Ruby could see her palms sweating and shaking in the mirror. She took a few deep breaths to try and steady herself, but it didn't help. She was convinced that the first thing people at her new school would notice about her would not be her thick-framed, square-ish glasses, nor her baggy crimson-red hoodie that hid her lithe form, not her large bulky headphones constantly blaring her favorite rock music, and not her choppy black bob that faded into red at the tips. No, the only thing people would notice about her were her shaking palms and the fear in her wide silver eyes. She had been trying all morning to find some combination of makeup, hairstyle, or clothing that would somehow make her seem less nervous, but nothing could offset her uneasy demeanor.
"Rubes, you ready?" Her sister asked excitedly from the kitchen downstairs.
"Yeah, Yang, I'm coming." She replied, trying to keep her voice from shaking. She gave up on trying to fix her anxious appearance and instead took her heavy backpack from her bed and shuffled down the steps to the kitchen where her sister readied them for the school day ahead.
Yang, as always, was about as orderly as a tornado. Her curly, wild mass of long, golden hair was flying about as she moved about the kitchen preparing their lunches, and her purple eyes held a manic sort of excitement. "I'm so proud of you, sis," Yang said, putting various food items into two paper sacks as Ruby watched her statically. "Really, you're amazing. You're just now 15, and you're already going to my school. And for math, no less! I can't wait to introduce you to everyone and brag about you all day…" Ruby's stomach tightened at the thought.
She had just turned 15 a couple of months ago, but today was to be her first day in high school. Since her mother had died when she was a toddler, Ruby had drawn into herself, preferring the company of books and notebooks to others her age, sometimes even to her sister. From that, her incredible gift for math emerged. Throughout elementary school, her teachers sought alternate assignments that were light years ahead of her peers' work to challenge her. By the time she reached the middle of her final year of junior high school, her teachers and father decided she would be better suited in high school. And so, at the start of the second semester, she was transferred to Beacon High with her sister, who was in her junior year. And unlike her thrilled sister and father, she was terrified. "Maybe don't mention the fact that I'm younger? And different?" She requested timidly.
Yang dropped the last of their lunches into the paper sacks and extended one towards her half sister. "Being different isn't bad, Ruby. It's not like anyone is going to pick on you, that doesn't really happen, adults just make too big of a deal out of it." Embarrassed, Ruby accepted her lunch and tried to hide her blush. "Now come on, I'm going to be late."
They packed into Yang's vibrantly yellow Volkswagen Beetle and headed off towards school. All the while, Ruby stared out the window and Yang chattered on about all of the different extracurriculars the school offered, particularly band, in which Yang was a drum major, and how they could help her make new friends. "You're not going to get anyone to like you if you act like that all day." Yang chided, eyeing Ruby with obvious concern.
Ruby rolled her eyes. "Maybe I don't want anyone to like me." Yang laughed robustly.
"Of course you do. Just because math has been your only friend since the first grade doesn't mean it always has to be." Although she knew they weren't meant to, Yang's words stung Ruby.
Yang pulled up to the front of the school, and Ruby seized the opportunity to change the subject. "Where are we going first?" She asked her sister.
"Uh, I actually have to get to band practice, that's why we're here early." Yang said, upset with herself for forgetting to tell Ruby her morning plans.
Ruby's heart jumped into her throat "So… you're leaving me here… alone?" She asked, her voice quavering.
Yang sighed. "I'm sorry Rubes, I really wanted to be with you, but I do have to go. Don't worry about it, the school will be empty for a while anyways." Ruby gathered her things and shut the car door, watching as Yang drove off to find a parking space. She hadn't anticipated that she would be taking her first steps in high school without her older sister, and managed to find even more anxiety because of that. She took a deep breath and started up the school steps.
Library. I just need to find the library, where I can hide out until class starts. thought Ruby desperately as she entered the deserted school. The front of the school was a large, two-story rotunda, with a staircase on either side. Ruby's eyes were drawn upward, taking in the new school, until they stopped in horror at the banner hung over the central railing of the second floor: WELCOME, RUBY! Before Ruby could figure out how to respond, she jumped at a loud bang as confetti showered down on her. "WELCOME, RUBY!" Yelled a wide-eyed redhead, fully decked-out in a uniform of the school's white and ice blue.
"Where did you come fro-"
"I'm Nora!" The girl exclaimed, throwing her arms in the air in what Ruby believed to be some sort of display of joy. Ruby noticed two other students standing behind her: A tall, black-haired boy wearing a different sort of Beacon uniform, and a lanky blonde in jeans and a t-shirt for some obscure band. They all seemed at least somewhat older than her, reminding her of her self-consciousness of her height and age. "This is Ren and Jaune," She indicated each boy in turn. "And we're you're official welcome committee!" At the conclusion of her sentence, Ren set off a second party popper while maintaining completely expressionless, while Nora lapsed into a giggle.
Ruby dusted off some of the confetti while eyeing the ragtag welcome wagon warily. "I… wasn't told about any welcome committee." She said, almost as a question. She hadn't meant to be rude, but her new acquaintances had thwarted her plans of finding a place where she could hide alone. If Nora was at all hurt by the snubbing of her enthusiastic greeting, she didn't show it. Jaune, the boy in ripped jeans and a rumpled t-shirt, stepped forward in an attempt to take the lead from his energetic friend.
"Principal Ozpin thought it would be a good idea for you to have someone to show you around, because of your… unique circumstances." Nora bounced up and down slightly while Jaune talked, and Ren remained straight-faced with his hands clasped calmly behind his back. "I get that it's a bit overwhelming, but if you need someone to show you to your classes we're here."
"I should be okay, but could you just tell me where the library is?" Ruby asked in a desperate attempt to shake the crew off with as few social repercussions as possible.
"Jaune can! I have to get to track practice, and Ren has to get to cheer, so I guess we'll see you later!" Nora chirped, then bounced off somewhere in the maze of the school. Ren raised one hand in a wave goodbye, and strode off after Nora. Ruby watched them go, utterly stunned by the bizarre pair.
"Does she have a lower volume setting?" Muttered Ruby, prompting a chuckle from Jaune.
"No, she was actually pretty quiet. She's a bit overwhelming sometimes." He extended his hand and Ruby accepted his handshake.
"Yeah, I'm already a bit… overwhelmed." She admitted.
"Yeah, high school is already hard enough as it is, even without skipping a grade. I'll show you where the library is, and where your classes are as well." Trying to ignore his comment about her grade level, Ruby reluctantly accepted her fate of awkward socialization, letting Jaune guide her through the school.
And so, Jaune pointed out landmarks such as the cafeteria, the pen that was stuck in the ceiling 3 years ago and was still there, the library, and the supposedly haunted water fountain. He also marked the location of her classes on a map clearly drawn by Nora (made obvious by the plethora of doodles of flowers, hearts, and lightning bolts in pink and green pen). Along the way, they made small talk until they settled on the topic of music. Surprisingly, Jaune was interested in the same kind of music as she was, which helped her warm up to him and relax slightly. It helped that he emitted a similar sort of socially incompetent vibe that she did, and seemed pretty relieved to find that Ruby was also a major nerd.
When they finished, students had begun to fill the school and only about 15 minutes remained until the start of class. She and Jaune said their goodbyes and parted after exchanging numbers, and she set off towards her first period, guided by Nora's overly peppy map. Before entering her class, Ruby smiled to herself. She actually had made friends, Yang would be excited when she told her. Maybe high school wouldn't be so bad after all.