Chapter 3: Re-entering the fold
Amongst a sea of mixed shouts and gossiping whispers, Yang Xiao Long could only distinguish but one of the wave of indiscernible feelings she felt. Numbness. As she stood there, a barrage of voices surrounding her, Yang allowed a multitude of thoughts to enter her mind, each leaving as soon as it did.
I brought her here. Yang thought. I asked her, pleaded with her to come with me. And this was what she got for doing so.
Yang felt a sudden need to throw up. She glanced around the room, taking in slices of the many conversations that enveloped the crowded room.
"A Faunus huh? Can't trust those types, daddy always told me…" One girl said to her friend.
"You were right to out that bitch, Weiss." Melanie Malachite said to Weiss Schnee, who was sitting on one of the sorority house sofas, a bitter expression on her face.
Her sister nodded in agreement. "Melanie's right," Militia said supportively. "It was almost a…public service of sorts. We couldn't have had someone like that, somebody so…so…" Militia paused, for want of a better word.
"Secretive." Weiss finished for her, looking up at the twins. Her blue eyes narrowed determinedly. "We can't have someone so secretive, so dishonest, so very…sneaky among our ranks." She gritted her teeth. "Besides," she said, "It wasn't as if a girl like that, Faunus or not, could hope to really be qualified…"
Several other girls in Weiss' vicinity nodded, and a few giggled. Their unanimous agreement, however, was interrupted by a low but very legible growl.
"Why? Why did you do that to her?"
Weiss, the twins, and the others turned to look at the speaker.
"She didn't do jack-shit to you. All she wanted was for you all to accept her." Yang Xiao Long said bitterly, staring at the ground. Her fists were clenched. "Yet all you did," She continued, "was spit in her face, and treat her…and treat her…"
Weiss cleared her throat, and crossed her legs in a businesslike manner. Resting her head on her palm, she played with her hair innocently. "Tell me, Yang, did you know?"
"What?"
"Did you know?" Weiss repeated, meeting her gaze. The white-haired girl's demeanor was soft, but her eyes shot daggers. "Did you know she was a Faunus?"
"What does that have to do with-"
"Answer the question."
Yang loosened her tightened fists. "No." She said. "I don't know much about her at all to be honest. But that doesn't mean you were allowed to do what you did."
Weiss rolled her eyes. "I was exposing a fraud. You don't think I could allow everyone who wants in on our establishment free entry, now do you? The place would be crawling with all sorts of undesirables. I was doing my job."
"What you did," Yang growled, "was ruin another girl's life!"
The previously noisome room went silent. All eyes were now fixed on Yang and Weiss. In the few words they had exchanged, Yang had walked up to Weiss, and she towered over the shorter girl, who sat there in the blonde's shadow on the sofa. Weiss made sure to regain her composure. Standing up to meet Yang, she jabbed a finger in her direction.
"You'd do well to remember who vouched for you!" She snarled. "Besides, if you really do care so much about that girl, then you ought to go after her yourself. But no! Even you, with your holier-than-though lecturing, stood there and did nothing to stop anything!"
Yang's face went pale, before a deep shade of red set in. Weiss' question had been knowing at her before as well. But like Weiss, Yang wasn't one to admit defeat. Not now, not ever. She turned to leave. But not before saying, "So are you insinuating, Miss Schnee, that what you did should have been prevented? That what you did was wrong?"
"Not at all! I was-"
But Yang was already gone, the front door ajar, allowing the cool evening air to creep in. Weiss shook her head, rubbing her temple. "Somebody just close the fucking door…" She muttered.
Yang had an answer to Weiss' question, but she wasn't convinced it was even sufficient. She doubted Blake would find it agreeable either. I guess I'll find out about that now… She thought somberly to herself. Running across the quad, Yang shivered. The night had grown rather cold, and her light denim jacket wasn't enough to keep that cold from reaching her.
She tried pushing the cold out of her mind. All she wanted, was to find Blake. Her study partner. And her friend. The sound of her leather riding boots squeaking against the slick evening grass accompanying her, Yang sighed. She hadn't the slightest clue as to where Blake may have run off to. If she was even on the campus that is.
As Yang jogged across the dark campus, she wondered how Blake must have felt, to be publicly harassed and humiliated the way she was. Yang herself had never been bullied in her childhood, as she had always been far too well-liked by many if not most of her peers.
