Did I steal the title from Total Drama S1:EO4? Of course I did! Couldn't think of any dodgeball puns myself LMAO

Also off topic, but you guys remember Olive and Ginger? Yeah, me neither. I call them prototype Ducky and Myah, and they rest in the Land of Deleted Plot Points. I could write a whole other story with how many deleted characters there are, honestly.

Reviews!

SomeRandomRobo: uHhHh yeah…haha. I did say that he was twelve earlier in the fic, but I changed it back to eleven. There was some reason that I can't remember that I had to keep him at twelve for? (Haha I checked and it's irrelevant so I changed his age to 13) I have seen twelve year olds who look like they are 16, and Michael is 5'9, so yeah, it's a little unrealistic haha but idk I guess my answer is that he does have skillz beyond the mortal plane. And yes, r.i.p Techno :( I cried so much when I found out.

MoonTheMagical: no worries! And yes I am definitely into murder-y media. I just read an interesting book called Teen Killers Club that you should check out if you like murder-y YA books. And if you have any book recs of that genre, let me know because I will definitely read them. And bugs are the worst, I keep walking into clouds of mosquitoes and getting swarmed whenever I eat. And feelings for Jeremy…honestly I'm mostly playing around with the idea, who knows? Jeremy also might come back into the story sometime, so stay tuned…

Qxr: Wellllll, you technically have seen how Jeremy died, but it was a while ago so you might not remember. Here's a hint: The Bite Of 2021…

Question/Challenge: (putting it up here for this chapter) If you could live in any fictional universe, which one would it be? For me, it'd probably be the H2O universe - it's always summer, there's mermaids and stuff, it seems very chill. Or…hey, I mean, the fnaf universe is pretty cool too…

(some epic baddie comebacks in this chapter made by mixsii)

Enjoy!

Chapter 79

Dodge-Brawl!

Ruby woke up to the delightful sensation of tiny needles pricking her skin. With a yelp of surprise, she jumped up from the couch.

Meow.

Oh. It was just Cindy, who blinked up at her with betrayal swimming in her amber eyes. Ruby whispered a hushed apology to the kitten and scratched behind her orange-and-white patched ears.

From the doorway, Rylie peeked her head in, her coal-black ringlets swinging. "Mommy says you hafta come down for school, so I got Cinny to wake you up."

Ruby sighed, running a hand through her merlot waves, wincing when her hand got stuck in a bedhead knot. "Um, thanks, Rylie. But next time you can just let me know, instead of making me into a living pincushion."

Rylie stared at her with quiet blue eyes. "It's sports day at my school."

"Oh yeah, same here. Thanks for reminding me, Ry-Ry."

Rylie didn't move. "Okay. I'm having Gloomy-O's for breakfast. Bye."

Ruby gave her a little wave, then smiled to herself after she'd left. Weird kid. Then again, Ruby probably hadn't been a very normal kid when she was four. Then again again, she had been locked in a basement and used as a guinea pig when she was four, so maybe that was why. Just a hunch.

After doing a rushed teeth-brushing and hair-washing, Ruby dashed into her room for a change of attire. Sports Day. Starting on June first with the seniors and moving backwards every day till the freshmen, Sports Day was the time of year when Ruby got to actually be good at schoolwork - mainly because everyone was skipping schoolwork.

Well, that wasn't completely true. Ruby excelled at P.E and Robotics, and her Science and Socials teachers were nice, so even if she wasn't great at those classes her charm and charisma would work there. But stuff like Math…ugh. It wasn't like Ruby didn't try - most of the time, at least. It wasn't even words, just numbers and lines! Like, how was anyone even supposed to remember any of that?

Whatever. Ruby shook off the math worries. Right now, all she had to think about was what to wear. She decided on a pair of black biker shorts and a red ribbed tank top, a light gray zip-up hoodie overtop in case it got chilly. It was June though, but you could never be too careful. Ruby yanked a brush through her knotted hair, but gave up and eventually tied it in a messy bun on top of her head.

When she arrived downstairs she was immediately mobbed by her mother, two pancakes, and a very hyper Rylie. The pancakes were immediately stuffed into her mouth while Rylie attacked her legs with sunscreen.

"Mmph!" Ruby mumbled over a mouthful of pancakes. She quickly swallowed. "Moo-om. I'm going to be fine, I don't need all this!"

