So my day has been pretty shitty so far. I won't bore you with the details, but three words: What. The. FUCK. I'm putting my other RWBY story on hold for the moment to regroup. And to vent more of this story. And now, without further ado, chapter 3.
Ruby POV
I waited anxiously as they descended the stairs to where Weiss and I stood, tapping the fingers of my right hand on my thigh nervously. Weiss rested the fingertips of her right hand briefly on the back of my left hand and I looked at her gratefully.
They stopped in front of us and the black haired girl grinned wide.
"Hello." I smiled back.
"Hi." She rubbed the back of her neck.
"So, uh, I'm Anna." She was practically vibrating. I suppressed a smile. She's really excited. But why? She gestured to the girl with the multi-colored hair. "This is Esther, but she prefers Cali." Weiss stepped forward and extended her hand to Cali.
"Hello Cali." She said smoothly. Cali stepped forward tentatively and shook her hand gently.
"Hi." She said softly. I giggled.
"It's okay, Weiss is well trained. She doesn't bite that often anymore." Weiss gave me an exaggerated look of annoyance.
"Yeah, only when people make jokes like that." Then she shook Anna's hand and greeted her. A short, awkward silence followed. The Cali whispered something in Anna's ear. She giggled, then faced Weiss.
"Cali wants to know if you'll autograph her MP3 player." Weiss blinked, then blushed.
"Uh, sure." Cali fished it from her pocket and handed it to her, along with a marker. I cleared my throat.
"So, what was it you wanted to talk about?" Anna suddenly looked a bit shy and embarrassed.
"I just kinda wanted to meet you." Weiss stiffened slightly, but said nothing. "I mean, I'd heard of you while we were at Signal, but I'd never seen you up close. I didn't even realize you were in this class until today." Signal?
"You went to Signal?" She nodded.
"We graduated last year, but by then everyone had heard of about you, since you were about the only scythe user at Signal, besides Professor Qrow." I nodded.
"Yeah, he taught me to use it." She looked shy and embarrassed again.
"I heard you're pretty good." I shrugged modestly.
"I guess. I hope so, otherwise I'm no good in the field. And an ineffective huntress is worse than no huntress at all." She looked impressed.
"Who said that?" I laughed.
"I just came up with it, actually." We lapsed into a more comfortable silence, then I turned to Cali. "Why did you want Weiss to sign you player?" She fiddled with it for a moment, then extended an earbud to me. Weiss's eyes widened.
"Ruby-" I waved her off.
"Oh, calm down, it's fine." She winced, and sat back in her chair. I listened carefully as a piano began to play softly. After a brief intro, a girl began singing.
Mir~ror, tell me something
Tell me who's the loneliest of all~
I listened with rapt attention as the song progressed, nodding along.
Fear of, what's inside me
Tell me can a he~art be turned to sto~ne
After a while, the song came to another part with lyrics.
Mirror, Mirror what's behind you
Save me from the things I see
I can keep it from the world,
Why won't you let me hide from me
Mirror, Mirror, tell me something
Who's the loneliest of all
I caught my breath as the girl sang the last five words.
I'm the loneliest, of all
Cali watched my face closely, and it was then that I realized her eyes had changed color. I stared into violet eyes as she held up the MP3 so I could see the information.
Song: Mirror Mirror
Artist: Weiss Schnee
Weiss POV
What a nightmare. I moaned in my head. Of all the people to hear that song, it just had to be Ruby! Here comes the 'You Have Friends' speech. Ruby turned to look at me slowly.
"Weiss. . ." I braced for hugs and tears. "That was amazing!" She gushed. I stared at her, uncomprehending. "Why didn't you tell me you wrote a song?!"
"I wrote it when I was, like, twelve(*1)." I mumbled. Cali's eyes were wide, and she was watching me with an unblinking stare. "What?" She shook her head.
"I love that song." She said matter-of-factly. I smiled.
"Thanks." She nodded solemnly. Ruby giggled.
"I'm sorry, Cali, you're just so adorable!" I laughed and Cali blushed. "She's like a silent teddy bear!" I stifled my laugh long enough to say:
"Most teddy bears are silent." Anna joined in and Cali's face reddened more. Then Anna ruffled her hair.
