A Life Unfufilled
It was early in the morning, but the curtains in Ruby's room were all closed, letting only small beams of light to slip inside. Ruby laid on her bed in the dark, her head resting on her pillow. She sighed, closing her eyes.
The atmosphere in Ruby's room was tense. The air felt heavy, and when she breathed it in, the air clung to the inside of her throat as it went down. Her skin felt clammy, and her body felt sluggish. She was still waking up from a dreamless sleep, and she groaned quietly as she stretched her arms up to the ceiling.
As bad as her body felt, her mind felt even more exhausted.
Yesterday, Ruby had talked to Jaune and his friends. That night, they had dropped two bombs on her. The first was that they invited her to come with them to go to Hawaii for a friend's wedding, and the second was that Jaune's ex-girlfriend was Pyrrha Nikos.
The Pyrrha Nikos. A celebrity… She had been the fourth piece of Jaune's group of friends, and now that she was gone and Ruby was getting to know them… She couldn't help but compare herself to the woman.
Did Nora and Ren look down on Ruby? Did Jaune? Did they compare Ruby to Pyrrha? They to, even if they couldn't help it… If even half the things Ruby heard about Pyrrha were true, the red-haired woman was truly amazing…
Ruby sighed, shaking her head slowly on her pillow.
Honestly, Ruby wasn't sure which bomb affected her more, and it wasn't just her. Her alternate personalities couldn't stop thinking about last night. Weiss had wanted to know all about Pyrrha through Jaune, while Yang was brimming with excitement to go to Hawaii. Blake had made her opinion on leaving Vale clear, but the group still agreed to vote on the matter after sleeping.
"We need to talk," Blake announced.
Yep, Ruby quietly thought with a thin smile. "About Hawaii, right?"
"Yes."
"I think we should go," Yang confessed, quickly speaking her mind. "I mean, this is Hawaii! One of the coolest places in the world! How can we pass up on a chance like this?"
"It's a risk. We'll be surrounded by strangers. Crowds. Thousands of people. No privacy. What if someone finds out about us?" Blake replied.
"Come on, Blake! You're making it sound like prison or something! This is Hawaii! We can probably just go off on our own for most of it. Maybe do some shopping with Jaune's friends, but for most of the trip, we can just have fun. Surfing, scuba diving, partying-"
"That all sounds more like stuff you find fun," Weiss commented. Ruby didn't disagree, but she kept quiet as Weiss and Yang bickered..
"Aw, come on, Weiss-cream! You know you want to go to. Maybe you'll even see Pyrrha there! You know, I never knew you were such a big fan of hers..."
"I'm not… J-just be quiet, you dolt! Seeing Pyrrha should not be the only reason we go!"
"And it isn't! But come on, wouldn't it be cool? The sights, the music, the chance to go somewhere we've never been, one of the most beautiful places in the world! We can't just let this slip by, right?"
As the three voices in her head argued and debated, Ruby remained quiet. She closed her eyes, her thoughts bubbling inside of her. It's my life… Shouldn't I be the one to decide?
There was a bitter taste on her tongue as she let the three argue. It was like they had forgotten about her as she realized how out of control she was for her own life. Ruby did so much for the alts. She lived for them, ate for them, and she gave up control of her body for them.
In return, they took chunks out of her life from her...
Each of the alts had a part of Ruby's life in their hands. They were born representing something in her, some part of her, and it just felt… it felt like there was nothing left for Ruby. Even Jaune, her best friend, someone she had thought could be just hers, wasn't just hers…
Ruby buried her face in her hands, a deep sigh emanating from her mouth. She shook her head, clenching her jaw. Stop. Just stop it. You're being ridiculous. Yeah. She was being ridiculous for just wanting to be normal. Silly her...
"Alright, I think that's enough debating. What's everyone's votes?"
The alts were rendered silent at Ruby's question. Blake was the first to speak up.
"Nay."
"Aye for going!" Yang replied.
Weiss was quiet, and Ruby wasn't sure if she should call out to the personality. Eventually Weiss mumbled quietly. "I think we should go."
Ruby didn't bother casting her vote. Either it would end in a tie, or she'd just agree with the majority. She shrugged her shoulders, and put on a smile for the others. She tried to sound happy, and excited.
Maybe by the time they flew off, she would be.
"Well, looks like that's it. We're going."
Ruby wished she could say that things went back to normal for a time, but that would be a lie. She still hung out with Jaune, still made jokes and talked to him, but things just didn't feel as good as before.
There was this clinging, overbearing sense of dread that hung over her shoulders. Ruby wore her best smile around Jaune and the others, and If they noticed she was faking it, they didn't ask. They just played along and acted like everything was okay.
Ruby began packing a week before the date. Weiss and Yang helped her pack, while Blake merely insisted some of her books be brought in. Ruby made sure all of the knights had stuff they wanted. Textbooks for Weiss, regular books for Blake, and a list of adrenaline pumping activities for Yang…
It was monotonous, boring, and thankless work, but that's how things went for the next two months.
000
Time flew by for Jaune, moving both incredibly quickly and painfully slow. He went through the motions, laughing with his friends, and working at Hazel's, but he just did his best to play his role well.
He was excited for the wedding, but he dread seeing Pyrrha again. Anxiety plagued his mind as he imagined the worst possible scenarios to play out. Maybe she'd have a boyfriend, or a fiance, or maybe she had changed into one of those obnoxious, caught-on-TV-drunk celebrities…
Maybe she wouldn't show up at all.
Honestly, he wasn't sure which possibility was worst.
The bus the group was on came to a stop, and Jaune awoke from his sleepless nap. He yawned, frowning as Ren looked at him.
"Are we there yet?" the blond muttered, blinking sleep from his eyes.
