A Spark of Something New
The new year was just hours away, and the city of Vale was already in a festive spirit. The streets were crowded with tourists and Vale's own population as everyone prepared to usher in the new year. Ruby stood on the sidewalk outside her apartment, pulling on her coat as the cold wind blew.
The streets were crowded as people walked by her, some wearing comically large hats, or silly '2018' shaped glasses, while others just stumbled by on the arm of their drunken friends, laughing up a storm. Ruby stood outside her apartment, glancing from one end of the street to the other, waiting for Neon to pick her up.
Damn it, Yang… Ruby let out a loud sigh. The young woman wasn't sure what was worst. That she had been pushed to go to a party, full of people she didn't know, or that she was stuck doing it alone.
Yes, Ruby had wanted some things to herself, but being stuck in a party full of drunk people? That was like getting a dentist's appointment all to herself…
A loud honk made her jump, and Ruby lifted her head up to find a hot pink car parked in front of her. The automobile had a gaudy, pixelated rainbow painted on the side as the driver rolled down the window and waved at her.
"Hey, girl! Get in! It's par-tay time!" Neon beamed, her orange hair bobbing up and down as she rocked her head to the music on the radio.
"Um… Right. Hey, Neon," the young woman greeted, opening the door to step inside. She sat beside Neon as the car took off like a rocket. "Whoa!"
Ruby had never been in Neon's car before, so she had never experienced the young woman's driving skills, or lack thereof. Yang was an adrenaline junkie, and while Ruby could enjoy a fair share of excitement, the swerves and near crashes were quickly becoming too much for her.
"So, what's up, girl? I feel like it's been forever since we partied together!"
"Yeah… Sorry, just been busy with school, and Christmas, and… stuff," Ruby replied, trying to dig herself into her chair for safety.
"That sounds lame. We have got to hit up the club or something together. I feel like we rarely ever get to."
"Sorry, Neon," Ruby apologized, shrugging her shoulder as her hands clung to her seatbelt. A car honked at them as Neon drove them through traffic, slipping between cars.
As if her driving wasn't already crazy, Neon took her eyes off the road and stared Ruby with a raised brow. "You okay, Rubes? You sound, y'know, off."
Damn it, Yang! Ruby tried to put on a wide grin, crossing her arms as she quickly thought. Okay, she's used to hanging out with Yang. Just act like Yang. Channel your inner Yang. "Uh, you know me. I'm awesome! Uhh… I'm just super excited for this party! Ruby-cited, that is!"
Neon stared at Ruby, eyes wide as they swerved around another car. Meanwhile, Ruby was mentally screaming so loud, she was shocked that Weiss didn't tell her to be quiet. What was that?!.
Ruby could practically see Neon calling the crazy police on her, but instead the young woman just snorted and began to laugh, slapping her knee with one hand as the other turned the car around the corner.
"That's my girl! OMG, you are the best, Ruby!"
"Ha… Uh, thanks?" Ruby thanked her lucky stars as Neon bought her act. The car came to a stop, and the dark-haired woman had never been so thankful for red lights before.
"So, considering you didn't bring a plus one, I'm guessing you don't have anyone in mind for when the ball drops?" Neon teased, a cattish grin forming on her lips.
"Huh? Oh, right. That," sighed Ruby. The young woman hadn't kissed anyone since Adam. Just the idea of kissing someone made her feel slightly nauseous.
"You know, if you ever need a partner for that, you could ask me. Better hurry and make your reservation though, before someone else snatches me away." Neon kissed the air, before the car took off again.
The truck's horn blared as Ruby was crushed against her car seat. The dark-haired woman glanced at Neon, wondering if she acted this way around Yang a lot. She's… really flirty, she thought.
Ruby wished she could know more about Yang and Neon's relationship, unfortunately there were holes in her memory. She had no idea what her alternates did when they were in control, unless she was actively trying to listen in.
The same worked for Ruby too though. She had a degree of privacy, since all the others were in their respective Rooms. Unfortunately, she was still stuck going to a party full of people she didn't know. She fought back a groan. She really wasn't looking forward to the party, but maybe she could make it work.
Ruby and Neon made it to the party sooner than the young woman thought, then again, maybe she shouldn't have so surprised considering Neon's driving… Either way, once the car was parked Neon hopped out and practically yanked Ruby out of the car and towards a large house.
It was exactly the kind of party that's always in movies. A bunch of young people on the front lawn of the house, holding red, plastic cups full of beer. A table dragged outside so people could play beer pong. People talking and laughing and feeling up each other. The exact kind of setting that Ruby felt out of place in. Neon dragged Ruby into the home, and the dark-haired introvert began to truly feel small.
The house was warm, making Ruby suddenly feel hot under her jacket, or maybe that was just a side effect of her blushing cheeks. People filled the house, some of them glancing to look at the two women that had just walked in. Ruby felt like she was on a stage, and she wondered if they expected her to do something. Maybe they could see just how out of place Ruby was feeling.
