I made it! A day late and dollar short, but I'm happy to be back and actually have time for writing again. I don't really know how to describe this story (which will make writing the summary for next week's public post difficult), but let's just call it unique. It's White Rose though, so gobble it up while you can!
***
Weiss would rather do plenty of things other than sit in front of the television, remote in hand, knee jittering while she waited for the verdict with the rest of the world. The news anchors hammed it up during the delay, alternating between jokes and serious riffs about ‘the state of Atlas.’ Her knee picked up the pace when she checked the time, having few minutes to spare but sparing them on this.
“And we’re just getting word -” One of the anchors dramatically paused, listening to the voice relayed via the microphone in his ear. “Not liable,” he concluded as a bright red banner popped up on the screen. “Schnee Industries has been found not liable for polluting the Atlas River.”
“Wow,” his co-anchor remarked while he added more commentary, but their words ceased to matter. The white font at the bottom of the screen said it all: ‘Jacques Schnee says justice prevailed and practices won’t change.’
Weiss could hear the words in her father’s voice and see the triumphant smirk hidden beneath his mustache. Once again, he prevailed through loopholes, fine print, and technicalities. Everyone with a conscience knew that dumping hazardous waste into the ecosystem was wrong - some people were livid about it - yet he still won.
Shaking her head, she shut off the television and went to get ready. First, she did her makeup - waterproof so that she didn’t become a mess - then pulled her long, white hair into a high ponytail and curled the end. Jewelry seemed pointless, but she put on nice earrings and several bracelets regardless. Jacques Schnee’s daughter had to look perfect, after all. As perfect as the Atlas River used to.
She grimaced at her reflection, wishing that the news had come any day but today. Her dad would spend it gloating while she…well, she would deal with it like usual.
Her uniform came last - not because it was more efficient to put it on last but because it was her favorite part of the process. The silver-and-blue shorts and fitted tank top with ‘ATLAS’ splashed across the front signified something other than her family. She even had matching blue shoes, which she ensured were in her duffel bag before pulling on a matching tracksuit, grabbing her phone, and hurrying out.
She stepped into the hall just as her neighbor - a balding young man who worked at a local law firm - left his apartment. His strained smile said everything she already knew, yet disappointment still pricked at her mind as she headed downstairs.
In the perfect world, her dad’s business dealings wouldn't be the talk of the town. Or, if they were, they wouldn't be so callous and unlawful that people had come to associate the Schnee name with villainy. In this ideal world, he might even have let her live on campus with the rest of her classmates rather than in distant neighborhoods with budding professionals. Living far from campus meant that she had to drive there, and he insisted on hiring a chauffeur rather than granting her the freedom of her own car.
Just such a chauffeur stood beside a black town car parked in front of her building.
“Good morning, Miss.” He opened the passenger door and gestured for her bag, but she clutched it closer while ducking into the backseat. He was just doing his job, but she was more than capable of carrying her own bag.
She was more than capable of driving, too, but she lost that argument every time she brought it up. Resigned to the blatant display of ill-begotten wealth, she leaned against the window and tried not to dwell on the court case. Race days required zen-like focus that she would never reach when worrying about the inevitable fallout.
There was nothing she could do but deal with it. Blend in. Pretend that she wasn’t involved, which she wasn’t. Of course, her innocence might be a bit clearer if she weren’t dropped off by a Schnee-paid chauffeur.
“Thanks.” The town car hardly stopped before she jumped out, shouldered her duffel bag, and hurried to the silver-and-blue coach bus parked outside a track and field stadium. Victory Field, the stadium’s sign read. The championship banners hanging beneath it proved that the lofty name was more than just bravado. The most recent three, signifying the past three years, stirred pride in her chest. She looked forward to adding a fourth banner before she graduated - a long, difficult journey that started today.
Conversations filtered past her ears as she boarded the bus but, as soon as she reached the rows upon rows of seats, abruptly stopped. Her dad said that college students didn’t follow the news, but what else explained the poignant pause followed by the muted return of voices?
It felt like she should make an announcement - perhaps claiming innocence or denouncing her father. She dropped her bag on the floor in the front row and waited for the rest of the team to arrive instead.
