The School for Good and Evil: Another Story

3~The School for Good

Rose woke up with his eyes sore and heart metaphorically empty. Rose sat up and the emptiness sank into him. He looked around and frowned at the pink room he was in. He looked down and frowned at the pink dress he had left on, which was now incredibly wrinkled.

Rose did the best to push his hair into place and straighten out the pinafore. He grimaced as he looked at the shoes and put them on his sore feet. He gave up and tossed them aside for now. He would go barefoot. Rose stood up and slowly went down the stairs like a haunted ghost; eyes glazed over and aura dim.

He stepped into the dining hall to find he was the only one in pink. Apparently princesses don't eat breakfast. Well, good thing Rose wasn't a princess, he thought as he partook of the food there. Rose did his best to ignore the stares from the other boys as he ate, but his attempts were futile. He noticed the way the room had gone quiet when he had walked in. He noticed how several of the boys had spread themselves out around the tables indicating there was no room. For him.

Following breakfast Rose went back to his room and shoved his feet in the blasted pink shoes. Wobbling, he descended the stairs to the first floor where classes were being held. He walked in and Professor Anemone gave him a glare in the middle of her telling the class that the most important part of a smile comes from the eyes. Rose quietly took a seat in the back of the taffy room as Professor Anemone went about judging smiles, "Wonderful, Julie. Less teeth, Monica. Goodness, Beatrice! You look like you have gas. Marvelous. Marvelous. Splendid. Open your mouth a little, dear." She reached the end. To Rose. "Now, Rose. Let us see a smile."

Rose felt the color leave his face as everyone turned to look at him. But he composed himself and gave Professor Anemone his best smile. Half the class swooned and Rose's nose burned.

"That is . . . charming, Rose. But as a princess we are looking for sweet and innocent."

At least Rose hadn't gotten the 20. Beatrice had gotten that one. But a sallow number 17 hung over his head. And even though being a princess was one of the things Rose hardly cared about, it was still a put down knowing that he got a low mark in the class.

The next class was with Pollux where Rose was disturbed by seeing Castor's head missing from the body. Pollux stood proudly at the front of the classroom and announced, "Today we will be working with posture. Now, grab a nest of eggs and place it on your head. Follow me, and try not to lose any eggs. This way, ladies."

Girls grabbed a nest and followed Pollux out of the classroom. Rose grabbed one and hesitated. He couldn't put these eggs at such a risk. He couldn't.

Pollux popped back in, "Are you coming, Rose?"

"Are—are these real eggs?" Pollux nodded. "I can't do this. Not to the eggs."

Pollux sniffed, "Then I suppose you shall get the 20. Is that what you want? If you don't want to harm the eggs, then make sure you keep your posture perfect. Now get out there with the nest on your head with the rest of the girls, please."

Rose stiffened. Then slowly went outside where he found nineteen of the girls with nests on their heads. Carefully, rose placed his nest on his head. Lily walked over to him, "Just remember what we told you yesterday. You should be fine." With a gentle pat on his shoulder, Lily and the rest of the girls started parading around following Pollux. Rose followed. Sluggishly. After all, one of Mia's words of advice was not to rush.

Somehow Rose made it without breaking a single egg. Somehow Rose walked in the pumps without wobbling too much. Unfortunately, Rose was disheartened seeing two of the girls lose one of their eggs and watched horrified as they smashed to the ground.