Neon was completely oblivious to her friend's anxiety, beaming as she threw up her hand to greet everyone. "What's up, party people?! Happy New Years!" she laughed, throwing her jacket onto a nearby chair. All she wore was a light blue tank top as she turned her head. "Rubes, I'm going to get us some drinks! Meet you out back?"
"Uh, r-right." Ruby watched as Neon skipped away, melting into the party without any effort. The dark-haired woman gulped, swallowing down her fears as stared at everyone. I got this… I got this. I got this.
"I love you!" a man suddenly screamed, and before Ruby knew what was happening, a large man pulled her into his arms and squeezed her tight, lifting her off of the floor. "Happy first, happy first, happy first!" he sang, bouncing her back and forth.
Ruby had to fight the urge to gag. His breath reeked of alcohol, and what Ruby assumed was, weed. He then dropped her and stumbled out, laughing as he swung his jacket in the air, complete with helicopter noises.
The dark-haired woman laid on the ground, eyes wide as several other drunks laughed at the man. A couple of people chased after the 'helicopter' man as Ruby came to an unfortunate realization. I don't got this…
New Years' Eve was one of the craziest nights for 'Hazel's Pizzeria.' Jaune had never worked on the day until now, but he had heard horror stories from his co-workers. Those stories didn't do it justice.
Jaune was racing back and forth between houses, apartments, and the store. There wasn't a single chance for a break. When he was at the store, he helped prepare the pizzas, before Hazel practically threw a bag at him and pushed him out with an address on the receipt. Jaune would then race to deliver the pizzas to the, usually intoxicated, customer.
It wasn't a spectacular job, but it paid the bills.
Jaune glanced at the clock inside his car and sighed quietly. Midnight was just a couple of hours away. He remembered how he, and his group of friends would count down together. Ever since they were little kids, they rang in the new year together. Now he was stuck celebrating it all by himself.
The blond driver groaned, shaking his head. He had to get his mind out of the past and focus on what he was doing. He had a job to do. He parked his car and slammed the door behind him as he walked back to the store. He barely got a foot in as Hazel pushed a bag into the driver's arms.
"Out," he ordered, shoving Jaune back to the door. "And don't forget the sodas."
"Right." Jaune grunted at the heavy weight of the heavy bag. There had to have been four, maybe five large pizzas in there. Jaune swallowed down his annoyance and carried the bag to his car, before running back inside to get the sodas.
You got this, he told himself. He took a deep breath and turned on some music, smiling. I got this. He looked at the address on the receipt, and his heart sank along with the corners of his lips. He knew the address. It was easily one of the worst possible deliveries he could have gotten.
Brawnz Ni was an ass. The man always complained about how long it took to deliver to him, despite the fact that everyone, even Hazel, warned him it would take a while because of how far he was, and he always accused the store of getting his order wrong. Brawnz would then demand a new, fresher pizza be brought to him.
Jaune was pretty sure he was just trying to get free pizza, and unfortunately that plan almost always worked. The blond rolled his eyes, sighing as he drove his car to the destination. I probably got this…
Who knows? Maybe Jaune would be lucky, and Brawnz was feeling nice.
Ruby stood in the backyard of the house, nervously shifting her weight from one foot to the other. She did her best to hide behind the punch table, watching as everyone danced to the music playing, and if they weren't dancing they were talking to their friends, of which Ruby had zero.
Come on, just talk to someone. Say something! Ruby ordered herself.
"Hey! I didn't think you'd make it! What's up, girl?!" The dark-haired woman turned her head to find three older girls walking towards her. Each of them was grinning and waving at her.
Do I know them? Are they more of Yang's friends? Ruby lifted up her arm to wave at them, putting on her best smile. "H-hey! What are you-?"
"Like I'd miss this party!" Another girl ran pass Ruby, and she hugged one of the women, laughing along with them.
Ruby slapped her hand against her forehead and groaned. She sank down, reasoning that hiding under the punch table would be less painful than trying to socialize.
"Ouch. That had to hurt," a voice laughed. Ruby blinked, and glanced over the table to see a young man walking towards her. "And yes, I am talking to you."
"Oh. Good," she muttered, slowly standing back up.
The man had slicked back hair that looked almost blue in the light. He was also tall, towering over her in his black shirt and pants. Silver bracelets bounced on his wrists as he offered a drink to Ruby.
"I'm Sky. What's your name?"
"Ruby." She glanced at the red cup, before turning her eyes to several, clearly drunk, partygoers. They were currently grinding against each other, chortling about some bad joke. "Uhh, I'm good."
"It's just punch," he replied. "Tropical." He smiled at her, blue eyes shining as she glanced at it again.
"Oh. Thanks." She took the drink from Sky and sipped at it, tasting the fruity sweetness on her tongue. It was a breath of fresh air from the strong scent of liquor in the air. She glanced at Sky, noticing his eyes were still on her. Oh. Right. Social interaction. "So… uh… H-how're you?"
Sky chuckled at her stutter, shrugging his shoulder lazily. "Alright. Lame party, huh?" he scoffed, shaking his head. "Only here cause my friend dragged me along."
