New chapter since I'm locked in my house for the foreseeable future. Drop a comment if you would please. I hope there are no typos but I make no promises, as I'm so stir crazy with cabin fever I had to google how to spell Pyrrha's name three times. Hope you and your family and friends are safe, and enjoying some quality time locked on your houses together. Wash those hands!
Monday morning in the Nikos household was in a word: madness. Mr. Nikos managed to misplace his car keys, and they had to help him practically rip up the house just to find them eventually hiding behind the cabinet in the hallway. The distraction set them twenty minutes late leaving for school and the bell was just ringing as they walked in the front door. Luckily they had the same homeroom, so Weiss was able to jog after Pyrrha up the stairs to the third floor and into one of the classrooms. The door was just closing as they slid in, putting them face to face with a scowling Mrs. Goodwitch.
"Girls."
"Good morning, Mrs. Goodwitch." Weiss bowed her head, straightening her uniform blazer slightly.
"Sorry, got a late start to the morning." Pyrrha apologized.
"Don't make a habit of it." she nodded towards the desks lined up in neat rows and they gratefully slipped into two empty ones before she could change her mind.
There were only two other students Weiss recognized in the class, Ren and Sun, but Mrs. Goodwitch seemed to have a strict no talking rule that was being aptly followed. She sat at her desk and called out the long list of names to take attendance, marking them off as everyone responded. After that was done she stood, standing in front of the class with her hands clasped behind her back.
"I know you all are excited, finally being in the upper half of the hierarchy this year, but keep in mind more privileges means more responsibilities. If you prove unworthy of the privileges you have been given, they will be taken away. You may now converse quietly until the bell rings to dismiss you to first period."
"You weren't kidding when you said she was strict." Weiss dared to whisper to Pyrrha as other students began talking to each other.
"Don't worry, she's really nice once she gets to know you. I know you two will get on famously."
The bell rang not five minutes later, and they stood up with the others to go to their first period class. Pyrrha had chemistry while Weiss had advanced history, so they parted ways at the stairs and she was left looking at the map she'd been given to find her way. It took nearly the full passing period for her to locate the room, and nearly all the desks were taken by the time she arrived. She saw Blake sitting by herself reading a book in the back and timidly stepped into her peripheral.
"May I sit with you?"
Blake looked over her book for a second, meeting her eyes before nodding slightly without a word
Weiss took her seat, telling herself at least it wasn't a no, as the final bell rang and the teacher closed the door. He was a skinny man with green hair, with the annoying habit of pacing all around his room as he lectured at a brisk walk. After passing out their textbooks he dove right into their lesson, clicking through his powerpoint as he spoke at a rapid fire pace. Weiss found herself scrambling to take adequate notes, trying to scribble down everything on the slides before he clicked to the next one. Somehow the forty-five minute period flew by, leaving Weiss with an aching hand and three pages of notes.
"Is he always that energetic?" Weiss asked Blake as they walked out of class.
She shrugged, seperating to head downstairs while Weiss headed up. Luckily Pyrrha was in her next class, advanced English, but she was alone in advanced chemistry after that. She picked one of the benches at random, sliding onto the stool. Everyone seemed already paired off so she was expecting to be alone, but right as the bell rang a handsome boy with blue hair walked up to her table.
"May I sit here?"
Weiss nodded as the teacher stood up, a woman with caramel skin and black hair pushed away from her face named Mrs. Mazarin. Most of the class was the basics of safety and passing out their textbooks, so luckily there were minimal notes as Weiss knew most of the material they covered. Class ended two minutes early, and as she was putting her textbook in her bag the boy next to her cleared his throat.
"So, you're new right?"
"Yes, I'm an exchange student from Atlas."
"You're staying with the Nikos', right?"
"Yes."
He offered his hand to her, giving her a dashing smile. "I'm Neptune. I ask because I think I remember you from orientation day."
"Yes, I saw you at the Wok a week ago." she shook his hand politely. "Your hair stood out to me."
"It does seem to get attention, but when you have a friend like Sun you need all the help you can get."
"Your friends with Sun?"
"Yeah, we live next to each other."
"I went to the water park with him Saturday. He's friends with Blake Belladonna."
Neptune rolled his eyes. "Only because he's too chicken to ask her out."
"I don't know anything about that."
"Sorry, don't mean to get you caught up in the drama. How are you liking it so far?"
"It's very different from Atlas, but everyone has been quite welcoming."
"Are you joining any teams or clubs?"
"I'm auditioning for the ballet team after school."
"Ah, Mrs. Goodwitch. Good luck."
