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She stared at the white door to team RWBY's dormitory, unsure of herself.
Her team would likely all be inside for the night, and her entrance would draw attention to herself. She had managed to clean up her face on the way back, but it would still be apparent something happened. The others weren't stupid, after all. Black was frustratingly perceptive, and wouldn't hesitate to mention something amiss. Yang wouldn't be that much of a problem to the others, but she could read Ruby like a book. And Weiss… who knows what how the rich girl would react.
Ruby sighed deeply, placing her head against the door. She didn't know what to do.
She desperately wanted to run in, hug her sister with everything she had, and spill everything. They would crowd around her and listen with caring faces and calm voices, offering her comfort and soothing words. And when she told them how she let slip the most important secret of the team, Yang would be furious at both her and Cardin, Weiss would yell at her stupidity, and Blake would just stare at her, completely betrayed.
They would think she was just a stupid kid.
Ruby grimaced, squeezing her eyes shut tightly. She brought her hands up and touched her pointer fingers together nervously.
She wasn't completely naïve. Ruby knew that her teammates trusted her leadership and respected her, but at the same time didn't take her seriously. Time after time the truth had become apparent from the others. Rolled eyes and hesitant acceptance of official orders, an occasional break of carefully planned maneuvers in combat practice, kindhearted jokes at her expense when they thought she wasn't listening...
And now she wanted to walk into their room and beg for help to solve a problem she created.
Ruby clenched her hands into fists and stood up to her full height. No, she needed to do this herself. If Jaune, a questionably-able huntsman could get Cardin off his back without a secret slipping, then she would do the same.
I have to do this, she told herself. Not just for them, but for me.
With a deep breath she reached into her uniform's coat pocket and retracted her scroll, then swiped it alongside the large door. After the lock disengaged, Ruby pulled it open and stepped inside.
Things were surprisingly tame for a room with a reputation for violence and destruction. Weiss was seated at the desks against the wall, clearly focused on studying a textbook in front of her. She ignored the door closing behind Ruby, seeming completely involved in her reading.
Yang was reclining on Blake's lower bunk, the black-haired faunus sitting directly next to her as Yang swiped through what looked like pictures on her scroll. Her sister looked up and waved as Ruby walked past, placing her notebook down on the bookshelf beneath the window, before pulling herself up onto her bunk and laying on her back.
She stared at the ceiling. Alright Ruby, we can do this! Just deal with those jerks for a few days and everything will be fine!
Ruby glanced to the side, seeing Weiss still transfixed on her studying. The image was more than enough to remind Ruby of her own essay for Professor Port, now sitting in a different building with a different name on it. And it was due tomorrow.
Groaning internally, she realized what that meant. She wasn't going to get much sleep tonight.
And she really didn't want to redo it all, either. Thankfully Ruby still remembered a lot of her research from the library, but rewriting the paper from scratch would take quite a few hours.
Looking again at the distracted Weiss, she made up her mind.
Jumping off the bed, Ruby pulled a few sheets of blank paper from the bookshelf and slid into her designated seat alongside her partner, earning no reaction. She opened the drawer underneath and pulled several pens, placing them on top of the desk. After several long moments of laziness, she picked one up and began writing.
She made it halfway through the second paragraph before snow-white hair moved beside her.
"What are you working on, Ruby?" the heiress asked curiously.
Their relationship had changed drastically throughout the months since initiation. What was originally scolding and degrading comments about Ruby's work ethic had slowly transformed into small compliments and helpful tips. It wasn't easy, but the frosty girl had become her friend.
"It looks like the migration paper. Wait."
However, even after they had come so far, Weiss was still as prickly as ever.
"It IS the essay!" the heiress screeched, knocking her chair back as she stood up furiously. "Ruby Rose, what in Remnant are you thinking? This is due tomorrow morning, and requires actual cited research! And you're starting it now?"
Ruby tried to keep writing, half used to her partner's shrill complaints. After all, they were quite frequent around Yang. Still, she frowned slightly at Weiss's reactions, knowing that she had lost a little respect from being placed in this situation.
"I thought you were improving! You've managed to pull up your grades in every class, and actually started studying in your off periods! And now here you are, with barely any time to spare, starting an essay the night before its due like an idiot?"