"That's my Essie!" Cali looked shocked. Ruby just looked confused. "It's what I used to call her when we were little kids. I couldn't say Esther." I checked the clock.
"We should hurry if we're gonna make it to lunch. Would you two like to accompany us?" Cali glanced at Anna, who was nodding vigorously, and nodded slightly. I clapped my hands once and stood. Ruby did the same.
"Yeah, let's eat, I'm starving!"
Anna POV
I think I have died and have gone to heaven. I thought, geeking out as we walked down the hallway. I am literally walking next to the Ruby Rose, the youngest scythe wielder in Vale. Just then, my scroll beeped and vibrated, so I pulled it out, checking my mail. I groaned involuntarily.
From: Blaine Archer
Subject: Lunch
Don't come to the room during lunch, Niles and I need it.
Ruby looked over my shoulder.
"Who's that?" I rolled my eyes.
"Out fearless leader." Her brow furrowed.
"You don't sound like you like her." Cali snickered.
"No one does." She said so quietly I almost missed it. Ruby squealed.
"Even mean Cali is cute!" She said, wrapping her arm tightly around her. Weiss cleared her throat.
"Ruby please, be like the rest of us and make your exclamations in your head, people are staring." Ruby pouted.
"Fine. Hey, what team are you guys anyway?" I mimicked throwing up and Cali smiled slightly. I straightened and answered her. "We're team BANE. Blaine, Anna-Marie, Niles, and Esther. That's my full name, by the way, Anna-Marie. But I go by Anna." I shrugged and Weiss nodded.
"Duly noted." Ruby looked thoughtful.
"So what are Blaine and Niles like?"
"Lovey-dovey." Cali said sullenly. I laughed mildly and pinched her cheek affectionately.
"I don't think that's what she meant." She gently swatted my hand away and crossed her arms.
"They're annoying."
"Blaine's annoying," I corrected her. "Niles is okay."
"Niles? Like from Fraiser?" Weiss asked. I burst out laughing, struggling to reply.
"Don't. . .let him hear you. . .say that. He's bigger and tougher than that asshole Cardin. Fortunately for everyone, he's a relatively gentle giant."
"Relatively," Weiss muttered. "That's reassuring." We stepped into the lunch room and I looked around.
"Where do you guys sit? Ruby pointed at a table where a girl with long blonde hair was standing on a chair and waving both hands. Cali mimicked her.
"What is this?" I laughed.
"She's flagging us down." She still looked confused. "Showing us where to sit." She nodded and started over that way. I caught her arm. "Cali, we still need to get food." She blinked at me. "The whole reason we're here? Fooood." She glared at me in a way that was so cute I almost couldn't stop myself from tackling her and hugging her to death.
"I know what food is." I rolled my eyes.
"So why didn't you say anything?" She said nothing. Someday, Esther Caligo. Someday I will understand you, but right now I seriously have no idea what the fuck is going on in your head.
Blake POV
"Yang, get down." She dropped down onto the bench and picked up a handful of her fries, ready to shove them all in her mouth. Weiss set down her tray and dropped into a seat, Ruby sitting down next to her, trying desperately to steady her tower of cookies. I looked up and saw two unfamiliar girls hovering near our table.
Ruby waved them over to two empty seats next to Ren.
"C'mon guys, I had Yang save you seats!" They nodded their thanks and sat down. Weiss gestured to them.
"Everyone, these two are Cali and Anna. They're sitting with us today." We all waved and chimed in with welcomes and hellos. Yang studied the girl named Cali.
"That's some cool hair dye." I nodded my agreement, and Anna chimed in.
"It's natural." Cali shrunk under the scrutiny of the rest of the table.
"So." I said loudly, distracting them. "Did anyone do Professor Oobleck's assignment?" Yang squeezed my thigh under the table and gave me a secret smile that made my stomach flutter like a flock of butterflies. Ren inclined his head with a smile too.
"No. I was planning to do it right now." I snorted.