Her mother raised a dark eyebrow, hands on her hips. "Oh, so what you're saying is that you like skin cancer? Is that what you want?!"

"What- no! I just don't need you guys to ambush me, that's all!" Ruby sputtered.

"Ambush!" Rylie squealed, doing loops around their armchair.

"Fine. I already packed your backpack since you took so long getting dressed." She picked up Rylie with only a slight struggle. "And you, little lady, need to get in the car!"

"Is Daddy there?" Rylie asked, fiddling with her puffed white sleeves.

Ruby rolled her eyes. "He's not your dad," she muttered under her breath, so quietly that nobody heard it but her.

"Yes, he's going to drive you. Now off you go!" Her mother set Rylie back on the ground and she bolted away, skipping down the hallways to some nursery tune.

Ruby shoved another pancake in her mouth and picked up her checkered backpack, and - "Oh my God, what did you pack?!" It felt like there were ten polar bears in there, at least. Her arm shook as she lifted it up.

"Sunscreen, water, more water in case you're thirsty, an energy drink, a book in case you get bored, your math study book, lunch kit, a rain jacket, winter jacket, two hoodies, floral-print umbrella, sanitizer for all those diseased children, your cell phone, an energy bar, and a baseball cap."

"I'm going to get scoliosis if I have to carry this around on my back all day." Ruby hissed, heaving it over one shoulder. "But thanks for, um, packing this all. You really shouldn't have."

Her mother beamed. "Nonsense. Now I've got to head to work and you need to run to the bus stop, if you miss it then Jared has to take you."

Ruby wrinkled her nose. Getting dropped off in a limousine at school was not nearly as cool as it sounded. Last year when she'd done that, everyone had stared at her in crowds and she'd looked like some snobby rich kid like Abbie Mason. And that was not the image Ruby was going for.

Of course she never complained out loud, because then she'd actually be a snobby rich kid. Poor me, my rich stepdad dropped me off in his shiny new limo. How will I ever survive?

Whatever. The bus was fun anyways, so she had nothing to complain about.

~lll~

The bus was not fun.

Unfortunately, the high schoolers and middle schoolers had to share a bus. Which wasn't usually such a big deal on its own, but some bratty eleven-year-old had kicked the back of her seat for the. Entire. Thirty. Minutes.

Ruby was ready for murder the moment she stepped out of the bus. Which she decided was her excuse for how…angry she felt when she saw Tulisa sitting on a bench, smiling, laughing with stupid Abbie Mason.

Ruby stalked up the stone stairs and to the bench, hands on her hips and a fiery glare in her hazel eyes.

Abbie glanced up, fluttering her fake lashes. Ruby mentally rolled her eyes, Abbie probably didn't think about anything but her appearance. "Um…can we help you?"

"You can't, but Tulisa can." Ruby muttered cattily. "Let's go, Lise."

Tulisa looked to the floor. "I'm…I want to hang out with Abbie."

"Why do you want to hang out with a mean, fake Barbie doll who only cares about how they look? We're in twelfth grade, time to put the plastic away." Ruby scoffed.

"At least I actually care about how I look. Ever heard of a hairbrush?" Abbie asked snidely, tossing her dark chocolate curls.

"Have you looked in a mirror? Wouldn't wanna run over that speedbump." Ruby snapped.

"I could easily use your hair as a mirror. I guess all that grease is good for something, huh?" She taunted.

"See? All she does is make fun of other people. She never leaves me alone!" Ruby complained.

"Um, who came up to who? Who's making fun of who? Hypocrite much?" Abbie smirked.

"What- well- I only did it because you started it!" Ruby protested.

Tulisa stood up. "Both of you, stop! You're acting like little siblings! Ruby, I want to hang out with Abbie because she gets some parts of me that you don't. Plus, she's really nice! She's not replacing you, you're still my best friend, but I'm allowed other friends too. So deal with it!"

~lll~

"She's really nice! She gets parts of me that you don't get! Blah blah blah! God, what is wrong with her!" Ruby ranted. "I thought she was over her whole popularity obsession from last year, but I guess she's still deep in that dark, cobwebby hole."

Myah nodded sympathetically. "That's too bad." She hesitated, fiddling with one of her raven pigtails that tied below her ears. "Um, I don't want to pry, but whatever happened between you guys?"

