Ruby rose wasn't the most social of people. Sure, she'd had a few good friends in highschool, but they'd all gone off the collage, and ruby hadn't even though about anything like that until last week. So there ruby sat in a lumpy swivel chair, in her staple tank top and pajama pants, staring into the computer screen like her gaze was stuck to it like magnets. "Hey Yaaang?" She called, her eyes unmoving. "What do I put here?"
Ruby was trying to fill out a job application. There was no way she was going to go to a collage that had no one she knew, and it was to late to even try to get into the one most of her friends had gone to. And even though her older sister Yang had forced her to move in with her when Ruby graduated highschool (dads always at work, there's no way I'm letting you sit at home all day completely alone like in middle school!) Ruby didn't feel right just 'freeloading' off her sister for everything. She wanted to get a job, so she could contribute at least a little. Yang had a part time job at a clothing store, which was able to cover the bills for one person, but ruby wasn't to sure If yang could afford to feed both of them on that salary, no matter what she said.
But alas, poor Ruby had no experience whatsoever in the jobbing community, and had called to Yang for the 7th time about a question for the application. Yang, upon entering the room for the upteenth time, decided to take a permanent residence on the couch next to ruby with a bowl of chips and salsa. "I'm haven't memorized the zip code yet, could you tell me again? I know you just did, but it's asking for it again. Why do they need to know it three times?" Ruby's exasperated sigh made yang chuckle.
It was just as frustrating for her when she first tried to do this. But luckily, Ruby had Yang's help, and with minimal griping, the two were able to get Ruby's first ever application finished.
Yang crunched noisily on her chips after they were done "So, where did you apply to again? I wasn't paying attention."
Ruby did the same, claming ownership of what seemed to be half the chips in the bowl almost. "I'm... Not actually sure? I was just filling out applications." She took another mouth full.
Yang almost choked. "Wait, seriously? Pfffft, even I wasn't that careless!" A joking smile sprung up on her face. "What if you accidentally applied to a strip club?"
Now it was Ruby's turn to choke. "Wh– cough cough akk! That's, that's not actually something that can happen is it?" Ruby's panicked expression earned a small laugh out of yang. Ruby's cheeks flushed a light red "meanie!"
"Sorry, sorry!" Yang smiled and raised up her hands in a friendly surrender. "It just seemed like the perfect thing to say at the moment, ya know?"
"What I know is YOU'RE NOT GETTING ANY MORE CHIPS" Ruby jumped up, stealing the bowl yang had been holding and dashed away with the remainder of the chips.
"Hey!" Yang tore after her, long strides letting her catch up to Ruby in almost a second in their tiny apartment. At Ruby's capture, the chips went flying, the plastic bowl clicking onto the floor and the chips splattering in every direction.
"Oops." Ruby said, flat on the floor with yang sitting on her back. She looked up at her sister, wondering how she'd react.
Yang smirked with slight irritation. "You're lucky those were tortilla chips and not barbecue, cause If they were, you'd be cleaning the floors with a toothbrush for a week." Yang reached down and tickled ruby, watching her squeal as Ruby promised to help clean the mess.
Later that same evening, the two had made up completely and now referred to the incident as 'the great chip war' which made it sound much more dramatic then is actually was. But they both thought it was funny, so they left it at that.
During the next few weeks, Ruby filled out several more applications. No dice. It seemed that no one was willing to hire an 18 year old girl fresh out of highschool with no prior experience. But on a Friday evening, low and behold, ruby had finally got a response. "Yang! Yang, someone emailed back! They emailed back!"
"What really?" Yang poked her head out from around the corner, holding a spatula in her hands. "Just a moment!"
About ten minutes later, Yang and Ruby sat in front of the computer, eating a bowl of eggs each. "Congratulations sis." Yang gave her a thumbs up. "You've got a job interview!"
The day of the interview. Ohhhh how nervous Ruby was! She'd never been to an interview before! And despite the run down of how to act Yang had given her, her nerves hadn't calmed down at all! She felt like a bundle of stress that could explode at any minute!
Ruby found her eyes wandering as she walked to the interview, and they landed upon... Snow?