Her teammates arrived in pairs or groups, talking amongst themselves as they found seats. They glanced at her but passed without more than a vague smile or dipped chin. Conversations both loud and soft - whispers and laughter - surrounded her but didn’t include her. She convinced herself that the whispers weren’t about her - they were probably about boys or whatever other gossip college girls got into. She would love to know.
Sighing, she leaned her elbow against the window as their coaches arrived.
“‘Morning, Weiss,” Coach Mercer greeted her, briefly smiling before sitting in the back with the rest of the sprinters. Their head coach, Coach Calloway, boarded and remained standing in the aisle as the bus rumbled to life.
“Ok, everyone!” she called out. The team obediently fell silent, but Weiss tuned out the same ‘rah-rah’ speech she’d heard for the last three years. ‘The Fall Warm-Up is the best meet of the year.’ ‘Our results will set us up for the rest of the season.’ And, most importantly, ‘Atlas has a reputation to uphold.’
Weiss held onto that last line as the bus arrived at Winterhaven’s Forest Stadium. Here, life abounded. Spectators had begun to arrive. Rival teams were setting up for a long day. Officials and event coordinators directed the flow of traffic.
Despite being first off the bus, she was in no hurry. The rest of her team quickly streamed around and in front of her, pouring through the stadium gates as a group of silver and blue. They talked excitedly amongst themselves - or nervously in the case of the freshmen - as she trailed behind them, absorbing every little detail. The slight bounce of the forest green track underfoot. The smell of astroturf. The faint drone of voices from the stands and from other teams combined with the steady beating of feet on the track.
Athletes sporting a range of colors congregated with teammates or had already begun warm-ups. Winterhaven wore their classic dark green and white uniforms - the home team enjoying the day at their stadium. Summit Ridge looked sleek in gold and black ensembles. Ember Heights was eye-catching in red and white.
“Atlas Academy!” Coach Calloway shouted, waving an arm in the air from one of the bench areas. With one last glance around the track, Weiss rejoined her team, dropping her bag alongside everyone else’s and then sitting down to put on her track shoes.
“Don’t worry,” one of the other sprinters - a gregarious, pretty girl named Jocelyn - assured one of the freshmen. “It’s just like practice, but with spectators.”
Jocelyn gestured to the crowd filling the stands but then briefly froze and glanced at Weiss. Curious, Weiss turned around and quickly spotted the sign made just for her. ‘Schnee Filth’ it read, and its holder jabbed a finger in her direction as soon as they noticed her attention.
“Save some energy for cleaning up your mess!” they shouted, shaking the sign as if that somehow righted a wrong.
Weiss briefly met Jocelyn’s gaze and, for an instant, Jocelyn looked like she might say something. But what do you say to your teammate who is also the daughter of Atlas’ greatest villain? Weiss spared Jocelyn the struggle by turning away and casually running a hand through her ponytail. A half-second passed before Jocelyn motioned the freshman up and uttered a subdued, “Come on. Let’s warm up.”
The two of them jogged away, leaving Weiss to spare the sign another glance before taking a deep breath and releasing it in a calm, measured exhale. Several more insults were hurled her way - nothing she hadn’t heard before, so she ignored them. The court of public opinion had rendered its own verdict: guilty by association. She was used to it. Or so she told herself as she stood up and stripped off her track jacket.
“Of course they put Ember Heights next to us…” one of the long-distance runners griped to a friend as the bright, flashy team congregated nearby.
Rambunctious, free-wheeling Ember Heights versus professional, focused Atlas Academy. The two schools couldn't be more different, yet Weiss sized up the rival team with the respect that their results deserved. Their field specialists were bonafide stars while several of their runners could be called the best in their division, and they had returned a large number of seniors.
Several new faces stood out, but Weiss’ gaze slipped past them before swiftly returning to one in particular. The tall, lean girl didn’t look young enough to be a freshman, and the way the other girls fawned over her suggested that she was important - though her appearance alone was worthy of clamoring. Her short, ruffled brunette hair looked like a fashion statement. Her bright eyes and easygoing smile were warm and welcoming. And her laughter - joyful and carefree - drew her teammates closer.