"Do you play any sports?" Weiss tried to drag out the conversation to cover the last few seconds before the bell rang.
"Yeah, I play baseball in the spring."
"I know Pyrrha plays softball. What's the difference?"
To his credit he didn't laugh, just gave her a quick glance to see if she was joking or not and deeming her sincere, answered. "Baseball is for guys, and softball is for girls. The biggest difference is the ball. It's bigger in softball, so it's easier to hit. Softball also pitches underhand so it's a little easier to hit too. There are other differences like size of the pitch and the distance between the pitcher and the batter; stuff like that."
"Why is it so different?"
Neptune shrugged as the bell rang, standing but waiting for Weiss to gather her bag. "Beats me. I had Pyrrha pitch for me once and she nearly ripped my arm off. She'd kill it in baseball but rules are rules. Where are you off to next?"
Weiss glanced at her schedule. "Choir, in the music wing."
"You sing?"
"A little." she shrugged as they descended the stairs.
"Well, I should see you around then. If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask."
"Thanks. It was nice meeting you, Neptune."
"And the same for you, Weiss." he gave her a little salute as they split ways.
The music hall was pretty empty at this hour, with the two lower grades being confined to the lunch room. She walked into the room labeled 'M101' to see a group of kids sitting on the risers chatting. The teacher sitting with her feet on her desk in the front smiled as she caught sight of Weiss.
"Welcome! You must be Ms. Schnee."
"Yes ma'am, and you are Ms. Willow?"
"The one and only." she stood up to shake Weiss' hand. "Have you been in a music class before?"
She thought about the dozens of tutors she'd had, and the hundreds of hours she'd spent on the bench of a piano. "Yes ma'am."
"Excellent! Since it's the first day back we'll keep it pretty easy." the bell rang and she gestured for Weiss to take a seat on the risers next to the other students. "Well, welcome back everyone! It's good to see you all are doing well. As you all know from last year, our winter performance is going to be at the big Winter Showcase. We wanted to do a short show in November, but it doesn't look like the schedules are going to work out with the theatre group."
"What songs are we doing for the Showcase?" one of the girls asked without so much as raising her hand.
"The usual ones. I'll put up a list of specifics probably start of next month, but you guys already know most of them from last year. There's the 'Carol of the Bells' of course, and that'll be a group effort. The two solos for 'Merry Little Christmas' and 'Winter Wonderland'. 'Jingle Bell Rock' is another big one, and this year we're actually going to rehearse with the band before hand so we're better on our timing. We're still figuring out the other ones for now, but I'll let you know as we decide. Ms. Celeste has already claimed the main spot for 'Wizards in Winter', so we're mostly having to work around that. She's also wanting to have a 'Run, Run Rudolph' bit with the jazz dance team, but we'll have to see how we're doing for time on that."
"When are auditions for the solos?" one of the boys asked, at least marginally putting up his hand.
"Right before Halloween, so we have plenty of time for rehearsals and such around the breaks. Remember, same as last year, you must be passing all your classes to get a solo. Even electives." she gave a pointed look to one of the girls before instructing them to stand for some scales.
It was a very easy class, with barely twenty minutes of work, before they were allowed to talk to each other or in Wiess' case study her schedule so she wouldn't be so lost for her classes later in the day. A few seconds before the bell rang she got a message from Pyrrha telling her to meet them in the foyer so they could all go to lunch together. She did as she was told, and pretty soon their large group was heading to a fast food place just across the street. It wasn't her usual place, but Weiss managed with a salad and a baked potato. Everyone was mostly chatting about their after school plans, but since her audition still sent a flutter of nervousness through her stomach she settled to talking with Pyrrha about her teachers.
After lunch was their study hall in one of the classrooms on the fourth floor, and luckily a large number of their group had it with her. Pyrrha, Ren, Blake, and herself sat in a corner talking; and Weiss noticed Neptune had the class as well, huddled up with a group across the room playing a game on their Scrolls.
She had Mrs. Goodwitch in her next period for advanced calculus, and it was another class heavy on the note-taking and even dishing out the first bit of homework. Her eighth period was an elective, World Cultures, but she spent most of the period feeling nervous about her audition. She almost jumped out of her seat as the bell rang, rushing downstairs to the dance locker rooms to change as quickly as possible. Once she tied the chiffon skirt around her waist and made sure her hair was in place, she carried her bag to studio B. Mrs. Goodwitch wasn't there as she was about fifteen minutes early, so she took the time to start stretching and warming up. She made sure her pointe shoes were prepared in case she'd need them, then slipped in headphones so she could focus through the nervousness. She finally relaxed as she stood at the barre, focusing on her posture and technique instead of the coming inspection. At five thirty her Scroll alarm rang and she switched it off, sliding it into her bag as Mrs. Goodwitch walked in the room.
