Again this chapter isn't really satisfactory for me, but I THINK the next one will be about what happened while Jaune wasn't in school, maybe from Ruby's POV!

- Y.A.R.N.


~ REET REET REET REET REET REET REET~

My hand came down on my clock with less force than I would have liked.

I woke up on the first day of my first suspension, I felt kinda...

Empty.

I stayed in the bed, waiting and waiting. I didn't know why, but I couldn't muster the energy to get up and start the day. I never really got the chance to sleep in, but with what had happened in regards to school, I wasn't surprised that no one came to wake me up, besides both my parents had work and my sisters had school. I sat up and rubbed at my eyes, ignoring the lead feeling of guilt that that settled itself in my chest. I walked to the bathroom and fought down a noise of displeasure at my reflection.

I looked haggard despite having just woken up.

My blue eyes were tired and dull and my expression was strained with frustration. I turned on the tap to splash some water on my face and rubbed at my chin, noticing I had a bit of stubble growing. I'd have to shave soon. I finished brushing, changed my clothes, and managed to make my down to do my morning set on the treadmill. The hum of the treadmill seemed to help me focus and I began to jog on the machine. I felt more than acknowledged every pounding footfall as I took step after step for my usual routine. I finished with that and took my shower before sitting on my bed in a comfortable pair of drawstring pants and a-shirt.

My eyes went to the edge of my bed and with a sigh I squatted next to my bed and dragged out my guitar case. I brushed it to clear the black bag of the bit of dust it had accumulated and unzipped it to pull out my instrument of choice.

Now, under most circumstances I played once or twice a week to make sure I didn't get rusty but I liked playing it. For me, it was never too early for a good song and maybe some self-played music would help me cut through the weird half-asleep feeling that was messing with my comprehension. I strummed the strings and began to play some of the songs that I got the notes to acoustic covers for. I hummed to the lyrics in my head, switching from one song to another in no particular order.

Nano- Hysteria

All of these cuts and bruises that will fade away

I act as if they've made me that much wiser

Another night I sink into my lonely bed

To shut out every sound as I scream inside my head

And like a turning wheel the time keeps moving on

The pain from yesterday is now just so long gone

And as I fall into another aching sleep

The crying voice I keep on hearing echoes deep

It's every shameful fall, every mistake that I've made

These are the scars that have brought me where I am today

Another false conception that I fed myself to escape reality

The only lie I see is now inside of my head

The only truth slips through my fingertips in the end

Let me keep on dreaming as I watch the days just pass me on by

I turn another page of my biography

And all the mysteries begin to fall in place

I wonder why I wasted so much precious time

I'd never find my life inside this cluttered room

I'm letting go today

They try to measure the depths of all the scars that we have

And try to prove to us that life could be so much more

But if you'd only stop and take a look around you'd know that we're all the same

And as I keep repeating all the days in my head

It's like an endless movie that has no happy end

But the scene goes on without an answer and I will cry

It's every shameful fall, every mistake that I've made

These are the scars that have brought me where I am today

Another false conception that I fed myself to escape reality

The only lie I see is now inside of my head

The only truth slips through my fingertips in the end

Let me keep on dreaming as I watch the days just pass me on by.

(Pass me on by

Pass me on by.)

I found myself smiling before long and played the last few notes before setting the guitar reverently back in it's case.

Playing always helped me feel a little lighter.

I slid the case back under the bed and sat at my desk. I went over to my computer and opened my school page. I logged in and checked the schedule to know what to study for today and what exercises and homework I had to do. I pulled out my english text and began reading the next chapter in 1984, making sure to get the chapter correct. I raised an eyebrow as Winston began to make a fake story for a soldier, saying how he died and whether he should be given a medal. I always wondered if the government did that, give a person on paper life and used the lie as a scapegoat to further their goals. It was entirely plausible, and in a world like the one in 1984, it was a perfectly legal yet despicable thing.

To lie everyday, to trick people into hating someone and then giving them someone to respect who may not have ever existed.

Despicable.

I finished the chapter and begin typing up my assessment of the chapter, checking my grammar and work. It was quieter than I thought it would be but frankly the peace was welcome, helped me focus. I dragged the paper in my english homework file, and moved onto math. I pulled open the chapter in the book and flipped it over the to the right chapter. I took out my practice notebook (which was for the days I was sick and had to say in bed) and began going through the practice problems to see how they worked before moving onto the math homework. Ten minutes into the set, my stomach rumbled and I realized it was getting close to lunchtime.