"Yes. Come on."
Ren and Jaune had sat on one side of the long bus, while Nora and Ruby had sat on the other side. Both halves of the group began to stand up and leave the bus. The driver helped them get their bags from the storage containers while Jaune looked around, taking in the sight of the bustling location.
The airport was busy with life and movement. Vale had probably one of the busiest, most crowded airports in the country. People filtered in and out as cars drove to drop friends and family off for their trip. Everyone had a place to be, it seemed.
"You okay?" Ruby questioned, suddenly standing next to Jaune.
"Huh? Oh, yeah, I'm alright." Jaune smiled at Ruby, and she returned the gesture. "How about you? You okay?"
"I'm alright. A little nervous for flying."
"Oh, yeah. I never asked. You ever flown before?"
Ruby nodded her head. "Yeah, just once. From Patch to Vale," she explained.
"Must be a big change… Coming from a small town to a big city," Jaune commented, and he watched as Ruby's eyes fell to the ground.
"I… had help adjusting," Ruby replied. "Just some friends helping me along the way."
"Oh? Sounds like some good pals."
"Yeah…" The air between the two as quiet, and Jaune could feel the awkward silence slowly drive them apart. He felt like smacking his own forehead. What was wrong with him? He opened his mouth to say something, only for Ruby to speak before him.
"What about you? Ever flown before?"
"Once. Well, twice, I guess. There and back." Jaune chuckled, kicking himself in his head. "Pyrrha and her parents let me come with them to Washington DC."
"Really?" Ruby blinked. "That sounds like fun."
"It was. We went to a bunch of museums, we saw the sights...It was just getting there and back that sucked," he sighed.
"Not a fan of traveling?" She gave a sympathetic smile as Jaune groaned.
"Not a fan of flying…"
"Ooh, Jaune, are you telling the Vomit Boy story? I want to be here for this!" Nora beamed, leaping closer to the two.
"Vomit Boy?" Ruby repeated.
"Nora!"
"Yeah! Jaune got the nickname Vomit Boy last time he went flying. He threw up," Nora grinned, stating the obvious. "A lot. Like, a lot. I didn't see it, but I think a hazmat team had to be called in."
"That is not true!" Jaune groaned. His voice cracked, and Ruby giggled in amusement, smiling at the exasperated blonde.
"Ahem." Ren called out to the three, catching their attention. "If we're done making fun of Jaune-"
"Never," Nora quietly interjected.
"We have a plane to catch. Come on."
After going through security and an uneventful wait for the plane to open, the group walked onboard and took their seats. Ruby sat at a window while Jaune sat beside her, and Nora sat in the aisle. Ren was trapped between a pair of strangers, and all three gave him a sympathetic smile as a baby began to scream and cry in his mother's arms, right next to Ren
"This is so exciting!" Yang beamed.
"I have to admit, I'm excited too. I was doing some reading about Honolulu last night, and I think we should definitely try to visit some of the museums," Weiss commented.
"Totally! And after we can check out the beach!"
Ruby could hear Blake sighing as the plane shook. The captain began speaking through the intercom as the flight attendants explained what to do in case of an emergency. Ruby, Jaune, and the others pretended to listen, though Weiss reprimanded Ruby for not paying closer attention.
Eventually the plane began to move and Ruby fell deeper into her seat as she watched the plane lift off, soaring off the ground. The young woman left the window open, staring out it with a smile.
"Wow… Jaune, look at this!" She couldn't help but feel a bit of excitement. The feeling of being pushed, the strange angle, just the feeling of rising into the sky… It was fun for her.
"N-no. I'm good. I'm good right here," Jaune muttered.
Ruby looked at Jaune, and already she could see the blond was having a hard time. He clutched his stomach, head leaning back against his seat as he took long, slow breaths.
"Whoa. He doesn't look too good," Yang commented.
"Jaune? You okay?"
"Y-yeah. Just-" He groaned again, and while one hand pressed against his stomach, the other rubbed his head. "Ah… Damn it."
"What's wrong?"
"My head hurts… Really bad," Jaune replied, grinding his teeth together. "Ah… It's like two drills going through my head, and they're meeting in the middle…"
"Did that happen last time with Pyrrha?" Nora asked, placing a hand on her friend's shoulder. Any smile that was on the girl's features was gone now, replaced with concern.
"I don't think so… It's fine, I'll be-ah!" Jaune took a deep breath, squeezing his eyes shut. "Okay, this actually really hurts…" Ruby could see Jaune's fingers digging into his head, and he let out a hoarse sigh as he shook.
Ruby didn't know what to do. She placed one hand on Jaune's shoulder, squeezing it to try and offer him some comfort. Nora tried to signal to Ren for advice as Jaune continued to take long, shaky breaths.
"Hey, it's okay. I'm sure whatever's hurting you will pass and-"
"Ruby, ask the man in front of us for some gum," Blake ordered.
"What?" Ruby glanced at Jaune, cursing herself for speaking aloud.
"Trust me. I saw him chew some when we sat down."
It wasn't like Ruby had a better idea. It took some effort to lean forward with the plane in motion, but Ruby was able to call out to the man in front of her.
"E-excuse me? Sir?" The portly man in front of her turned his head to look at her. "Could I borrow some gum?" The man took one look at Jaune, before nodding his head with a knowing smile.
"Headaches, huh? Here." The man took out a small box and opened it, revealing several sticks of gum inside. He took one for himself, before handing the rest to Ruby. "Keep it. Hope it helps."
"Oh, thanks!" The man smiled at her as she took the box, before turning back around.
"Now give some to Jaune. Tell him to chew it."
