Snow stepped out of the shower, the warm water droplets still glistening on her skin.
She began to style her hair, her fingers deftly working through the tangles.
As she was about to put on her bonnet, her phone buzzed with a text message.
She glanced at the screen, and a smile spread across her face.
The message was from Oliver, and it read: "Hey, happy holidays. I guess you actually put it off without getting into trouble. That's a great achievement. Well done."
Snow's smile lingered, despite the message's slightly insulting tone. She couldn't help but feel a flutter in her chest.
Minnie, who was already in bed, noticed Snow's expression and raised an eyebrow.
"I know that smile isn't from any boyfriend, cause you don't have one," she teased. "So, why are you grinning like that?"
Snow's smile only grew wider, but she said nothing, climbing onto the bed beside Minnie.
She didn't want to share the reason for her smile, and Minnie's words only made her more determined to keep it to herself.
As she settled into bed, Snow's thoughts drifted back to Oliver's message, and she couldn't help but wonder what he meant by it.
Snow: "You think you're so smart, don't you? Sending me a message like that."
Oliver: "Hey, someone's gotta keep you in check. You're getting too cocky."
Snow: "Cocky? You think I'm cocky just because I managed to avoid trouble for once?"
Oliver: "Well, it's not like it's a regular occurrence or anything. I'm just impressed you didn't manage to screw it up."
Snow: "Oh, shut up. You're just jealous because you didn't get to bail me out this time."
Oliver: "Jealous? Of you? Don't flatter yourself. I'm just entertained by your antics."
Snow: "Whatever. You're just mad because I didn't fall apart without you holding my hand."
Oliver: "I'm not mad. I'm just pointing out the obvious – you're not as perfect as you think you are."
Despite their banter, their words were laced with a subtle tension, a hidden admiration for each other that neither would dare admit out loud.
Oliver: "Hey, I want to Facetime you. Let's talk face-to-face."
Snow: "No way, I'm not doing that."
Oliver: "Why not? Afraid I'll see your face?"
Snow: "No, it's just not a good time. Minnie's right here with me."
Oliver: "So what's the big deal? I'm sure Minnie won't mind."
Snow: "Just drop it, okay? I don't want to Facetime you right now."
Before Snow could even respond further, she accidentally dropped her cellphone, and it landed beside Minnie.
Unbeknownst to Snow, Oliver had already initiated the Facetime call.
Minnie picked up the phone and saw Oliver's face on the screen.
"Won't you pick up the call?" Minnie asked, looking at Snow with curiosity.
Snow's eyes widened in panic. "No, I...I don't need to."
Minnie's expression turned puzzled. "It's fine, you can pick up the call. I'm not bothered."
Snow's face turned red. "No, really, it's okay. I don't want to talk to him right now."
Snow quickly ended the call, her heart racing. She immediately texted Oliver: "Stop calling me! I'll talk to you tomorrow. I need to sleep."
Oliver's response was swift: "What's going on? Why did you hang up on me?"
Snow didn't respond, relieved that the situation had been diffused.
Oliver, however, was left looking at his phone in confusion, wondering what had just happened.
~
Snow and Minnie lay side by side on the bed, staring up at the ceiling.
The room was quiet, except for the sound of Minnie's voice when she finally broke the silence.
"Snow?"
"Yes, Minnie?" Snow replied, her voice soft.
"Snow, do you have feelings for Oliver?" Minnie asked, her tone direct.
Snow's heart started racing, and she didn't know how to respond. "What would I...I don't..." she stammered.
Before she could gather her thoughts, Minnie continued, "I hope it's not true. I hope you don't end up having feelings for him." Snow swallowed hard, feeling a knot form in her throat.
Minnie's expression turned serious. "You know what happened between Violet and Oliver. I don't want anything like that to happen to you. I don't want one boy to be deceiving both of my friends."
Snow's mind was racing, but she tried to sound calm. "Right, right. I know. I'm not trying to get caught up in whatever Oliver is having. Trust me, we don't have feelings for each other. I can assure you of that."
Minnie's gaze lingered on Snow's face before she nodded. "I hope so. Look, I know you want to be with someone, and I'd support you if that someone is anyone else but not Oliver."
Snow nodded vigorously, stammering, "Right, yes, yes, I know."
Minnie turned off the lamp, plunging the room into darkness. "Let's sleep."
As Snow settled into bed, her mind was consumed by Minnie's words.
What if she truly started to have feelings for Oliver?
What would she do about it, especially considering the complicated dynamics between Oliver, Violet, and herself?
Snow's thoughts swirled in the darkness, leaving her with more questions than answers.
Snow's eyelids fluttered closed, but her mind refused to surrender to sleep.
Her thoughts swirled in a maddening dance, refusing to quiet down.
Finally, exhaustion claimed her, and she drifted off into a fitful slumber.
But her rest was short-lived. A dark and twisted dream invaded her subconscious, its tendrils wrapping around her like a suffocating shroud.
In the dream, Snow was a little girl again, vulnerable and powerless.
A menacing figure loomed over her, its presence suffocating.
She tried to scream, but her voice was trapped in her throat.
"Please, sir, please stop it," she begged, her small voice shaking with fear.
But the figure didn't listen. Snow's eyes welled up with tears as she called out for her parents, her voice cracking with desperation.
"Mom, Dad, please help me!"
Snow's body convulsed, her limbs thrashing wildly as she tried to shake off the nightmare.
Her sheets were tangled around her, a physical manifestation of the emotional turmoil that gripped her.
Her wig was askew, and her breathing was ragged.
As she finally broke free from the dream's grasp, Snow's eyes snapped open, and she sat up with a gasp.
Her heart was racing, and her skin was slick with sweat. She was shaking, her body trembling with fear.
But as she looked around the darkened room, she realized that Minnie was still fast asleep, oblivious to Snow's turmoil.
Snow's eyes welled up with tears, and she felt a scream building in her throat.
She clamped her mouth shut, afraid of waking Minnie.
For a long moment, Snow sat frozen, her body rigid with fear.
She was trapped in a living nightmare, and she didn't know how to escape.