"Really?" Ruby blinked, taking another sip of her drink. "I know that feeling… My-" She hesitated, searching for the word as she avoided Sky's eyes. "My friend really thinks I need to get out of the house, and make new friends. I mean, I know I do, but it's just… hard."
"Tell me about it," Sky agreed. "Hey, you okay? You look a little hot under that coat."
"Huh?" Ruby touched her cheek, and it felt surprisingly warm. "Yeah. Probably just hot…" The young woman began to take her coat off, leaving her in the red and black dress that Yang had picked out for her. She looked for a place to leave it, before Sky offered his hand to her. "Oh. Thanks."
"No problem. So, having a hard time making friends?"
"Yeah," she sighed, her hand still rubbing her cheek. Why am I so hot? She downed her drink, hoping the cool punch would help her. Instead it only seemed to make her feel warmer. She groaned as she shifted her weight from one foot to the other, smacking her tongue against the inside of her mouth.
"How about a boyfriend?"
"What?" Ruby shook her head, feeling strangely lightheaded as Sky's hand pulled the empty cup from her hand and dropped it on the ground. "Wait, h-hold on." She stepped back, her head feeling heavy on her shoulders. She rubbed her forehead as Sky walked closer to her.
His hand squeezed her wrist, pulling her closer as he smiled at her. "You're meant to be with me, my beloved." Ruby lifted up her head, and she saw Adam staring back at her, licking his teeth as he moved in for a kiss.
"No!" Ruby's fist slammed into Adam's cheek, knocking him into the table and freeing her hand. She stumbled away from his fallen bdoy, holding her head as her leg refused to move right. Her legs felt weak, but she was still able to drag them after her.
"Hey! Damn it, don't you dare walk away from me?!" Ruby turned behind her, and she saw Sky glaring at her.
Where did he go?! She thought, searching for Adam's red hair. Sky reached for her shoulder, but she pushed his arm away and slammed her fist into his chin, sending him into the table again.
"Don't walk away from me, my love," Adam hissed, rising back up from the blow, wiping blood from his lip. "Why do you keep wanting to hurt me?"
"Leave me alone!" Ruby screamed, running from Adam, pushing someone out of her way. She ran to the house, then through it, before pushing her way out of the front door. She stumbled, but she kept running until she was on the sidewalk outside.
She turned to look at the house, terrified that Adam was going to be standing there, waiting for her, only for her eyes to widen. She wasn't outside the house. She wasn't sure where she was. She stared at an apartment building, small crowds of people walking around her.
No, I was just there. I-I was just there! She looked down the street, not recognizing any of the buildings or signs. She stared at the passing faces, seeing only strangers walking by. She was panting, head burning as she tried to figure out where she was.
Yang?! No answer. Blake?! Weiss?! Anyone?! She screamed into her mind, before squeezing her eyes tight and focusing. She had to reach them in their rooms. They had to be there. But her psyche felt so small. Memories bled out of the cracks as she stumbled in the mist that filled her head.
No one answered. She couldn't reach them. She couldn't even reach her own room. She could still feel Adam's hand on her, squeezing her, still feel his teeth against her neck. She reached for her phone, but all she felt was air.
My coat? Where's my coat?! Ruby patted her body, realizing all she was wearing was some dress. Where did it go?! Her heart raced. Her coat had her keys, her phone, and her wallet, meaning she had nothing.
How am I going to get home…? Her silver eyes combed the city as her heart raced, and her eyes widened. W-where am I? This doesn't look like Patch… Nothing looked like the small town she called home. Dad… Got to get to dad. Find your bearings, Ruby…
She quickly approached a woman walking by. Ruby opened her mouth and tried to talk to her, but her tongue felt clumsy, dry, and too big for her mouth. She shook her head, forcing her voice to come out.
"D-do you know where Signal High is?"
"Signal? Never heard of it," the woman replied, shaking her head. "Sorry." She pushed Ruby out of her way, walking away without another word.
N-no Signal? Not in Patch. Definitely not in Patch… Then where am I? She held her head, trying to remember, but nothing made sense. She remembered being at home with mom and dad. They were talking about… something. Then someone gave her a drink, and… and she started running.
Ruby jumped as a loud horn blared at her, watching the cars race by her. She shook head, walking away down the sidewalk as she tried to think. Nothing made sense. Nothing felt right. Where was Yang?! And Blake?!
Ruby walked down the unfamiliar sidewalk, taking slow, deep breaths as the cold wind chilled her naked arms…
Turns out Brawnz was not feeling generous today. In fact, Jaune had never seen the guy so pissed. The man was clearly drunk, and as soon as Jaune had showed up on his doorstep, Brawnz began to yell and scream at him.
He was upset about how long the delivery took, upset at the price, and just… upset. After insulting Jaune's mother for few seconds, and promising to give Hazel a call, Brawnz demanded Jaune leave, leaving the blond with four large pizzas, six liters of soda, and wings. All unpaid.
"Great," he sighed, sitting in his car. He was parked by the sidewalk, and he watched as cars raced by; all of their drivers probably eager to celebrate the new year.
Jaune's eyes turned away from the passing cars, and he saw something that caught his eyes. It was a girl in a vibrant red dress. She stood out in the city's cooler colors, like a red boat in the ocean. The dress was enough to catch Jaune's attention, it was seeing what she was doing that made him step out of his car.