"Jaune, here. Chew this," Ruby commanded, handing Jaune a piece of gum. He looked at the offered treat, before flinching from his headache. He took the gum, unwrapping it and pushing it into his mouth. He began to chew as Ruby and Nora watched.
"Okay, now what?" Nora inquired.
Ruby didn't know what to answer with, before both girls noticed Jaune's breathing slowing down. He sighed in relief, rubbing his forehead. "Oh man… that was awful," he groaning out a laugh. "How'd you know that was going to help?"
"Aerosinusitis." Ruby's lips moved, but she wasn't the one talking. Her eyes widened momentarily as Blake explained. "It's caused by inflammation in your sinuses due to a difference in air pressure. Swallowing encourages the eustachian tubes in your head to open up." Blake explained all of this with an almost bored tone.
Jaune and Nora simply stared back at her.
"Chewing gum causes you build up saliva, and you swallow that," Blake added.
"Oh. Cool."
"Alright! Tasty and practical!" Nora took a stick out from the box, and pushed it into her mouth, chewing it. "Mmm. Watermelon."
"Thanks, Ruby. I owe you one," Jaune grinned, relaxing in his seat. "Having a stomachache is bad enough. A stomachache and migraine is just killer…"
Ruby waited for Blake to answer, but she never did. "Oh. No problem." Blake, how'd you know to do that?"
"I did research for us. Just in case you got a headache."
That made sense. Blake always was trying to look out for Ruby… "Feel better?" she asked, looking at Jaune.
"Much. Thanks, Rubes. You're the best."
Ruby put on a smile for the compliment, but internally the girl sighed.
With that crisis out of the way, the three tried to relax in their seats. Flight attendants walked down the aisle as the trio made small talk.
"So, how long is this flight again?" Nora wondered.
"Were you not listening when Ren told us?" Jaune asked.
"Nope."
"It's an eleven hour flight," Ruby answered, sympathtically smiling as Nora's eye twitched.
"Oh. Can one of you just punch me in the face until I black out? Please?" the ginger-haired girl pouted.
"You could just sleep," Jaune commented.
"I can't! I have too much energy! We're gonna see Coco and Fox again! I'm excited! What if they have British accents now and drive on the wrong side of the road?!"
Jaune and Ruby shared a glance and laughed together as Nora did her best British accent. "Oy, governor! Prep the TARDIS! Fish and chips!" As she continued the bit, Ruby found herself curious about something.
"So, what are they like?" she wondered, looking at her blonde friend.
"Coco and Fox? They're really cool. Coco's a fashion designer."
"And a model! Seriously, I've seen her walking around in her own outfits, and she is damn good!" Nora beamed. "She's even had stuff show up on TV!"
"Wow? Really?" It sounded like Jaune and his friends knew a lot of amazing women. "What does Fox do?"
"He's a personal trainer," Jaune answered.
"He's like Daredevil! But instead of fighting crime, he fights obesity!" Nora grinned.
Ruby blinked at the comment, before connecting the thoughts. "Wait, Fox is blind?"
"Yeah. He's been like that since we met him in high school," Jaune explained. He must have noticed Ruby's wrinkled brow, because he quickly confided in her. "I was really scared when I first met him. I thought for sure I was going to accidentally make fun of him or say something stupid, but Fox is really nice. He'll tell you just to treat him like anyone else, and he'll speak up if he needs something."
She slowly nodded her head. "I've never met a blind person before…" In a way, Fox was like her. Disabled. Something wrong with them. "What's he like?
"Nice. Quiet. Kind of like Ren, actually. He and Coco met during their first year in high school. They were dating by the end of our first year."
"We helped him ask her out," Nora beamed. "Helped him make a banner and everything. He asked her out to prom. It was awesome."
Ruby smiled as she imagined that. "That sounds nice." The memories of her high school years came back to her. Hanging out with Sun. Dancing with Adam. Her fingers squeezed the fabric of her clothes.
"Ruby? You okay?" Jaune asked.
Adam kissed her neck, and he whispered into her ear, asking if she was okay. Ruby swallowed spit down and pulled the corners of her lips.
"Yeah. I'm okay," she replied. "Just thinking."
The plane eventually landed in Honolulu, and Ruby could see the smiles on Jaune, Nora, and even Ren's faces..
It was night now, a stark contrast to the bright, blue skies of Vale they had left behind. Ruby pressed her face against the window, a rush of eagerness crawling up her spine. She could see the bright lights of the city beyond the airport, and for the first time in a long while, she felt excited to see something new.
Jaune was the first to stand up and he led the group off of the plane, luggage in their hands. The blond was just as eager to get off the plane as he was to see his old friends, apparently. The four thanked the crew of their flight, before walking out.
All of Ruby could feel the change in the air. The weather in Hawaii, even at night, was warm and humid. The young woman pulled her jacket off and pushed it into her luggage as she took in the wet air.
"Phew. Humid!" Yang grinned.
"Ugh… Well, this is off to a wonderful start," Weiss groaned, shaking as Ruby felt the wet, warm air cling to her face.
Blake didn't say anything, but Ruby imagined the quiet personality wasn't a fan of the heat. Still, Ruby smiled and followed her three friends through the airport. She led them lead her through, and after a couple of minutes of walking, they stepped through an automatic door and were met with a small crowd of people.
The four weren't the only ones leaving the plane. Their fellow passengers walked out with them, greeting those who had been waiting for them. Ruby grinned as she saw people holding signs embrace friends, new and old. Couples kissed, children laughed… it was cute, she admitted.
"Jaune! Nora! Ren!" A voice greeted the trio, and Ruby watched as a one waved, motioning the three over. She had a sign in her hands with black letters saying 'Scrubs' on it. There were two boys next to her as Ruby's group rushed to the waving woman.
