and Rose were inside a tall nymph towered over the children, "Welcome, New Princesses. Welcome to the School of Good."
Rose of House of Beauty
GOOD, 1st Year
Purity Tower 51
1: BEAUTIFICATION...,...,...,... Prof. Emma Anemone
2: PRINCESS ETIQUETTE...,...,...,...,...,...,...,...,. Pollux
3: ANIMAL COMMUNICATION...,...,...,... Princess Uma
4: HISTORY of HEROISM...,.. Prof. Sophie of Gavaldon
5: LUNCH XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
6: GOOD DEEDS...,...,...,...,...,..., Prof. Clarissa Dovey
7: SURVIVING FAIRY TALES... Charlotte the Centaur
(FOREST GROUP #5)
This is when Rose paled. This is when Rose knew something had to be wrong, without a doubt. Especially with the staff lined in front of the four staircases giving him confused looks. Rose turned back to the nymph hovering over him who handed Rose a piece of parchment.
"There must be a mistake!" Rose exclaimed to the nymph, "Princess Etiquette? I'm here to be a prince! I'm a boy!" The nymph just smiled and handed another girl her schedule. A different nymph, this one with bright pink hair, handed Rose a stack of books and Rose blanched at the titles:
~The Privilege of Beauty
~Winning your Prince
~The Recipe Book for Good Looks
~Princess with a Purpose
~Animal Speech 1: Barks, Neighs and Chirps
Rose wanted to scream as a nymph with orange hair handed him his uniform: a short pink pinafore, sleeves poofed with carnations, worn over a white lace blouse that seemed to be missing three buttons.
While the other girls flounced up the pink staircases Rose stood where he was gaping at the clothing and books he now held. Rose looked at the teachers, who were looking back at him. Finally, one stepped out of the line and approached him.
She asked, "Are you Rose of the House of Beauty?"
Stiffly, Rose nodded.
The teacher frowned and crossed her arms. She thought for a moment then said, "I can see what I can do to get you into prince classes, but I can make no promises. I must uphold the delicate balance in the schools. To enroll you as a prince would mean two more boys than we have girls. But I shall see what I can do. Meanwhile, I suggest you go to your room and change."
Fairies shoved me away from the woman left deep in thought and Rose felt the eyes of the rest of the faculty watch me as he ascended the staircase marked Purity. At the fifth floor Rose found room 51 with a sparkling note: "Welcome Lily, Mia, Rose!"
Rose stood by hearing Lily and Mia gossiping about what Rose would be like. Would she be funny? Would her favorite color be coral? Would the three of them stay up late into the night painting nails lathering moisturizer onto their faces?
When Rose walked in both of them went silent. Mia with her dark glowing skin and neon pink lips and nails blanched. Lily with her golden hair and lily pad colored eyes glanced at the uniform he held and the books in his basket and frowned, "Are you Rose?"
Rose only nodded.
"Nuh-uh. No way. I am not sharing a room with a boy." Mia stood up tall and brushed her pink skirts. She patted her puffy hair and grabbed her things. "I am sure I can find someone willing to share with one more," and she gracefully walked out past Rose.
Rose felt the bridge of my nose burn as Lily asked, "You really are in this room?" She did not wait for an answer. She grabbed the schedule from his hands and frowned at it. "I—I think I will have to find a different room. This wouldn't be proper. I'm sorry."
Lily grabbed her things and then she, too, was gone. Rose dumped the basket, uniform and schedule onto the bed Lily nor Mia had been at. He then collapsed at the foot of the bed with his legs curled up to his chest and hugged them. This had to be a bad dream. It had to be.
The door burst open and seven fairies fluttered in swarming me. Rose yelped as they tore through his clothed ripping them off of him. Rose tried in vain to keep them on but without success. He glowered at the fairies as he stood before them.
Then they snatched up the uniform on his bed and began to try and put it on Rose. Rose fought much harder to try and keep the pink cloth away from him but it too was hopeless since he was outnumbered seven to one.
Arms folded, Rose scowled at the fairies that were now laughing at him wearing the short pink dress. The fairies then danced around the pink pumps left on the floor. When Rose wouldn't put them on three of the fairies pushed him backwards onto his back on the bed and the other four smashed the shoes onto his feet. It bothered Rose greatly that they fit his feet perfectly.
Rose eyed seven fairies hoping they would leave. They did not. Instead they tried to shove Rose out the door. But Rose stumbled in the new heels and had he been in the School for Evil he would have released a handful of choice words. Instead he did his best to keep balance for himself and shoed the fairies away, promising them he would walk himself. And so Rose did his best to go down the stairs. He took them one at a time with his back pressed firmly against the railing for support.