A thought crept into her mind. Perhaps that was why Blake was always so very quiet? She wasn't being moody; she was simply doing her best to-
"Not be noticed…" Yang said aloud. She stopped in the middle of the quad, placing her hands on her hips. She felt so very awful about what she'd done. It was she who had practically dragged Blake into the spotlight, and made her the subject of so much unwanted attention. And now, Blake was gone. She'd run off, and as Yang stood there in the dark, crossing her arms due to the evening chill, Yang was unsure if she'd ever even see he study partner ever again. To apologize, at the very least.
Yang stared at her converse. The wet grass had given the white parts a green stain, something that under any other circumstance, Yang would be pissed about. Only now, all she cared about, was finding the girl she'd lost.
Yang looked toward the dorm, with all its small orange lights that represented windows. She thought of all those who were preparing for bed, all those who hadn't had as awful of a night as Blake Belladonna. Swallowing hard, Yang turned to head for that very same building, having given up her search.
It was only as her heels turned, that she heard it. Crying. It was very quiet, and Yang may not have even noticed it at all had the winds not somehow directed the near-silent whimpers her way. Focusing on the subtle noise, Yang found its source.
A large oak tree, situated near one of the quad's many pathways. As Yang drew closer to it, she heard a small gasp, and the crying abruptly came to a halt.
Letting out a breath, Yang kicked the dirt.
"Blake?" She asked, "Is that you?"
She was met with silence. But Yang could discern the faint sound of breathing. After all, it was quite a silent evening.
"I know you're there, Blake." Yang said. "Please, I want to talk to y-"
"Go away." A voice behind the tree grumbled.
Yang blinked. "But see, the thing is, I don't want to. I want to help you, Blake. You're my study partner. You're…my friend."
Blake stepped out from behind the tree. Yang was shocked to see her appearance. Blake's eyes were red, outlined against her pale, damp cheeks. Her jeans were covered in dirt, and most of all, what Yang noticed, were two black feline ears, perched atop her head. They were pointing downwards in a sad manner, so that they nearly became flush with her jet-black hair.
The silence that was Yang's staring was broken by Blake's whisper-quiet, tortured voice.
"I don't even really know you, Yang." Blake said slowly. "Yet I still went with you to…to that place tonight. A-and after…and after everything that they did and said t-to me, y-you didn't do anything to stop it!" Blake paused, her tears flowing freely once more. It was a pitiful sight, seeing her eyes wet and her breathing ragged and uneven with sobs.
"You d-didn't…y-you didn't help at all, Yang! What k-kind…of f-friend does that?" Blake burst into even deeper sobbing, and she fell to the floor, unable to sustain herself. She received two fresh scrapes on her jeans for doing so, yet Blake took no notice. She hugged her chest and bowed her head, crying silently yet fitfully, head head bobbing and body shaking with each sob.
Yang had nothing. No words. She dropped to her knees as well, and reached out to touch Blake's shoulder. Blake flinched at the contact.
"Please!" She begged, looking up to meet Yang's eyes. "D-don't touch me. Don't…"
The blonde obliged. "Blake…listen…"
"I don't want to listen!" Blake snapped. "I just want to be left alone now. And forever."
"You don't want that…"
"I do." Blake said bitterly between her wails. "S-some people…they don't like me v-very much. And now…b-because of these…" Blake gestured to her Faunus ears. "Those people hate me. They think I'm disgusting…"
Yang gave a small, subtle smile. "I don't hate you, Blake. Nor do I think you're disgusting."
Blake looked up again, holding her eyes open wide. She was clearly holding back another set of tears, and Yang could see them watering at the thresholds. "Then please tell me, Yang…" she pleaded. "where were you? Why didn't you help me?"
Her partner stood up, and extended an arm for Blake to grab, as if to suggest she stand up as well. When they were both standing, Yang let out a sigh.
"I wanted to help you, Blake, I did. Really. At first I was numb to what was happening. When they started saying those awful things about you, I was shocked. I'm sorry to say that it was only when I saw you on the ground and the yelling began that I tried to push my way to the front." Yang paused, staring at Blake earnestly. "But I couldn't get there in time. I know it must have felt like hours of torture for you, Blake. But it was only a few seconds from the moment your bow came off, to the moment you ran."
Blake looked at Yang, frowning slightly. "Oh..." She muttered.
"I'm so sorry I didn't do more, that I had reacted sooner. I should have done more. I should have stopped that shit the moment it began. But I was slow. Too slow for you, I guess." Yang played with her hair nervously. "I didn't do right by you, Blake. You have every right to be angry with me. I- I deserve it." Yang turned away, and began to walk off.
"Yang. Wait."