"Aloha!" The woman handed the sign to one of the guys next to her, and took a bag from the other. She reached inside and pulled out several of those flower necklaces Ruby had seen in every movie about Hawaii. "Welcome to Honolulu!" she grinned, tossing a necklace of colorful flowers around Jaune's neck.
"They're called lei," Weiss explained.
"Coco! It's so great to see you again!" Jaune beamed.
"Right back at you, Arc! How're you doing? Still wearing that bad sense of fashion with pride, huh?"
"Heh. It's part of my charm?"
"Yatsu! What's up, big guy? Nora and Beanstalk, together again!"
"Fox."
"Ren."
Everyone was smiling and laughing as they reunited with their old friend. But Ruby didn't join in. She stood back, watching the six reunited with nervous eyes. She glanced at the ground, then the six, before looking up, then at Jaune and Coco hugging each other.
Coco had brunette hair falling down one of her shoulders, and her clothes were loose, yet they accented Coco's slender figure. Her body was like a ballerina's, small and sleek, yet her grinning teeth screamed 'supersonic princess.' Coco also wore several accessories, ranging from bracelets, to necklaces, to even sunglasses and a black beret on her body.
Is she wearing sunglasses at night? Ruby wondered.
Coco pulled away from Jaune, before looking at Ruby with an arched brow. She pulled her sunglasses off and smiled at Ruby, looking her over with judgemental eyes…
"And you must be Ruby Rose. Nice to meet you! Coco Adel." She smiled and held her hand out to Ruby, and hesitantly the silver-eyed woman reached forward to shake it. "Glad I finally got to meet you face to face. I've wondered about you."
"Oh. Awesome?"
"Come on, let me introduce you to the gang. I hope Jaune and the others haven't scared you off yet with any horror stories about us."
Coco pulled Ruby along, leading the shorter woman to a tall man with dark skin and maroon colored hair. He kept his eyes to the ground as Ruby looked him over. He wore dark shorts and a simple, white shirt. The shirt left his arms exposed, and Ruby blinked as she realized how muscular the man was. His strong fingers were wrapped around long, silver walking stick.
Ruby could hear Yang whistling in her head.
"Ruby, this is Fox, my fiance."
Fox. Okay, Ruby, don't mess this up. Just say hello, and move on with the conversation… The girl had to suppress an anxious whimper. She was already bad with meeting new people. She hoped she didn't screw up her first run in with a blind person…
"H-hi, I'm Ruby!" Ruby held her hand out to Fox, who lifted his head up and looked away from her. Crap! Did I mess up already…?
"Ruby, he can't see your hand. He's blind," Blake reminded.
"Oh! I'm so sorry!" Ruby apologized, cringing at her out stupidity. She quickly pulled her hand back, holding it like it was burning and she was afraid of catching someone on fire.
"He doesn't know what you're apologizing for. He didn't see your hand." Having Blake point out her screwups really did not help Ruby feel better...
"Er, I held my hand out, but I forgot, I mean, I'm really sorry, that was dumb of me and-"
"Ruby. It's okay." Fox's voice was slow and deliberate, yet there was a soft edge to it, almost like he had heard this joke before. "It's nice to meet you. Don't worry about walking on eggshells around me," he requested, taking one hand off of his walking stick for Ruby to shake. "Thank you for coming to the wedding. It's nice to finally meet you."
"Oh. Uh, thanks. Thanks for having me…"
"It's no problem. Strangers are just friends you haven't made yet, after all. I assume Jaune's mentioned that saying at some point?" He turned his head to face her, a friendly smile on his face.
"Heh. Yeah…"
"That's to be expected. Well, I hope you and he have a good time in Hawaii. If you need anything from Coco and I, just ask."
"Right! I will."
"And if you're worried about talking to me, don't. Just be yourself, and I'll tell you if you make a mistake. I know you won't mean anything by it." Ruby blinked, and she realized that despite being blind, Fox clearly knew how to read her.
They had just met, but he just seemed to figure her out instantly. Ruby wasn't sure who that spoke more of…
"Right. Thanks."
"Gonna take Ruby to meet Yatsu, babe!" Coco kissed her fiance's cheek, before pulling the embarrassed Ruby along. "Awkward, huh?"
"Heh, y-yeah…"
"It's alright. He's used to it. Like he said, just treat him like you would anyone else, and he'll speak up if something doesn't work." Ruby nodded her head as Coco led her to an absolute giant of a man.
Why are all of Jaune's friends so tall? She wondered, tilting her head back to gawk at the muscular giant.
The man had short, black hair and equally dark eyes. He wore a green V-neck, and matching pants that stretched down his long legs. He bowed his head, nodding at Ruby with a stoic expression.
"This is Yatsuhashi. Don't worry about the size. He's harmless."
"Um… Hi."
"Hello," he replied, lifting a hand to greet her. Neither said anything, and Ruby felt beads of sweat going down her forehead as Coco's eyes bounced between the two. Yatsuhashi just stared at her, his eyes blankly waiting for her to say something.
So Ruby said the first thing that came to mind. "So, how's the weather up there?"
"Nice. A little hot." He smirked at her greeting. "How's the weather down there?"
"Melting a little, but I'll be fine."
The two smiled at each other, and Ruby felt her worries fade as the man chuckled. "Velvet's getting some sodas to help cool you all down. As for the heat, you'll get used to it."
"I hope so…" Ruby blinked as her conversation was interrupted by Nora's bouncing and shouting.
"Ooh, ooh! Velvet! We're over here! Hi! Over here! It's so good to see-whaaat?!"
Ruby pulled away from Coco and Yatsuhashi to walk towards Nora and Jaune, both of whom were picking their jaws up from the floor. Even Ren seemed shocked, and that was enough to make Ruby wonder if aliens were invading or something.
