Previews for My Stories

Preview: Non/Disney High

Chapter 1: First Day Morning

Snow White's POV

           The chilly August breeze gave me shivers as I walked to school. My small yellow cardigan could barely keep the cool air out. I passed through the neighborhood gates and looked back. My eyes began to water, maybe because of the wind, maybe not. I recalled my stepmother's words after I asked Mr. Graham if he could please drive me to Disney Prep.

           "You're not going there. You're much too young, I doubt your father would want you to take over his company, so you'll go to Walt Disney High instead, and be grateful I don't send you somewhere less prestigious. Get walking or you'll be late."

            Her glare was enough to send me out the front doors without another word. I'm not dumb, I know my stepmother hates me. She treats me poorly, makes me do all the chores, dresses me in rags, and makes me walk to school, but it's my fault. She didn't ask to have to take care of me, especially all by herself now that my father died. She must be stressed from running both my father's company and her own.

             I really want to make it up to her. I want us to connect, and if that means doing everything she tells me than so be it. I continued to walk pondering what I should do about my situation. I was about to turn at the corner when I heard a familiar voice.

            "Hey , Snow!" I heard my friend Mulan exclaim.

             I turned around and waited for her to catch up.

             "Morning," she grinned once we were side to side.

             "Good morning to you too, Mulan. Aren't you cold?" I asked her.

             She was wearing a knee-long purple skirt, a pair of black flats, and a white T-shirt with a red dragon on it that was tucked in.

              "My mom wanted me to make a good first impression with our teachers, so she gave me these clothes. I wanted to bring my letterman jacket, but she said it didn't go with my clothes," Mulan replied.

              "Well, she's not wrong," I replied.

               "I took a cold shower too, so if I get a cod I'm blaming her," Mulan joked.

               She knew talking back would bring dishonor to her family, but her quick tongue was deadly even without saying something mean.

              "So, why are you walking to school?" I asked her.

            She usually rides her bike, but then again it is our first official day at Walt Disney High. I wouldn't be surprised if she did it in order to see what the big fuss the school was about. Which is minimal compared to how people talk about Walt Disney Prep.

            "You know me, I need to experience the first day at my own pace," she replied with a huge grin.

            "I'm surprised you woke up in time," I teased her.

             "Yeah, I accidentally set my alarm an hour early, so I ended up being on time," she replied with a sheepish smile.

             Most people would look at the two of us and think How are those two friends? Which I often wonder myself. Where I am dainty, Mulan is fierce, where she is stubborn, I am understanding. The list goes on, but I think that that is why we're friends, despite our differences we stick up for each other.

            "It's too bad we won't be going to the same school though," she commented. "It'll be okay though, right? We might have electives or lunch together. I'm not entirely sure how the schools work. Which reminds me, why are you not riding your limo to school?"

             The grip on my books tightened slightly.

             "Actually," I slowly began. "I will be attending Walt Disney High."

             She slowed down a bit, maybe in order to process what I just said.

            "Why is that?" she asked hesitantly.

            "Well, I think... I don't think I'm cut out to  run my father's company," I replied.

            It wasn't the complete truth, but I didn't want Mulan to worry. I wasn't going to rest until I had a strong bond with my stepmother, so, really, there was no need to tell her.      

            Eventually, my stepmother would accept me and then I could think about running the company.

           "That's nonsense! What qualities do people need their leaders to have? Compassion, humility, and bravery. You have all those things," Mulan told me. "Remember that time you climbed a 10 foot tall tree when we were 6 just to help a squirrel that was stuck?"

           "I wouldn't call crying, because I couldn't get down "brave"," I giggled.

           "The fact that you knew you were scared of heights is what made it brave," Mulan argued.

           I smiled and looked at the ground, "Thank you."

            She smiled and nudged me with her elbow. We continued to talk for a while until we made it to the school's gate. It was 7:34 a.m so the gates would open in only a minute. There were a few students here and there, probably enthusiastic freshman or devoted students.

            "Are you ready to start the next 4 years of our lives?" Mulan asked.

           "I'm excited, but I really don't think too many exciting things will happen," I answered. "The Walt Disney schools are known for their high marks on safety and student behavior."
Oh my, if only I would have known that I have never been more wrong in my entire life.

No One's POV
        
            Young teenagers all around the large city were getting ready for school. Some had been awake for hours, preparing just for today, while others were still dozing away.

            "Briar Rose! Wake up honey, you'll be late for school," Briar's aunt, Merriweather, called to her.

            Her other two aunts, Flora and Fauna, were downstairs making breakfast.

             "I'll be down in a moment!" Briar Rose yawned.

             She stretched for a bit before making her way to the bathroom. She had already chosen her clothes for the day, so all she really had to do was to freshen up. Briar Rose wasn't one to brag, but anyone else could plainly see that her perfect skin and beautiful looks were a gift without her needing to say. But even then she made sure to take care of herself, though a few indulgences here and there never hurt.

            "I don't see why we can't hire a bit of help," Merriweather told her sister as she walked downstairs.

            "You know the deal, besides, just a year and a half before her 16th birthday," Fauna replied.

             "I know, and I don't know how to feel about that," Merriweather replied.

              "Our Briar Rose is growing up, but there's nothing we can do about that," Flora whispered sadly.

               "Just remember, we're doing this for her," Fauna reminded them though she felt just as sad at the thought of telling her the truth.