Her pen became much tighter in her grip, the messy scrawl on the paper darkening with the added pressure. Ruby tried to ignore her as much as she could, but every word still managed to slip through her defenses.
"This is going to throw your overall grade out the window! You know Professor Port's tests, they're difficult even for the best of us! Your stupid and irresponsible actions are dragging the rest of us down!"
Part of Ruby wanted to break down then and there at the desk, while another wanted to leap to her feet and shout back into Weiss's face. This is why I need to do this alone. They don't take me seriously.
Making up her mind, Ruby set down her pen and turned to Weiss, face set with what she hoped was a serious expression. "I'm sorry. I had other things to do this week, and I forgot about this until now," she stated, hoping the words were stronger than her nervous thoughts.
Weiss rolled her eyes and scoffed, closing her textbook and righting the fallen chair. "Well I hope you enjoy a bad grade for your idiocy. Maybe you'll actually act like a Huntress next time."
The parting words were more painful than they should have been, a slight pang of hurt slicing through her heart. Weiss was never one to state her emotions directly, but as Ruby had learned over the years, the heiress's internal thoughts were mixed carefully into what she said.
Maybe you'll actually act like a Huntress next time.
Weiss was mad at her, but the one sentence said a little more to Ruby's ears. She was disappointed.
Ruby turned her attention back to the essay and tried to drown out the rest of the room, not wanting to see what the others thought. The thin shadow on her desk turned and moved away, leaving her alone. Trying her best to focus on the words in front of her, Ruby wrote line after line as best she could, stumbling over parts that required research. She subconsciously noted the room's lights turning off at some point, leaving her with just the small lamp above the desks.
It was very hard to not think about her situation, or what her best friend in white thought of her. Every time her mind would go astray she would yank it back on track with a huff of frustration. After a long period of focus, she pulled up her scroll to check the time only to find it past midnight. A glance down at her paper showed less than half of the work complete.
Ruby gripped the edge of the desk as tightly as possible, biting her lip to contain a scream of frustration.
I can do this.
Grimm Studies the following morning was anything but pleasant. With tired eyes Ruby blearily tried to remain awake at her seat, but it was an uphill battle that she wasn't winning. Professor Port's endless droning about Grimm was in a dull monotone and the lecture hall was dimly lit that day. Her eyes slowly closed once more, the sweet relief of rest beckoning to her.
A sharp elbow to her side startled her from sleep, causing her to nearly fall out of her chair. A tired look to her side revealed an irate Weiss, who roughly angled her head towards the front of the room. Ruby placed her elbows on the table before her and tried to focus on the porky instructor, but the burgundy coat he wore was a blur of motion and shapes that didn't remain constant.
Her cloudy gaze moved past him, looking at the stack of papers resting on his desk in a haphazard pile. Her own essay was among them, turned in with the rest at the start of class, messy but complete. She had hoped to finish in time to get some rest the previous night, but by the time she had set her pen down only a quarter hour had remained until her alarm would go off. She had put her head down on her desk and groaned, not moving until her team had begun their morning routine.
Ruby's thoughts and battle to stay awake completely distracted her from the rest of the lesson. In a moment of surprise she noticed that other students around her were packing up their belongings, only a few moments left in the class.
Professor Port's voice loudly broke into the din of students rushing to escape. "Your work should be graded by the end of today! After all, Grimm Migration is extremely illuminating for everyone to read about!"
A few quiet mutters from around her seemed to disagree. The end-of-period bell chimed once, and the occupants of the room quickly moved to leave.
Ruby fell into a slow walk behind her partner, tired eyes watching the ground in front of her. They left the classroom and strode down the hallway among other students.
At a fork in the hall Weiss stepped away from her, heading for her Dust usage class in the neighboring building. The heiress didn't even spare a glance backwards, clearly avoiding her partner after what Ruby did the night before.
Ruby let her go without a word, watching her white and blue skirt slowly wave from side to side as she strode confidently down the hall. Pressing her lips together into a firm line, Ruby began walking to her own class just a few corridors away. She passed by many other students and open classrooms, floating through miscellaneous conversations without a care. Normally she would be looking about with curiosity and interest at the people around her, but today her mind was blank.
She didn't even notice as footsteps slowly matched hers, moving to come alongside.