She followed the three's gaze to find two people walking over. One guy and one lady, and both were carrying bags full of food and drinks.
Velvet was the woman, and she had a wide smile on her face. Her smile was framed in her long, straight brunette locks. She wore a beautiful, hazel colored sundress, with a black, long-sleeved shirt under it. Judging by her grin, she was talking to the man as they walked, sharing some kind of funny story.
Next to her was another tall, muscular guy. This guy was only slightly shorter than Yatsuhashi, with equally beefy muscles. He had dark orange hair, and he wore a grey shirt with black shorts. In contrast to Velvet's smile, he wasn't smiling. It wasn't exactly a scowl, but he certainly seemed less happy than Velvet.
"C-Cardin?! What…? Why are…? Why is he here?!" Jaune stuttered.
"Um…" Ruby glanced at her friends, awaiting an answer that Nora quickly gave.
"Cardin's the jerk who bullied Jaune throughout high school! He even picked on Velvet until Coco threatened to feed him his own teeth." The normally happy woman was seething, frowning as she turned her eyes to the woman that invited them. "Coco! Why?! Did he bribe you for an invitation?!"
"Calm down, Valkyrie," Coco sighed. "He isn't bribing anyone. Trust me, I was just as surprised when Velvet asked if she could bring him as her plus one…"
Ruby blinked in confusion, then she swallowed dread down as she watched Jaune stiffen. She watched as Cardin stopped a few feet away from Jaune and the others. The burly man's eyes widened for a moment, before relaxing. Jaune's hands were squeezed into fists as Ren held Nora by her shoulder.
"Hey, Jaune," Cardin greeted, casually.
"What…? Why are you here?" Jaune growled, stepping forward.
"Ruining dances not enough for you?" Nora snarled. If Jaune was angry, Nora was a step closer to rage. "Gonna try to ruin a wedding?"
Cardin glared at both of them, stepping forward again and again until the distance between him and the others was less than a foot. "I don't have to explain anything to either of you. I was invited to this wedding just like you, and-"
"Wrong. We were invited. You got 'plus-one'd,'" Nora countered.
Cardin looked ready to fire back at her, only for a hand to press against Cardin's chest. He blinked and looked to his right to see Velvet there, holding him back and looking at Jaune and the others.
"Everyone, please, calm down," she pleaded. She looked at Cardin, and Ruby could hear the brunette command the much larger man. "Cardin, back off. Now." And to Ruby's surprise, Cardin obeyed.
He stepped back, his face still contorted into a glare. Nora returned the gesture as Jaune looked at Velvet. The brunette turned to face him, and her hazel eyes shimmered with a quiet plea.
"He's not worth it," Ren whispered to Nora, pulling on her arm. The turquoise-eyed woman huffed, before stepping back with her boyfriend.
"Here are your drinks and stuff," Cardin muttered, holding his hands out to Jaune. The blonde glanced at them, before looking at Cardin. Slowly, Jaune took the bags from the taller man. "You're welcome," mumbled the bigger man.
"Cardin." Velvet glanced at him, her eyes sharpening for a moment. He shrugged in response, stepping back to keep Velvet between him and Jaune. The brunette sighed, before looking at Jaune again. "It's good to see you, Jaune. All of you," she added, smiling at Nora and Ren.
"Yeah, right back at you, Velvet," Jaune replied, his blue stare locking onto Cardin for a moment longer before looking at the brunette.
"Alright, that's enough of that. How about we start heading back to the hotel?" Coco suggested, trying to diffuse the situation. "Yatsu, take Velvet, Cardin, and Fox? I'll take our new guests." The others nodded, and Ruby sighed in relief.
"So much for an easy vacation," Yang muttered.
Coco led the group to where the cars were parked, and as they walked, Velvet walked by Cardin's side. The two exchanged quiet mutters between one another, before Velvet broke away and took out her phone. She turned around and walked backwards in front of the group, before holding her phone up.
"Smile, everyone!" Ruby didn't have the time to as Velvet snapped a photo of the group. The first of many.
"Hey." Cardin slowed down so he was walking by Ruby, Jaune, Nora, and Ren. He glanced between the four, before locking on Nora, the closest of the four. "Need help carrying your stuff?"
Ren raised his brow at the question, but Nora practically hissed at the giant. "I'm fine."
"You sure about that, Valkyrie? You've got a lot of bags on you, and I doubt-"
"I'll break your legs," Nora declared. "I'll do it, and I'll make it look like an accident."
Cardin's eyes widened at the threat, before he tried to save face. He scoffed, pulling away from the four and walking by himself in the rear of the group. No one seemed to notice, save for Velvet. She hid behind her camera, but Ruby noticed the brunette watching the downtrodden bully.
Coco had apparently rented two cars for the group, and Yatsuhashi led Velvet, Fox, and Cardin into one car as Coco led the rest into another. Jaune could still see Yatsu's car following behind them as the brunette drove them out of the airport's parking lot.
"Alright, spill, Coco. Why is Cardin here?! Is he holding your loved one's as hostages? The fiend!" Nora growled.
"I told you, Velvet invited him."
"He's holding Velvet's loved ones hostage! The fiend!"
"No. I mean, Velvet invited him of her own choice. She didn't want to tell me who it was at first, and I get why, but…" Coco's hands tightened on the wheel, before she sighed.
"So… Do you know why Velvet invited my old, highschool bully to your wedding?" Jaune questioned.
"Nope. And you weren't the only one Cardin picked on, Arc… Don't know why Velvet invited that asshole to my wedding, but every time I ask, she just avoids the question."
"Why not just… not let him in?" Jaune questioned.
"Velvet asked me for a favor, I'm delivering. Velvet's my best friend. She knows what she's doing..." Jaune could practically hear the 'I hope,' in Coco's voice.
