\9/
Glass Coffins

Rose woke up as the sun rose still feeling tired and sore. He sat up and rubbed his eyes. Putting his feet on the floor, something sparkling on the floor caught his attention. Rose scooped it up. It was an invitation to the Snow Ball.

Rose groaned. He did not need another reminder of the event. Even after the false hope he had given himself of him asking a girl, after some thought he realized he still wouldn't be able to successfully find a girl; there were sixty-one boys that would be asking fifty-nine girls and Rose's chances finding a girl that wasn't already infatuated with one of the other boys was slim.

Rose let out a sigh as he tossed the glittering invitation off to the side and changed from his pajamas into his uniform. He then headed for breakfast.

He grabbed his food and was about to head for the end table where he sat by himself when a voice called, "Rose! Over here!"

Rose turned to see Cedric and Raven calling and beckoning him towards him. Rose eagerly joined them at their table sitting in between Raven and Cedric. As Rose began eating, Raven asked, "Where did you go last night? We didn't see you at dinner."

Swallowing, "Sword lessons with Professor Espada."

Richard scoffed, "You are taking sword play?" Raven and Cedric gave him an unamused look.

"Yes, I am. Professor Dovey's letting me." Richard chuckled, which earned him another glare from Cedric and Raven.

Richard continued, "So, what were you planning to do about the Snow Ball?"

The other boys gaped at Richard. Rose blushed, "I—I don't quite know yet. I was thinking maybe one of the girls might go with . . ."

"Haha, charming. You're going to classes with the girls. Why would they go with you?"

The bridge of Rose's nose turned an even brighter shade of red. "I know. I don't know what I'll do. Probably just fail, I guess. If I do well enough in the classes I hope the deans will let me stay, though."

Richard raised an eyebrow, "Hope? That is what damsels go off of. Princes forge their own path."

Rose's blush deepened. "Richard, don't worry him like that," Cedric interrupted, "Besides, he really is doing well in his classes. Perhaps the deans will reconsider. Rose is currently ranked seventh in the School for Good. If he keeps it up he'll be on track to graduate with high marks and eligible for his own story."

Richard scrunched up his face.

"Well, I suppose we should be off to classes, shouldn't we? We'll see you at lunch, Rose."

The boys hopped up and headed for their class on chivalry. Rose let out a sigh and headed off to Professor Anemone's taffy classroom.

To Rose's horror, everything involved the Snow Ball. In Professor Anemone's class they learned Ball entrances. With Pollux they practiced their Ball etiquette. In animal communications (with their substitute [the group leader of Forest Group 9] a water nymph) they learned Ball dancing (again). Even in Sophie's class, the dean of evil, she had them learning Ball history.

Exhausted from the mention of the Ball class after class, Rose dropped down on the grass with his lunch with his friends, Lily, Mia, and Julie. The girls were ecstatic for the Ball and continued on talking about it to Rose's disappointment. It wasn't long before the boys joined them.

"What are you girls talking about?" Rose felt Richard had a slight emphasis on the word 'girls' and looked at Rose.

Mia giggled, "The Snow Ball, of course. It will be wonderful! It will be the best night ever! We cannot wait for the Circus of Talent!"

The boys laughed at the excitement.

"So," Mia snuggled up to Richard, "Any ideas who you boys will be asking?"

"Haha, sorry, Mia. Tradition. We wait until the night before the Ball before asking."

Mia let out a sigh, "Not even a hint?"

Richard shook his head.

Rose smirked. Of course they already had an idea who they were going to ask. Richard wasn't sitting that close to Mia because he was cold. That wasn't to say every boy knew who they were taking. Rose glanced over at a handful of boys brawling with each other. He had little idea who they would plan to take. What about Raven, who would he be asking?

Rose scolded himself. He shouldn't care. He just smiled and ate his lunch while they continued to gossip about the Snow Ball

Following Professor Dovey's lecture on the proper conduct of the Snow Ball the students headed through the Blue Forest gates to meet with their Forest Groups. Charlotte gathered her group together in a clearing with eight glass coffins. Rose was not eager to learn what Charlotte had in mind for them today.

"Welcome, class. Because of the importance of being able to discern Good from Evil, today's challenge will be for the boys to find an Evergirl. Girls, climb in." The four Nevergirls, Lily, Mia and Julie climbed into a coffin. "You too, Rose." Rose bit his bottom lip and climbed into the empty coffin in between Hawthorn and Lily. Once Rose was in the coffin, all of them slammed shut. Through the glass Rose saw Charlotte talking to the boys, but the glass muffled what she said. Charlotte trotted over to where the coffins were and waved her hand. Rose felt himself grow broader in the hips and chest. He looked down and was horrified to see him changed into a middle-aged princess with round hips and breasts. Rose beat his hands upon the glass in panic before Charlotte waved her hands over them again and he felt his body begin to ignore his requests as it crossed its arms over his chest and felt his eyes close. Rose couldn't move.

Charlotte must have waved her hand once more because Rose felt his coffin raise up off of the ground and shuffle with the other coffins. Once the coffins were placed back down from being mixed up, Rose heard the muffled voice of Charlotte. She was telling the boys to go and pick their coffin and when they picked they would only know who they had picked by kissing the chosen princess to break the spell Charlotte had placed over the girls.

Rose panicked. Of all the instructions he could hear, he heard that bit? He struggled to gain control over his body, but it was in vain. His body wouldn't listen to him.

Through his eye lids he watched shadows pass by the coffins as the boys tried to decide which girl to pick. He could feel their worry and it was the same worry Rose had; they might pick Rose.

One shadow stopped over Rose's coffin and if he could sweat he would have been sweating. The lid opened and the shadow got closer. There was a moment of hesitation before the figure kissed Rose's hand.

Rose felt his body change back to normal and felt the bridge of his nose start to burn now that he had control over his body now. Slowly, Rose opened one of his eyes to see which of the boys had just salivated on his hand. In front of him, however, Rose only saw a shadow haloed with the blue light from the forest.

Rose opened his other eye and finally could see who was standing at his coffin with his mouth gaping open: Raven. Rose jumped out of the coffin past Raven holding his elbows tight to himself and went over to Charlotte, "Could I go back to the castle?"

Charlotte was looking at him. Rose glanced around and saw everyone looking at him or Raven.

Then screaming started, "You idiot!" everyone looked over at Mia in her coffin with Jasper over her coffin. Rose looked over at Richard who was standing over Julie then over to Peter who was standing over Maggie. Numbers popped up over our heads with Raven and Rose with number one and two. Apparently he had chosen Rose quickly. Rose blushed again.

Charlotte turned back to Rose and bowed down so her face was closer to his, "Yes, Rose. I think I can allow you to go back to the castle. I shall see you tomorrow."

Rose, still blushing, turned for the castle of good and headed off towards it. He could feel the stared of everyone else on him.

Why did Raven have to choose him? Rose supposed someone had to choose him, but still, why did it have to be Raven?