Snow’s Point of View:

“Do you have friends in this school?” I asked Nia as we walked down the hallway.

She nodded confidently. “Yeah, a few. The art crowd here is pretty tight-knit, and I’ve been around long enough to know most of them.”

I was about to ask more when she suddenly stopped, glancing around. “Wait... the other class is this way,” she said, pointing in the opposite direction. “Why are we heading over here?”

I hesitated, clutching the strap of my bag. “Well—”

Before I could explain, I heard a familiar voice echoing through the hallway. “Snow!”

I turned toward the sound and saw Zino barreling toward me, his usual grin plastered across his face, with Karsten walking a few steps behind him. My brothers.

“You know them?” Nia asked, her eyebrows shooting up as she followed my gaze.

“Brothers,” I whispered, almost embarrassed by how loud Zino was being.

She gave a slow nod, her expression unreadable, then stepped aside and leaned against the wall, folding her arms as if she didn’t want to be involved.

“Snow!” Zino called again as he reached me, his energy as over-the-top as always. He glanced between me and Nia, his grin widening. “Who’s this?”

“Uh, Nia,” I said quickly, gesturing to her. “She’s in my art class.”

“Nice to meet you, Nia,” Zino said, giving her a polite nod before turning back to me. “So, how’s the first day going, little sis?”

Karsten joined us, his expression much calmer than Zino’s. He gave me a quick look, checking me over as if to make sure I was okay. “Everything good?” he asked quietly.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” I said, feeling a little flustered by their sudden appearance. “What are you guys doing here?”

“Just checking in,” Zino said with a shrug. “Didn’t want you getting lost or anything.”

“I’m fine,” I repeated, my voice firmer this time. “Nia’s been showing me around.”

At that, Zino glanced back at Nia, giving her an approving nod. “Good. She seems cool.”

“Alright, alright,” Karsten said, gently steering Zino away. “Let’s not embarrass her on her first day.”

“Fine, fine,” Zino said, throwing his hands up. He turned to me with a smirk. “Catch you later, Snow. And let us know if anyone gives you trouble, okay?”

“Okay,” I said, watching as they walked off, Zino already chatting animatedly with Karsten.

When they were out of sight, I turned back to Nia, who had been quietly observing the entire exchange.

“Brothers,” I said again, a little sheepishly.

Nia raised an eyebrow, a faint smile tugging at her lips. “They’re... protective.”

“Yeah,” I said, sighing. “They’re good guys, though.”

She nodded, pushing off the wall and falling into step beside me again. “Well, at least you’ve got backup. That’s more than most people can say.”

I smiled at that, feeling a little less embarrassed. “Thanks for not running off,” I said.

Nia laughed. “I’m used to loud families. Yours seems fun.”

“Sometimes,” I said, rolling my eyes. “But they can be a lot.”

“Good thing I’m not easily scared,” Nia teased. She gestured ahead. “Now let’s get to class before we’re late.”

I nodded, following her lead, and for the first time, I felt a sense of ease. Maybe I wasn’t so alone here after all.