It was the large shape walking alongside her that brought her back into reality, and she looked to the side in questioning. Cardin Winchester was calmly matching her stride only arm's reach away, lips stretched in a thin smile.
Pace faltering, Ruby slowed down to a halt as he continued forwards. She was now hyperaware that very few other students were in the area, classes starting momentarily. A quick visual scan of the hallway revealed that other than a few hurrying others passing by, it was just the two of them. Panic set in, her mind running through countless different scenarios of what the older boy wanted from her. She eventually forced her shoulders to relax and stood at her full height, raising her eyes to meet his as he stopped and turned around in front of her.
"How is your day today, Rose?" he asked in an almost friendly tone.
The delivery of the question set off alarm bells in her head. She was fully aware that he held the power in their interaction, and she was essentially at his mercy. Yet his delicate entrance indicated that he wanted something. A moment of quick thoughts raced through her head, trying to decide how to handle the situation. She could reply with honesty, that her day was horrible so far due to his own actions, but the answer would give him what he wanted: the knowledge that he was affecting her. On the other hand, she could lie and appear unaffected by his actions, but that might lead him to cause more problems. She was playing another game with this conversation, and she didn't want to lose again.
With her time to reply dwindling, Ruby chose a course of action. The lies came out quietly, nervousness tinging their delivery. "I'm tired from redoing my work, but I think it was worth it. I wrote a much better paper the second time. How are you?"
The reply caused the boy's eyes to darken, his smile fading quickly. "Not bad," he countered, the polite tone contrasting heavily with his expression. "You're heading to Mechanics one, right?"
"Yup," she replied breezily, walking forwards to pass him, dismissal evident in her carefree answer. She knew she was walking a dangerous road by not playing his game, but she had a lot to prove. Both to him and herself.
However, Cardin clearly wanted to keep the power in their relationship. A boot quickly pinned the bottom of her cloak to the floor as she passed, yanking the top of her uniform into her throat and pulling her back with a strangled yelp. His hand roughly gripped her arm and twisted her to look at him, his face transformed to menacing in a heartbeat.
"Do you think I'm an idiot?" he asked in a quiet but deadly tone, the grip on her arm tightening to be painful.
Ruby held in a cry of pain and attempted to meet his gaze, but her scared face did her little good against the anger lining his jaw.
"I did a little research on your team, you know," he continued. "Didn't find anything interesting on you, but the animal on the other hand…"
Her blood boiled at the offhand insult of Blake, and she really wanted to hit him. She was starting to agree with Nora's urge to break legs.
"Her last name pulled up some very interesting results. I'm honestly surprised that no one at this school has made any connections yet. Did you know that her father was the last leader of the White Fang?"
Ruby froze, panic turning to sharp fear. The hallway seemed to fade away, leaving just the two of them alone in darkness. Things were quickly escalating out of control.
Cardin seemed to notice the change in her, voice changing from controlled anger to a confident sneer. "I was really curious, so I asked around my father's company. In a few reports of White Fang thefts and attacks here in Vale, there are some vague descriptions of a girl being involved. Dressed in black, agile, highly skilled… and maybe wearing a black bow."
The words echoed through her head, their significance instantly obvious. Cardin knew everything about Blake. Where she came from, what she did in her past, and how she was hiding it now. With that knowledge, he could tear her team apart in the worst way. Ruby stood there, frozen as her body tried to catch up with her mind. The situation had gone from bad to worse, and now lives were on the line far more than before. And it was all her fault.
"So we have a lot to talk about. I'll meet you in the courtyard at sunset tonight. Don't be late."
Ruby barely noticed his departure, leaving her alone in an empty hallway. Somewhere in her chaotic head she heard the bell for the start of classes. Her mind was a whirlwind of fear and self-blame, countless scenarios of what would happen in the future cycling through one by one. There was no way out for her now, she was in far too deep. It was one thing to ask her team for help before, but now? Her stupidity had ruined everything. They would hate her.
She had really, really messed up.
Weiss sat at a round table in class with her legs crossed, watching in contempt as Jaune stumbled through the worksheet. Professor Peach was unsurprisingly absent that day, leaving a substitute teacher who had passed out busy work in the form of a short class assignment that could be finished with the help of the class textbook. She, of course, was finished before anyone else, and used the remainder of her time to watch JNPR's leader struggle with each question. He was unfortunately the only other person in her class period that she was familiar with.
