Had Weiss had known that her seventh period class would be literal hell on earth, she would've dropped the class. Taking AP physics by yourself was one thing, taking AP physics with two obnoxious boys that would constantly harass you in different forms was another. Focus in the class come and gone like seasons.
As long as the professor was lecturing, she could live in silence and peace as she took notes. Or, well, that was what she would've liked to think. Instead, she found herself being regularly harassed by Cardin, who would prod her back with various class utensils from the seat behind her. He'd whisper expletives and insults, not thinking she could hear him. How a boy like Cardin ended up in an AP class was beyond her.
Neptune, on the other hand, would try to behave as her 'white knight'. Trying to protect her, but flirting with her at the same time. Weiss found it lowkey annoying, even if what he was trying to do was in valiant effort. There was something about Neptune that felt genuinely... ingenuine about all of his empty flirtations and awkward actions. It was like he tried too hard to appear as something he wasn't, and he was projecting it on her. That much Weiss could tell.
It didn't matter that Weiss had asked to change seats, and the teacher had granted her request. The two boys had somehow found a way to continuously be a nuisance even after she had been set in a spot away from the two. Even outside of class there would be moments that she could not escape. Attention was something she did not enjoy.
Good or bad attention, she wanted none of it. Though, as the weeks passed, she found she didn't actually mind the attention she received from Yang and Pyrrha, but even then, she could only stand a little of it at a time. She had continually avoided eating lunch with them no matter how often they invited her, and she always managed to sneak away, finding solace by herself. That alone time was the only highlight in her days.
Until, of course, Yang had managed to track her down. Yang, who had spent fifteen minutes each lunch period checking every hallway. Every classroom. Until finally, about three weeks later, she had found Weiss in the corner of a home economics room, eating by herself.
This had undoubtedly caught Weiss off guard, who still had a piece of bread hanging from her mouth as she and Yang made eye contact. Weiss's brows furrowed as she pulled the bread from her mouth, placing it down on a napkin. Her body now turned to Yang.
Yang stared a little in awe as she stood at the doorway. "H-hey Weiss," she stammered, rubbing the back of her head, as though somehow she thought this was a bad idea. "I just wanted to see how you were doing, is all." She stood inside of the classroom now, closing the door behind her.
Weiss huffed and listened, like she hadn't had a real choice in the matter. Yang took another step forward.
"Sorry if this seems all sudden. I will leave you alone, but I just wanted to see if you're okay. You are okay, right?"
Yang had noted that every day, first period, Weiss would act more 'chipper'. Weiss's signing towards Yang would increase. She would even sign towards Pyrrha, to which Yang could easily translate for her. Weiss had also seemed to smile a bit more. Yang had thought this meant Weiss was finally opening up!
Though, this wasn't ever the case. Weiss would continue to eat lunch away from them. Even after leaving subtle hints that they were all there and wanting to meet her at lunch time. By the end of the day, Weiss would leave in a rush. Yang would be waiting at the bus stops for her and every time Weiss would hardly give Yang a glance since their first bus stop encounter. If there was one thing that Yang could not ignore, it was the look of anguish upon Weiss's face.
It was so much more different than the normal face Weiss would give them. When Weiss would glance at Yang on her way to the buses it was as if the whole world would freeze for Yang. The look that Weiss would give Yang was so much more than just a look, than just a glance. That every day at school was like a living hell and Yang wasn't sure if she was the one making it worse.
It wasn't like Weiss would talk about it. All Yang wanted to do was be there, in any way she could. So, she had finally decided to approach Weiss and see if she could convince her to come around, just once.
Weiss raised an eyebrow and nodded. Weiss had no means of opening up any time soon. She was strong. Resilient. She had faced just as worst at Atlas. And while Yang seemed to have meant well, Weiss wasn't sure, exactly, what Yang was still after. The thought of a real-life friendship had never crossed her mind. Surely, Yang thought that they were still acquaintances, right?
Raising an eyebrow of her own in suspicion, Yang nodded along. "O-okay. That's good to know." Yang still stood awkwardly at a distance. "Then I guess if everything's okay, you wouldn't mind coming to a small little get-together the gang is throwing, would you?" She paused again, now rubbing the back of her neck. Part of her knew that Weiss would automatically accept the invitation, but she didn't know if Weiss would just be afraid of turning her down.
"Ahh, it'll be small. Me, Blake, Sun, Pyrrha, Ruby, and Jaune… and hopefully you. It's to celebrate the end of Summer. A pool party. The weather will be just warm enough for us to enjoy a nice swim… at least that's what the news says." There Yang went on once more, rambling to Weiss who seemed to listen as intently as she always had when Yang had gone off on tangents.
Weiss blinked several times, looking away from Yang, staring at the food before her. She sat quietly thinking about what Yang had said. A get-together? Though it wasn't big at all, this was the first get-together she had been invited to since she was a kid. It was not like she would've actually known anybody there. Well, except for Yang and Pyrrha, who were both odd in their own ways yet they hadn't shown any sort of disinterest in Weiss.
Yang and Pyrrha had continually shown their interests in Weiss. Yang, more so than Pyrrha, but that was a given. There was no reason she couldn't go. Not like she had any good excuses, and saying 'no' wasn't something she was used to.
