The school grounds looked even more beautiful covered in snow than they did the first time Iv walked through the gates. Perhaps she was partial in her assessment – she was born during winter, and so her long-time friend called her “winter queen” in her native tongue when she was being particularly stubborn in regards to important matters. She had to remind herself that the event she was preparing to go to over the winter break was one where such an attitude was likely to be to her detriment.

John, her butler and companion to this and all events, had sent her a day before the gown she chose. It was a sparkling white silk dress, as white as the snow she could glimpse from her window. Right as she began to try on the matching pearl and silver pieces of jewelry, the sound of rushed footsteps was heard outside the door, quickly succeeded by three rhythmic knocks – Shiro’s signal.

“Come in!”

The door opened and Shiro’s face appeared in the mirror. He didn’t enter, but instead leaned on the door frame and just took her in, seemingly enchanted by what he saw. Feeling bold, she looked over her shoulder and asked him teasingly how she looked. He didn’t get to respond, as the sound of another pair of footsteps soon materialized into Jabari.

“Sorry to interrupt, Jacy, Svea and I were thinking of playing some games in the common room, would you like to join us? We tried to reach you by phone, but…”

She had a Baroque piano piece playing on her phone, too caught up in the nostalgia of the moment to worry about phone notifications.

“I see Shiro got here faster.”

Iv could tell he knew something was going on, but one of the qualities she most liked about Jabari from her observations was how discreet he seemed. He didn’t pry, none of them really did, although they must have known.

“We will let you finish,” said Shiro right before he left, sparing no more looks on her.

Jabari was also about to depart, when she called his name to stop him.

“I am going to a diplomatic event in a few days, you could probably tell from the gown.”

“I have heard of it. Gwen and Dianne are going too, right? Since their parents are politicians and all.”

“Yes, indeed. I am only vaguely related to the former royal family in my country, but somehow I still receive an invitation each year.” Not as a representative of my country, she could have said, but of a much more powerful entity. “I am actually able to take a plus one this time around, besides my guardian of course.”

“And…you were thinking of me?”

She wasn’t, not until he came into the room. But apart from her official duties at the event, she had a plan that she wanted to put in motion. The seven of them had been talking about Kyle. They unanimously agreed that he had too much control over the school. What they didn’t decide on was what to do about it, but she could take matters in her own hands. It was bound to get messy, though, which she didn’t think most of them would mind, but she had her doubts about Jabari. She wanted to peel back the model student persona and reveal the shadows of greed that she sensed he kept hidden.

“Are you interested then?”

“I guess, since I have no plans for the break…but what would I wear? What would I even do there?”

“Leave that to me. You just follow my lead.”

***

Fewer and fewer people were walking into the canteen each morning as the winter break was officially underway. Iv had already gone, leaving Svea the room for herself. Not only that, but she took Jabari with her, too. She valued her private space as much as the next person, but this morning, when she woke up alone to a silver winter day, she realized that some people had already took roots in her heart.

She still had people to keep her company, so she didn’t let that sadness dictate her day. On top of that, the universe brought in her way someone she hadn’t spoken to in a while. Just as she was picking up an apple from the fruit basket, Tyler approached, looking as desolate as he was during that incident.

“Hey, do you have a minute?”

“Sure. What’s wrong?”

Even though Tyler didn’t know who was truly behind what happened that night, the tentative friendship that they had established at the start hadn’t had another chance to bloom. Sure, they greeted each other now and then, but that was about it. She felt a twinge of guilt at the fact that she almost forgot about him, especially after what she’d done.

“I failed the second round of exams.”

“Oh.”

“But they promised I’d have a second chance. Well, technically a third.”

That much was expected. Even without Kyle’s intervention, the staff was not about to kick out the son of two influential politicians.

“That’s really nice, I hope it goes better this time around.”

She found that she meant that. Even if the least she could provide was words of encouragement, she was in his debt; and maybe despite the erased memories, he, too, was aware of that fact.

“Actually, there is something you could do for me.”

***

Looking out the window of the plane Nik could see the change from their cloudy little corner of the world to the sunny paradise of the wealthy. He imagined that in a few decades, if he saved up as much as he did to pay for his school entrance, he might just afford something like the Hamptons mansion where Kyle was taking them.

