Snow (A Snow White Remix)

chapter one

Grumpy officially lost his mind.

I can't get you anything until Friday at the earliest, Nora texted.

His response came in two rapid-fire texts.

That's bs.

Get me 1 by 2morrow aftr skwl.

Biting the side of her thumb, Nora stared down at her cheap, old smartphone. How would she come up with an entire piece by tomorrow after school? That was near impossible. She'd have to start writing the second she got home. Homework would suffer. Already, her once-perfect grades had coasted into a slow nosedive. Just yesterday, Professor Hamilton slapped her with a beautiful, big D on her geometry test. If she didn't hit the ground running, they'd sink lower—something the school would notice.

Around her, the squeak of shoes and bustle of students drowned out the music playing over the intercom during passing periods. Students shouted across the sticky, compact space to their friends across the way. The tinny slam of locker doors echoed through the air. The music cut off, drenching the students in quick, sudden silence, right before the bell for third period rang its three chords.

Crap.

Her literature book, a heavy, thousand-plus page hardcover, felt like a cement block in her arms. She yanked a half-ripped purple folder from the bottom of her cluttered locker and flung the metal door closed.

Three minutes late to Professor Crews's Abilities class. In high school—especially at Jostlin Music Academy—three minutes was too long. Aces took out loans, sold stocks, and worked three jobs to send their kids here. Families even dipped into savings to pay the tuition every year. Even then, it wasn't enough.

The door creaked painfully as she opened it, making her wince. Of course.

Twenty heads looked over. At the board, Professor Crews was in the middle of scrawling out notes in his illegible handwriting. "Ms. Davis, how gracious of you to make it."

The class snickered. Face flaming, she rushed to her seat at the end of the third row—right by the big windows.

It took a few minutes after class resumed for her face to cool. Thank Creator Professor Crews hadn't given her a tardy. Five tardies and she could kiss her detention-free record goodbye.

Something tiny struck the back of her neck. Bringing her hand up to cover the affected area, she glanced behind her.

Tessa, her closest friend, made a face at her.

Nora turned to the front of the room. Professor Crews was discussing something about a double meaning to the war poem they'd read for homework.

Something struck her again.

Rolling her eyes, she half-turned. "What?" she mouthed.

Tessa discretely lifted her phone.

U okay? her incoming text read.

Fine. Why?

A straight-faced emoji followed the message. Um. Cause ur never late.

I'm fine.

No ur not. I see the tension in ur shoulders. It's not 'cause Professor Crews is irritatingly boring.

He's not THAT boring.

Ur only saying that because ur a scholar.

"Scholar" was the slang for kids at Jostlin on scholarship. Most of the other students used the term with a bit of derision. As if the scholarship kids didn't really deserve to be there because they didn't pay full tuition. Normally, it didn't bother her. She worked ten times harder than half the kids here. She freaking earned the right to walk the halls. But she never liked when Tessa said it. It reminded Nora that Tessa came from money, and sometimes, she could be just like the others.