She was sitting on a bench, crying. She was clearly upset, and Jaune couldn't take his eyes off of her. He knew he had to go help her.
Nora and Ren always did say he had a bad problem of making other people's problem his own. But what was he supposed to do? The girl was sobbing! He couldn't ignore her. So he got out of his car and started walking towards her.
"Hey." He awkwardly held out his hand to her, trying to put on his best smile. "I'm Jaune. Do you need some help?"
She stared at him, and Jaune noticed several things about the woman. He thought her hair was black when he first saw it, but now he realized it was actually a dark shade of red that grew brighter at the tips. Her eyes were a bright silver, something he had never seen before. Finally, it was only when he was right in front of her did he realize how small the woman was. She was just so short…
"I-" She hesitated to answer, looking down the street as she bit her lower lip. "I don't know where I am." She sounded completely terrified. He sat on the other side of the bench as he pointed at a nearby sign.
"Well, there's Houston Street. That's Canal Street. If you go right on Houston, you'll end up crossing with Emerald Street. The Emerald State Park is on there. Does that help?"
She stared at him with strained, confused eyes. Jaune scratched his neck as he apologized. "Sorry. You must be from out of town, right? Can you tell me your hotel? I can probably give you directions to it."
Her eyes fell down to her knees, her lips pressed tightly together. "I… I'm not sure," she muttered.
Oh. Crap... Jaune fought to keep the worry from reaching his voice as he pulled his smile tighter. "Oh. I see. Well, let's start off with something else than. You know my name, what's yours?" Please know your name, please know your name, please know your name.
She said nothing at first, before she let out a quiet answer. He almost didn't hear her over the sound of passing cars. "Ruby Rose..."
"Ruby," he repeated. "Okay, Ruby, do you want to tell me what happened? I saw you crying… Maybe I can help?"
The dark-haired woman nodded her head, placing a hand on her forehead as she thought. "I-I was at a party. Someone gave me a drink," she slowly recalled. "Then I started feeling…" She moved her free hand in the air, trying to find the word, but Jaune had heard enough.
"Oh." Of course Jaune had heard about guys drugging girls at parties, but he never thought he'd be helping one of those girls. "Okay. It's going to be okay," he promised, holding up his hand. "Um… How about we call someone? L-like your parents? Yeah, h-how's that?" He reached into his pocket and took out his phone, holding it out to her. "Here, you can use mine."
She was quiet. Jaune had no idea what to do. He knew he had to help, but he had never been with a woman who had been drugged before. Calling her parents was the first good idea that popped into his head, and it was all he probably could do.
Ruby stared at his phone, taking it slowly as she stared at the screen. She shook her head slowly, lifting a hand to brush hair from her eyes. Her eyes widened as she suddenly looked at her bangs, staring at them. "It's different…"
"Huh?"
"My hair looks different," she muttered. She turned her head to look at him, and he did his best to give a comforting smile. He didn't want her to see how scared he was. He refused to be a burden to her while she needed help.
"Are… are you a pizza guy?" she asked, pointing at his uniform. Jaune looked down at his bright green jacket, and the pizza symbol on his chest. His cheeks turned a light red as he chuckled.
"Uh, yeah."
"Can I have some pizza?"
Ruby took in the scent of the pizza, before taking her first bite. She savored the salty taste of cheese, bread, and meat with closed eyes. The blond guy, Jaune, stared at her as he leaned against his car, holding the pizza box.
"How is it? Good?" She nodded her head, licking her lips.
"Yeah," she replied. "Thanks, Jaune."
"No problem. So, how's about we call your mom and dad now?" he suggested.
Ruby bit into her pizza again, avoiding his cerulean eyes. Just hearing those words was enough to remind her of… something. It was on the tip of her tongue, but she just couldn't remember what it was. All she could remember was fear. A fear that her parents weren't going to pick up…? Or was she afraid of her parents? Neither idea made sense to Ruby. She loved her mom and dad, and they loved her.
Why would she be afraid of them?
She tried to remember where her parents were, but the memories were so foggy. Dad was in Patch. He'd never leave the small town. Mom was... Ruby wasn't sure where her mother was.
"Can't," she muttered.
"Can't? Why not?" She didn't answer quickly, and her eyes widened as he asked, "Are you a runaway?"
"No!" She wiped her mouth with her arm, shaking her head. "I'm not. My dad knows I'm here. Mom…" Where was her mom? Ruby ground her teeth together as she tried to remember, but she just kept drawing a blank.
It was like her memories were a library, and someone had just knocked all the bookcases down. Her memories were there, but it was impossible to find the right one. She remembered being at a party, being given a drink, running away, and now she was here with a nice pizza guy.
Okay, Ruby. It's okay. Just… go over what you know. Dad was in Patch. Ruby lived in Patch, but clearly she wasn't there right now. So where was she now?
"Hey, are you okay?" Jaune waved his hand in front of her face, bringing her back to reality.