Ruby sighed, fiddling with her pen. She had to be quiet about this, because unfortunately Abbie shared an English class with her. "Oh, back in eighth grade she made fun of my outfit in front of my crush. Called me an emo cutter or whatever - stupid middle school stuff. So then I pushed her into this kiddie pool of slime." She rolled her eyes. "I never liked her, even before that. Abbie's all crop tops and nail polish and worrying about boys or her hair or if the pink of her skirt matched the pink of her hair. Cliche Disney Channel mean girl."

Myah watched her carefully. "That kind of sounds like our friend group. I mean, you wear crop tops and nail polish and skirts. You were just worrying if your hair is frizzy - it is, by the way, but it looks cute - and Tulisa talks about boys as much as the average hetero girl. What's so different about Abbie?"

"Um." Ruby actually wasn't sure how to respond to that. She smoothed her hair down and continued. "Well, me and Lise actually talk about things besides if so-and-so likes me or shopping trips to the mall. We talk about crime shows and ghost stories and cars and movies. Miss Queen Bee and her group of Wanna Bees are all just shallow puddles of melted poison cotton candy, nothing more."

"Ooh, that's a good line. Put that in our poem." Myah ordered, tapping their English worksheet. rapidly. Ruby shoved her hand off with a smirk, which led to Myah shoving her hand.

"Hey! You made me smudge the pen- hey!" Ruby yelped as Myah swatted the pen a second time, blue lines streaking the lined paper. The two got into a swat-fight - well, until…

"Ahem," A stern voice above them sounded. "If you ladies are done playing, we're all waiting for you."

A blush spread across Myah's face when she noticed their class in a line by the door. "Sorry, Mrs H." She giggled, throwing the pen at Ruby's face and grabbing her hand to tug her in line. Ruby could feel the scratch of Myah's baby-pink-and-black striped sweater along with the softness of her hand and cold bite of her metal rings.

The class headed through the crowded hallways in a massive clump, and Ruby fondly recalled the days of elementary school when people actually walked in a single file line. Ah, the good old days…

And finally, they were outside on the soccer fields behind the school. The place was decorated with tons of different obstacles and bins of sticks and balls, all in bright primary block colours. Classes swarmed the field, and the sun beat down on them. Ruby pulled off her light gray jacket and tied it around her waist, it looked like it was going to be good sports day weather after all.

Their principal, Mr Fox, held a giant cone in front of his face. "Hello, Lakeview seniors! Welcome to our sports day! Everyone will be put into groups shortly, and the activities will be hosted by our soccer and field hockey teams, the Lakeview Bees!"

Thunderous applause rang out from the crowd. Ruby clapped along with everyone, noticing Josh in the lineup. He saw her and Myah and waved with a bright grin.

"If any of you need help, you can ask someone with the orange lanyard around their neck." Mr Fox said, pulled his lanyard up as a demonstration. "Your hosts will be coming to give you your team colours now!"

"I hope we're on the same team," Myah said wistfully. "I'm terrible at sports."

Ruby grinned. "Well, I'll have you know I'm great at them. We'll make a good team, my strength and your looks."

Myah giggled, flattery spreading a pink trace across her cheeks. "I'm not sure I'll look so pretty throwing up in a trash bin from the 200 meter sprint."

"No worries. I'll carry you."

Myah swatted Ruby's freckled arm in a mortified sense as the taller girl cackled like a witch at her reaction. "Oh my God Ruby, shut up! You're so dumb!"

"Bridal style," Ruby teased between laughs. "You'll love it."

"I most certainly will not!" Myah sniffed.

Ruby's tone turned into a high, mocking British falsetto. "Most certainly. I'm Princess Myah, la dee da, and I would never let a grimy peasant near me!"

Myah opened her mouth to say something, but was cut off by Josh's friend Cody handing them both a long scarf made of organdy fabric. Ruby's was red, Myah's fuchsia.

"Guess I won't be able to carry you after all," Ruby said jokingly, but Myah didn't laugh, just stared at the fabric with a vacant expression on her face. Ruby blinked, confusion spreading across her face. "Um, My, you good?"

Myah flicked her dark gaze up to her. "I should ask if I can switch colours."

Ruby laughed uneasily at the graveness of her tone. "Um, sure? It's alright if we aren't on the same team, it's just a few hours till lunch break anyway."

Myah shook her head insistently. "No, I want to be on your team. I suck at sports. Let me switch, please?"