"Huh?" the blonde looked back confusedly. Blake was staring at the ground, her hands in her pockets.
"You…you're the only person I've met here who's been any good to me." Blake whispered. "Y-you're…you're a really nice person, Yang."
"Oh?"
"I'm glad you're my friend…" Blake said, looking up, with a trace of a smile playing at the corners of her mouth. At that she stumbled over to Yang, and wrapped her arms around the blonde in a weak hug. At first Yang was shocked, but quickly became amused. Clearly, Blake didn't know much in the ways of hugging, as her arms were limply connected behind Yang's back.
"Is…Is Blake Belladonna hugging me?" "Yang inquired with a touch of sarcasm.
"Yes." Came the reply. "I want you to know that I'm not mad at you. I'm just very…very…"
"Hurt." Yang finished, hugging Blake back. "I understand. No one should have to go through what you had to."
There was a brief silence between the two, before Yang let out a small chuckle. "You could use some work on your hugs, you know. Kind of like two dead fish. Your arms I mean…"
Blake broke away, and shot her a look.
"Sorry." Yang said with an apologetic smile. "Bad time…"
"It's okay."
Yang looked at Blake, and stared deep into her eyes. "I want you to know, Blake…" She began, "that I'm not going to let this happen again. I'm going to look out for you."
"Yang, I appreciate it, but I don't need-"
"Blake, please. I'm not going to debate whether or not you can take care of yourself. I just want you to understand that you can count on me from here on out."
"Oh. Um, thank y-you." Blake paused, and blinked. "Can I ask you something Yang?" She said, digging into the ground with the toe of her shoe nervously.
Nodding, Yang gave her a supportive smile. "Sure. Anything."
Blake shivered. "Y-you…you don't personally think that m-my ears are gross or awful d-do y-you?"
Yang didn't miss a beat before delivering her answer. "Not in the slightest! To be honest…they're pretty cute, I think…"
Blake turned away, her face blushing heavily. "That's…that's the first time someone's said that."
"Then I'm glad to have had the honor." Yang laughed with a small bow. "Now, before we head back to the dorm…" Yang fished around in her jean pocket. "I have something of yours."
Blake looked to see what Yang was holding out to her. It was her bow.
"I uh, I made sure to take it with me." Yang explained.
"Thank y-you." Blake said softly.
"Are you still gonna wear it? I mean, by now a lot of the school knows that you're…well, a Faunus."
Blake stared at her bow. "Yeah." She said. "I think I am."
"Why?" Yang asked. "What's the point?"
"The point, Yang…" Blake responded. "Is just because some people, like you, may accept me, there are far too many…" Blake stared down sadly. "Who won't…And besides, to you, they might be…cute…but to me, they're a source of great shame."
"You shouldn't be ashamed."
"But I am! And nothing's going to change that, I'm afraid." Blake began walking away. "I'll uh, I'll see you tomorrow I guess. Maybe…some people will just forget about tonight…" Blake said, not believing it at all. "g-good night, Yang."
Yang watched her go. She watched as the Faunus slinked off into the shadows that was the campus quad. The last thing she saw, was Blake look back briefly, adjusting her bow atop her head.
Some of the girl's final words echoed about within Yang's head. "Nothing's going to change that." Blake had said, so very despondently.
Yang turned to head off back toward the sorority house. Perhaps she, would be the person to change that.
"Hey, kitty cat!" One girl hissed from the seat behind Blake.
"Psst! Over here!" shouted another. Blake turned around reluctantly, to find one of the girls who had been present the night before.
"Meow!" The girl said, before breaking off into a fit of giggling with her friend. Blake scratched her nails against the wooden desk at which he sat. Her teeth were clenched.
Breathe. Just breathe. She told herself. This should all blow over in a few days anyway. I just need to ignore it for two, maybe three days at most-
Her thoughts were interrupted by a startling slam on her desk. Terrified, Blake looked up to find Weiss Schnee towering over her, her eyes livid.
"What the fuck are you still doing here?" The girl snarled.
Blake bit her lip. "well," she said quietly. "I have class here, at three o' clock, you see-"
"Don't give me any of your immature bullshit, Belladonna!" Weiss seethed. "Why didn't you finish running? All the way home!"
The pencil Blake had been holding snapped. "L-look. I'm sorry I tried entering your club. It was s-stupid of me. Can't you just pretend I don't exist now? P-please?"
Weiss tapped her foot impatiently. "If it was anyone else, perhaps. But you're stuttering, Belladonna. Which means you're insincere. You're a liar."