As a short gust of wind rustled through Weiss’ ponytail, the girl’s attention snapped to her. Both of them froze - the brunette looking as if she hadn’t expected to see Weiss there and Weiss wondering what she had done to earn the unflinching gaze. Of course, she probably hadn’t done anything more than being born to the wrong family, so she shrugged it off like usual. After taking a sip from her water bottle, she set off for a warm-up jog, earning another round of jeers from her anti-support club. The new Ember Heights girl frowned into the stands before her eyes followed Weiss around the track.
Weiss could do nothing about the staring, just like she could do nothing about the jeers. What she could control was her preparation, which included several light jogs and stretches, working up to short sprints. She offered some advice to the newest sprinter on their team - unsolicited and received as if it accompanied a lawsuit - before heading back to the bench on her own.
The new girl from Ember Heights didn’t seem particularly interested in warming up. She did seem interested in shooting glances at Weiss, then at Weiss’ teammates and coaches, every time the anti-support crew lobbed some insults from the stands. She probably knew who Weiss was by now - the sign made it pretty clear - but must be wondering why everyone put up with the disturbance.
They were probably used to it. Or maybe they believed that Weiss deserved it. Maybe the protestors were, in a way, voicing their own thoughts out loud.
When the Ember Heights girl suddenly separated from her team and started walking over, Weiss stiffened. A confrontation could come from anyone and anywhere, including on her sacrosanct track. As the girl drew nearer, however, the distinct drummings of attraction joined Weiss’ wariness.
No wonder the rest of the Ember Heights team were tripping over themselves for her attention. Her beauty suggested that anyone earning her affection must be special beyond measure. A model, an actress, a world leader - any or all of them would fall prey to her allure - yet she approached as if moving too fast might end them both. Only when Weiss turned towards her, making it obvious that her presence had been noted, did she slink closer and say, “Uh, hi.”
She added a cute smile and wave before inhaling once, then closing her eyes and taking a deep, deep breath. She inched into ‘too close’ territory, so Weiss stepped back and stared as the girl opened her eyes, revealing silver orbs nearly overtaken by black. Weiss’ shock hardly registered before she blinked, revealing normal pupils resting in bright silver.
“Hi.” Weiss stared at those silver eyes as if her mind just played a trick on her. But they remained silver…they also remained fixed on her for so long that she eventually cleared her throat and added, “What do you want?”
“Oh.” The girl snapped out of whatever trance she had been in. She blinked twice, swallowed, and then pointed to the stands. “Are they bothering you?”
Weiss followed the girl’s gesture to the protestors before forcing a polite expression. Of course they are, she thought, but she said, “They’re allowed to voice their frustration,” before muttering under her breath, “Even if they’re voicing it in the wrong direction…”
Weiss hadn’t said it loud enough for the girl to hear, yet she still frowned at the stands before turning back and, in a deathly serious tone, asked, “Want me to get rid of them?”
Weiss arched her brow, studying the girl a little more closely, before shrugging and flipping a hand through her ponytail.
“Sure. But only if you dump their bodies in the river my dad so horrendously polluted.”
A sharp bark of laughter seamlessly turned into an infectious giggle that, remarkably, dragged a smile to Weiss’ lips. The girl’s intensity drained along with it, easing the tension from the air.
“Deal.” The girl shot another glance at the crowd before sticking out her hand. “I’m Ruby, by the way.”
Weiss shook Ruby’s hand, marveling at Ruby’s pristinely smooth skin, before glancing away, trying not to stare as Ruby’s beauty became impossible to ignore.
“I just transferred to Ember Heights,” Ruby added, oblivious to the heat rising on Weiss’ cheeks. “I considered Winterhaven, but it didn’t seem as welcoming. Besides, red’s my favorite color. My sister said I shouldn’t pick a school based on color but…”
Ruby shrugged as if the rest of the story should be self-explanatory. Weiss, meanwhile, wanted to ask why Ruby was telling her this - or why Ruby was talking to her at all.
“Sprinter?” she asked instead, using the question as an excuse to check out Ruby’s long legs, toned arms, and unfairly perfect skin. Once Ruby nodded, Weiss met her gaze. “Are you any good?”