And when Myah was looking at her with huge eyes like pools of midnight stars, how could Ruby resist?

"Yeah, you can." Ruby said. A flicker of worry crossed her mind. "I wasn't stopping you in the first place. You know that."

Myah beamed, flipping quickly from expressionless to innocence in a millisecond. "Mhm! I know!" She turned around, scanning for kids with red scarves. "Hey Cammie, wanna switch?"

Camilla's plump heart-shaped lips made a pout. "Sorry, but I'm on a team with Abbie and Risa. Ask someone else."

Ruby made a face as Myah moved to the next girl with a red scarf. Eugh, a team with three out of four of what she called the Beehive? Some twisted, sadistic higher being must be out to get her.

Beside her, Myah's voice was becoming high and strained. "Ryder, can I switch scarves with you? Please?"

"Sorry G, but I ain't wearing that pink girly shit." Ryder snickered, waving her off.

Myah returned with her shoulders slumped and a dejected expression on her face. "Nobody wants to switch with me."

Ruby took her hand in hers, Myah didn't make her effort to move it. "Hey, hey, it's okay!" Ruby craned her neck, scanning for fuchsia. "Look, Ducky's on your team!"

Myah's gaze brightened a bit. "He is?"

Ruby beamed, pleased to hear the tiniest drop of hope in her girlfriend's - wow, it still felt surreal thinking that - voice. "Yeah! You guys can be bad at running together!" Like seriously, Ducky got winded just from walking up the steps of their school.

Myah's face shadowed. "But it's not the same. I like spending time with you."

"Aww." Ruby couldn't help but feel a warmth in her chest at that. "That's sweet. But come on, My, it's like three hours till lunch! You can handle three hours without me."

Myah gave her a tiny smile. "Are you sure? I might not survive. I mean it."

Ruby smirked. "Well, if you get lonely, you can always watch me as I win every event and leave Abbie's extensions in the dust."

"Okay everyone! Meet with the host with the shirt of your colour!" Mr Fox called.

Myah grinned, her familiar mischief back in her eyes. "Hot," She said simply, and flounced away to join Ducky, striking up a conversation and acting like she hadn't just twisted Ruby's stomach into a ball. Like, she was going into cardiac arrest here and Myah was over there talking about strawberries and video games? Oh, the injustice of this cruel world.

On slightly shaky legs (either from Myah, the massive energy drink she'd chugged on the bus, or, more likely both) she walked up to Josh's soccer friend Cody, wearing a red T-shirt. She observed her team carefully.

There was Abbie, Camilla, and Risa, the carbon-copy plastic dolls. Ryder and Matt, the two homophobic jackasses who Ruby wanted to maim every time she passed them in the hallway. Was she the only one who thought that Josh was very justified for punching Matt in his big, stupid nose? Probably. Honestly, the fact that Abbie dated him last year didn't surprise her one bit, the pair were probably made for each other.

Then there were a bunch of kids Ruby vaguely knew from class or just in the hallway. She scanned over them, trying to analyze the competition. There was a group of kids all wearing matching softball hoodies who'd probably be good at dodgeball or the beanbag toss, and a short girl in braids who Ruby had never seen blink who'd be good at the egg spoon concentration thingy.

Cody grinned when he saw her. "Hey, Ruby! How's it going?"

"Good, good."

"That's good. Okay everyone! Our first activity is the egg spoon race. I'll be putting you guys into pairs, and whichever pair makes it to the yellow line and back the quickest wins! If you drop the egg, you must go back to the start. The eggs are hard-boiled, so don't worry about the mess. Okay, I'll pair you guys up! Ryder Singh and Matt Weld…"

Ruby squeezed her eyes shut and crossed her fingers. Please don't be Abbie, please don't be Abbie…

"Ruby Roxanne and Abbie Mason," Cody continued. Ruby spotted Abbie throwing her head back with a groan as she stalked over to stand beside Ruby.

"Believe me, princess, I don't want to be anywhere near you, either." Ruby grumbled. She gave the other girl a once over - a blush pink halter top and white cotton shorts? For Sports Day? "What are you even wearing?"

"Something not ugly, unlike you." Abbie sniffed, crossing her arms.

Ruby rolled her eyes. "Oh sorry, I was just trying to look like you today. My mistake."

Before Abbie could shoot back with some dumb comeback, a spoon was pushed into her hand and a beige egg was handed to her. Ruby shot Abbie a fiery glare as they stood on the starting line.

