Once

Thirty Seven

Officially Rose's party began at seven, but in the great tradition of all high school parties, there was a sort of unspoken rule that people weren't supposed to get there until some time around nine.

Elle had insisted they ignore this rule. Every second might be vital. And so it was that the six of them were turning onto Rose's street at just after five to seven.

"She's going to think we're insane, getting there this early," Russell moaned.

"She can think anything she likes," Elle replied flatly, "but she'll thank us when we save her life."

Russell gave a begrudging nod, and muttered to himself, "Yeah, I know. But still..."

"So what are we on the lookout for?" Jax asked.

"You know. Evil fairies, enchanted spinning wheels." Elle shrugged. "The usual sort of thing."

"And you really think we should tell her?" Maggie said tentatively.

"Yes. I do. Look, I know she's going to think we're insane. Trust me, I've been there. But it's better to know. I mean, Russell, Jax - you guys would have been better off knowing, right?"

She wished a second later she hadn't said it. Both Russell and Jax returned an unsettled look, each of them evidently lost in memories of wolves and giants.

"I'm just saying," Elle said, "we need to tell her. No matter what she says."

The next minute they were climbing the sloping driveway toward Rose's front door.

Rose lived in one of the huge houses on the north side of town, just round the corner from Letty Gardener's house on Grove Street. Rose's end of year parties were one of the most highly anticipated events of the year - she'd held one every year for four years now, each one wilder and more rowdy than the last. Every year her dads went into Elkington for the night, got wasted on cheap sangria at the local tapas restaurant and came back not bothered about which of their possessions had been smashed to pieces or how many people had urinated in their flowerbeds.

Because of this Rose's parties had become sort of legendary among the students of Farway High, and the fact this was their last one as high schoolers was set to make it the biggest and most insane one yet. Most people in their year would probably say they were more excited about tonight than they were about going to their prom on Thursday.

Jax stepped forward and rang the doorbell. The others stood back, fidgeting awkwardly with their clothes - on the whole they weren't the sort of group who were used to dressing up for this sort of social event. Sellan looked particularly uncomfortable. He'd taken the steri-strip off but he seemed very conscious of the ugly bluish bruise across the bridge of his nose, and the blackened rings below both his eyes.

David suddenly nudged Elle and nodded toward the thick banks of roses growing along the front of the house.

"A forest of thorns," he said. "Like in the story? The fairy grows a forest of thorns around the castle after she falls asleep. It could be another symbol, right?"

Elle nodded, but she was frowning a little. David was right, it could have been a symbol, but somehow it didn't feel like one. Not like the others.

In fact, now she was standing here, she couldn't help but feel it was all wrong. Something about this, no matter how obvious it appeared to be, just didn't feel right.

But then the front door opened, and it was too late to go back.

*

Rose stared at them all, as confused and suspicious as if they'd just come to try and enlist her for some sort of cult.