“I like to think so.” Ruby lightly swung her arms, the muscles coiling and uncoiling in harmony. “Are you any good?”
“I’ve won every sprint for the last three years, so…yes. I believe I am.”
Realization dawned in Ruby’s eyes.
“Oh…you’re the one everyone talks about.”
Inwardly, Weiss cringed. On the surface, she glanced away and muttered, “I suppose I am.” With another interaction ruined by her ‘reputation,’ she was grateful when her coach motioned her over. “Excuse me,” she said before walking away, feeling Ruby’s gaze follow.
Thanks, Dad, she thought while pushing Ruby from her thoughts. She wasn’t here to make friends - not that Ruby wanted to be friends - she was here to help her team win. The easiest way to do that was for her to win.
Coach Mercer, it turned out, just wanted to hand out her heat and lane assignments. He then flitted off to help the other runners, leaving her to prepare alone for her first event. They had a big team, after all, and plenty of freshmen needed guidance. As long as Weiss took care of herself and scored points, the coaches - and everyone else - left her alone. Ruby would also leave her alone, or at least stop staring so much, in time.
Ignoring Ruby’s frequent glances, she finished her warm-ups imagining what the other Ember Heights girls said about her. Did they think she was cold? Snobby? Deserving of scorn from strangers in the stands?
You don’t care what they think, she reminded herself despite the twinge in her stomach suggesting that she did. Ruby didn’t know her, but Ruby knew of her, and that was enough. Ruby might stare today, confirming that Weiss was as detached as claimed, then join everyone else in leaving her alone. Because that was her father’s true gift to her: ostracism and solitude.
None of that mattered when her first race arrived.
Joining seven other sprinters in the starting area, she gave them all a once-over before taking her lane. The best four moved to the final and, considering she had raced against all of them - save for a new girl from Summit Ridge who was either a freshman or a newly promoted underclassman - she liked her chances.
With several field events taking place simultaneously, there was plenty of commotion to go around. Plenty to watch. Plenty to cheer for. Some of Weiss’ teammates watched from the sidelines but most were more concerned about their own events. The anti-support crew was already shouting discouragement. Ruby and several other Ember Heights runners stood along the edge of the track waiting for the race to begin.
Weiss lived for this moment. Frozen in her stance, every cell ready to burst forward at the starting gun, every nerve a live wire.
For several marvelous seconds, nothing would bother her. Her father’s tyranny and its constant fallout disappeared. People could hate her for her last name or think that she was only special because of her family’s tainted wealth, but track was an equalizer. Sure, she could hire personal trainers and coaches - luxuries many of her teammates could never dream of - but, at the end of the day, she had to put in the work. She couldn't buy speed - she earned it through blood, sweat, and a few tears.
Most importantly, how she performed here, regardless of being individual effort, contributed to the team. Her team. When she did well, she helped them all. They would hang another banner at Victory Field, then she would graduate and walk into her father’s clutches.
The starting pistol went off and she shot out of her stance like a bullet leaving the chamber. Every ounce of focus went to her arms, her legs, her posture, her breathing. Everything perfect. Everything executed just as she had rehearsed thousands of times.
And then it was over. The finish line blurred underfoot. She slowed to a stop, set her hands on her hips, and sucked in deep breaths as the other runners jogged past her. No one had even been in her field of vision when she crossed the line, but she still watched the scoreboard until the official times popped up.
Satisfied, she nodded and trudged back to the bench.
Coach Mercer patted her shoulder as she passed. One of her teammates gave her a quick thumbs-up before heading out to the track. Besides that, there was no fanfare. There was no reason for it. She was supposed to win and she did. It was routine. The strangest thing about it was the way Ruby watched, those silver eyes darting between Weiss and her team as if waiting for a reaction.
Ignoring the protestors’ boos, she grabbed her water bottle and went to watch the next heat. She always watched the other heats. Scouting the competition, she told herself, but today she was interested in one competitor in particular.
Ruby, who had taken such interest in Weiss today, finally had something else to focus on. She high-fived the other Ember Heights runner in her heat before taking her lane and crouching down. Her expression grew serious and her attention shifted to the track. If she realized that Weiss was watching, she gave no indication of it.