I was about to get up but my phone began to ring and I twisted in my chair to roll over to my beside table to unplug it from the charger. I held it up and frowned at the number.

"1 (602) 671-9657...?" I murmured, "Who the hell is calling at lunchtime?"

With a mental shrug, I hit accept, "Hello?"

Except for the random background noise of what seemed to be people chatting, there was nothing. I rolled my eyes in exasperation.

"Look, if this is a prank call, it's really in poor taste. At least do the breathing thing so I can come up with a cliche comeback." I said, "Bye."

I hung up and slid my phone into my pocket as I got up and stretched before padding down the stairs to make some lunch as I had unknowingly skipped out on breakfast while working. I got out a pan and washed it before setting it on the stove and lighting it. I took out the bread and butter, setting four slices out before using a knife to cut a small square of butter off the rectangle normally used for bread and putting it on the pan. I did that three more times and put a slice bread over each of the points, I took out two slices of cheese from the fridge and placed them onto two of the bread slices. I took a pinch of salt and pepper and added them over the cheese before flipping the bare other slices over on top and flipping the whole thing over a few times in order to get the bread a nice brown.

I shut off the stove and placed the two grilled cheese sandwiches in a plate before slicing them diagonally and adding a spurt of ketchup to the side of the plate. I just managed to finish eating when the phone buzzed with the sign of a text. I pulled it out and the number was the same as before."

"It's me." it read.

'Proper grammer typer? What a small world.' I mused before typing, "Look, as much as I would love to pretend I know you, I don't. So lets get this out of the way. WHO ARE YOU?"

All caps makes it important.

"Ruby. I want to talk."

What.

Double what.

My jaw dropped, my brain reeling.

How did she get my number?

WHY THE HELL WAS SHE CALLING?!

AND WHAT THE HOLY MONTY IN HEAVEN DID SHE MEAN BY TALK?!

I sat there staring until my phone buzzed and another text popped up on the screen.

"Goodwitch called me to her office -"

I scowled and kicked the chair next to me letting out a frustrated snarl as it toppled, landing with a resounding clatter on the kitchen floor. Damn that blond bitch, I swear to god I am willing to find a way to poison her if that 'll keep her from screwing with me!

"- and told me the reason you were acting like a jerk was because of her. So -"

Crap, I forgot Goodwitch was still in a position of importance over me.

God-FUCKING-dammit.

"- I asked how and she told me you had no friends. She told me you never talked to anyone and that wasn't cool. And I am still mad about yesterday because you were acting like a jerkface!"

There was a break and I jumped in.

"Ruby."

The response was almost immediate.

"Yes?"

"Meet me in the park under the tree, if you need to understand why, I'll tell you okay? Just... don't blame anyone but me. That stupid councilor took away all my options so I kinda have to be forward about this." With a sigh, I shut off my phone and leaned back in my chair.

Good thing I had finished my food.

I wasn't even remotely hungry anymore.


I was in the park with my hands stuffed in a jogging hoodie and some long workout pants. Ruby had texted me to be there in a 15 minutes, so I sprinted here and waited under the tree. Ten minutes after my arrival, I saw he coming up the path. She was wearing a black hoodie over a red t-shirt and blue jeans.

"Jaune!" She called jogging over.

I scrubbed a hand over my face, time to lay down the law. Why the hell was she so stuck on this? There was an awkward silence, but honestly? Considering the fallout from yesterday's actions, I wasn't surprised. She seemed more unsure and questioning than angry. I didn't know what expression I had. The air was pretty thick and it was uncomfortable to say the least.

"Soooo... How was your day?" I began tentatively.

"Not bad... your's?"

Again, NOT a riveting conversationalist.

"Fine..."

"I see..."

"Yang was mad at me, huh?" I said beginning to get to the crux of the matter..

"More like rip out your spine and beat you with it... but I talked to her to giving you a chance to explain."

My eyes widened, "Why?"

Ruby looked at me with a blazing determination, "Because regardless of what you say or do Jaune, I think you're not a bad person. It's not like you to so what you did and I don't care that you did. I can tell you're better than that."