"For number seven," he asked in a tone begging for help. "Does it mean the first or second part of-"
"The first, dunce," Weiss replied airily. "Professor Peach went over it last week."
Jaune looked back down at his paper, the confusion on his face clearing. "Right! So that means that number eight wants the process for the second part."
She gave him a single nod, to which he smiled back and resumed writing down the answers. She stared at his pencil writing sloppy words on the lines next to each question, not unlike her own partner. Even so, she had to offer her grudging respect to the boy. He had little talent and experience, but was working very hard to prove himself to others. She found his drive admirable, not unlike her own willpower to escape the clutches of her father in Atlas.
"You know Weiss, you're really helpful," the blonde cut into her thoughts, setting down his pen and staring at her with a warm smile.
She looked up with a raised brow, silently asking him to continue.
"Everyone on both of our teams comes to you for help with school at some point, and you're always willing to work with us," he stated, shuffling his hands nervously. "I know we're all grateful for that."
The honest compliment warmed her cheeks slightly. Years of fake words and ulterior motives had hardened her to be cold and judgmental of others. But whenever her friends gave her sincere praise, she found herself floundering, unused to genuine words. That had caused many headaches in the early days of being at Beacon, with her half of her team practically unable to say anything except their honest thoughts. And Jaune's compliment was no different.
She struggled to articulate her answer effectively, stumbling over her words before she decided on a reply. "It's no problem. I did have the best education money could buy, after all." Anyone else might mistake her words for preening, but Jaune had known her long enough to understand what she meant.
His smile grew slightly. "Ruby really appreciates it, that's for sure. She talks about you all the time."
Weiss's good mood deflated instantly at the mention of her partner. She was still thoroughly irked from the young prodigy's actions the previous day. Failing to keep up with classes would drag the entire team down, and she couldn't afford to let that happen, not when those grades would end up on her father's desk. She let out a puff of air, lips twisted in distaste. "I wish she would listen instead of talk."
Jaune had returned to his worksheet, but let out a small laugh of understanding at her words. "She's a handful, yeah! Sometimes more than Nora, and that's saying something. But you know she means well."
"She needs to take things more seriously!" Weiss growled in a low tone, letting out her frustration after keeping it bottled in for half a day. She idly wondered at what point she had started trusting Jaune enough to be honest with him. "Last night she started the essay for Port right before bed! She needs to take responsibility for her school and career, she's a leader after all! How do you think it looks when the one representing us slacks off?"
She expected another round of amused agreement, but was met with silence. Jaune was looking at the table in confusion, mouth slightly open in thought. A few words slipped out. "The migration essay?"
"Yes!" she answered in slight anger. "She just walks in and begins writing it from beginning without any references! If I didn't need to get sleep I would have spent another hour pointing out her idiocy! Her laziness is going to impact her grade."
Jaune kept staring at the table, deep in thought. He eventually looked up, and this time spoke in a softer tone, seemingly mixed with doubt. "That can't be right."
Weiss stared back, trying to decipher what he was trying to say. "Please elaborate," she sighed. "What isn't right?"
"We worked together in the library yesterday on that essay," he explained. "Mostly because she had most of the good books to reference in the paper at her table already. I left early to go get dinner, but she was almost done with it."
The explanation made her pause. Two things that happened the day before didn't match up at all.
"You're sure it was the essay?" she asked.
Jaune nodded in certainty. "We compared citations lots of times."
Weiss leaned back and dropped her straight posture, mind at work. Something wasn't right. From what it sounded like, Ruby had her essay mostly finished before she had come back to the dorm. And yet, the red-cloaked girl had started it anew at the dorm with little time to spare, an action that she had to admit was unlike her partner after months of being at Beacon. And she had told Weiss that it slipped her mind.
Ruby Rose was many things: a hyperactive ball of energy and a destroyer of anything with sugar content to feed her demanding metabolism. But she wasn't a liar.
They needed to talk.
"Everything okay, Weiss?" Jaune asked, reminding her where she was.
She shook her head to clear it and picked up her own worksheet. "Of course. What other questions do you still need to answer?"
As the blonde started talking about his work and the class continued, a small seed of doubt began to grow in her head. Why would Ruby lie to her?
Next update on Saturday.
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