"Alright, take it easy on the turn, Weiss. Easy, Weiss, Easy!" Winter shrieked, clutching the handle above the door with both hands as the tire flew over the curb.

"I hate you so much right now!" Weiss cried as the car swerved side to side, coming dangerously close to hitting a parked minivan. "Which one's the break?"

"Left! I swear to God you better be joking!"

"Of course I'm joking!" Weiss yelled back, letting out a hoarse laugh as she took her foot off the gas and slammed down on the left pedal. The sisters lurched forward hard and fast, with the seatbelts cutting into their sides. There was a horrible screeching coming from under the bug that sounded more like a banshee than a car. Weiss slammed down even harder on the breaks, filling the air with the choking smell of burning rubber. But somehow, they came to a stop without hitting anything.

Winter's eyes were clenched tight as she tried to hold in her screams and Weiss was doing all she could to not vomit. "Are we alive?" Winter asked, peeking an eye open.

"Of course, were you scared?" Weiss teased while her heart hammered in her chest.

"You almost crashed us, of course I was scared!" Winter cried out, her eyes wide. "You've got some work to do before you get your license, but we'll get you there," Winter said, letting out a deep breath and leaning back in her seat limply.

"Do we have to?"

"Yes," Winter laughed, resting her head on the window.

The sun was low in the sky and the moon was already shining overhead, reflecting off the windshield of the dozens of cars in the parking lot. It wasn't even half as packed like during the day, but for seven on a Wednesday night that was pretty impressive.

They were parked in the circle that Winter normally dropped her off, but it was like a totally different world from where she was sitting. Near the door, she could see two flashes of red hair, one on a taller girl who had her arms crossed and another who was standing stiffly. Other people were walking in and out, but those two were standing like guards.

"Park, Weiss, you have to put it in park,"

"Oh, right, sorry," She apologized, her hand frozen in the air before quickly moving the gear shifter. Then quickly moving it again when she started rolling backward.

"I knew you'd be a bit rusty at this, but jeez," Winter sighed, peeling her fingers off of the handle. "But all that means is you have lots of room to improve,"

"Or not long until I don't have to worry about it," Weiss said, laughing when Winter started to slap her arm.

"That's not how you talk right before you hang out with your friends! Don't leave them waiting, go and have fun," Winter smiled, undoing her seatbelt and getting out of the car. "When should I pick you up? Or should I wait until you text? I mean, if you remember to this time,"

"I'll just text you, we might be going to get, uh, ice cream after," Weiss said, getting out of the car and standing on shaky legs.

"Look at you, starting to grow a sweet tooth?" Winter asked as she leaned against the car, shivering as she remembered her last ice cream incident.

"More like I'm following peer pressure,"

"It's getting ice cream and hanging out. I know what you're feeling, but it's what most people do, it's weird at first but it's nice," Winter said half-jokingly as she reached into her purse, pulling out a crumpled up twenty, "try and have fun, ok?"

"Thanks, Win. I'll try, don't worry about me," Weiss said, sheepishly taking the cash and putting it in her pocket. "You could still come if you change your mind,"

"Not this time, Weiss. Maybe down the line, when we've had the chance to talk everything out," Winter said as she sat down in the driver's seat.

"But that's never gonna happen if you don't see her," Weiss said stubbornly. She was expecting some snappy reply from her sister, but Winter looked down at the ground with a sad smile.

"I'll see you later, ok? Love you,"

"Love you too," Weiss sighed as Winter shut the door, smiling and waving at her. Winter put the car in drive, leaving the parking lot and turning onto the road. Weiss stood there watching the lights of the car merge into the traffic and disappear down the road.

Weiss took a deep breath before turning on her heels and walking towards the bobbing heads of red hair. It took somewhere between five and ten steps for both of them to lock onto her, rushing towards her before she knew what was happening.

"You could've texted us sooner, we were worried!" Pyrrha cried out, drawing everyone's attention in the parking lot.

"I, uh"

"You don't have to yell like that! She was having a day with her sister, she probably just forgot. Isn't that right, Weiss?"

"I-"

"Don't speak for her like that, Penny, that's rude, right, Weiss?"

"But-"

"It's not rude-"

"Guys!" Weiss called, and both of them stopped to look at her with wide eyes, "Sorry, but aren't we running late?"

"You guys don't have to worry, Yang's match isn't for a while," said a new voice from the parking low, taking all three of them by surprise.

"Ruby?" Weiss asked, surprised by the wide smile on her own face.

"Hey, Weiss, how are you?" Ruby asked with a smile as the two of them locked eyes.

"Uh, good. I actually got some sleep for once. How about you?"

"Can't say I know what that's like, I've been here all day," Ruby laughed, scratching the back of her head.

"Working, as per usual. Where'd you disappear to? Doing something you shouldn't be?" Pyrrha asked with a raised eyebrow, and Weiss wasn't sure if it was more of a mom tone or a captain tone.

"Nothing bad! I had to get something from Jaune, that's all," Ruby smiled innocently, putting her hands behind her back. Pyrrha looked the girl up and down but didn't push it.

"Sorry about that," Ruby said to Pyrrha while burying her hands in her pockets. She turned to Weiss and smiled, "I missed you in class today. I don't think you've ever missed a day, so I was worried," Ruby admitted, and Weiss blushed.

"You aren't the only one! Penny and I were worried all day after you never showed up to first hour. Spent all day texting her and she was just lounging around doing whatever she does,"

"Watching movies, eating take out, and napping," Weiss said proudly, glad when everyone laughed.

