I didn't get a lot of sleep the other night. It could have had something to do with the cold air that would seep in through the door cracks. It could have had something to do with everybody running around in the hallways, despite Professor Goodwitch's request not to. All of these factors could have contributed to me not being able to sleep. I would have probably even told people that this was the case if they asked me. But the truth was that I couldn't sleep because of what happened the other day. All I could think about was how bold Yang had been. The laughter bothered me as well. Everybody saw me as just a joke to be laughed at. It made me feel vulnerable and anxious, but I wouldn't let them see how it affected me. I had to be strong if I were to prove myself as a Huntress.

Tomorrow was the initiation day in which all the first-year students would be paired up with their partners. There was a very good chance that I'd be seeing Yang again. Would she still speak to me in the same tone that she did yesterday? I wasn't looking forward to it at all. On the plus side, there was the possibility of being teamed up with a good partner, and I already knew whom I wanted on my team. A girl named Pyrrha Nikos was rumored to be attending Beacon, and I was naturally the perfect candidate to compliment her. Any negative thoughts of Yang went away as I planned the next day out in my head.

We were all sent to the locker room in order to prepare for what was to come. Two steps in and I could already see Yang and her sister talking to each other. My feet shifted towards the door but the rest of my body refused to follow suit. There was no way a Schnee would show cowardice, especially when that someone was just a blonde bimbo and her dolt of a sister. I held my head high and walked straight on.

The Gods probably felt pity for me because Pyrrha walked in at the exact same time. She was an elegant looking girl with long, red hair tied in a ponytail. One would think that she was more of a model than a fighter, even more of a reason for her to be my partner.

"So, Pyrrha," I said with great confidence, "Have you thought about who you want on your team?"

I smiled at the perfection of my diction and clarity. Every Schnee knows that you have to be direct and concise when making a deal. However, the rules of Schnees didn't take a certain something into account.

"You know they decide for you, right?" said an obnoxiously loud voice.

We both turned our heads at Yang, one hand placed on her hip. Her sister was behind her with a goofy looking smile.

"Have you ever heard of waiting for someone to finish speaking before opening your mouth?" I snapped.

Yang rolled her eyes at me. "I'm just correcting your mistake. What's your problem anyway? I thought we were cool."

"What's all this about?" asked Pyrrha in a trembling voice. There was something odd about Pyrrha. I imagined her to be a fierce and headstrong person, and she was for the most part. However, another part of her was more reserved and shy. Something I really didn't expect from a prestigious fighter like herself.

"Oh!" said Yang's sister. "That's Weiss!"

"Yes, charmed. Now, Pyrrha—"

"Are any of you ladies talking about my, Jaune Arc?" asked a blond oaf by the name of Jaune. He was making these obnoxiously flamboyant poses while making a poor attempt to woo Pyrrha and myself.

Everybody was talking over everybody at this point. Jaune was continuing to embarrass himself while Yang and her sister talked about the team they were hoping for. Pyrrha just stood there and nodded to everything everybody said.

My patience had run thin. Every Schnee has an abnormally high level of tolerance to nonsense, but mine had run thin and I was growing frustrated. I could feel my hands trembling as my forehead throbbed.

Suddenly, all my anger built up and I screamed out, "DOES THIS SCHOOL HAVE AN ALLERGIC REACTION TO CONVERSATIONAL DECENCY?"

The entire room went silent and all eyes were on me. I looked around at all of their confused faces, happy with myself for steering the conversation towards me.

"Thank you," I said with one deep breath. "As I was saying, Pyrrha…would you be interested in teaming up with me? Random or not, are you interested in the possibility of being teammates with me?"

Pyrrha bashfully looked at the floor and mumbled something.

"I'm sorry," I said with one hand over my ear. "I couldn't hear you. Do you mind speaking up?"

She mumbled slightly louder and I still couldn't understand what had been said.

"She said she isn't sure," said Yang.

"Yes," said Pyrrha. "Thank you."

I glared at Yang before addressing Pyrrha.

"I understand," I said with a nod.

"Attention," said the voice of Professor Goodwitch. "Would all Beacon first-year students please arrive at Beacon Cliff for initiation?"

The time had come. We'd be seeing who our partners would be. I hoped with everything I had that Jaune wouldn't be anywhere near me. Just the thought of him brought me close to vomiting.

I watched as everybody in the locker room walked out. Despite being trained in the lower academies, a lot of them looked like children with no hope of being Huntsmen. They walked with their heads down and shuffled as they walked, as if they feared what was to come.

Only a handful appeared to be confident in their abilities, and Yang happened to be one of them. She walked with her head high and shoulders back, starkly contrasting everybody else.

"Are you coming?" she asked.

I snapped out of my brief daydream and looked back at her. She had her arms folded as she gave me a look that I was all to familiar with.

"Is it really any of your business what I do?" I said.

Yang half-smiled and said, "I guess not. I just saw you standing there and wanted to know what was up."

"I'm only observing the competition. A true Huntress should always be equipped with knowledge."

"It looked more like you being a wallflower than anything else."

I just couldn't believe this girl. This was now the third time that she spoke to me like this. Everybody else either wanted my attention, like Jaune, or spoke to me with respect. I observed Yang's attire to see if there was a socio-economic reason behind her attitude. She dressed very boldly in a tan-colored jacket that exposed her stomach. Her top didn't leave much to the imagination either. Maybe that's why Yang was so bold with me. This poor girl was either raised by lowlifes or in the wasteland known as Vacuo. My frustration with her suddenly turned to pity.

"I think I'm done conversing with you," I said in a huff. I then walked away without another word, making sure to give Yang the message that she was beneath me. A grin crept up on my face as Yang grew further away. How silly was I to think that there was a deeper reason behind her behavior. The girl was what Winter would have become if she'd been raised without morals or respect for authority.

"You can always come to me if you want a friend," I heard Yang say.

I stood frozen but continued to look straight ahead.

"W-What makes you think I'd need your friendship?" I asked.

"It's weird," said yang, "But…I kind of like you. And I feel like you only act like a bitch because you think it makes you look tough or something."

I swallowed and clenched my fists a little. Was my insecurity really that transparent?

"I-I appreciate your offer," I said, "but I have no interest whatsoever."

I walked away once more and this time Yang didn't say anything.

The hallways of Beacon looked much larger when you were the only person walking through them. I thought about what Yang had said while making my way to the exit. Plenty of people offered me friendship and it was usually in exchange for popularity or to increase their perceived self-worth. Yang, however, sounded genuine with her offer. There was an innocence in her voice that made it all the more sincere.

"A friend," I said out loud to myself. Was there ever a time when I truly had one? I looked back at all the people I had met over the years. None of them spoke to me anymore and moved on to other things. I'd always wanted someone to talk to, someone to confide in, someone to just be there for me. That had yet to happen and I wasn't really sure if it ever would.

Such was the curse of being a Schnee.