Blake's mouth fell open. "How does that even make sense-"
She never got to finish her thought, as another loud bang, this time on the professor's desk, signaled the beginning of Oobleck's lecture. Weiss headed off toward her seat, unfortunately situated just two rows behind Blake.
As Professor Oobleck began talking about the Mayans, Blake found it difficult to concentrate. Although the room was mostly silent, that just made it easier for her to hear the many assorted whispers, snickers, and giggles directed at her as they made their way around the lecture hall.
She could hear the Malachite twins especially, as they sat beside Weiss two rows behind Blake.
"Hey, Blake!" Militia hissed. "Hey!"
Blake scratched even harder on her desk, her bow starting to twitch irritably. Suddenly, a brown paper bag landed before her with a soft plop, followed by yet another fit of snickers from the twins, and even a giggle from some others, including Weiss. Blake turned around, raising her eyebrows, frowning. Melanie Malachite gestured for her to open the bag.
Against her better judgment, Blake sighed, and began to remove the tape that held the bag closed. It had a funny weight to it, and she was genuinely frightened as to what she'd find inside. She noticed a small scribble on the front of the bag. "Yum yum, take your pick kitty!"
Blake's nostrils flared. So they'd given her food, was that it? she turned the bag upside down, allowing its contents to slide out. Two things plopped onto her desk, each with their own sickening splat. A raw, dead fish, and a dead mouse.
Blake stood up, feeling a sudden need to hurl and burst into tears all at once. The former came first. It was a pitiful sound, one that caused each and every one of the roughly hundred or so sets of eyes in the lecture hall to be turned on Blake.
Blake gasped for air, a small yet messy pool of vomit at her feet, splattering her shoes. She blinked, her eyes welling with tears, and wiped some of bile that remained near her mouth onto her sleeve, all the while sniffling. Her hearing was fuzzy, as was her vision, but she could hear heaps of laughter around her.
"Miss Belladonna," Professor Oobleck said concernedly, "are you alright?"
Blake didn't answer him. She glanced about the room, shaking, hugging her elbows. Many around her were laughing, giggling, or simply smiling, seemingly amused at her ill display. She took one more look at her barf-stained desk, and at the dead creatures that lay there beneath it. She glanced over a few rows ahead, toward Yang, who stood there with her mouth open.
"B-Blake?" Her blond-haired partner said shakily. "You feeling okay?"
Blake just buried her face in her hands and rushed out, nearly slipping as she hurried out the door, something that aroused even more laughter. Despite her best efforts to conceal it, most were able to see Blake was crying.
Yang stood up, and pointed a finger in the twins' and Weiss' directions. "What the fuck is wrong with all of you?" She yelled. Looking to the rest of the class, she shook her head. "Can't you see she's upset? You're all hurting her!"
Melanie Malachite rolled her eyes. "What's your deal anyway, Xiao Long? Do you really like that cry-baby bitch so much?"
"Don't you call her that!" Yang seethed. "Weiss!"
The white-haired girl smiled, as if entertained. "Yes, dear?"
"I want to talk with you after class, if that okay."
"Sure thing. Who am I to deny a fellow member of the sisterhood?" She said sarcastically.
Oobleck cleared his throat. "Girls! Students! Please, settle down. I know you're all very concerned about your classmate of course, but I'm sure the infirmary can sort her out just fine. Now, we do need to complete this module here…"
Back in her dormitory, Blake stepped out of the shower, her eyes still red, but without tears. Perhaps only because there weren't any left. After toweling off, she slipped into a pair of sweatpants and a hoodie, before curling up in her bed. She'd miss her next two classes, sure, but anything was worth avoiding any future humiliation and shame. Pulling her blanket covers up to her chin, Blake prepared a book, only to hear the familiar buzzing of her scroll.
It was her mom calling. Blake struggled to think of a worse time for her anxious but well-meaning mother to check up on her. Still, she felt heavily obligated to answer. And so she did.
"Hey, mom." She said softly.
"How's my Blakey?" her mother asked, enthused. "I haven't really spoken to my daughter at all! What happened to talking every day like you said you would?"
Blake sighed. "I uh, I got busy mom. Yeah. It's been really busy here."
"I hope in good ways!"
"Yeah!" Blake lied. "It's…been pretty good actually."
"Good, good! I do hope I'm not interrupting anything now…according to the schedule you sent me you should be in-between classes now, no?"
"Uh huh." Blake said. "I'm uh…about to head for chemistry right now."
"I wanted to ask, Blake…" Her mother said, her tone softening. "How are you doing friends-wise? Have you met nice people?"