Why are all the women in my life stupidly perceptive about me? Was the weapon known as women's intuition that powerful?

Sometimes I feel like men got shortchanged in the whole instinct department.

I grumbled, "You're too damn perceptive for being Yang Xiao Long's little sis, why can't you just take things at face value?"

Her gaze doesn't waver, "I have heard that before, but my point still stands. I want the truth."

"You won't like it." I mumbled.

"I don't care if I won't like it, I want the truth."

"..."

"..."

"Ruby, what do you know about me?" I began softly, if I am going to tell the truth, might as well be compassionate.

Still, how the hell did this fifteen year old get me to be so acquiescing dammit? I was the biggest loner in the world and then this girl pops in and my life has suddenly morphed into a cataclysmically scary and emotionally draining roller-coaster!

She looked at me before her gaze dropped to the floor, "Only what Goodwitch told me." her voice small and unsure.

"Which was...?" I prompted gently.

"You're lonely and you want to be. You never made friends, never went to dances or anything. She realized that she never saw you casually hanging out with anyone. You were mad that everybody was bothering you and lashed out. It's not right or healthy for you Jaune, and you know it! But you don't care and don't even try to change it. Why?"

I sighed, "Ruby, you don't understand. It's just... How do I explain?"

"Start at the beginning and end at the end." Ruby quipped, smiling impishly.

I rolled my eyes but couldn't smother the amused snort, "Cute... Okay. Ruby I don't belong where you are. And I don't mind at all."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

I waved at her in an all-encompassing gesture, "Look at 're smart, friendly, kind, erratic. People naturally would just gravitate towards you because your just that type of person. All those things are so special and cool and make you a good person. Then there's me. I'm quiet, introverted, anti-social, and average. People scan a room twice and don't see me at all. It's how I like it. You like and deserve to stand in the front of the crowd and cheer, but I don't. I am supposed to be in the background. When you were so loud and exuberant you were dragging me out into the open, regardless of my wants. I don't blame you, because that's just how you are, but you have to understand I wasn't happy."

"Sorry." she said meekly, cheeks red as she realized just how much she was throwing my cycle out of sync.

I sighed, "It's not too much your fault. Okay... well maybe mostly...or entirely. But that's not the point. You're a good kid, Okay?..." I said, then my train of thought simply halted as I floundered for the right words to say after complimenting her, "Dammit I am not good at this emotional shit."

She seemed to be hunching in on herself, "Sorry 'bout that too."

"Stop that." I grumbled, "You're not making this easier. Basically Ruby, people like you are not SUPPOSED to be friends with me. Heck, people like me don't HAVE friends, period."

"But why not?"

"Because that's how things are. I like being alone, you want your own friends. It just doesn't work, even if you somehow managed to get me to idiotically try this, it won't pan out anywhere. It'll just be you awkwardly forced to sit next to a guy who is only dragging you backwards and isn't worth your time!"

She crossed her arms and frown stubbornly, "You don't get to decide that by just saying that's how things are! That's a stupid explanation!"

I ran a hand through my hair frustratedly as a smoldering spark of indignant irritation burned in my chest, "Why can't you accept it!"

"Because it's stupid and makes no sense!"

"No one ever said life was sensible!" I argued, gesticulating, "Why is this so important to you anyway?"

"Because I care about people! I want to help you like you helped me! I don't care about paying you back, I care about you as a person!" She said, pointing at me.

"Ruby, this is exactly why this WILL NOT work!" I growled, swatting at her hand, "You care too much! You need to let go and learn that some people you can't just associate with!"

We glowered at each other for a minute, neither of us willing to budge. Suddenly her hand fists my collar and she drags me down, her silver eyes flashing.

"When you get back to school, you will hang out with me, because I am going to prove you wrong. Even if by the end of this year you don't want my company, too bad." She commanded, her grip forcing me to look at her in the eyes, "You don't get to choose my friends for me. Not you, not Yang, not anyone! You pretty much told me to grow a backbone, well here is my line in the sand, Jaune!"

Of course the moment I spur this girl to get a backbone she would turn it on me.

Screw you, karma.

I saw her defiant refusal to leave me alone and I scowled.

This was the first time I saw the influence of this girl growing up with Yang Xiao Long as her sister.

I had a sinking feeling this wouldn't be the last.