NADIA SHAKED HER SISTER'S SHOULDER TO WAKE HER UP.

      Today was the day Prince Wilhelm was coming to Hillerska. He had gotten into a fight at a club a few days earlier and had transferred to the school because of the scandal. They were having a big ceremony to welcome him.

      To say Nadia was stressed would be an understatement. She was literally shaking. She had been playing guitar for years and the headmistress had asked her to accompany the school choir for the welcome song for the prince and it was a request she obviously wasn't allowed to refuse.

      The youngest Johansson had already put on her uniform and tuned her guitar but Matilda wasn't even up.

      "It's not even seven thirty." Matilda complained.

      "I'm aware. We are supposed to be in the common room in thirty minutes to welcome the Prince." Nadia pointed out.

      "Ugh, fine." the eldest grumbled as she dropped out of her bed.

      She quickly got ready and Nadia grabbed her guitar before they left their room and ran to the castle. There were journalists everywhere, and the prince was touring the school. The twins went into the main hall where most of the other students were already seated, waiting for the choir.

      "Miss Johansson, please hurry." the headmistress, Mrs. Lilja, walked towards them and spoke to Nadia.

      "Good luck. You're going to be great." Matilda gave her sister a sweet smile.

      Nadia crossed the room and hid with the choir members backstage. As she took her guitar out of its case and put the strap around her neck, Felice Ehrencrona walked up to her.

      "How are you feeling?" she gave her a gentle smile.

      They didn't know each other very well but Felice's always been a nice girl. She was a friend of Matilda so that's only why she knew her but Nadia still appreciated her asking.

      "A bit stressed, I guess."

      "You're gonna do great. I know performing in public can be hard, but once you're up here, everything's make perfect sense." Felice assured her.

      Nadia smiled. "Thank you."

      She didn't dare tell her it wasn't the first time she played in public because she knew Felice was just being nice. Nadia was just stressed every time she was going on stage, no matter how many times she had done it.

      When given the signal, they all came on stage and as the singers stood in a line, Nadia sat in the chair that had been left for her and placed her guitar on her thigh. The singing teacher who also acted as conductor nodded to her when everyone was ready, and Nadia began to play the first chords.

      The choir started singing the school anthem. After a few seconds, Simon started singing his part. Being the best singer of the school, he was always the one singing the solo.

      "Excuse me, would you mind singing a bit louder?" a third year named Vincent mocked.

      The headmistress made a sign for him to shut up but Simon put more power in his voice. The end of the song came faster than Nadia would have expected. As everyone left the room, she put away her guitar and got off the stage to join her sister. Matilda was hanging out with her friends Madison, Stella and Fedrika. Felice probably hadn't joined them yet.

      Nadia liked the girls, they were pretty nice most of the time, but she wasn't considering them her friends. They'd never talk to her if it wasn't for Matilda.

      Her twin opened wide her arms with a giant smile as Nadia approached them. "I told you you were gonna be great!" she exclaimed as she pulled her into a hug.

      "Thank you." Nadia smiled.

      When they pulled away, Nadia noticed that her sister was glancing at Noah, who smiled at her. She rolled her eyes. She didn't understand what Matilda saw in this guy. Noah was nothing but a bully. He was a jerk who was always making fun of someone or making stupid comments that didn't even make sense. They've been together for a couple of weeks now but what Matilda was seeing in him was a mystery for Nadia.

_____

      The following day, as the twins were walking down the hall to go to their class, Matilda locked eyes with Noah and smiled.

      "I'm gonna go talk to him, I'll join you right after." she told her sister.

      Nadia nodded and the eldest walked over the boy. He immediately put his arms around her and kissed her.

      "Are you coming to the Prince integration party tonight?" he asked when they pulled away.

      "Of course. I never miss a party." she replied.

      He grinned. "That's my girl."

      Matilda walked into the classroom only a few seconds before the teacher and everyone sat down to listen to the woman. "So you're all agree that murder is at the top of the list, followed by child abuse and rape. But if we put two less sensitive issues against each other, then what?"

      Valter raised his arm. "Well, regarding tax evasion, you've earned a lot of money and at least contributed to society by creating new jobs and so on."

      The teacher nodded. "Okay. Stella?"

      "Welfare scammers give nothing back. They just take, so that's worse."

      "Henry?"

      Matilda rolled her eyes, like everytime she saw him or heard his voice, but still turned on her chair to listen to his answer.

      "Well, if you were to lower the taxes, companies wouldn't have had to move their business abroad. Like, take my dad's estate, for example. They're struggling to make ends meet because of the high taxes."

      Simon laughed. The teacher looked at him. "Simon, do you want to share something with the rest of the class?"

      "It's such a weird question. Why is it called tax 'evasion' but welfare 'scam'? It's all right that rich people cheat, but when poor people do it, it's messed up. For rich people, it's not even called 'welfare', it's called 'deduction'. Like your dad." he turned on his chair to look at Henry. "How much EU subsidies does he get-"

      "And what the fuck does your dad do?" Henry snapped.

      Simon had a dirty look. "Well we all know who this country's biggest welfare receivers are."

      "Simon!" the teacher exclaimed.

      The debate was interrupted by a knock at the door and a teacher entered the classroom. "Sorry, Mrs. Lilja would like to see Miss Johansson in her office."

      "Which one?" the twins asked in sync.

      The teacher looked down at the name written on the paper in his hands. "Nadia."

      The two sisters exchanged a curious look and then Nadia got up and crossed the room. She walked over Mrs. Lilja's office and knocked on the door.

      "Hi, miss Johansson, please, sit down." the headmistress smiled at her. "I first wanted to thank you for accompanying the choir yesterday, it was lovely."

      "Thanks, Mrs. Lilja." Nadia replied.

      "I'd like to know if you'd like to join them, permanently. I think they could use a guitar with them."

      "Oh. Uh, I don't know."

      "Think about it. I know by your file you're planning to apply to study music after your graduation, and that would be a great point on your application."

      "No, I know, but the thing is I'm already part of a band outside of school so I just think, it would be too much. I don't think I can do it, I'm sorry."

      "Well, I understand, but please think about it. If you change your mind, please, let me know."

      "I will. Is that all?"

      The headmistress nodded. "Yes, you may go."

      "Thank you, Mrs. Lilja."

— hope you enjoyed the first chapter<33