"Good afternoon." she bowed her head.
Mrs. Goodwitch had changed as well, swapping her business formal dress for looser but still professional black athletic clothes. She was wearing black ballet flats and Weis realized she would be working alongside her, instead of her usual instructor setup where her teachers were merely telling her what to do from a chair.
"Good afternoon. I saw you warming up, your form is good."
"Thank you."
"Have you ever danced in Valian style before?"
Weiss shook her head this time. "No ma'am, my Father is a steadfast proponent of Atlesian style ballet."
"Would you be willing to learn?"
"Of course."
"Perfect, we'll start right now. First position."
Her heart rate picked up as she realized this was the audition, not a cultivation of what she already knew. She was woefully out of her depth, but she did her best in trying to keep up with Mrs. Goodwitch. The older woman was flawlessly graceful, and Weiss was in awe of how effortless she made the complicated steps look. As Weiss turned out from a pirouette an hour later, Mrs. Goodwitch crossed her arms and assessed her deeply. She felt the judgement coming but tried to keep her composure despite the nerves.
"Rest." the command finally came, and Weiss relaxed. "I think you have a long way to go, but if you're willing to learn then I see no reason you can't join my advanced class."
"Advanced class?"
She nodded. "Yes. The junior varsity team is learning Atlesian techniques this year, and I don't feel you'd learn anything from that class. Your eighth period is World Cultures, correct?"
"Yes ma'am."
"Tomorrow for eighth period, report here to studio B instead. Do you have space to practice at home?"
"Yes ma'am."
"I want you to work on your fouettes. Make sure you're keeping track of the angle of your leg, keeping your hips balanced, and making sure you're not too closed on your turnouts."
"Of course, thank you."
"See you tomorrow then." she nodded to Weiss before walking out of the room.
Weiss followed her movement, being startled to see four faces staring at her through the window. Yang, Nora, Pyrrha, and Jaune were all lined up along the window waving at her like mad. She walked over to the door and poked her head out, as non-ballet students weren't permitted in the studios. All the girls were in Beacon's red jerseys with varying numbers, hair sticking to their forehead with sweat.
"What are you all doing here?" she ran her hand over her hair, sure she also looked a mess after the sweating.
"We just got out of volleyball and came to see how it went. So?" Pyrrha nudged her.
"So what?"
"Did you make it?" Jaune asked.
"Yes, I join the advanced team tomorrow."
"You made the advanced team? Ah, congratulations!" the girls jumped up and clapped, Nora picking her right up in a bear hug.
Weiss was too taken aback to protest, shocked by their reactions. Last time she'd auditioned for anything all she'd gotten at her announcement of making it was 'as expected'. Nora dropped her to take Yang's hands and swing like a pair of fools in the middle of the hallway. Pyrrha pulled her into a much more refined hug, Jaune extending his hand to her.
"Good job Weiss. You looked good from what I could tell."
"Do you dance?" she asked as she shook it.
"One of my younger sisters took ballet a few years ago. All I remember was her falling down a lot, and you didn't do that, so I'd say you were alright."
"And you look so pretty!" Pyrrha hugged her again. "You were so graceful."
"Thank you."
"Mom and Dad are going to be thrilled to bits. Speaking of which," she checked her Scroll. "Mom will be here in a few. I still need to go get my stuff and shower, we rushed right over here. Meet you at the gym parking lot in ten minutes?"
"I'll be there." Weiss nodded and they all waved as they jogged back down the hall towards the athletic wing.
Weiss got her bag and headed back to the changing room, only taking the time to slip into her shoes instead of changing back into the heavy uniform in her sweaty state. She cleaned herself up a little in the sink, making sure to apply extra deodorant and refresh her makeup. Mrs. Nikos was parked in the athletic wing parking lot, giving them a wide smile as they walked up.
"How did it go?" were the first words out of her mouth when they opened the door.
"I made the team."
"The advanced team." Pyrrha corrected.
"Congrats, Weiss!" she gave her a wide smile. "We have to celebrate!"
"We do?"
"Of course, this is big! Why don't we go out tonight? You can pick the place you want to go."
"It's really fine, Mrs. Nikos, you don't have to go through the tr-"
"Why don't we go get some Atlesian food?" Pyrrha cut her off with a wave. "We're going to make a big deal of this regardless, so you might as well accept it."