"On your marks, get set, TWEET!" Cody blew his highlighter orange whistle and the two girls were off.

Now, Ruby had done plenty of these races from her time as a daycare worker and camp counselor. She knew all the tricks, and the first was to always keep your eyes on the egg. An occasional glance at where you're going is alright, but your first priority is the egg.

The two girls made it to the yellow line of tape Ruby grinned, now all she had to do was speed up a little.

"Hey Abbie, wanna know how to drown a debutante?" Ruby asked nonchalantly, keeping her eyes on the egg. Abbie looked up for a split second to glare at her, and sweet satisfaction flooded Ruby's body when she heard the thunk of an egg falling to the grass. Ruby crossed the finish line and handed her egg and spoon back to Cody, as the glorious sight of a seething Abbie walking towards her.

"Glue a mirror to the bottom of a pool." Ruby whispered, and dodged Abbie's furious swipe of pink false nails, cackling maniacally.

"I've heard that one, you stole that from Twilight." Abbie hissed. "You aren't even creative."

"Look who's talking, Miss Smoothie-bowl and yoga pants." Ruby laughed. "And it was a joke, not like you've ever heard one."

"A joke is supposed to be funny, and I don't see anybody laughing." Abbie huffed.

"Ha-ha-ha." Ruby fake-laughed.

Abbie's glossy lips spread into a smirk. "Like I said, I don't see anybody laughing."

"Yeah, well you're just-"

"If you two have finished your little Mean Girls reboot, we've got a beanbag toss to get to." Cody snapped.

Abbie rolled her eyes, shoving him aside. "Can it, booster seat, we're busy."

"Sure thing, future divorced soccer mom." Cody shoved her back.

Abbie's mouth was a round O of surprise. "You can't hit a girl!"

"Really? 'Cause I just did. Now get over to the beanbag toss before I put you there myself. Both of you." He snapped. "And I'm taller than you, you're just wearing thick shoes for a false sense of confidence."

Ruby smirked at Abbie's flushed face. "Aww, poor baby is insecure about her height?"

"...Shut up, Sasquatch."

"Good one. Where'd you get that, Top 10 Baddie Comebacks?"

"Isn't it kind of sad that you've got nothing better to do than to torment me?"

"Funny, I could say the exact same about you."

~lll~

The red team went through nine other obstacles, or as Ruby preferred to call them, the Nine Stages of Hell.

Was she being overdramatic? Maybe a little. But when Abbie Mason is your partner for every single course, you're allowed to be a bit of a drama queen. Honestly, like why couldn't Abbie just be the mature one in the situation and let it go?

But at last, they were at the final stage. Dodgeball, one of Ruby's favourite games. Plus, she had a few softball kids on her side. And even better, Abbie was on the other team! This game couldn't get any better.

"All right players! Get ready, and remember that head shots are an instant death for the thrower! Three! Two! Oneeee…go!" Cody blew his whistle and everyone made a mad dash for the dodgeballs in the center. Ruby grabbed two and quickly dashed back to the start to avoid anyone killing her when she was so close.

"Sup G, can I get another one of those balls?" Ryder laughed, holding his hand out. In his other, placed artfully behind his back, Ruby could see the outline of three in his shadow. "C'mon G, I've only got one."

Ruby stared directly at him, throwing both dodgeballs to the other side and - nice, I just hit Risa! "Sorry G, I'm all out."

Ryder shot her a poisonous glare. "Sheesh. Looks like someone's on their flow."

Ruby simply shrugged. "Sorry. If you want balls, grow 'em." And with that, a soft green dodgeball smacked him right in the chest. Ruby did a mental fist-pump as Ryder stalked off, grumbling, to sit on the bench with Risa and another girl.

Gazing to the other side, she noticed with distaste that Abbie and Camilla were just…standing there. Talking. Not even playing the game, or even trying to look interested!

"Hey! Abbie!" Ruby shouted, hands cupped over her mouth. "Quit twirling your extensions and play the damn game! Unless you're scared!"

She could see Abbie roll her eyes and bend over, picking up a blue dodgeball with eyebrows raised so high, they practically touched the clouding gray sky. Ruby sighed, but she really couldn't expect much more from someone who probably only cared about how they looked. She'd never understand dressing up for some stupid guy, like what Abbie was clearly doing.