The offer was spontaneous. Upon news that Tyler had to stay over the break to be re-evaluated, he had kindly suggested Kyle take Nik instead, since he didn’t really have anywhere to go. He was surprised this morning when he found Hien standing with her bags packed next to Kyle, but even more so when Jacy joined them two minutes later. Apparently, differences aside, him and Kyle were still friendly when they wanted to be. While the two were waiting in the business lounge at the airport – all expenses paid for by Kyle of course -, Jacy confessed that they were something akin to enemies-to-friends. He respected Kyle for the same reasons that he did him: they weren’t afraid to take action when action was needed, or to state their opinions regardless of outcome. The bridge between them, sometimes easy to overcome, most times not, was in class status and moral leanings.

He also learned that Kyle couldn’t care less about diplomatic events. When Nik asked him why he didn’t attent the event Iv and Jabari were going to, since his parents were most definitely on the invite list, Kyle had claimed boredom as his main reason.

“I’m someone who is very easily bored. The kind of people that go there are those who pretend to talk about important matters, but only try to talk their way into more money. It’s predictable. If only they were truly scheming to control the world like Hollywood tells you they do, then that at least would be entertaining enough for me.”

The third tidbit of information he gathered just two hours into their trip, while returning from the bathroom and passing by Kyle and Hien’s seats on the plane.

“It’s just that I’m tired, Kyle. You love your games. You are playing with me, playing with them…when are you going to be content?”

“I don’t think I ever will be. After all, greed runs in my bloodline, right? You said it yourself, darling.”

When he got close to them the tension from their verbal exchange seemed to have completely dissipated. They were all smiles, asking him if he was well, if his window seat suited him. It did. And if the Bavarian-style mansion that Kyle’s father owned reminded him of the vague notion of home, then he was willing to indulge in this fantasy of the wealthy for just a little bit longer rather than question the reason why Kyle brought them there.

***

“Please remind me – why are we doing this?”

“Because we are nice people.”

“We can’t even be considered people!”

“That’s enough,” Hendrick finally intervened in Shiro and Svea’s silly back and forth. She convinced them to be witnesses to Tyler’s oral exam, a new thing they have implemented to ensure complete fairness, something much needed considering Tyler’s case. It wasn’t just students, but academic staff, too. Not that they couldn’t be bought. Nik and Jacy were supposed to be joining, too, before Kyle flew them off to the Hamptons, and Svea could not hide her disappointment well enough.

“Ok, fine, something happened between us,” she confessed to him while they were waiting for Shiro to arrive in front of the examination room. “I just thought he’d want to stick around to figure out what that ‘something’ means.”

He was going to ask about her need to seduce men and whether this disappointment was part of her nature as a skogsrå, then nicely segue afterwards into what he really wanted to know, but alas, Shiro showed up. He was dressed all formal in something other than the uniform – something far more befitting of his mature elegance – and started to complain about having better ways to spend his time than act as moral support to a classic case of nepotism.

“And what would that be?” he scoffed. “Chatting on video call with your girlfriend?”

“What girlfriend?” asked Shiro with a quirk of his brow, giving away nothing even if Hendrick had heard him and Iv on the phone. He had to admit, this was a not-so-subtle way for him to find out whether the two were official yet, but once again his attempt at extracting information was interrupted, this time by Tyler’s appearance.

“Don’t look so nervous,” Shiro, I swear, stop terrifying the kid – “you’ll pass.”

“How can you be sure?” asked Tyler, who was also dressed to the nines.

“I just have a hunch you will.”

Hendrick had no doubt Shiro had more than a hunch – clairvoyance, premonition, gut feeling? He hadn’t quite figured out his powers profile yet. Svea and him also did their best to encourage Tyler, and before long they were called into the room. It was the same small amphitheater where the debate was held. They took a seat on the upper benches, observing from the shadows, while Tyler stood front and center. As the barrage of questions from the teachers started, Tyler was gaining confidence, doing surprisingly well. Hendrick was certain he would pass, this time without Kyle’s intervention.

He will pass, Shiro whispered in his mind, but he will soon wish he didn’t.