The gun went off - Weiss instinctively flinched - and the racers shot out of their stances. A small group quickly separated from the rest, Ruby amongst them. Her long, graceful stride looked effortless, but she crossed the finish line behind Jocelyn, who immediately went to celebrate with what looked like the entire Atlas team sans Weiss.
Ruby was fast but not fast enough to upset the status quo - that was Weiss’ conclusion as she joined the final several minutes later. Her greatest competition was Jocelyn, who she had beaten so consistently over the past few years that it didn’t feel like much competition at all. Why, then, had nearly all of Ember Heights congregated beside the track to watch?
Shoving the thought aside, Weiss crouched down and set her hand on the ground. Ruby glanced at her before doing the same, and then the world stood still.
The starting pistol fired and they were off. The initial crowd quickly gave way to open track. Her feet flew across it - she might as well be flying - as the finish line neared. But this time was different. Someone appeared in her peripheral vision and then surged past her just before they crossed the finish line.
She watched Ruby win.
Ruby slowed down, turned around, and smiled. She had something to say, but it disappeared when her teammates swarmed her, shaking her shoulders, rustling her hair, and, in general, jumping all over her. Weiss shared a stunned look with Jocelyn, who had grown so accustomed to second place that third probably felt like just as much a fall from grace as Weiss’ fall from first to second.
While Ember Heights celebrated as if they just won a war, Weiss clenched her jaw and returned to the bench. The rest of her team had noticed the commotion - they were glancing at her from wherever they stood, talking amongst themselves as the news inevitably spread.
“Alright, Weiss,” Coach Mercer said, patting her back. “You’ll get the next one.”
“Right,” she huffed as she sat down and grabbed her water. Blocking out the jeers behind her - the protestors were ecstatic that she lost and letting her know it - she replayed the race in her head. Her start hadn’t been the smoothest, but it was still good. Her stride had been good but not perfect. Apparently, she needed to be perfect today.
Noticing Ruby return to the Ember Heights bench, Weiss sized her up again. Ruby scowled at the crowd before noticing Weiss’ attention, which earned a smile and wave. Weiss didn’t return the wave - she tossed her bottle on top of her bag and prepared for the next event.
She had two chances to redeem herself, but the next event started and ended the same way. She breezed through her heats, taking first by a wide margin. Then she met Ruby in the final and Ruby edged in front of her again. That time, she gritted her teeth while returning to the bench to recalibrate.
By the time her last sprint rolled around, the rest of Atlas Academy decided to watch. Again, she breezed through the first heat. Again, she lined up with Ruby for the final.
Again, she lost.
Three sprints. Three times Ruby crossed the finish line first. Three times Ember Heights raced onto the track as if Ruby just performed a miracle. Three times Weiss and the rest of the Atlas sprinters looked on in disbelief.
A sour feeling pooled in Weiss’ stomach as she slumped on the bench, avoiding her teammates’ gazes. After beginning the day with news of her dad’s most recent ‘victory,’ she had hoped to start the season on a better note. On the same note as how last year ended.
But she couldn't wallow in self-pity forever. Eventually, she unlaced her cleats, replaced them with sneakers, then watched the rest of the events. She cheered for her teammates and helped however she could, or however they would let her. As the end of the meet neared, however, frequent glances went to the scoreboard. Ember Heights had the lead and, as the last competitions wrapped up, it became clear that they would hold onto it.
Anyone wearing red and white skipped around the track with bright smiles. Anyone in silver and blue trudged along with somberness fitting a funeral. Their coaches were so unprepared for the result that they could only offer vague platitudes as they packed up beside a raucous winning team.
The worst part about losing was watching someone else win. At least, that was what Weiss thought until Ruby jogged over.
“Hey, great races today!”
With anyone else, Weiss would just walk away. Faced with Ruby’s eager sincerity, she couldn't find it in her to do that. “Maybe for you,” she replied instead. “I lost.”
“You were second. How’s that losing?” Ruby threw on a goofy, lopsided smile, but Weiss shook her head and grabbed her bag. She only made it two steps before Ruby fell into step beside her. “You did great, really. My team said you’re the best, and they’re right.”