"I-I'm fine. What city is this?" she questioned, looking up at the tall buildings around her. She didn't want to look at the man, knowing he'd probably think she was crazy.
"Vale," he answered, with surprisingly little resistance.
"Vale…?" Mom's hometown? W-what am I doing here? Do I live here? Why can't I remember anything?! Memories bubbled in her mind, and her silver eyes widened as voices whispered in her head.
She was remembering something. Her mother's voice. Her father holding Ruby back. Men were dragging her mother away...
"Look, Ruby, I really think we should call the cops, or someone. I mean, I'm pretty sure you were drugged, and-"
"Please, let me go! I'm not crazy!" Summer was pushed towards the car as she turned her head to stare at her husband. Ruby stood by her father's side, unable to speak, unable to do anything as her mother was restrained. "Tai, help me!" There were tears in her eyes.
Ruby whimpered at the memories, almost dropping her food to the ground as her hand rubbed her head. "No! N-no cops. Please." She took slow, deep breaths as she remembered where her mother was. It came back suddenly, like a brick through glass. Summer Rose was put in an asylum by her husband, Ruby's father, Tai Rose.
"Ruby? What is it? What's wrong?" Jaune reached a hand out to her, but she stepped back, shaking her head as she put the plate of pizza onto his car.
"I'm sorry. Thank you for the food, but I have to go." She started walking away from Jaune, only for a hand to catch hers.
"Whoa! Hey, no way. You can't just leave!" he argued. His fingers were tightly wrapped around her wrist as she tried to free herself.
"Let go!"
"No!"
"You still have your job to do! So just let go and-" Ruby raised a brow as she saw Jaune reach into his pocket and take out his phone. "What are you doing?"
Jaune didn't say anything as the phone began to ring, and he pressed it against his ear. "Hi, Hazel? It's Jaune." Ruby blinked as she watched the young man glance at her. "Yeah… Sorry, but my car broke down. It won't start… I know, I know, and I'm really, really sorry, but I promise I'll make it up to you." He nodded his head, before putting the phone back into his pocket. "There. Now I'm off the clock."
Ruby's jaw hung open as she stared at the blonde man, blinking as she tried to form a question. "Why did you do that?"
"Because you clearly need help, and even if you aren't calling someone, I still want to help you. I can't just let you walk around a city you don't know! You'll get lost! Or worse!" He stared at her, his brow furrowed as he spoke. "You don't want me to call the cops? Fine. But I'm not just going to let you walk around a huge city at night!"
Her mouth finally closed itself, and she looked away from Jaune. She crossed her arms as she thought. Maybe I am better off here. But what if he thinks I'm going crazy… Ruby shook her head, taking a deep breath. It's okay. He's not going to call anyone on me. He just wants to help. She turned her silver eyes to Jaune. "I'm really sorry for freaking out like that."
"It's okay," he replied, smiling at her. "You've had a rough night. I just want to help."
"I-I'd like the help," she nodded. She glanced at the slice of pizza, and then back at Jaune. "Can I have some more pizza?"
That was how Ruby ended up sitting in a pizza guy's car, sharing his delivery with him as he poured soda into cups for them. She quietly ate as her memories slowly came back to her, like random bits and pieces of a puzzle.
I live in Vale. I know I do, she told herself. I think I live in an apartment?
"So, uh… How's the pizza?"
"Oh, it's great. You sure it's okay that I have it, though?" Ruby asked, biting into the cheesy meal.
"Yeah. The guy didn't want it, so it would have just gone to waste back at the store."
"Who says no to pizza?" the woman wondered, biting into her crust.
"Right?" Jaune opened up another box, taking out a slice for himself. "This one has pineapple, if you want any."
"Bleck. Pineapple? On a pizza?" Ruby shook her head. Even in her current state, she knew that such a combination was not meant to be. She remembered her parents loved the stuff, but not her.
"What? It's good," the blond chuckled, biting into his own slice. "What some?"
"I'm good." She shook her head, returning to her own pizza, devouring the crust before reaching for another slice. An awkward silence filled the car as the two strangers just sat there, eating their food. Ruby combed through her memories, once again trying to piece together how she got here, and what she was going to do now.
Okay. Party… drink… city… The party was in the city too. My drink must have drugged me. Made me all… confused, she slowly thought. But where do I live? I have to have a place in the city, right?
"Hey, Jaune?"
"Yeah?"
"Do you mind if we… drive around?" Ruby's hands fell on her knees, squeezing the dress as she spoke. "I know you've already done a lot for me, b-but I'm thinking that if I see the town, I can remember where I live."
"Say no more," he replied with a smile. "Buckle up. I'm about to give you a tour of Vale!" She smiled back at him, appreciating his optimistic spirit.
Everything's going to be okay, she told herself. The young woman nodded her head, before picking up a cup of soda. She downed the sugary nectar, before smiling at her new friend. "Thanks for helping me… I really appreciate it."
"No problem. Anyone would have done it," he replied. Ruby wasn't sure how true that was, but she shrugged it off. It was just nice to not be alone.