"Atlesian would be nice." Weiss finally submitted, leaning back in the seat as Mrs. Nikos pulled out.
"Gus will be so proud, Weiss. He even went ahead and got a surprise for you."
"A surprise?"
Mrs. Nikos nodded as they turned onto the main road. "Well, it's a joint surprise for you and Pyrrha. He's out getting it right now."
"What? I didn't know that. Oh, what is it?" Pyrrha jumped in her seat a little.
"Now you know I'd never ruin a surprise. When we get home, you girls go get changed for dinner and meet me in the living room, alright?"
They got home and Pyrrha took the stairs three at a time, knocking on the bathroom door not two minutes after walking in her room. Weiss hadn't even gotten her tights off when Pyrrha was walking in.
"Are you ready?"
"Leotards take a minute to get out of, Pyrrha."
"Hm, I guess they would." she sat on Weiss' desk chair. "So what is Atlesian food like?"
"Mostly soups and the like, as it's quite cold up there. We also eat a lot of seafood being on the ocean, but it's not fresh seafood like Mistral. Usually it's braised or sauteed."
"What's your favorite Atlesian dish?"
Weiss debated as she flipped through her clothes to pick an outfit. "Probably Chicken Kiev. Some of the upper class families frown upon it because it's Valian inspired and not strictly traditional, but it's delicious nonetheless."
"I'll get that tonight then." Pyrrha decided, spinning in the chair. "What do you think Dad got us?"
"You'd have a much better idea than I would." Weiss slipped on a pretty white sundress, topping it with a light blue babydoll sweater and fishing around for her favorite pair of blue pumps. "What does he usually give you for a reward?"
"Reward? Well usually we just go out to dinner, but it's been a while. Dad likes to give little surprises randomly. He says only getting gifts on special events ruins the spirit of giving. If you give a gift on a day no one expects it, then it's truly a surprise."
"I see." Weiss nodded, even though she in fact did not. Her Father had never once given her a gift as a surprise, usually touting the lavish gifts he gave her to strangers more than her. Gifts were a symbol of wealth in her family, not affection.
With Pyrrha rushing her every second, she retouched her makeup again before being practically thrown down the stairs. Mr. Nikos was standing guard at the garage door as they came down, soon joined by Mrs. Nikos.
"Hey girls. Congrats on the advanced team, Weiss."
"Thank you sir."
"How was work dear?" Mrs. Nikos asked her husband, kissing his cheek.
"Mom, don't stall. Come on!" Pyrrha was practically bouncing in place.
"Okay, okay. Easy, tiger. This is for both of you. Pyrrha for making the volleyball Captain spot and making varsity for softball, and Weiss for making the team today and as another welcome gift." he opened the door with a flourish, and Pyrrha dragged her through it.
The large garage bay door was open, and in the driveway next to Mr. Nikos' SUV and Mrs. Nikos' car was another car. Slightly smaller and in a vibrant red, it shone brightly in the late afternoon sun.
"A car?!" Pyrrha bounced over to it, looking in all the windows and running around it twice before diving at her parents with a flying tackle. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"
"We know this year will be a little crazy with all your sports, and now Weiss' extracurriculars as well, so this is really a gift to all of us. I expect you girls to take good care of it." Mr. Nikos patted his daughter's back.
"I can't believe this! You guys are the best! Weiss, do you see this?!"
"I do. Thank you both." Weiss stood slightly off to the side with her hands clasped.
"It's our pleasure." Mr. Nikos held out his hand and she shook it firmly. Mrs. Nikos instead opted for a hug.
"And with that, why don't you drive to dinner, Pyrrha?"
"Really?!" Pyrrha squealed.
"Absolutely." he took the keys out of his pocket, handing them to his daughter. "We're going to der köstliche Fisch, right?"
"Yup!" Pyrrha twirled the keys on her finger. "It's the best Atlesian place in town, at least according to the internet."
"See you girls there then. Remember to use your blinker!" Mrs. Nikos pointed to her daughter as they headed for the black SUV.
"They aren't riding with us?"
"Guess not. Come on, you can sit in the front seat!" Pyrrha bounced around to the driver's door, sliding into the front seat.
Weiss took a deep breath before following her lead, clicking her seat belt in place as Pyrrha checked her mirrors. "Have you driven a lot?"
Pyrrha nodded as she turned the key in the engine, her smile growing as the car started up. "Yeah, I had my permit for six months, then I took a driving course and logged twenty hours with Mom over the summer to get my license."