“Clearly not,” Weiss huffed, vaguely gesturing to Ruby.
“I got lucky! Everyone knows you’re the queen out here. A couple of second places won’t change that. Besides, even if you aren’t winning, you’re still, like, the girl, you know?”
Finally, Weiss stopped and shook her head at Ruby.
“What are you doing?”
“Trying to be nice…?”
Why? Weiss might have asked. “Right. Well, see you,” she said instead. As she brushed past Ruby, however, Ruby grabbed her elbow only to let go and step back so fast that Weiss could swear it never happened at all. She frowned at her elbow, then at Ruby.
“Sorry,” Ruby mumbled. “I just…don’t want you to feel bad. Second’s not the end of the world. It might even be better than you think.”
Their conversation was drawing attention now, mostly from Weiss’ teammates. Considering Ruby had just become public enemy number one in Atlas, Weiss sighed and put more space between them.
“Second isn’t good. I just let everyone down.”
Sadness flashed through Ruby’s eyes, but Weiss turned away and waved over her head on her way to the bus. It was nice that Ruby bothered talking to her at all, but it would be nicer if Ruby hadn't just landed several critical blows to her ego and identity.
The front row waited for her like usual, but everyone boarding the bus after her passed with a long, lingering look. She avoided eye contact, afraid that they were just as upset at her as she was with herself, so didn’t even look over when Jocelyn sat across the aisle. The bus rumbled to life once the coaches arrived, and their shell-shocked team left Winterhaven behind.
Weiss stared out the window, watching the streets slide past, while Jocelyn leaned into the aisle to talk to Ann, one of the long-distance runners currently sitting behind Weiss.
“That Ruby girl’s got to be cheating.”
“How?” Ann asked.
“I don’t know. Taking something? You know Ember Heights isn’t above that.”
“They did seem pretty excited about her performance…”
“What do you think, Weiss?”
Weiss blinked and looked over. She hadn’t realized that she was part of the conversation, but Jocelyn and Ann, leaning over the back of the seat now, waited for her response.
“I didn’t expect her to be so fast,” Weiss replied.
“She’s got crazy closing speed,” Ann agreed. “She tailed you for most of the race then shot past you in the last few meters. Like she was just waiting or something.”
“So she somehow matched Weiss’ pace and had enough left in the tank to outsprint the end?” Jocelyn scoffed and shook her head. “That’s not real.”
“Maybe she’s just…really good?”
“I don’t buy it. Something’s off.” Jocelyn met Weiss’ gaze as if seeking support and then leaned back. “Either way, we have to train harder. We can’t let Ember Heights beat us like that.”
Weiss nodded - she had already planned on training harder than she already did - and the two girls spent the rest of the bus ride analyzing the results, pointing out who could have done better, who left points on the table, and who could improve most. Weiss remained passively involved until the bus returned to Victory Field, where their tired and downtrodden team disembarked and disbursed to their various homes.
Another black town car waited to take Weiss home - a silent drive with only the road noise for company. Her lifeless apartment greeted her moments later, waiting for her to drop her bag by the door and flick on the lights. While draining another bottle of water, she finally checked her phone and furrowed her brow when she found a message from her dad.
‘I’ve hired another trainer for you,’ he wrote, followed by the dates and times added to her schedule.
Foolishly, she’d hoped that he would be too busy celebrating his legal victory to notice her results. Instead, she replied, ‘Thank you,’ left her phone on the counter, and took a shower.
His unspoken disapproval should bother her. His control over her life should bother her. Losing should bother her. And it did - as an underlying frustration with her life in general - but she could only describe her general mood as…content. Maybe even a little relieved. If this year had played out like the last, she would have spent it going through the motions with little to show for it other than a pretty banner and silent apartment.
But today, her teammates noticed her. Ruby noticed her. Her father had even noticed her. Even if it was only due to her failure, and even if it was only for today, it was nice to be…seen. The feeling left her oddly grateful for the blemish on her flawless record, though she would never, ever admit that to anyone.
Still, she had to work harder, train harder, and make sure that the day’s results were only a one-time blip on the radar.