Snow’s Point of View:

“See you later, Nia! Bye, Troy!” I called out, waving enthusiastically as I walked toward the parking lot.

Nia gave me a wink, and Troy raised a lazy hand in a half-wave, earbuds already back in. I couldn’t stop smiling. Despite my nerves earlier in the day, things had turned out better than I’d expected.

Zino and Karsten stood by the car, waiting for me. Their arms were crossed, and they wore identical looks of impatience, but I could tell they were happy to see me.

“Had fun?” Zino asked, his grin teasing as I climbed into the backseat.

That was all it took. I launched into a full recap of my day, telling them about meeting Nia and Troy, my classes, and even Professor West’s eccentric energy. Zino chuckled at my excitement, while Karsten just shook his head with a quiet smile.

By the time we got home, I was still buzzing with energy. I practically skipped into the living room, where Dimitrios and Deon were lounging on the couch.

“So,” Dimitrios said, raising an eyebrow as I plopped down beside him. “How was it?”

“Great!” I said, barely able to contain my enthusiasm. “I met some awesome people, and I think I might actually like art class. Oh, and Nia said—”

I went on, recounting everything in detail while they listened with varying degrees of interest. Dimitrios nodded along, clearly happy to see me excited, while Deon smirked, waiting for his turn to chime in.

“Don’t worry,” Deon said with a sly grin when I finally stopped to catch my breath. “You’re gonna hate it soon enough.”

“Deon,” Dad’s voice cut in from the doorway, firm but amused. He stepped into the room, shaking his head at my brother’s comment. “Don’t listen to him, Snow. School’s what you make of it.”

I smiled at Dad, feeling a warmth I hadn’t expected. It was still strange, having him around after all those years apart, but moments like this made it easier to adjust.

“Go eat, princess,” Dad said with a nod toward the dining room.

“Okay,” I said, standing up. But instead of heading for the table, I turned toward the stairs. “I’m just going to drop my stuff off first.”

He waved me off, and I bounded up to my room, my heart light. I tossed my bag onto the bed and flopped down beside it, staring up at the ceiling.

“Can’t wait for tomorrow,” I whispered to myself, a little giggle escaping as I thought about seeing Nia and Troy again.