Snow white. Snow white hair, protruding from the head of some girl, in a side ponytail. She was facing away from ruby, so she couldn't see her face, but.. That hair. Was so pretty. Ruby found herself fiddling with her own hair, the red dyed ends merging with her blackish brown locks perfectly. Yeah, snow white wouldn't work on Ruby. But that didn't make it any less pretty on this random girl, in the coffeeshop across the street. Ruby wondered what her eyes looked like. Brown? Like wood crackling in a stove fire? Green? Like the foliage snow would cover? Or blue? Like the sky, or sea? Who knows.
Somehow, seeing that pretty hair had calmed Ruby down just a bit. She didn't feel perfect, but some of the larger nerves had left her. She continued walking, and finally arrived at the place she was taking her first ever job interview.
For the fast food restaurant, WcDonalds.
Ruby loved fast food. If she could, she'd just eat burgers and fries every day of her life. Now she had tried this before, and ended up in bed sick because of it. No more burger only diets for Ruby! But that little mishap didn't stop her from applying to the place. In a clean black skirt and nice looking red dress shirt, ruby had arrived to to attend the Interview. But, she had no idea where to go. How could she? It was a fast food joint! Where was she even supposed to go?
Lucky for her, an employee who had just come back in from taking out the trash saw the confused and frightened ruby. "Hey, you alright? Whats up?" He asked her.
"Oh um, well, I was supposed to come here for a job interview, but I don't really know where to g–" Ruby tried to say
The boy nodded his head, like he'd remembered something he'd forgotten. His scruffy blond hair reminded Ruby of Yang just a little... "Oh yeah! That boss said something about some one coming in for an interview! That must be you right? I'm sun wookong, what's your name?"
"Ah, Ruby Rose."
"Right! I'll let the boss know, wait right here 'kay?" Sun scampered off, his smile beaming. Sun was an appropriate name for him.
Ruby sat in a cold, definitely overly air conditioned back room, next to an older woman, who Ruby presumed was the manager, that 'boss' Sun referred to. She looked at ruby with cold calculating eyes. "Ruby rose?" Ruby nodded. "I'd like to ask you a few questions."
Vernal, the manager was named, asked ruby a few questions like she'd said we would and then asked when ruby would be available to come in. "What?" Ruby asked, folding her head in confusion. Come in for what?
"Training. Normally we don't hire on the spot, but we just had one of out workers quit and need a replacement asap. You seem to fit the bill." Vernal raised an eyebrow. "That is, if you want to work here."
"YES!" Ruby screeched, then covered her mouth quickly. "Eh, yes, I would. Thank you. Thank you!" She gave a list of when she was available, which was basically any day of the week, and vernal told her when to come in. Ruby was ready to race back home and tell yang the good news, but ran into Sun on the way out.
"Hey ruby, d'it go well?" He said, already acting familiar with her. Ruby high fived him and sped sway, Sun clearly getting the message.
When Ruby got home, Yang was baking cookies. "Hey sis! How'd it go? Don't be to disappointed if you didn't get it, not many people get hired the first time they go in for an intervie–" yang saw Ruby's giddy smile. "No way."
"Yes way! She asked me to come in on Thursday for training!" Ruby jumped up excitedly, even more pepped up because of Yang's cookies.
"That's great! I was making cookies to cheer you up, cause usually you don't get hired by the first place you apply to! But now I guess they can be celebration cookies!" Yang put a hand on her hip and gave a thumbs up. "That's so cool! it took me five times before that stupid clothing store hired me!"
Ruby was almost drunk with excitement. Her first job, on her first interview! And the cookies made it even better!
Ruby was so exited. Normally, people wouldn't be this exited to work at a fast food joint. But nonetheless, Ruby could barely contain her joy. She's completed her 'training days' which were basically just a few days of following Sun as he worked and asking when she didn't understand something, and now that that was done it was her first day officially on the job!
Someone ordered a burger. Ruby was so proud that she didn't mess it up. It was a rather busy day, for a Tuesday, But that didn't even phase Ruby. She was so focused, so focused! Until she saw that girl again. The snow white hair. Ruby craned her head to try and see her eyes, but had no such luck. "Excuse me? Did you get that?" The customer in front ruby asked.
"Oh, sorry! Can you please repeat it?" Ruby continued her job, but found her eyes wandering quite a bit. There was almost a gravitational pull, drawing Ruby to that girl. She wondered why?