"This is a thoughtful gift." Weiss tried to make conversation as Pyrrha backed out of the driveway.
"Like Dad said, it's also for Mom a little. This will save her a lot of headaches. Last year was pretty bad, having to drive me all around the kingdom for tournaments and stuff."
"You travel for sports?"
"Sometimes. We go against the other schools in Vale, then if we do well we get to go to the other kingdoms for the championships."
"Have you ever been to Atlas?"
"Unfortunately no, but we're hoping to do well enough in Volleyball this year to go."
Pyrrha talked on about her visits to Menagerie, Vacuo, and Mistral while they followed Mr. Nikos' black SUV through downtown traffic. It took Pyrrha a couple tries, but eventually they managed to parallel park, meeting the Nikos parents in front of a fancy restaurant with light blue doors.
It was a posh restaurant, that was for sure, and Weiss felt right at home. All the linens were a crisp white, and the chairs were in the palest blue. The maitre d led them to their table, pulling out Mrs. Nikos' chair and bowing before leaving. There were no less than three forks next to her plate, and Weiss couldn't have been happier. All the foods on the menu were as familiar to her as pizza to Pyrrha, and it was especially difficult to pick something off the long list of her favorites. Finally she settled on a stroganoff dish, settling to the appetizer of blini and sour cream that had been placed on their table along with their drinks.
They mostly talked about their first day, Pyrrha and Weiss taking turns about going over their schedules. Pyrrha had just finished detailing their volleyball training schedule, meaning it was Weiss' turn. She'd already told them all about her audition, so she cast through her mind to find something else of interest to discuss.
"My choir teacher said there will be some solos at the Winter Showcase. If it doesn't conflict with my ballet schedule, I might consider auditioning."
"I didn't know you took choir." Pyrrha wiped up the rest of her caviar with her pancake.
"I had to choose two electives, and music is something I've been involved with my whole life."
"Remember, we attended the Schnee charity concert a few years ago, benefitting the victims of that train crash in Atlas." Mrs. Nikos reminded her daughter.
"That was you? I thought that was your sister."
"No, my sister had left for the military by then."
"I remember that concert, you were great! You can play the piano too, right?"
"A little, but not as well."
"Is there anything you can't do?" Pyrrha joked.
"Trust me, there are plenty of things." Weiss tried not to dwell on the negative thoughts. "So what all does the Winter Showcase intel? Mrs. Willow spoke about it like it was a big event."
"It's probably the biggest event the school puts on. The spring performances are significant, of course, but the Winter Showcase is a steadfast tradition. All the money goes to the Winter Giving Fund, which provides presents and meals for the less fortunate families in Vale. It changes from year to year, but usually it's a mixture of the different bands, the choir, the dance teams, and sometimes some skits from the theatre department." Mr. Nikos unfolded his napkin, placing it across his lap as he spoke.
"I didn't know it was so important." Weiss bit her lip.
"It's a big deal because it goes to a great cause. The spring performances are usually more niche, theatre for instance puts on a full-length show in the spring that sometimes attracts talent scouts from colleges. The Winter Showcase is more of a collaboration between the creative electives of Beacon." Pyrrha likewise prepared her napkin as the waiter headed their way with their food.
After they had the first course laid before them, the conversation picked up again. "Have you ever been in one, Pyrrha?"
She shook her head at Weiss' question. "Usually the sports don't partake too much, as it's a chance for the other electives to shine. We get attention at the games, we wouldn't want to take it from the bands and stuff at their concerts."
"And, of course, there's the Winter Ball." Mrs. Nikos chimed in. "You girls get to go to it this year, being juniors."
"Speaking of which, do you know where that is going to be yet?" Mr. Nikos asked his daughter.
She shook her head as she spooned up soup. "The meeting today was mostly organization, but I don't think we'll know until after the fundraiser."
"Fundraiser?" Weiss asked.
"Yeah, we hold two fundraisers a year. Most of it goes toward the funds for the Winter Ball and Prom for the seniors. Last year the Winter Ball was at the Lotus hotel downtown, and I heard it was nice."
"It is, my Father took me there once for a business conference."
"Well, maybe you can have somewhere just as nice this year." Mrs. Nikos smiled. "There are a lot of places in Vale."
"I know Coco has her heart set on the Emerald Ballroom in the museum. She said it has 'modern charm'."
"Coco, the volleyball captain?" Weiss tried to remember where she knew the name.
"Yeah. Coco is the captain of the varsity volleyball team, but she's also the student council president."
"You're on student council?"