"But… Cardin!" Nora huffed.
"Is Cardin that bad?" Ruby wondered.
"He's not that bad," Jaune answered. There was a moment of silence, before the blond man sighed. "He's just bad."
"He beat you up, Jaune! He made you miserable back in high school! Do you remember all those times he stuffed you in your locker?" Nora growled.
"Or those times he picked on Velvet," Coco growled. "Trust me, I'm not happy about him being here anymore than you are, but Velvet wouldn't do something like this without a good reason for it."
"She's just not telling anyone why," Ren stated.
"Yeah. But she's my best friend, and Winchester hasn't done anything yet. Long as he keeps it that way, he can stay..." The brunette sighed, grinding her thumbs against the frame of the wheel. "Anyways, can we talk about something else? Please?"
Jaune considered asking about Pyrrha, but decided against it. If there was any update about her, Coco would have told them by now. So instead Jaune smiled and tried to lighten the mood.
"Excited for your big day?"
Coco grinned at that, practically beaming. She gave Jaune a thankful smile, before answering. "Yep! In less than a week, I'm going to be Coco Alistair!"
Nora seemed to agree with dropping the topic. She cooed, leaning forward in her seat. "Ooh, have you done a bachelorette party yet?"
"Course not. Had to wait for you before we did anything crazy, Nora. You're the best kind of crazy."
"Ha. Hear that, Ren? Best kind of crazy!"
"You certainly are," Ren agreed, a small smile on his face. He then looked at Coco, lifting an eyebrow up inquisitively. "I take it Fox is having a bachelor party as well?"
"Yep, and you two are invited. Try not to party too hard, alright?"
Jaune chuckled, quietly wondering what the bachelor party would be like. If it was anything like the movies, well… It might involve a strip club, and that made him warm just thinking about it.
Another question popped into his mind. He couldn't stop himself from asking it, and by the time he was done, he regretted even asking. "Is Cardin going to the bachelor party too?"
Coco's mood almost immediately deflated. Jaune gave her a silent apology, and she sighed. "Don't know. Gonna have to ask Fox about that."
Jaune nodded his head, a thin frown on his face. He wanted to think about something else, anything else but Cardin Winchester, but his mind was stuck. Someone who made Jaune's life hell for years had just popped back into his life...
The rest of the car ride was in mostly silence.
Eventually the groups made it to the hotel, and the drivers stopped the cars. Everyone stepped out, and while the two drivers left to go park the cars in a nearby lot, Velvet led the group inside the hotel.
Ruby looked up at the brightly lit, colorful words that marked the entrance. "Kailua Beach Hotel… Wow, this place is huge!"
"One of the best on the island," Velvet beamed. "We have your rooms reserved and ready for you. Nora, and Ren, Cardin will show you the way to your room, Ruby, Jaune, follow me to yours!"
Nora glared at Cardin as he looked at the ginger and her boyfriend. The taller man glared back, but motioned for them to follow him.
Ruby could hear Ren mutter to his girlfriend, and Ruby could hear Nora mutter something about 'broken legs.'
"Man, they really don't like this guy," Yang commented.
"That much is clear," Weiss agreed.
Ruby and Jaune followed Velvet into an elevator and the three ascended. They stopped after a few floors and stepped out, walking down the halls of the hotel. The hall looked like it belonged in a fancy, exquisite mansion, with paintings of Hawaii's beautiful landscape on the walls and floral print carpet at their feet.
"This place is beautiful." The hotel's atmosphere had clearly caught Weiss' attention.
"Your room is right here. Number 517," Velvet introduced. She took out a small card from her pocket and held it out to the two. Jaune took it with a nod, before uttering a question.
"Hey, Velvet, can I ask you something?" The brunette smiled, nodding her head. "Coco mentioned you invited Cardin, and I was just wondering, well, you know. Why?"
Velvet's good mood faltered at the question, and Ruby hoped Jaune hadn't hurt the girl's feelings. Even Jaune seemed to regret asking the question, before Velvet sighed and leaned against the door frame.
"I know how this must look. Cardin bullied both of us back in high school. I know how bad it looks… I'm not really in a position to explain everything, but everyone deserves a second chance, right?"
"Not everyone." Ruby's eyes widened and she placed a hand on her mouth. She hadn't meant to say that aloud. She hadn't even meant to say anything! Had one of the alts spoke for her? Velvet and Jaune both looked at her, and the dark-haired woman avoided their stares. "S-sorry. It's just… If the guy was as bad as he sounds, why invite him here?"
"Sometimes we need to give people a second chance. Everyone deserves one," Velvet repeated. "Cardin's… He's different now, I think."
Ruby felt a frown pull on the corner of her lips, but she stopped it before it showed.
"He looked like the same guy to me," Jaune quietly commented. He looked at Velvet, and the brunette offered a sympathetic smile.
She lifted her hand and placed it on Jaune's arm, speaking softly. "You have every right to hate him. I'm not asking for you to forgive him." She squeezed Jaune's arm, and Ruby watched Velvet's eyes slowly move back and forth between the two. "I'm just asking you not to start anything. I've made myself very clear with Cardin. If he does anything to hurt anyone, or ruin Coco's wedding, he'll pay for it."
Ruby blinked at that, and she was surprised to see a strange glimmer in Velvet's eyes. It was like Velvet had some kind of power over Cardin. Ruby had no idea what it was, but Velvet seemed confident that she had Cardin on a short leash.
"What kind of dirt do you have on him?" Jaune actually chuckled, a mix of curiosity, confusion, and admiration in his voice.