Blake paused, twitching her mouth, debating on what to reply with.
"Blake? You there?"
"Yeah, mom. I'm here." She said hurriedly. "And uh, yeah, I have actually. I met a few nice people so far. They're cool." Blake felt so very awful lying to her mother the way she was. But she couldn't bear to let her know of the other, more truthful things. Her mom was worried enough about her shy daughter headed off to a place without any friends.
"See? What did I tell you?" Her mom laughed. "They were all bound to like you, Blakey!"
"R-right."
"So…any boys yet?"
"W-what?"
"These friends you mentioned…" Her mom elaborated, "Any of them boys?"
"Oh! Um, no. Not yet at least."
"Ah. Okay then."
Blake could hear the disappointment in her mother's voice. She cleared her throat. "Look, I need to uh, get going to chemistry class now. I'll call you back!"
"Okay, dear. Have a good time!"
"I will."
"I love you!"
Blake hung up, tossing her scroll onto the foot of her bed. "I love you too, mom." She said to herself, pulling the blanket back up to her neck. She felt shitty for what she did. But it was better than reaffirming her mother's fears for her. Far better, she reasoned.
"You want us to what?" Militia cried.
Yang bit her tongue. "I want you to invite Blake to your Halloween bash."
Weiss shook her head, grimacing. "Now why the fuck would we do that?"
"Because," Yang said, her voice forceful, "Your all are going to be way fucking nicer to her from her on out."
"Pft. As if…" Militia snorted.
"I'm serious." Said Yang. "I get you may not like her, for whatever reason. But I legitimately think you're going to kill her."
Weiss' eyes went wide. "Whoa, whoa, whoa! Slow down there, blondie! That's a pretty big, twisted thing to predict isn't it?"
Yang glared at her. "Is it really? We see this type of shit on TV all the time. And the people who cause it…are always held accountable…"
"Yang what the fuck." Weiss shot. "You're thinking rashfully-"
"NO. I'M. NOT" Yang growled. "I want to see this shit you're giving Blake stop immediately. Start over. I don't care if you mistrust Faunus or whatever, think of her as a girl. Because she is one, and she doesn't really have any friends."
Militia cracked a knuckle. "Not our problem."
"Actually, it is." Yang said. "By being the biggest bitches ever to that poor girl, you're hurting her in ways you can't even imagine."
Weiss held up a hand. "So what you're saying is…that when we're being mean to her…we're being mean to her?" She held her head back and laughed. "No motherfucking shit, Sherlock!"
Yang stomped her foot loudly. "Enough!" She yelled. "I told you, this bullshit end now. I'm not asking you to be Blake's friend. I'm asking you to stop torturing here. Its fucking sick the shit you're pulling, what with that dead fish and-"
"That was their idea!" Weiss protested, pointing at the twins.
"I don't give a fuck! Whose idea it was!" Yang roared. "What I'm telling you, is to just stop! All of it! please!"
Weiss went quiet, and stared at her feet, her knees wobbling. She wasn't used to being yelled at by peers. It wasn't a particularly good experience. When she finally did look up, she seemed almost sad.
"I-I think I get it Yang. I do."
"Really now?" The blonde asked, crossing her arms inquisitively.
Weiss bit the inside of her cheek. "I'll make sure to invite her to the party this October. I can't say I can really be her friend…but I suppose we have been a bit…harsh…"
Yang nearly smirked. "That's putting it lightly."
"Shut up." Weiss grumbled. "We'll tone it down. Stop, really. You tell her she's invited to the party in two weeks. I don't want to speak to her if I don't have to."
Yang nodded. "This is good of you, Weiss. Really. I know Blake will appreciate this. You're making her life a lot easier…"
"Whatever. Just tell her before I change my mind."
Walking off, Yang shot Weiss a small grin. "Maybe there's hope for you yet, Schnee. Maybe you're not all bad I guess."
"I guess." Weiss mumbled.
Once Yang had left the room, the twins turned to stare at Weiss. "Are you seriously-"
"Of course not, bitch." Weiss snapped gloomily. "Yang might think things are going to get better for her little pet, but I can assure you, I'm not done just yet. We're not done. Schnee's don't forget treachery so easily…"
"She did just want to join our sorority," Melanie said, "Not sure that's really treachery…"
Weiss glared at her. "It was fucking treachery, hiding what she was from us. I could've been ruined had I let her into our folds."
"So you have something in mind for Miss Belladonna still?" Militia asked.
Weiss grinned. "Actually, yes. Funny you should bring it up..."