The car came to life with a growl from the engine, and Ruby watched the buildings and apartments slowly pass them by. Almost instantly, she began to feel a sense of deja vu, like she had seen many of the buildings before. Maybe I drove this way to the party? Ruby glanced at a passing building, noticing the many people filling the sidewalks and crosswalks.
The place was nothing like Patch. The sprawling towers and bright lights were a stark difference from the small, rural town she grew up in. "I grew up in a town called Patch," she explained, quietly.
"I've never been in a small town before," Jaune commented. "Lived here my whole life." He glanced at her, and her silver eyes met his for a moment. "What was it like there?"
"Boring," she quickly replied. "You probably don't want to hear about it..."
"Come on, tell me." He brought the car to a stop at a red light, relaxing in his seat as he glanced at her. "I've never been, so you could say anything and I'd probably buy it! Like, did you have to milk cows and wake up at like five or something?"
Ruby snorted at the joke, shaking her head. "No. I woke up late for school almost every day. Didn't have any cows, or dogs, or anything like that," she explained. "Mom would always get annoyed with me." She remembered her mother's face. How amazing she looked, even when she was scolding her daughter for sleeping in. "She was, like, some kind of super mom... Cook, storyteller, seamstress. She was so awesome..."
"Sounds like Mom of the Year. My mom was pretty good too, but she always left cooking to my dad," Jaune reminisced. "What about yours? What was your dad like?"
"Dad and I are... distant." She felt a fire in her fingertips. Her hands tightened into fists as she remembered the blond man. Mom was in an asylum because of him. She was trapped in a straitjacket, locked up with crazy people, all because of him. She remembered what he said when Ruby watched her mother being driven away.
"Things are better this way, Ruby..."
"I'm sorry to hear that," apologized the driver, driving the car forward again. "I didn't mean to bring up bad memories, I was just trying to help you remember things..."
Ruby smiled at the earnest statement, and she shook her head. "No, it's okay. I think you're helping a little," she confessed. She turned to face Jaune, watching the buildings that passed through his window as something suddenly hit her. "Wait. Wait!"
"What? What?!" Jaune slowed the car to a stop, another car honking at them from behind as Ruby banged her hands against her knees in excitement.
The silver-eyed woman felt a strange familiarity with the buildings she saw on Jaune's side. She didn't live there, but they felt very familiar. Like she had walked by them for months, like she had seen them on the way to somewhere... "I-is there a school somewhere around here?!"
"Y-yeah. Beacon University?"
"Yes! Beacon! I go to Beacon!" Ruby stomped her feet against the floor of Jaune's car as memories trickled back. "I'm a student at Beacon. I study... I study..." Her smile faltered for a moment as she drew a blank. Jaune must have noticed, because he quickly tried to bring her back to reality.
"Hey, that's right! If you go to Beacon, you have to be somewhere close by, right?"
"Right. You're right. Do you know this area well?" she questioned, looking at Jaune.
"Yeah, I deliver here all the time. I know the dorms and apartments most students live in. We can drive around, see if any of them look familiar to you."
"Would you mind?" Jaune's smile told her all she needed to know, and she beamed as her hands landed on his. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" she shouted, bouncing in her seat.
"Ah! Driving, Ruby!"
"Oops! Sorry!"
Jaune had the sense that he felt almost as relieved as Ruby did. They had something. It wasn't a lot, but it was enough to point them in the right direction. He was more than happy to drive the two around the city, passing by the large apartments that many college students called home. He kept to himself for the most part, letting Ruby stare at the buildings and think.
Please, please, please, Jaune thought to himself, only to frown as Ruby sighed.
"No. That's not it either. Least, I don't think it is..."
"That's alright. Still a few more apartments we haven't checked. I'm sure we'll find it," he promised, keeping the smile plastered on his face. He wasn't upset, or annoyed with Ruby, but he was growing more and more scared for her. What if Beacon was a false lead? What if her home was miles from here? What were they going to do? What was Jaune supposed do?
I'm not abandoning her out here. Maybe I should bring up the cops again? I mean, worse comes to worse, I guess she can stay at my place. Plenty of space with Nora and Ren out... Jaune could feel his cheeks heating up, and he bit the inside of his cheek, scolding himself. Come on, Arc. What the hell are you thinking? You're trying to help this girl! Inviting her to your place isn't gonna help her!
"Wait, pull over here!" Ruby suddenly commanded. Jaune quickly obeyed, parking on the side of the road. He looked at Ruby, watching her hop out of the car, and run towards an apartment they had just passed. He quickly followed after her, standing behind her as she stared at the tall building.
"Is this it?" She didn't answer. He waited, expecting some kind out of reaction out of her, but after a whole minute of silence, he asked again. "Ruby? Do you recognize this place?"
"I... I don't know," she finally replied. "I thought it looked familiar, but I don't know."
Jaune reached for her shoulder. "Hey, it's okay. I'm sure we'll find your place."
"What if we don't?" The question surprised the young man, and she turned towards him, eyes down to the ground. "I can't remember where I live. How am I even supposed to get inside?! I don't have my keys, my wallet, or even my phone!" She held her head, digging fingers into her scalp as she let out a long, harsh sigh. "My memories are all... jumbled. I can remember some stuff, but... What if I never get them back?"