"Oh, you know. Stuff," Velvet shrugged. "Are you two good?" Ruby glanced at Jaune, watching him nod his head and she did the same. "Great! I'm actually in room 527, so I'm around the corner. Fox and Coco are in 708, and Ren and Nora are in 323. You can just text us if you need anything, or use the hotel phone inside." The pair nodded their heads again, and Velvet's smile returned in full force. "Great! Tomorrow we're all getting together for breakfast. I'll stop by around nine to pick you up, okay?"
"Sounds good."
"It was nice meeting you, Velvet. Have a good night," Ruby smiled, shaking the girl's hand.
"Right back at you, Ruby. Have a good night you two!"
The two waved goodbye to Velvet, before looking at one another. Neither moved to open the door. Ruby was the first to speak.
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah…" Jaune stared at Velvet, watching her walk down the hall before vanishing behind a corner. He took a deep breath, muttering just loud enough for Velvet to hear. "You know, I remember Cardin pulling on her hair, and making fun of her family... I even heard rumors he tried something during prom…"
"What do you mean he tried 'something?'"
"I…" Jaune frowned, glancing at the wall. "I heard he tried forcing himself on some girl back then. The teachers looked into it, but nothing ever really came from it. I know some people thought it was true…"
Ruby felt her arm shake, and she gently held it. She felt the alt's disgust at the statement, and it mixed with her own as she asked, "Do you think he did it?"
"I don't know. I mean, I know Cardin was an asshole, but I didn't think he was possible of… that. But I guess he might be if he was drunk enough."
"That's terrible…" Memories of Adam bubbled in her mind. She tried to keep her breathing even.
"Come on. Let's not let him ruin this for us. We can't let him ruin both of our vacations," Jaune declared, putting on a smile.
"Yeah, you're probably right." The two smiled at one another as they opened the door and stepped inside of their home for the next week.
They flicked on the lights and stepped into the small hallway leading to their room. The room was well furnished, with another painting, and even a TV against the wall sitting on a wooden drawer. There was even a balcony leading outside. Ruby saw a bathroom in the corner, as well as a closet to store their things, but she came to a stop as she and Jaune noticed a major flaw with the room.
"Oh."
"Uh…"
There was only one bed. A double, big enough for two people with two white pillows and matching blankets on it. Both stared at the bed in stunned silence.
"You have got to be kidding me," Yang groaned. "That is so cliche..."
"Did you know that there was only going to be one bed?" Ruby slowly asked, looking at Jaune
"N-no! This was not my idea! Look, I'll give Coco a call, and we'll sort this out," he quickly explained. "We probably just got Ren and Nora's room by mistake!" He quickly hit Coco's name on his contact list, and waited for her to answer, even putting her on speaker.
"Hello?" she answered.
"Coco! Hey, Jaune here."
"You okay? Velvet show you and your girlfriend your room yet?"
"Yeah, I think there was a small problem. You see-wait." Jaune blinked, and then Ruby blinked, and then both of them turned red as realization hit them both like a truck. "W-wait, did you say girlfriend?"
"Yeah. You and that Ruby girl. She's cute. Good cat-"
"She's not my girlfriend!"
"Wait, seriously? Huh. That probably makes the one bed a little awkward..." Both Jaune and Ruby could hear Coco chuckling.
"Yes. It is. Very. Awkward," Jaune groaned. "Ruby and I are just friends. We can't share a bed!"
"Sorry, Jaune. When Ren told me you were bringing a girl named Ruby, I just assumed that she was your new girlfriend. My bad," Coco apologized, though both the pair could hear a bit of amusement in her voice.
"It's okay. Can we trade with someone that has two beds?"
"Sorry, Jaune. The hotel is booked, as far I know. Ren and Nora, and me and Fox all have one bed. Yatus is on his own. Only ones with two beds are Cardin and Coco, and no way I'm making them sleep on the same bed."
"So… you're going to make us sleep on the same bed?"
"Yep. You can try and call the hotel staff for another bed, but there's nothing I can do. Sorry, Jaune. Good luck with your girlfriend!" Coco replied, her tone jovial and relaxed.
"She's not my-" The call ended, and Jaune sighed, his arms falling to his sides.
Ruby glanced at the bed, her cheeks still aglow with a rosy hue. "Doesn't sound like we have much of an option."
"It's okay. I'll sleep on the floor, you sleep on the bed. Simple as that."
"Hey, wait a second! I'm not going to force you onto the ground! You take the bed. I'll sleep on the ground."
"I'm not forcing you to sleep on the ground. I'm the guy, so I'll sleep on the floor," Jaune argued.
"Jaune, you really don't have to. I'll sleep on the ground. I don't care if you're a guy or what, you were the one actually invited to this wedding, you should sleep on the fancy bed!"
"I mean, if he's offering…" Yang muttered.
"Can we please just get some sleep?" sighed Weiss.
"Ruby."
"Jaune."
This was probably the closest thing to an argument the two ever had. They almost glared at one another, crossing their arms and standing their ground, even if Ruby was significantly shorter the boy.
"It's okay, really."
"I know it, so you can sleep on the bed and-"
"No, I'll sleep on the ground, you sleep on the bed."
"No, you sleep on the bed, and I'll sleep on the-"
"No, no, no. I-"
"No, I will-"
"This is getting us nowhere," Blake commented.
Blake was right, Ruby realized. She held up her hands, putting an end to Jaune and her's argument.
"This is getting us nowhere," she repeated. "We need to come up with a compromise…"
Jaune nodded his head, putting a finger to his chin as he pondered what to do. Ruby did the same, and as if the same match of brilliance was lit, both grinned as they came up with the answer.
"Goodnight, Jaune!" Ruby grinned from her spot on the floor. She laid on a soft blanket, with another pulled over her body and a pillow under her had.