At some point Ruby noticed, that girl was joined by a guy, Ruby assumed was her boyfriend. She felt a small twang of disappointment, but tried to shake it off. It seemed like the two weren't having a very good time though. They'd started arguing as they approached the register, but Ruby couldn't make out what about. The guy seemed really angry... In fact, he'd started leaning closer to the white haired girl, as if trying to intimidate her. But the girl didn't back down an inch. She seemed to just get more and more annoyed.
Having had enough, the guy lifted his hand, in a motion that looked like he would slap the white haired girl. Without thinking, Ruby grabbed the cola she was about to hand to a customer and threw it at the guys face.
He looked outraged, turning his murderous gaze to ruby. "Did. you. just–" He took a step towards the register, and ruby threw the second drink she had next to her at him in a fit of panic. At that point all hell broke loose.
Sun acted as rubys body guard, and the cops had to be called, hauling the guy off. Ruby was called into management right after.
Vernal stared at Ruby as she entered. "What the hell was that." She said in monotone.
"Um, well, he was going to hit her and I just, reacted.." Ruby rubbed the back of her head nervously.
"You can't do that! Even if someone comes up and insults you to your face, you have to take it call someone else!" Vernal looked exasperated, mumbling something like 'shouldn't have hired someone that young'. "I get that this was your first job, but I think we'll have to let you go. You're a good kid, but this is WcDonalds. We serve burgers, not justice."
Ruby's mood dropped like a ton of bricks. She'd gotten fired. Her first job, and on her first day. Whyyyyyyyy.
Walking home was a blur, and Ruby didn't even realize where she was until she almost banged into a sign. Huh. It was that coffee shop she'd passed a few days ago. Well, she had nothing better to do.. Ruby entered the shop, and sat a little table in the corner, ordering a simple coffee with 7 sugars.
She was so out of it, she didn't even notice someone sit across from her at that same table. "Hello?" They spoke.
Ruby's head lifted, to see the sky trapped in a persons eyes. She blinked a few times, and realized it was that same white haired girl from before. "Was this your table? Sorry, I'll move–"
Then white haired girl held up a hand, silencing ruby. "No, I sat here after you were already there. I wanted to..." The girl bit her bottom lip. Hot. Wait what? "To, thank you."
"Huh? Come again?" Ruby tilted her head.
"At the WcDonalds. You thew a drink at Cardin." The girl said, remembering with a look of slight amusement.
Ruby was dumbstruck. But quickly recovered, trying not to seem like an ignorant nobody. "Uh, yeah! Yeah I did do that! He looked like he was gonna hit you, so I just, ya know. Threw a soda at him and lost my job.." Ruby added that last part in by accident, not even realizing she'd said it until the girl spoke again.
"You lost your job? Because of that?" The girl looked surprised, and irritated at the same time. It was an interesting expression. Was there a bit of disgust mixed in there as well?
"Yeah but, its alright, I mean it was my first job and my first day, so I hadn't really done much yet.." Ruby tried to change the subject. "I'm, Ruby, what's your name?"
The girl didn't seem like she was going to answer at first, but eventually did. "Weiss. Its a pleasure to meet you, Ruby." She said with a hint of haughtiness.
"Likewise!" Ruby said, trying to sound as sophisticated as Weiss seemed to be.
A waiter had brought both the girls coffee, and set them both in front of them. Ruby smiled, and her and weiss took a sip at the same time.
They also gagged and spluttered it out onto the table at the same time.
Ruby was first to speak. "WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT"
Weiss retaliated. "IS THIS DIABETIC ATROCITY YOURS? WOULD YOU LIKE SOME COFFEE IN YOUR SUGAR?"
"ME? THIS TASTES LIKE IMPORTED DIRT!"
After a moment of staring angrily at the other, both girls couldn't help but burst into a fit of giggles. Ruby sneaked a glance at Weiss while she laughed, and felt her heart swell at seeing the pretty girl smile because of her.
Weiss calmed down first, and tried to look proper. She switched their mugs, and took a sip of her own, glad that she had the black coffee she liked now. Ruby took hers as well, grinning as she sipped. "Diabetic Atrocity.."
Weiss raised an eyebrow "Imported Dirt."
Ruby couldn't help but laugh softly into her cup, and though she didn't see it, Weiss's cheeks flushed a light shade of pink for a moment while she watched ruby laugh.