Quickly dodging a lime green ball that was flung at her, Ruby whipped a yellow dodgeball at the attacker, her many years of lacrosse showing in the muscles of her freckled arms. The boy who she'd hit slumped off to the side, and one of the tall softball kids gave Ruby a high five. Her side was clearly winning.

Well, that was until that blonde ex-friend of Abbie's, Mitzi - who Ruby had overheard hooked up with Matt (who at the time was dating Abbie) at the Halloween party last October - handed over her massive collection of dodgeballs to Matt. And Matt, who was your classic jock character, proceeded to take out five kids on Ruby's side, including the softball kid who'd high fived her.

Ruby narrowed her hazel eyes. Oh, it's on.

The ever-darkening clouds above suddenly rumbled, turning into a stormy blue-gray and leaking the first few warning drops of a coming rain shower. The dirt patches on the field where grass had died all of a sudden turned into a muddy, wet, slippery hazard, and Ruby's hair had suddenly gotten a whole lot frizzier. She grinned, suddenly realizing how poor little Abbie's cakey makeup was probably running and her hair was frizzing. Served her right for being such a-

"RUBY! WATCH OUT!" Cried a brunette girl from her Robotics class, as Ruby just barely dodged the royal blue dodgeball that was flung by…Abbie?! How the hell did she throw like that?! What, did her rich daddy buy her a baseball tutor or something?

Abbie flashed a mocking grin. "Jeez, Ruby, stop twirling your extensions and play the damn game!" Her umber eyes flashed with a challenge. "Or are you too scared?"

Ruby smirked, arming herself with two dodgeballs. "Game on, princess."

Okay. First thing. Get rid of the strengths. Obviously Abbie would need to be eliminated, but Ruby wanted to toy with her a bit, mess around, have fun. Like a cat playing with its prey before finally snapping the killing bite.

There were quite a few jock boys on the other side, including Matt, who'd be a threat to Ruby and the other survivors on her side. Luckily, she knew how to take care of them.

Ruby made her face the textbook image of shock, staring at all four jock-y boys. "Oh my God, your fly is unzipped!"

"Huh?" They each said in unison, each one doing the fatal move of looking down. All it took were a few well-aimed shots and the distraction sent them to the crowding bench. Mitzi, ever the heroic girlfriend, flung a feeble dodgeball to Ruby, one with hardly any air left in it. She caught it with ease and sent Mitzi off to the side, who looked all the happier at getting to sit with her douchebag boyfriend. Lucky her, Ruby thought sarcastically.

"Hey, Malibu Barbie! Why don't you just give up already, before any more makeup gets washed off your face!" Ruby hollered.

"Please. You've got insecurities leaking out of your pores, you hypocrite." Abbie snapped, a red dodgeball clutched tightly in her white-manicured hand. "Listening to My Chemical Romance and looking like a thirteen-year-old who's just discovered Tumblr doesn't make you any better than me."

"It's not that hard to be better than you, really. All you need is brain cells not in the negatives, and you're already succeeding!" Ruby shot back.

Abbie placed a slender hand on her hip. "You know what, Ruby? I think you need to get a life besides trying to make me miserable. It's pathetic, really."

"Like yours? I'll pass, thanks." Ruby scoffed. "Poor little rich girl. It must be so hard, trying to figure out which shade of lip gloss you can beg daddy dearest for. What's the worst amount of pain that's happened to you, huh? Sucking in your stomach all day to impress the boys?"

Abbie's chocolate gaze darkened. "You sound just like my mother."

Ruby raised her eyebrows. "Okay…?"

Abbie gave her a dry half-smile. "And she's a total bitch."

Anger, hot and fiery, exploded in Ruby's chest, coiling around her veins and stabbing an injection of rage right into her heart. "What did you just call me?!"

"You heard me." Abbie said smoothly. "I'm only telling it how it is. Some creepy loner goth psycho with nothing better to do in her life than hate on me for no reason but jealousy. Isn't that right, bitch?"

And Ruby wished she could say it was the haze of anger, the cloud of frustration, or some demonic entity controlling her arm, but it was simply herself who picked up a dodgeball and whipped it with the strength of a hundred bodybuilders towards Abbie's face.