"Hey, don't say that. I'm sure you will." Jaune felt his heart break at the sight of the poor woman. This was awful. She didn't deserve to go through this. He had to do something to help, he told himself, but he wasn't sure what he could do. "Whatever happens, I'm here for you."
"I barely know you," she scoffed, but Jaune didn't care.
"I don't care. I'm not going to let you go through this alone. I'll help you, even if it takes us the rest of the year!" Ruby was silent for a moment, before she snorted, choking back a laugh.
"W-was that meant to be a joke?"
"Yeah," he admitted sheepishly, scratching the back of his head. "Trying to lighten up the atmosphere, you know?" She smiled at him, wiping tears from her eyes as she nodded her head.
"Thanks," she sniffled. She looked at the apartment, and Jaune remained quiet, hoping the silence would help her. "Can we go inside?" He walked forward without a word, just a smile and a light in his blue eyes as he opened the door for her.
"Ladies' first."
Ruby walked into the apartment building, combing over the lobby as she bit into her cheek. The room looked... slightly familiar, but maybe she was just telling herself that in hopes it would jog a memory. It was a large room, with an empty front desk, and a small sitting area. The walls were a basic, dull white, with a brown, tiled floor. Nothing really stood out in the room as she tried to find something that would help her...
The two walked to the front desk, and Ruby placed her hands on the wooden table as she looked around. "Hello?" A door behind the front desk opened, and a stout man walked out, with graying hair and a maroon-colored coat. He smiled at Ruby, and she returned the gesture to the stranger, hoping he knew her.
"Ah, Ruby! Back so soon from your party?"
"Uh, Hi-!" Her eyes glanced at his name tag, before darting to look at his eyes, and the bushy, white brows above them. "-Mr. Port. I'm back! Um, I'm really sorry to bother you, but I lost my keys at the party, I was wondering if you could help me to my room?"
"Of course! You poor dear," he replied. He moved away from his desk and walked back into the room he had come from. Ruby and Jaune glanced at one another with a spark of joy and curiosity in their eyes, before Port returned. He had a small, silver-colored key in his hand. "Here you go, my dear!" Port handed her the spare key, before staring at Jaune. "And how may I help you, my boy?"
"Oh, I'm with her!" he quickly answered, pointing at Ruby.
"Right! This is my friend, Jaune! He really helped me out," the woman explained, earning another nod from the older man.
"Ah, I see. A regular knight in shining armor. Ha, I remember when I was helping young damsels out of trouble. It couldn't have been more than five years ago, I was in Brazil, and I met this fine, fine beauty named-"
"Alright, Mr. Port. Thanks for the help!" Ruby quickly grabbed Jaune's wrist, pulling him along to the elevators. The two dashed to the metal doors, and Ruby pressed the button to call their ride down to them. "There's a room number on here. 'Six hundred twenty seven.' That must be my room," she beamed, barely able to control her joy.
"Hey, told you we'd find it," Jaune grinned.
"Yeah, I guess you did." The dark-haired woman felt a warmth touch her cheeks, and her foot absent-mindedly tapped against the floor. "Thank you. I really, really owe you one."
"Hey, no problem. Happy to help."
"I'm serious! You actually might have saved my life." She tapped her foot a couple more times on the ground pondering her next words. With cheeks tinted red, she asked her, as Mr. Port put it, 'knight in shining armor.' "Hey, what time is it?"
"About fifteen minutes to midnight. Why?"
"Want to...stay here for the countdown? I mean, it'd sure beat counting down alone in your car or something." Ruby turned her eyes away from Jaune, staring at the metal doors of the elevator as she continued. "We can grab some pizza. Some soda. I mean, only if you want to."
Jaune blinked. He was clearly surprised by the offer, before he grinned. "Sure. That sounds awesome. I'll get the pizzas and meet you at your room?"
"Yeah! That sounds good to me!" Ruby watched her new friend walk away as the elevator arrived to take her up. She stepped inside, leaning against the cool wall as the elevator took her up. Wow. Jaune's really nice. Kind of cool too. She blinked at that thought, trying to laugh it off as her cheeks radiated warmth. It's nice to have a friend out here, at least. If he hadn't helped me out, I never would have gotten back home...
Home. That was a word that felt strange to Ruby. Home, to her, was Patch. She remembered sitting by the lake with her mom and dad like it was just yesterday, but it must have been years ago now. Before she moved to Vale, before her mother was put away... The memory of her mother, and the knowledge that her memory had huge gaps in it, left Ruby's stomach in knots. She shook off the feeling, and as soon as the doors opened, she walked out to find her room.
It didn't take long, and with the spare key Mr. Port gave her she opened the door and stepped inside. I live here? The place wasn't half bad, honestly. She walked inside, glancing at the kitchen and living room. The two rooms were openly connected, both looking well furnished. She traced her hands on the soft couch she had, blinking in surprise. Her silver eyes darted all throughout the room, following the stairs up to where her bedroom laid, and then back down to look at her bathroom.