"Good luck, I don't think I could concentrate for a second around you people." Yang pulled my chair toward her and smirked seductively.
"Especially not around me. My massive amount of sexy would be too distracting." I gave her a look that told her that she'd better stop unless she was trying to get laid on the table.
She gave me a grin like she was considering it, then pushed me back into place. Nora scoffed.
"Oh, please. You couldn't possibly beat me in terms of sex appeal, right Ren?" He held up his hands.
"I've dropped out of this conversation." She put him in a headlock and he gurgled and thrashed.
"You'd better rejoin fast." She cackled. Ruby spoke around a mouthful of cookie.
"He pwob'ly can'd breeth."
"Chew and swallow before talking, Ruby." Weiss chided gently. Pyrrha and Jaune weren't even paying attention to us, they were off in their own little world, making out. Anna was telling a story, using lots of hand gestures and sound effects, and occasionally gesturing at Cali, but I couldn't tell what she was talking about.
"There you are!" Anna stopped talking and her smile disappeared. We turned and watched as a girl with short, dull blonde hair came stomping toward us. Cali didn't look up, but I could tell by the tension in her shoulders that this was someone she didn't enjoy being around. "I've been looking for you everywhere!" Anna rolled her eyes.
"And you just now guessed that we'd be in the dining hall during lunch? Wow, Sherlock Holmes would be soooo proud of your sleuthing skills." The girl narrowed her eyes.
"Was that sarcasm, Anna-Marie? Should you really be sassing your leader?"
"Only when she deserves it." She countered mock sweetly. The girl stomped her foot childishly.
"Why didn't you reply to my mail?" Anna gaped at her, incredulously.
"What did you expect me to say? Okay, enjoy your fuck?"
"I didn't know if you got the first one!" She kept going as if Anna hadn't spoken. By now the girl's shouting was drawing the attention of the surrounding tables. Anna pinched the bridge of her nose.
"Well, I did. Now please go away, I'd like to enjoy myself for a little with these nice people before I have to see you again." The girl raked a judegmental sneer across our group.
"They don't look like anything special."
"Gee thanks, bitch." Yang muttered just loud enough for her to hear. She whirled on her.
"What did you call me?" Yang smiled without humor.
"I called you a biiiiiitch. It's a feeeemale dooooog." She drew the words out like she was talking to a child. The girl stomped again.
"You can't talk to me like that!" Yang snorted.
"Why not? You're not my leader. My leader's not a biiiiitch." She said, dragging the word out insultingly. The girl sniffed haughtily and turned back to Anna.
"You made me waste my lunch break! How are you going to make it up to me?!" She screeched. Anna gave her a look of pure poison as she wrapped her arms around Cali.
"I'll let you live through the night. Take it or leave it." She growled. The girl sputtered for a minute, then stormed away.
"Cali?" Ruby sounded concerned. I looked at her and saw that she was shaking. And not just a light shiver either, this was a violent, bone-shaking tremble. Anna scooted closer to her and wrapped her arms around her tighter, whispering soothing words in her ear. Anna looked up at us and answered the question on everyone's mind.
"Her parents used to yell at each other all the time, and sometimes they'd throw things and yell at her too. It still scares her when someone raises their voice." Yang cursed.
"Geez, I'm sorry. I didn't know." Anna shook her head sadly.
"It's not your fault. There was no way you could have known, and we weren't expecting her to show up." Now I could speak the question that had popped up in my mind the second that girl arrived.
"Who was she?" Anna grimaced, then smiled as Cali stopped shivering in her embrace. Then Cali looked up at me through her bangs. Her voice sounded sad, as if she was already dreading their next encounter.
"That was Blaine."
This chapter was longer than the other two, much to my delight. I also got in a little splash of Bumblebee *wiggles eyebrows*. I don't think I got too off topic. In fact, I think I did okay for such a long chapter. Anyway, I enjoy hearing from you guys, so drop a review if you've got time. I'm already feeling better than I was when I started this because of my first reviewer for this story. As usual, constructive criticism is welcome. And it's finally the weekend, people, so enjoy yourselves!
(*1) Of course this is just for the story ;)