Chapter 7: Caught in the Middle
Before Summer even opened her eyes the next morning, she felt a throbbing pain in her head. Her first coherent thought was that today would be an excellent day to stay in bed. Unfortunately, she knew that wasn't an option. It was a school day, and she had classes to attend. It seemed she'd learned her first important lesson at Beacon. Going out for drinks on a school night was a terrible idea.
Summer lay there for several minutes. Then she reluctantly pried her eyes open. She was greeted by the uninteresting sight of Team STRQ's dorm room ceiling. However, she quickly realized that something was amiss. Her bed didn't feel nearly as soft as it should. She lifted her head off her pillow to investigate and found that she was actually lying on the floor with a blanket spread over her.
A groan escaped Summer's lips as her head fell back down onto her pillow. She racked her brain, trying to figure out what had happened last night, but everything after the first round of drinks at that nightclub Taiyang had taken them to was a blur. Maybe it was for the best that she couldn't remember.
Summer rolled onto her side as she began to work up the motivation to get her day started, but whatever thoughts were in her head slipped away from her when she suddenly found herself face-to-face with Taiyang.
"Ah!" Summer yelped.
"Good morning!" Taiyang cheerfully said with a beaming smile on his face. He was lying on the floor right next to Summer under the same blanket as her.
"Yang! What are you doing here?!" Summer screeched. She instinctively curled up into a ball under the blanket.
"I don't know," Taiyang said. "It's just where I woke up."
"Get out of here!" Summer said.
"Why?" Taiyang asked.
"Don't ask why! Just go!" Summer said. She uncurled herself and started shoving Taiyang with both her hands and her feet.
"Okay! Okay!" Taiyang said with a laugh. He crawled out from under the blanket and stood.
Taiyang was not wearing a shirt, which caught Summer by surprise. She suddenly found herself treated to a view of his muscular back. A blush colored her cheeks as she started to wonder what it would feel like to be lying curled up next to him, cradled in his strong arms.
Taiyang said, "Morning, Qrow!"
Summer suddenly became aware of Qrow sitting on his bed. He wasn't wearing a shirt either, although he did have the loose slacks that went with his kimono on. There was actually a small bit of muscle definition on his otherwise lanky body, more than Summer would've expected. However, Summer's eyes only lingered on him for a second before they returned to Taiyang. It seemed Qrow was in unwitting agreement with Summer as he was also staring at Taiyang.
Qrow said, "Hey, Tai."
"Missed you on the floor!" Taiyang said. "Did you spend all night in your bed?"
"Yeah. Don't worry about it," Qrow said.
Summer finally made the conscious decision that she couldn't keep on staring at Taiyang all morning. At least the adrenaline hit she'd gotten from finding an unexpected companion under her blanket had chased away most of her hangover.
Summer rolled over onto her other side away from Taiyang and Qrow. That was when she came face-to-face with Raven who was also under the exact same blanket.
"AGH!" Summer shouted, louder this time.
Raven said, "Good morning to you too."
Summer buried her face in her hands and let out a distressed wail. She could kind of see how she might have ended up in a makeshift bed with Taiyang, but she had no idea how she'd found herself in the same situation with Raven. However, her memories from last night started to clear up a little. She recalled Raven coming on to her, and how confusing it had been. She also unwillingly recalled how good it had made her feel, but surely the alcohol must have been to blame for that.
Raven said, "Anyone ever tell you you're cute when you blush?"
Summer pulled her hands away from her eyes. She angrily said, "You! This is all your fault! Somehow!"
"What's my fault?" Raven asked.
"Us all being…in bed together!" Summer said.
"Don't look at me," Raven said. "It was probably Blondie's idea."
"It couldn't have been him! Or me! So it has to have been you!" Summer said.
"Actually…" Qrow's voice cut in. "It was your idea, Summer."
Summer's eyebrows shot up. She rolled over again and asked, "Qrow, you remember what happened last night?"
"Yeah," Qrow said nonchalantly.
"So…what happened?" Summer asked.
"You mean besides you getting absolutely wasted?" Qrow asked.
"Yes! Besides that!" Summer said, trying to not sound annoyed
"You demanded that Tai and Raven 'get into bed' with you to 'prove a point'," Qrow said. "Then you spent the next fifteen minutes trying to figure out how to get three people into a small bed before you gave up and settled for the floor."
Behind Summer, Raven said, " I didn't know you were into that kind of thing."
"Shut up! That doesn't sound like me at all!" Summer said over her shoulder. Then a disquieting thought entered her head. She asked Qrow, "We didn't…do anything else, did we?"
"No," Qrow said. "Other than pass out right away."
"Oh thank goodness," Summer said, breathing a sigh of relief.
Raven jokingly said. "Don't sound too disappointed."
Summer rolled back around and started shoving Raven like she'd shoved Taiyang just a moment ago. She shouted, "Out!"
Raven chuckled, but she did as Summer was demanding. Summer was suddenly given another unexpected view as Raven crawled out from under the blanket. Raven was only dressed in a t-shirt that was just barely long enough to protect her modesty. Summer's eyes were instantly drawn to Raven's inexplicably alluring legs. Confused, she forced her eyes upward only to find herself marveling at how beautiful Raven's mane of hair was now that it was free of its ponytail.