"Goodnight, Ruby," Jaune replied. He stood by the light switch about to turn it off. On the other side of the room was his own makeshift bed on the floor. With a flick, the lights turned off and Jaune crept through the dark to reach his bed.
After a few seconds there was a tiny, "Ow!"
"Sorry!" Jaune apologized. "Did I step on you?"
"No, you just kicked me a little," the woman replied.
"Sorry!"
"It's okay," Ruby chuckled. "I'm fine."
"Really sorry," he repeated, stepping through the dark.
"This is a bad plan," Weiss commented.
As the alts lamented the loss of sleeping on a soft, comfy bed, Ruby and Jaune laid down and closed their eyes. The seconds ticked by as the three personalities slowly fell to sleep. Ruby took a deep breath as she laid there, trying to get comfortable on her improvised mattress.
She heard a slight shuffle on the other side of the bed, and she realized Jaune was having a hard time sleeping. Both of them tossed and turned for the next few minutes. Ruby kept her eyes shut as she waited for sleep to take her away.
It didn't come.
Eventually Ruby opened her eyes, staring into the dark. She rolled until she was on her back, and she let out a quiet sight. "Jaune?" she whispered into the dark room.
He didn't answer. He probably got to sl-
"Yeah?"
Oh. He was awake. "Can't sleep?" Ruby whispered.
"Nope," he quietly replied. "Guess you can't either, huh?"
"Nope." Neither said anything for a moment, before Jaune sighed.
"Is the floor uncomfortable for you?"
"No, well, yes, but I think I just have a lot on my mind," Ruby replied.
"Yeah… Me too."
"Wanna talk about it…?" She heard Jaune stand up and walk over to the light switch.
"I'm gonna turn the lights on." Ruby turned her head down as the lights came on and she listened to Jaune yawn. Their eyes slowly acclimated to the bright light as they looked at one another.
Both of them were in their pajamas. Simple, soft clothing. Ruby wore a simple black top with white pants, with little heart designs going up and down her legs. Jaune wore a blue shirt with matching shorts.
Jaune walked over to Ruby and sat down next to her. "What's on your mind?" he asked, sitting in front of her.
Ruby sighed and sat up, keeping the blanket draped over her shoulders. She closed her eyes and called out to the alts. She waited for a moment, but not answer came back. No Weiss, Yang, or Blake. Her mind was silent, save for her own thoughts…
"Do you ever feel overwhelmed?" She opened her eyes and stared into Jaune's. His eyes were a bright blue, like the lakes back at Patch. He tilted his head, confused by the question. "I mean, do you feel like nothing is… yours? Like you have to do so much, be all these different things, and there's just no time to be yourself…?"
Ruby sighed, rubbing her forehead. "I'm probably not making a lot of sense…
"I'll be honest, I don't really understand what you mean." Jaune's hand fell on Ruby's shoulder, and she lifted her head up to look at him. He was closer now… His smile was close as she felt her cheeks turn red. "But I want to. Keep going. I'll listen."
Those simple words pulled a weight off of Ruby's shoulders. "Alright. I'll try." She took a deep breath and straighten her back. Jaune dropped his arm and sat before her patiently.
"I feel like… I don't have anything to call mine. Not like physical things. I mean, experiences." Ruby's fingers twitched, and she found herself rubbing her left arm with her right. She stared at the wall, voicing the thoughts she had hid away.
"There are nights when I hardly remember what I did that day. There are parts of my life that I've just… forgotten. And sometimes it's good to forget." Ruby wasn't sure what she was doing. Would Jaune piece the puzzle together and call her crazy? Insane? Lock her up…?
She glanced at Jaune, but she saw no judgement. No anger or worry. He just listened, with a small smile on his face. Ruby swallowed her fears down, and kept going.
"But there are things I want to remember. There are things I want to do, and I want the memory to stay with me forever."
"Can I ask you something?" Jaune inquired. Ruby nodded her head. "Do you have a hard time remembering things sometimes?" The question made the dark-haired woman shiver. She didn't know how to answer that.
Memories of what her father did to her mom replayed in Ruby's eyes. Memories of what Adam did to her after finding out about the alts… What if it all happened again?
"It's okay," the blond quickly said. "I have a hard time remembering stuff too. Pyrrha and Ren had to tutor me all the time, just so I could graduate high school," he joked.
The corners of Ruby's lips lifted up at the remark. Jaune didn't understand, but he was trying to. She could tell that he wanted to. That was more than Tai gave Summer…
"Do you want to keep going, or do you want my five cents?" he asked, and she motioned for him to go ahead. "Well, I'm no therapist. That's Ren's major, but it sounds to me like you want to live a little. Get out there and have some fun."
He stood up and he held his hand out to her as he grinned. "Ren told me once that 'you can't change your world overnight. You can only take it step by step.' So let's do that." Ruby blinked as Jaune smiled at her. "Let's go out and make some memories."
"W-wait, what? It's the middle of the night!" Yet her hand fell in his, and he pulled her onto her feet.
"Yeah, and neither of us can sleep. So let's go have some fun." Jaune pulled away and walked over to his bags. He went through them, pulling out pants and a jacket.
He really means it… Ruby called out to the alts again. There was no answer, and Ruby felt a rush in her chest. Like a sugar rush, but less sweet. Fear mixed with want as she looked at her bags. Her lips were smiling even as she told herself what a bad idea this could be.
A night out with just her and her best friend… That sounded like an adventure to her.
END
Today is World Mental Health Day. Fitting!
Don't have a time to talk much about this chapter. Sorry, folks. And sorry for the wait. Got to be better about that. Got to, got to...
Anyways, next chapter is full of Lancaster fluff. Hope you'll like it. And I hope you like this chapter.
See you next time. Love ya.