It was exciting. Not just running around the room, but recalling the memories. She remembered buying this couch, and asking Mr. Port to help her bring it in. She remembered telling herself she'd learn how to cook. She remembered sitting down to do homework, and rarely actually doing it. Memories flowed over her like a waterfall as she remembered so much of her life.
Ruby gazed at the large, black TV that sat in front of her couch. It sat on an equally black, wooden stand with a cupboard built inside of it. She opened it and marveled at the content inside. A couple of game consoles greeted her, plus a small library of videogames sat between them. Ruby combed over the selection with hungry eyes, grinning.
"Overwatch, Halo, Uncharted, Skyrim... Huh?" Ruby's silver eyes stopped as she noticed something that wasn't a game in the small cupboard. She found a black, leather book with a smooth, red bookmark sticking out of it. She grabbed the book and stood up, staring at it with curious eyes. There was no title on it, just a red rose painted on the front. "What's this?"
She opened the book where the bookmark laid, glancing at the text inside. 'Your name is Ruby Rose. You live in Vale. You moved there about a-' Ruby's train of thought was tossed aside as Jaune knocked on the door.
"Hello? Ruby?" Jaune's voice called out, before she heard him quietly mutter, "Man, I hope this is the right room..."
"Coming!" Ruby stared at the book, before running upstairs to toss it onto her bed, before running back down to open the door for Jaune. She put on a smile for him, grinning at the pizza he held in his hands. "Hey."
"Hi, I have a delivery for Ruby Rose."
She rolled her eyes, but played along as she motioned her friend inside. "That's me. What do I owe you?"
"Your company, and the rest of the Hawaiian Lovers?"
"Still gross," she teased, taking the pizza boxes from Jaune as he looked around. "But go for it."
"Wow, this is a nice place," he commented.
Ruby brushed it off with a blow of her lips. "I bet you say that to everyone you deliver to."
"I do, but I actually mean it with you." The two chuckled at his joke, before he walked over to her TV. "Can I turn the TV on for the countdown?"
"Sure." Ruby listened to Jaune mess around with her TV as she put the pizza boxes in the kitchen. She grabbed some plates, proud of herself for remembering where they were, and some napkins, before walking to the blond man. He was currently looking through her library of games with a grin on his face. "Having fun turning on the TV?" she teased
"Sorry! This is just a really cool selection of games! You play a lot of Overwatch?" he asked, holding up the game.
"Yep." Her face lit up, eyes sparkling as the memories came easy to her. "Widowmaker main." She pretended to wield a sniper rifle in her hands, aiming it at Jaune's head. "Von shot, von keel."
"Were you just trying to do a French accent?" Ruby blushed as she put down her sniper rifle, scratching at the back of her head. "I'm more of a fan of 'precise German engineering!" Jaune declared, raising a fist as he did his best to imitate a German accent, coming off as authentic as Ruby did. The two laughed at their impersonations, before the voices outside began to scream out.
Jaune looked at his phone, eyes widening as he looked at Ruby. "It's almost time for the countdown!"
"I got it!" Ruby quickly grabbed her phone and turned on the TV, switching it a channel that had the people of Vale counting down in Times Square. She quickly sat down as Jaune grabbed them both some pizza slices.
Some famous musician had just finished his song, just when people were starting to get ready. There was barely a couple minutes left as Ruby and Jaune smiled at each other. They saw people dancing on the street, crowds of excited faces, confetti, party hats, and, of course, happy couples making out before the ball even fell. Like a thunderous wave, the whole city began to count as one of the buildings began to show a clock on their jumbotron screen.
"Ten!" the voices outside, and inside, began. "Nine!"
"Hey, Ruby?" Jaune quickly looked at Ruby, his blue eyes shining as she turned to face him.
"Huh?"
"Thanks for inviting me."
There was something in Jaune's voice, and his smile, that made Ruby happy. It was a strange little spark, but she almost felt like she could understand it. Despite everything that had happened that night, Ruby returned the smile. "No problem, Jaune."
"Two! One!"
Ruby and Jaune both stood up, pizza in hand as the air in the room practically sizzled with electricity. They watched the iridescent orb fall down, fireworks go off, and people cheer as they both shouted.
"Happy New Year!"
END
I love how Jaune and Ruby met. Ruby was lonely and in trouble, and Jaune helped her. I will always try to keep that way of meeting between them, because damn it, it is sweet!
So, an important part of Dissociative Identity Disorder, or DID, is the dissociating. What does that mean? It means Ruby, during certain stressful parts of her life, won't completely understand what's happening in reality, or even if it is happening to her. Different people dissociate in different ways. Ranging from disorientation to amnesia, and anything in between. Ruby being drugged by Sky caused her to dissociate, that's why she suddenly couldn't remember the last few years of her life. I even tried to imply she forgot about her alternates during her time with Jaune. Typically, not all alternates know about one another. I just have Ruby know about the three, and visa versa, for simplicity's sake. Easier to write that way.
I hope you enjoyed this chapter. If you did, please leave a friendly review. They're the gas that keeps this old tank running.
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Love you all. Stay safe.
Next update is scheduled for: 4/29/2018
