With two blinks of an eye she slowly seemed more and more unlike Ruby. There was just a hint of Ruby in her, some sort of strange glint of something, but it was almost gone now. Everyone rubbed their eyes, absolutely...um...flabbergasted!
"Guys!" called Ruby who stood up and pushed past them. "We have to hurry, no standing around! She probably has severe hypothermia or frostbite...who knows!"
Warmth. That was the first thing she could feel. It was such a contrast to the cold it was almost frightening, causing her eyes to snap open.
"Agh!" shrieked someone with an Indian accent. "IT LIVES! IT LIVES!"
"Scaredy, what's the matter?" came a sweet voice. Her vision finally focused, so she could make out a crackling fire, the comfy red couch she was on, and roseish colored walls with strange pictures on them. It was soothing to be in the sanctuary of a warm house, safe from the white terrors that lay beyond the door.
"The girl?" The voice was closer now. The girl was about to say hello, or who are you...but she felt weak, as if by simply opening her mouth she had been without food for weeks. Just then, a pale face stared into hers. Suddenly, a lot of pasty faces were close to her. "Oh, good...it worked! She's okay!" said the one with the sweet voice and scarlet hair.
"Remember, her organs have just started up after shutting down...so she doesn't have that much strength...hey I think I could be related to a long line of doctors!" Explained someone with a deep, smooth sound out of her line of vision. Little by little she began to move again, until she could eventually sit up and drink Ruby's hot cocoa.
"I can't believe this happened to you," Muttered Ruby while handing the girl her third cup of hot cocoa. "On the bright side, you are okay now." The girl grinned.
"J-Joelle," she stuttered and held out her quivering hand. Then, after examining the grotesque frostbite, pulled it back. "I'm Joelle...thanks s-so much-ch *cough, cough* for..." Joelle gestured to everything with her still paralyzed hand. Ruby giggled.
"My name is Ruby, and no problem."
Ruby awoke the next morning pleasantly to the soft rumble of thunder that followed Misery where ever she went. She yawned and stretched, then threw her sleeping mask off.
"Good morning, Joelle!" Ruby tapped the lump next to her, but only found blankets.
Where did she...the smell of baking answered her question.
Ruby ran downstairs, still in her pajamas. She slid on her socks into the kitchen.
"Morning Ruby," Skull Boy said. He was sitting at the table with everyone else.
"Ruby, look I figured out how to smile!" Misery smiled crookedly, causing her glass to shatter. "Oops."
"Oh shit..." angrily said a voice sort of high pitched, like the ringing of a bell. Everyone stared at Joelle, who had dropped a few muffins. "...take mushrooms! Very uh tasty heheh." She placed a pan of muffins on the table. Frank and Len immediately shoved four in their mouths. "I know Ruby is like the best cook here but I have to say thanks to you guys for helping me. Plus, I got an A+ in F.A.C.S class so I bet you'll like the muffins." Frank and Len spit muffin all over the table. Frank punched himself in the chest to try and get it all out.
"WATER! WATER!" They wheezed. Frank and Len zipped out of the room screaming like little girls.
"Heheh...then again I was usually on clean-up duty," Joelle murmured. The gang couldn't help but giggle.
"It's the thought that counts," comforted Ruby.
"I sure can't cook!" chortled Iris who was next to Skull Boy and Boo Boo. Joelle did a double take on them.
"HOLY..." she jumped back, screaming a jumble of unrecognizable words. She pinched herself. "I-I'm not dreaming..." she backed up, terrified until she hit the counter. "S-sorry the last thing I wanna be is prejudice..."
"Isn't it a little late for that?" said Skull Boy jokingly.
"Okay, I'm cool, I'm alright. You just scared me. This place is weird...but I like it," she said with a smirk, and ran over to Skull Boy. "You, my friend, are a medical mystery!" Joelle seemed to be almost examining him. "Wow, when I become a doctor I will literally write a book. A book, on you," Skull Boy stifled a laugh. She squinted and put on her jokingly 'serious' face "No don't laugh, I'm DEAD serious. See this?" Joelle held up a piece of paper. "It's paper right? WRONG." She slapped it on the table in front of him. "First flipping page." Everyone chuckled. This new girl wasn't so bad.
"I think I might be a doctor too...wait a second!" Skull Boy leaned his face right into Joelle's. Ruby dropped her fork. "You have green eyes."
"Oh you noticed," she batted her eyelashes and stuck out her tongue goofily. "Well...so do you."
"EXACTLY." He yanked her out of the room.
When Ruby caught up with them, Joelle was strapped into Skull Boy's bed with some strange device above her.
"Ruby, just who I wanted," Skull Boy said. Ruby's heart swelled 'Just who I wanted...' she repeated in her head.
"Uh, Skull Boy, I have to admit, hooking me up to this thing is NOT making me feel 'right at home'." Joelle said. Skull Boy didn't pay attention to her and slid some things into the machine. " You know in 'Final Destination 5' a girl was hooked up to this thing for her eye AND THE LASER SLICED HER HEAD IN HALF! I WOULD LIKE MY HEAD IN ONE PIECE PLEASE!"
Joelle was hyperventilating. Skull Boy continued to ignore her and looked into the device. "I WILL NOT BE IGNORED!"
"You are such a drama queen! Like Melody from that soap opera..." Skull Boy thought aloud. "It's just a microscope scanner uh thing! Because everyone's iris..."
"...is different. B-but why...and st-still..." Joelle stuttered out of fright.
"Well I have a theory..." Skull Boy stopped talking and looked to Ruby for help when Joelle started shaking.
"Don't worry, Joelle, Skull Boy is the smartest person I know." Ruby assured her, soothingly. Skull Boy blushed slightly.
"R-really? Ruby you're so sweet..." He fiddled nervously with his screwdriver. They lowered their eyelids slightly and became lost in each other's eyes.
"Sorry, but can you please stop flirting? I'm not totally convinced that I am going to come out of here in one piece, guys."
"What?" Skull Boy and Ruby said.
"What?" said Joelle.