"Yeah, I'm the vice-president. We hold elections at the end of the year. Anyway, she was thinking of doing a fashion show for the fall fundraiser."
Mrs. Nikos chuckled. "I think she would be very good at that."
"Coco is the best fashion student at Beacon, and I don't doubt she gets snapped up by some big designer when she graduates." Pyrrha explained. "If she's designing the clothes, I don't doubt it'd be successful."
"That sounds like fun." Weiss concluded as the second course was being served.
The internet hadn't lied, the food was absolutely delicious. It was a little taste of home, and it was the perfect thing to top off her day. They were so full at the end of the four course menu they decided to walk downtown a little before heading home. Mr. and Mrs. Nikos walked in front holding hands, and Weiss walked with Pyrrha behind them.
Downtown Atlas could best be described as 'modern classic', all marble columns and glass buildings, and as usual Vale was starkly different. The buildings weren't as imposingly tall or sharply angled but downtown held its own charm. The roofs were mostly in Vale's traditional dark green color which gave it a homey feel, the handsome stone buildings sitting squarely beneathe. Carved stone seemed to be popular, and as they stopped at a corner to wait for a traffic light Weiss marveled at a huge thirty foot stone angel carved onto the corner of one of the taller buildings.
"That's the performance center." Pyrrha leaned over and whispered, taking Weiss's hand as they crossed the street so she could continue staring without getting run over. "It's one of the oldest buildings in Vale. From it's conception, Vale has always been dedicated to the arts."
"It's beautiful. The performance center in Atlas always looked like a tomb to me." the words slipped out before she could stop them, snapping Weiss out of her awe to attempt to cover the blunder. "I mean, it's a majestic building of course. The marble-"
"I get it, Weiss." Pyrrha waved off her explanation. "Don't worry, I thought the same thing too. The way the columns and the doors are, it looks like an oversized mausoleum."
Weiss blushed as they reached the other side of the crosswalk, slowing their pace again to enjoy the sights. They did a quick turn around the block before they headed back to the cars. Everyone turned in early once they got home, but Weiss took the time to write Winter all about her first day. She left out the details of her plans to learn to drive, but she made sure to include her acceptance onto the dance team. While Winter had never understood her affinity for dancing, having dropped the habit herself the second she could, she'd always encouraged Weiss to do what she loved. Somewhat optimistically Weiss wrote about the Winter Showcase, hoping beyond hope Winter might possibly be able to make it if she secured a solo. Being in the Atlesian military was Winter's dream come true, and she rarely left her post for personal matters, but Weiss had always secretly wished she'd make an exception for her. Since she knew her Father would never in a million years attend a high school performance, it might be appealing enough to the older Schnee sister to merit a vacation day.
Tuesday went much smoother, especially because they were able to leave as soon as they were ready. Mrs. Nikos made sure they both took a breakfast sandwich on their way out, kissing their cheeks and reminding them to have a good day. Homeroom was much more relaxed, and they were given nearly the full ten minutes to chat with each other once attendance was done. Her history class flew by again, Mr. Oobleck seemed even more energetic and his walking around the room was more akin to jogging. They got their first bit of homework, setting the trend for the rest of the day burying them in assignments. Mrs. Mazarin's homework was about the procedures for a lab they'd be starting Monday, and Weiss was excited to do her first experiment in public school.
Choir brought a little more turbulence, as Mrs. Willow started their first lesson on ear-training, something Weiss had been having drilled into her since she was six. She felt the stares of her classmates as she continued to give right answers to Mrs. Willow's delight. Luckily the class ran just before the bell, so she was able to grab her things and stage a quick get away so the others couldn't unleash the barrage of snide comments she was sure they had.
Lunch was much better, piling into Ren's car with all the others to drive to a taco stand about five minutes from the school. She hadn't had much Vacuoan food but it was pretty delicious. Study period was much more professional as now they had plenty of homework to keep them busy so their monitor, Mr. Midori, said there was no need to talk. She went over her calculus work twice to make sure it was all up to par, not wanting to let Mrs. Goodwitch have a chance to regret letting her onto the team.
After math she rushed all the way down to the dance wing, changing quickly in the changing room where three other girls were likewise pulling on tights. Studio two was much busier, three boys joining them as the bell rang, and they all took their places on the barre along the wall as Mrs. Goodwitch walked in.
"Good afternoon, class. As you all have realized, we have a new student. Weiss is joining us from Atlas so you'll recognize her Atlesian style from your class last year. Take ten minutes to stretch before we get into our warm ups."