Weiss now turned, but before she could give an answer, Yang had already quietly made her way just a few feet before Weiss. This had caused Weiss to jump in fright. Usually, Weiss could hear footsteps, but she must've been so lost in thought that she failed to notice Yang approaching her. Had she really let her guard down that easily?
Yang stopped and took a step back, noticing how she had startled Weiss. "Sh- I mean, sorry. I didn't mean to spook you. Again." Yang sighed. Why did it feel like she was taking two steps backwards every time she seriously tried to have a one-on-one with Weiss? Even if it wasn't for anything that was actually serious. Yang wondered if she ever overstepped boundaries without noticing.
Weiss shook her head and looked up at Yang. She nodded, and signed while mouthing, 'I'll go.'
A smile arose on Yang's face, though she wished that Weiss would've expressed more about how she felt about going. Weiss obviously didn't like letting people down, at least that was what Yang saw. Yang nodded a little more vigorously now as she stood behind the idea of Weiss coming to the get-together.
"Cool! Cool." She rubbed her hands together, then brought one hand up as if she had just remembered something. "We're all going to Blake's house for it. It's this Saturday and if you want we can pick you up, or you can walk to my house around eleven-a.m.? We'll wait for you and take Blake's car there. Or you can ride on the pegs of my sweet, sweet ride. It's not too far from my house." Yang now grinned at the thought of Weiss on her wheels, it was more of a silly thought than anything else.
Somehow, that had elicited a small smirk from Weiss. It was almost unnoticeable, but it was a good thing that Yang noticed just about everything about the girl. Weiss shook the look off of her face and moved her arms, now signing, 'I'll walk to your house. Eleven a.m. Sharp.' She nodded, now staring at Yang.
Once more, Yang nodded, but in return she signed back, however much slower. 'Cool. I'll see you there. Text me if you need anything.' Again, Yang's signing was a little muttered, she needed work, and lots of it. But after only having nearly a month of Sign Language underneath her belt, coming this far was definitely a surprise for them both.
Weiss let out a small cough and nodded. She wouldn't outright admit that she had been continuously impressed by Yang's signing. This girl had already been doing so much for Weiss, the least she could do was humor her at some sort of get-together. Or at least go and meet her friends for lunch. Then again, being in large crowds was something that Weiss was usually against.
A small get-together with less than ten people sounded like the best thing she could do to try and get out there. Even if the thought and the actual action of it sounded terrible. Either way, Weiss knew she had to try and if trying meant pushing herself into situations that she didn't know of what was to come... Then so be it.
Yang began to walk out of the room in a very slow and casual manner, Weiss watching her the whole way. Yang opened the door, and turned around to wave at Weiss one last time. Weiss weakly raised her own hand and gave a small wave back. As soon as the door closed she turned back to her lunch, now in peace and quiet. Yet, something felt as if it was now missing.
Saturday rolled around faster than Weiss could've imagined. Now there was nothing to fear, she told herself. What she did have to fear was that Weiss had never considered a bathing suit in these sort of situations as she walked down the block to Yang's house. She had left the house with her backpack around ten a.m., allowing her some casual walking time.
She wore her usual white-with-tints-of-red combat boots, with shorts that she had ordered online. She kept her light, baby blue jacket tied around her waist, as it was one of her many comfort objects she had to carry everywhere. Lastly, her similarly colored t-shirt was a little too big for her, but she paid no mind to it.
It wasn't as hot of a day as it was when she had originally collapsed in front of Yang's yard. This would be her second time going there, but with an actual purpose. She had memorized the route to Yang's house as her bus would often pass by the street that Yang resided on. This meant she could make it there without worrying about losing her way.
Yet every step she took slowly filled her with unease. What if they didn't actually want her there? What if she was going to make a fool of herself? Would they, too, make fun of her for not speaking? Maybe give her dirty looks, or apologetic stares? Weiss closed her eyes as she walked in a straight line down the sidewalk. She huffed as she covered her face with her hands.
Shaking herself out of it, she pushed forward. She needed to do something like this. Whatever this was.
Yang had been a gracious host and a particularly odd acquaintance. Weiss was unsure if she could give her the title 'friend.' Not because she didn't want to, but Weiss didn't know what having a friend was like anymore.
Pulling out her phone from her back pocket, she rolled through her contacts. Only four of them.
Three of them were family members and the other belonged to her… acquaintance, Yang Xiao Long. Weiss hadn't really touched the number since the moment Yang had given it to her.
The memory of Yang Xiao Long gently writing her number on Weiss's hand had been embedded in her memory. A feeling she couldn't shake that made her nervous yet excited. Her mind would occasionally replay the scene. Her mind over-exaggerating it and drowning Yang in an almost undeserved amount of sunlight.
She swallowed hard, her throat feeling dry. She placed her phone back in her pocket for a moment while pulling a water bottle out from a side pocket on her backpack, and she took a quick swig. She returned it to its rightful place and pulled out her phone again.
Once more she had opened up Yang's number, but this time pulling it to text messages. There was no harm in sending her a text, indicating that she was on her way, right? Surely, that wouldn't be an annoying thing to do. Her mother usually wanted to know things like this. As did Weiss's older sister, Winter, when they all used to live together.
This was more of a formality and a reassurance towards Yang that Weiss, was indeed, coming.
Her fingers quickly swiped over the keys and hit send.
'It's Weiss. I'm on my way.'