There was an echoing smack and Abbie fell to the ground, clutching her rapidly purpling and swelling nose with a cry of pain, hot tears pouring down her caramel skin, a stream of merlot blood testing from her nose. Camilla and Risa dashed with horror in their words as they dashed to her side. Kids from her team, even Ruby's team ran over with mulling words of comfort and sympathy. Cody motioned for a teacher to come and get a nurse.

And Ruby stood there all alone, with her big, stupid hands by her sides like a total creepy loner goth psycho with no real reason to hate Abbie other than something dumb that happened four years ago and her own petty morals.

~lll~

"Alright. Judging by the way you two are looking at each other right now, I'm guessing this is more than a slip of the hand." Mr. Fox calculated. The two sullen girls who sat in front of him in the squishy blue armchairs didn't respond. "So, I'm going to leave this room for twenty minutes, and I want you two to try and resolve whatever it is. I'm not saying you have to braid each other's hair and make friendship bracelets, but try to control your hatred and try acting like seventeen-year-olds instead of little toddlers. I'll be back. Remember, twenty minutes, and any more physical fighting out of either of you is an automatic week-long suspension." And with that, he left.

Wow. The Fox means business. Ruby thought, wide-eyed. She picked at the edge of her Band-Aid; apparently she'd scraped her leg on a rock while taking out a couple opponents.

The large analog clock on the wall ticked. Ruby read off the various posters and degrees on the wall, over and over till she had them inked into her brain. If there ever came a game show where she had to list every Dr. Seuss or Winnie the Pooh quote ever made, she'd win the cash, no doubt about it.

And after her tenth re-read, she suddenly realized she was waiting on Abbie. To apologize for calling her a bitch, and a psycho loner. But then,Ruby realized, who was sitting here with a broken nose and who here deserved it?

"I was petty." Ruby found herself saying. "I held onto stuff that happened when we were just kids. And then I let my temper get the better of me. I'm sorry."

Abbie snorted, the sound odd and muffled behind a soft bloodstained tissue. "God. The freaking 'I' statements. You sound like my therapist. Admit what you've been thinking all along, I'm a shallow whiny brat who isn't entitled to call you anything because I'm a pretty little trust fund baby with a silver spoon jammed down my throat."

Ruby stared at the floor, an ugly beige carpet with a suspicious stain in the corner. "That is what I was thinking," She admitted. "And I'm the basket case pick-me girl who's so jealous and bored I have to hate you, because there's hardly anyone else who's bullied me to hate."

The two sat in silence for a moment, and then Abbie burst out laughing.

"Oh my God, remember when you pushed m-me into that slime pool?!"

Ruby laughed along hesitantly, not sure if she was setting her up or not. "Um, yeah, back in eighth grade."

Abbie giggled. "That was so funny, looking back on it. I was so angry though, and my mom screamed at me for a whole hour about my clothes." She grinned. "Totally hilarious, though. And what did I call you before that? That day you wore the lace choker?"

"An emo cutter, I believe." Ruby replied dryly.

Abbie shook her head. "God, I was such a mess. I'm sorry for saying that, that was totally mean of me. And for calling you a…you know. That was lame."

Ruby smiled. "Thanks. And I'm sorry for acting like a jealous loser on testosterone." She hesitated. "I should probably apologize to Lise too."

Abbie grinned. "I am pretty charismatic, along with being a bully."

"Comes with the whole popular girl brand, huh?"

Abbie gave her a Look, throwing her tissue into the trash and pulling out a new one. "Ruby, just because I like makeup and the colour pink doesn't mean I'm a bad person, or like, a dummy. I like school. I get good grades. I'm not stupid."

"I never thought you were!" Ruby cried, even though she had.

"Yeah, right."

"No, I'm serious! I would never think that!"

"Uh-huh, and your hair colour is all natural."

"...shut up."

A/N

Yay, Ruby has overcome her girls-who-like-girly-things-r-stupid phase! I just watched Legally Blonde, so that gave me some inspiration haha.

Anyways guys, this part is going to be a sadder A/N, so you don't have to read. Just felt I should say something.

As many of you have heard, the YouTuber Technoblade passed away from cancer last night as I'm writing this. Last year I was very into the Dream SMP, and even though I'm not now, I still watched his videos, and loved them.

It takes a lot for a book, game, video, whatever to make me cry. But that final video did.

His final note to the SMP said that after vanquishing all governments on Earth, he was ascending to take on the kingdom of God.

Rest in peace, Techno. I hope you succeed in your mission.

~Ghost