Weiss was on the end of the row of girls, sandwiched between a girl with dark hair and a boy wearing a purple scarf despite the sweat already on his brow. It was clearly evident Weiss was younger than them all. She was naturally shorter than most kids her age, but the other ballet students also had that air about them that conveyed they were seniors at a single glance. As their stretches wrapped up Mrs. Goodwitch started music and led them through their positions, correcting Weiss more than all of the other students combined. While both styles of ballet were similar, there were vast differences in posture that anyone with a trained eye spotted in half a second. Her feet were in the wrong position, and if it wasn't her feet it was her arms. Her lines were wrong, her jumps from the wrong foot, and she landed on the wrong foot as well.
Ballet class was really just their warm up, practice running an hour after the final bell rang. Weiss had never had a more abysmal time in ballet, and her stance was as rigid as a board as Mrs. Goodwitch finally dismissed them. The snide smirks of the older students didn't help the growing sense of dread she felt as they packed up.
"Weiss, if you'd please stay back for a moment."
This was it, she was going to be kicked off for good. Mrs. Goodwitch was going to send her back to the junior class and regret ever letting her step foot in with the older students. She took her time wrapping up her pointe shoes and sliding them into her bag, slipping on her flats before turning to face her instructor. Mrs. Goodwitch watched the last students leave and made sure the door was shut before addressing her.
"You did very well today, Weiss."
"I underst- I'm sorry?"
"You did well. I know it can be disheartening, but know you're improving rapidly. A few more weeks and I think you will have no problems."
"Thank you for the encouragement."
"I'll see you tomorrow in class then."
"Yes ma'am." Weiss bowed her head as she headed out of the studio, aiming for the gym to purposely skip the locker room where she knew the other girls were.
She heard commotion in the athletic wing but it seemed to be coming from all four of the gyms at once. The first door she opened was the boys basketball team, so she hurried off before anyone heard the heavy door clang shut. The second gym was cheerleading practice, but she lucked out on the third try for volleyball. She stepped in and sat at the edge of one of the bleachers, finally getting to set her heavy bag on the polished wooden floor and sit for a moment. Pyrrha was on the left side of the court, calling the shots for her team who were facing off with another group of girls. One the opposite side Weiss saw a girl with fashionably cut brunette hair calling out positions, and she knew it must be the infamous Coco.
At five thirty exactly their coach, a woman with vibrant pink hair, blew on a whistle to dismiss both teams. The girls amicably merged together as they filed out the doors towards the locker rooms. Pyrrha spotted Weiss on the bleachers and waved her over, taking her hand so they'd join the crowd.
"How did your first practice go?"
"I have much to learn." Weiss mumbled, realizing the other girls around them were eyeing her.
"Don't worry Weiss-cream, Mrs. Goodwitch is a great teacher." Yang was bouncing behind them, stretching her arms. "If she let you in the class, she must think you can do it."
"It will take a lot of hard work to get to the other students' level."
"Don't worry, I'll be here to help however I can." Pyrrha squeezed her hand as they walked into the girls locker room.
The athletic locker room was five times as large and as crowded as the dance one, with barely enough room to move around. Weiss saw cheerleaders, the basketball team, and all of Pyrrha's group as they filed to the row of junior lockers. Weiss took a seat on one of the benches as Pyrrha flipped open the metal door to the one labeled 'Nikos'.
"So what all did you do today?"
"Mostly worked on the basics. Dancers from Vale have an entirely different style than back home, so I have to relearn everything essentially."
"That sounds rough." Nora grunted from two lockers over. "I know Ren had problems when he transferred from the casual classes to the professional program in culinary. He said there were a lot of etiquette and technique differences. Of course he picked up on it quickly, but it was a rough couple of weeks, and he spent most of it measuring how thin his sliced vegetables were."
"Maybe we can look up some videos on the internet tonight." Pyrrha offered as she threw her uniform into her gym bag. "Maybe there are some tips for dancers who have had to transition styles before."
"I have a lot of work to do tonight, but I can see how much time is left after dinner."
"I thought we were going to the mall, Pyrrha?" Yang was running a brush through her long blonde hair.
"Oh, I'm sorry, that's right. Yang needs new trainers so we're going to the mall for a bit. Do you want to come?" Pyrrha asked her, snapping her locker shut and picking up her things.
"I appreciate the offer, but I need to make sure my work gets done."
"No big. I'll meet you guys in twenty minutes at Nora's house? I need to take Weiss home."
"See you then, el capitana." Yang saluted as they walked off.
"I don't mean to keep you from your friends." Weiss glanced back to Yang and Nora laughing as the locker room door closed.