Raven said, "I'd ask if you like what you see, Sunshine. But the answer's kind of obvious."
If it had been possible to die from embarrassment, Summer would have expired where she lay. Instead, she blushed so deeply that it reached her shoulders. She quickly rolled onto her back and pulled the blanket up and over her head. She heard Raven laugh.
Summer wondered if she could just shrivel up and disappear forever. Unfortunately, that didn't seem to be the case. However, thanks to the solitude the blanket afforded her, Summer eventually started to calm down. More than that, she started to think. She'd been shocked by many of the things that Raven had said to her at the nightclub yesterday, although she wasn't quite as ignorant as she feared she'd come off as. She knew there were people who were attracted to their own gender instead of the opposite one. Clearly, Raven was one of those people, the first one who Summer had ever met. She found the concept a little intriguing, if she was honest with herself. Although if she'd been even more honest with herself, she would've realized that she, in fact, found the concept to be extremely intriguing.
Summer's mind began to fixate on why she'd reacted so similarly to looking at Raven as she had to looking at Taiyang. She'd felt almost the exact same thing seeing both of them, except the feelings had also been completely different. It didn't make any sense on many levels to Summer, and she didn't have any kind of explanation. She'd liked looking at Taiyang, a lot. So she clearly wasn't someone who was attracted to her own gender. But then why had she also liked looking at Raven?
As Summer's brain continued to helplessly spin in circles, she heard Taiyang's singsong voice filter through the blanket. He said, "Well gooooood morning!"
Raven's voice responded, "Good morning yourself, Blondie."
Summer pulled the blanket down off her head. She looked up and saw Taiyang and Raven standing less than a foot apart from each other, apparently admiring each other's bodies. A new emotion filled Summer, and she had no idea what it was. Jealousy was the closest thing she could think of. Regardless, she suddenly had the motivation to get this insane situation under control.
Summer gathered up her covers and shot to her feet, keeping the blanket wrapped around herself. She said, "That's enough! Yang, Raven, get dressed! You too, Qrow! We've got class soon, and I won't have any of my team being late!"
Taiyang snapped Summer a smart salute. He said, "Yes ma'am!"
Raven grinned at Summer. She asked her, "Join me for a shower?"
Summer turned to Raven. She summoned up all the authority she could muster and said, "Get moving! Now!"
Raven also saluted Summer, although in a more ironic way than Taiyang had, and said, "Anything for you."
By the end of the school day, Summer was thoroughly exhausted. Her classes had seemed to stretch on and on and on. She was clearly still feeling the effects of last night. She'd never indulged in heavy drinking before, and it wasn't an experience she was eager to repeat. Fortunately, classes had finally come to an end.
Summer stepped out of one of Beacon's many buildings and onto the campus proper. She was by herself, and she took a moment to try to figure out what her plan for the rest of the day was going to be. The cafeteria would start serving the evening meal soon. However, some of her classes had already assigned her homework, even though it was only the second day of the semester. Summer was actually grateful for the assignments. She felt like she could use a distraction right about now.
After mulling things over, Summer started walking in the direction of her dormitory. She'd decided she'd get started on her homework assignments before supper. That way she'd at least make some progress if she felt too tired to continue working on them after she ate. However, she had only taken a few steps before she heard a voice call out to her.
"Miss Rose!" the voice said.
Summer turned and saw Glynda Goodwitch walking toward her.
"Miss Rose," Glynda said as she approached Summer. "I'm glad I caught you. Headmaster Ozpin would like to see you in his office. If you have time of course."
"Alright," Summer said, sounding confused. She asked, "Do you usually run messages for him?"
"Frequently, yes," Glynda said. "I work part-time in his office as an assistant."
"Wait. You're a teaching assistant, a full-time student, and a secretary? All at once?" Summer asked.
"Administrative assistant," Glynda politely but firmly corrected. "Yes. All three."
"How do you find the time?" Summer asked.
"Forging social and professional connections here at Beacon is worth taking the time to do," Glynda said. "They're one of the most valuable things this school can provide."
Ordinarily, Summer would've been impressed, but she feared her opinion of Glynda had been tainted by her treatment of Raven in class yesterday. At the very least, she saw why Raven didn't like her.
Summer said, "I guess I'll go see Headmaster Ozpin then."
"Very good," Glynda said with a nod. "As some advice, from a senior student to a freshman, make sure you're on your best behavior with the headmaster. After all, you only get one opportunity to make a good first impression."
Summer didn't have the heart to tell Glynda that she'd already met Ozpin before.
Several minutes later, Summer stepped off the elevator that had taken her all the way to the top of the clock tower that dominated the center of Beacon's campus. The entire floor was apparently one large, open space that served as Headmaster Ozpin's office. There was almost nothing inside of it save for a desk next to the tower's clockface which also served as a window. However, the gigantic, exposed clock gears suspended overhead still lent the otherwise empty space a sense of grandeur.
Ozpin himself was sitting at his desk. He looked up at Summer and said, "Ah, Miss Rose. Please, come closer."