"Sounds like a fun day," Penny said as she walked closer to Weiss, hands behind her back.

"I don't think I've had a day like that in months, stupid track," Pyrrha whined, slumping her head in despair. Weiss wanted to say that she'd never had a day like that before but bit her tongue, not wanting to wreck the mood this early.

"But it hasn't been all bad, right?" Weiss asked, a smirk on her face as Pyrrha perked back up.

"Maybe not all bad," She said awkwardly, getting a curious look from Penny, "Should we head inside? Yang'll be mad if we don't make an appearance,"

"If she loses and blames it on us for not being there I get to steal her lunch, agreed?" Ruby asked, starting to stroll towards the front door of the school like she was walking on clouds.

"You can try, but I don't think it'll go well," Pyrrha said, rushing after Ruby and leaving Penny and Weiss behind.

"They really like to rush, don't they?" Penny asked with a chuckle, not making a move to follow.

"Yeah, but what else is new?" Weiss asked, walking towards her, well, her friends.

"I put the posters up, so that's new I guess," Penny said matter of factly but with a genuine smile on her lips.

"That's great! Have you gotten anyone new to join the club yet?"

"Not yet," Penny sighed, looking towards something on the ground, "But hopefully we'll get some new people soon. We'll take anyone, and it's tons of fun. Lots of good people, good friends," She said so softly Weiss hardly heard her.

"It sounds like fun," Weiss said, gripping the edge of her shirt. She wasn't sure if t was her imagination, but it really seemed like Penny was trying to make a pitch here. The thing is, it didn't sound half bad.

"I really like it, it's the only place I've ever really felt like I belong…" Penny said as she started falling behind, all but stopping. Weiss matched her pace step for step, her eyes never leaving Penny's.

"I wish I knew what that was like. I've always been by myself, so I wouldn't know too much about belonging," Weiss said, the words undeniably true. It felt like a knot in her stomach unraveled as she said it, a bit of tension leaving her body as it went.

"I know all about that feeling," Penny admitted, running a hair through her poofy orange locks. "It feels like nobody will ever listen, ever care. Everyone seems scary and like they don't care about you," Penny said, with a deep knowing in her voice that resonated somewhere deep in Weiss's heart. "When I was a kid my Dad always told me that if you be yourself, to be true and to try your best, you'll eventually make friends that'll last forever,"

"I know that's kind of silly and like something out of a kids movie, but it helped me a lot growing up. It led me to Pyrrha, to Ruby… to, uh, you," Penny said, her voice shaky and brittle like old china.

"It's not silly. My sister says stuff like that all the time, and she always ends up being right in the end. Your Dad seems really smart. You seem really smart," Weiss smiled, watching as Penny's face started to turn a deep red.

"I- thank you. I mean, you do too. Yes,"

"You ok? Your face looks a little flush," Weiss asked, wondering if the girl was starting to get a fever.

"I'm fine!" Penny stuttered, her face even redder now.

"Maybe we should get inside? It's getting cold, maybe that'll help?"

"Yes, that's a great idea! Ruby and Pyrrha are probably waiting for us, let's go," Penny said as she started rushing towards the door leaving Weiss in the dust.

"I guess she's fine," Weiss said, scratching her hair as she moved towards the door, "I wonder if this'll become a trend,"

The high school gave Weiss just as much anxiety after hours as it did when it was filled with students, half of the lights in the building were off, and everything was cast in eerie shadows. The main hall and cafeteria were empty, but the door to the gym was open and leaving golden light into the hallway.

There was a table in front of the door that was manned by a single middle aged woman, probably one of the students' parents. She had a visor on her head, a stamp in her hand, and an open cash box next to her.

There was a line of about ten students and parents waiting patiently in line as the woman took her time having a conversation with every patron. Near the front of the line, Weiss spotted her friends, but it would've been hard to miss them with Ruby waving at her with both hands.

"Weiss, we're over here!" Ruby called out, with a smile on her face.

"I see, you can put your hands down," Weiss chuckled as she walked up to them, feeling bad as she cut in line. But nobody said anything, and everyone seemed happy talking amongst themselves with happy grins.

By the time Weiss got there, they were at the front of the line handing the woman money. "How ya doin, Ruby? Having fun with those robits of yours?" The woman asked as she took their money and made change.

"Oh yeah, it's awesome! Superbot looks like it's gonna be the best one we've made! We have our first competition this Sunday, you should come!" Ruby asked with a grin that the woman mirrored.

"Wouldn't miss it. Now you kids get going, Yang's match is starting soon," The woman said, waving them through the door, stamping their hands with a red smiley face. As Weiss passed her by the woman smiled and winked at her, and Weiss found herself getting more excited by the minute. As she passed through the threshold of the door, she could hear the roar of the crowd, and Weiss felt electricity race through her.

-A/N-

Last week YuukiAsuna-Chan commented that we're pretty far in the story and there hasn't been much of Ruby in the story. That's something I hadn't thought of, and I agree. I'm gonna put more in because of story reasons and hopefully it feels better. At the end of the day this is a romance after all! Does anyone else have any story thoughts? If so, I'd love to hear them! I can't promise anything, but I'll read and consider everything.

Anyway, hope everyone's enjoying the story so far! I have a lot more planned and have the story planned out. I have more free time so I'm gonna work on making chapters a little longer to try and get us to the end faster. See you guys next week!