"Oh, it's no bother. I texted Mom this afternoon, but I should probably check and make sure she got it. Besides, I wouldn't mind grabbing some more comfortable shoes either." Pyrrha gave a scowl to the heavy black dress shoes they were provided for the school uniform.
"I thought you said we could wear whatever shoes we want as long as they were black? I've been wearing my booties and no one has said anything."
"We can, I just don't really have another black pair. Kind of why I suggested the mall, while Yang is getting her trainers I can look around a little."
They climbed in their new car, Pyrrha checking her mirrors before starting the engine and pulling out of the parking lot. A few minutes later they pulled into the driveway of the house, Pyrrha holding the garage door open for Weiss.
She got all of her work done before dinner, permitting herself twenty minutes to peruse through her Scroll as it wasn't enough to practice anyways. Pyrrha came in the front door just as Mrs. Nikos called them to the table, setting her shopping bags in the foyer and joining them. They talked about their day, Pyrrha and Weiss taking turns again before Mr. Nikos went on about how the office was. Dinner always seemed to fly by at the Nikos' house with all the conversation, and before she knew it Pyrrha was gesturing for her to follow her upstairs.
"I got you something."
"You did? But I haven't gotten you anything."
Pyrrha waved her off as they stepped into her room. "Don't worry about it, I didn't get you it just to get something back. Here."
She handed Weiss a pretty white gym back with silver trimmings. It had short handles to be carried like a purse, or a long strap to sling over her shoulder.
"Don't worry, it's Beacon approved. You can only have a solid colored bag with no logos or markings if you want to go to competitions, and I thought white was your style."
"Thank you very much Pyrrha, it's perfect." she ran her hand along the strap, seeing three ribbons tied to the metal clasp on the side. "What are these?"
"Because basic bags are so boring, there's a little tradition at Beacon where your friends will give you colored ribbon. You know, just to spice things up." Pyrrha reached behind her door for her gym bag, showing off a line of almost two dozen ribbons. "See? Most of mine are from volleyball, but there are a few on here from track too."
"So this red one is yours?" Weiss ran the pretty silk ribbon on her own bag through her fingers.
"Yup. The pink is form Nora, and the yellow is from Yang."
"They wanted to give me one?"
"Well yeah, you're our friend." Pyrrha chuckled, throwing her bag back in the corner. "I just haven't seen you with a gym bag, and I thought with you being in ballet now it'd be nice to have somewhere to keep all your stuff. The clerk at the store said it was good for ballet, with some shoe pockets or something."
Weiss leaned forward, pulling Pyrrha into a hug. She was taken aback for a second, but returned it after a brief pause.
"Thank you Pyrrha."
"No problem, Weiss."
She pulled back after a second, taking the bag and giving Pyrrha a bow of the head. "If you need any help on your homework, let me know."
"I'll probably just do it in study hall tomorrow, but thanks." Pyrrha seemed to sense her embarrassment, turning away to empty her sweaty practice clothes into the laundry basket.
Weiss bowed quickly, shutting the door to her room for a moment of privacy. While the gift was probably routine for dozens of other girls, it was particularly special to her. When she'd joined ballet as a child, she'd always just been given her equipment by her instructors. Her Father had not shown an inkling of interest in her dancing besides expecting her to be flawless in performances. For someone that had no benefit from her passion, and for someone who'd known her such a short time, she was overwhelmed with the casual sincerity Pyrrha always offered.
She shook herself out of her reverie, resolving to double her efforts to show the Nikos' she deserved their support. She took care to remember everything Mrs. Goodwitch had said to her, and spent nearly three hours retraining her brain through the very basics at the barre in the garage. Only after she felt satisfied she'd made a little progress did she allow herself to call it for the night, returning to her room to organize her equipment in the new bag. It really did have everything she needed, from shoe slots to a net on the outside for her water bottle, and she knew she'd get lots of use out of it. She set it by the door next to her backpack, finally settling down to try and get some sleep.
Wednesday was more of the same, classes picking up now that everyone was a little more settled in to their routine. Her classes were living up to their 'advanced' title, but she welcomed the challenge. Ballet was just as abysmal as before, but at least now that she was sure she wasn't going to be abruptly ejected from the class, the giggles of the older girls were easier to bear. She completely forgot about D&D until Yang and Nora told Pyrrha they'd see her in an hour after practice. They got to spend less time, as everyone was tired from their various responsibilities, but it was entertaining nonetheless to eat pizza and show some guards why Yang gave her character the nickname 'Ice Queen'.