Summer strolled across the room, but she suddenly realized she had no idea why Ozpin had wanted to see her. She started to get nervous. Hopefully it wasn't because of anything bad.
Summer stopped in front of Ozpin's desk.
Ozpin asked, "How has Beacon been treating you, Miss Rose?"
"It's great so far," Summer said.
"That's good to hear. But I'm sure you're wondering why I wanted to see you," Ozpin said. He opened up a folder that was sitting on his desk. Inside was a photograph. Ozpin slid the photo over to Summer. "Do you happen to recognize this person?"
Summer glanced at the photo. It was of a sullen-looking young man, a teenager most likely, sitting in a chair. He had short, black hair and a black eye to match. Summer was getting the vague sense that she'd seen him before, but she couldn't remember anything specific. She said, "I'm not sure. Who is he?"
"He refused to give us a name other than 'Junior'," Ozpin said.
"Oh!" Summer said as she recalled something.
"Yes?" Ozpin prompted.
"He was the waiter at the…" Summer trailed off. She suddenly realized that she might not want to admit to her headmaster where she'd been last night. "…restaurant."
"Restaurant?" Ozpin echoed, arching an eyebrow.
"Yes," Summer said. "Me and my new team went out to celebrate last night."
"It's wonderful to hear that you're building comradery," Ozpin said. "But are you sure this person has no other significance to you?"
"Not that I can think of," Summer said. "Why?"
"We caught him trying to sneak onto campus last night," Ozpin said.
"Oh," Summer said, mildly alarmed. Especially since she now had a little bit of context as to where the teen's black eye might have come from.
"Unfortunately, he was very reluctant to talk, and we had to eventually let him go," Ozpin said. "But while it's merely speculation, we believe he was after you."
Summer's mouth hung open a little from shock. She asked, "Why would he be after me?! How could you even know that?!"
"When he was caught he was clearly following someone's trail," Ozpin explained. "It was rather late. And your team was the only one that left campus last night and did not check back in before curfew."
"But…!" Summer said. She was momentarily distracted when she realized that Ozpin had caught her breaking the rules, but she decided to try to not highlight that fact. "But that just means he was after one of us. Or all of us! It doesn't mean it was me specifically!"
"It's unlikely that one of your teammates drew his attention," Ozpin said. "No, it's best to assume it was you he was after."
Summer was almost speechless. She asked, "Why?!"
"I wouldn't worry about it too much," Ozpin said, not answering Summer's question at all. "We have excellent security on campus, and as a huntress-in-training, you are a capable person yourself. All I ask is that you exercise caution and good judgment when venturing out into the city."
Summer waited for Ozpin to say more, but he didn't. He offered no further explanation at all.
Not knowing what else to do, Summer said, "I will."
"Very good," Ozpin said. "But before you go, there is one other matter. I'd like to ask you about your teammates."
"You would?" Summer asked.
"Yes," Ozpin said. "What are your impressions of the Branwen siblings?"
"Well…" Summer said as she thought about it for a moment. "Raven is…a strong person. But stubborn. I think she's going to succeed in life. If she doesn't get in her own way."
"And Qrow Branwen?" Ozpin asked.
"He's…" Summer said. "He's been hurt, I think. But he keeps on going. Maybe all he really needs is a small helping hand. Although he'd probably never ask for it."
"Very insightful. Especially for one so young," Ozpin said. "That quality will help you greatly in your role as team leader."
"Thank you," Summer said.
"Well, I've wasted enough of your time," Ozpin said. "Just don't forget my warning."
"What about Yang?" Summer asked.
"Pardon?" Ozpin said.
"Taiyang, my other teammate," Summer said. "Don't you want to know about him too?"
"He seems like a very earnest young man," Ozpin said. "He will no doubt make a great huntsman someday."
Summer agreed with Ozpin, but she didn't see how that answered her question about his lack of questions.
When Ozpin didn't say anything more, Summer awkwardly clasped her hands together. She said, "I guess…I'll be going then."
"Have a pleasant evening, Miss Rose," Ozpin said like they'd just had a completely normal conversation. "My office is always open to you if you have need of me."
"That's, uh, good," Summer said. She turned and started walking back toward the elevator.
Summer officially had no idea what was going on. Headmaster Ozpin was without a doubt the most enigmatic person she'd ever met in her life. Perhaps her best course of action would be to avoid getting involved in whatever he seemed to think was going on. She'd just keep her head down, do her best in class, and forget about this whole encounter. After all, it wasn't like there was actually anything special about her, despite what Ozpin seemed to think.
Author's Note: This chapter perfectly illustrates why it can be fun to write for different characters from time to time. The opening scene was something I could never do with Team RWBY. I wonder what Ruby and Yang would make of knowing what their parents were really like at Beacon.
So who's going to tell Summer that being gay or straight isn't an either/or kind of thing? Actually maybe we should just let her process what she's learned so far.
As always, I welcome constructive criticism. Please feel free to leave a review. And if you like what you've read, taking the time to favorite and/or follow really helps me out. You can also find me on tumblr (electronicyarn) if you want to send me a message or be notified of updates.
