Chapter Four- Mother

" I want to learn more about mom." Ruby stared at Yang, her eyes wide like frozen in time.

"W-What?" Ruby stuttered out as she looked up at Yang, who was still standing there hesitantly looking at Ruby.

"I want… to learn more about mom. I never got to know her, and I would like to. Ruby, you knew her the best. So that's why I ask if I can learn more about Mom. Please." Ruby looked around before she could feel her heart squeezed by a hand when she met Yang's eyes. The soft lilac purple held so much emotion that swirled together. Ruby could only sigh as she knew her mother would want her to talk to Yang.

"Fine," Ruby muttered before opening the door widerwithmotioning towards the bed. Yang's eyes lit up a bit as she walked in before sitting down on the bed as she was instructed. Yang scanned the room with small movements as shetook inthe foreign environment.

"Your room looks good." Ruby rolled her eyes at the incoming small talk as she sat down in her chair at her desk. Turning to face Yang, she was leaning in her chair scanning over Yang's body.

"What do you want to know about her." Yang gulped as she hadn't thought this far of questions she would ask. She let out a nervous laugh wiping her sweaty palms against her pants.

"um, well, what did you mean by me having her smile?" Ruby slightly chewed on her cheek as she sighed.

"She had the brightest smile. Even in dark times, she would always smile like a sun. It was like just a dried blanket wrapping around me when she would smile like that. You reminded me of that, with how bright and big your smile." Ruby muttered the last part as she crossed her arms. Yang stared at Ruby before she slugged a bit.

"That was the only thing I could remember of smile she had when she would come home to us tackling her. Her face is so blurry in my brain, all I remember is how she would always wear white or red." Yang looked down as she messed with the hem of her shirt.

"After the divorce, she stopped wearing she wasn't even herself, only a yearafterdid she start returning to her normal self. Ittook a loud screaming match between Raven and their mother for her to realize how low she had fallen. And how it was affecting me as well." Ruby confessed as she thought back to her dream.

"What was she like after the divorce?" Yang asked noticing how Ruby twitched at the question.

"She was… unresponsive to most things. Raven raised me during that year, due to how much mom had drunk. She either was in her room or was somewhere with no comprehension of what was going on." Ruby sighed at the memories as she turned towards Yang, whose eyes were soft and synthetic. "But I choose not to remember Mom like that. She was going through so much during that time, and after she was that ray of sunshine again." Ruby held onto the sleeve of her sweatshirt a bit as she sighed.

"What was your favorite memory of her?" Ruby blinked towards Yang, who looked calmer now, seeming to be more curious.

"Uh, I guess, it would have to be when wewere makingthe macaroni plates." Yang perked up a bit.

"Heh, I remember that. You couldn't understand not to eat the macaroni with glue on it. Mom tried so hard to get you to stop. Ha-ha, and in the end, yours turned out to be a plate glued of half-eaten macaroni. With mine being a maze that wasn't solvable." Yang laughed at the memory and Ruby smiled softly when thinking about it.

"That was the last time she wastruly happy," Ruby confessed before she could stop the words from slipping. Yang stopped laughing before turning to Ruby.

"What do you mean by that?" Ruby hummed as she rested her head on the chair, looking up at the ceiling. She shouldn't be speaking this freely to her. But she never got to talk about her mom as freely as this. She wanted people to rememberher, tocherish her, just as she did. Just how she lost it.

"Even after she stopped drinking and that fight match. She might have smiled like the sunshine; I knew that she never felt that happy after everything. She… missed you and Tai. I remember the times when she would cry to herself. And how she always had a picture, of you and Tai on her bedside table. The day we did those macaroni plates, the day before the divorce startedto happen. Was the last time she wastruly happy." Ruby could feel her throat tighten from tears starting to build in her eyes. Yang felt like time was stopping as she stared at Ruby before tearsstartedto slowly falldown her face.

Ruby looked over at Yang, who had tears falling down her face.

"I-I shouldn't have sa- Yang stopped her a sad smile making it to her face as she let the tears flow.

"Thank you, Ruby. I may not remember Mom much, or what her faceevenlooked like. But that makes me happy, to know she cared." Ruby seemed to feel her heartbeat against her chest as she looked away from Yang's piercing eyes. Ruby nodded as Yang seemed to be shifting in her seat. "What type of food did she like?" Ruby's eyes moved to the ceiling in thought.

"I would have to say any type of pasta." Yang chuckled a bit as she hummed.

"Favorite color?"

"White and Red."

"What did she do for work?"

"She told me she used to be a forensic technician. But after the divorce, she got a job as a librarian. I remember the stories that she used to talk about it, and the crime shows we stayed up way too late watching." Ruby smiled a bit at the memory before shaking her head. As much as she loved talking about her mom, her heart was being squeezed by pain from the memory of her.

"Is that why you want to be in that field?" Ruby quickly snapped to Yang.

"That's not a question about mom." Yang bites her luck a bit before nodding a bit.

"R-Right. Uh, what was her favorite music?"

"She liked all types of music, butI would sayher favorite was Rock."

"What did she smell like?" Ruby's eyebrow raised in questioning.

"Like vanilla with a splash of roses," Ruby replied making Yang chuckle a bit before shutting her lips Ruby gave her a quick glare.

"What was a hobby she had?"

"Oh god knitting. Always find her making different things with yarn." Ruby held back a chuckle as memories popped into her head. One of her little selves isbeingwrapped in yarn after tripping on a loose piece.

"Haha, I didn't expect Mom to be a knitter."

"Yeah, she was sure obsessed with it." Yang chuckled.

"What was something she made?" Ruby hummed in thought before a small snicker left her throat.

"A pair of mittens was the first thing she made. It feels apart after a thread got stuck on the door handle. I cried for her, as she just laughed and went on to make more." Ruby moved her hand to stroke her arm as memories of her mom kept flooding in. Makingthe tears of pain hard to keep back, while her heart was squeezed tighter.

"Did mom ever… talk about me afterward?" Yang's eyes looked like a melting pool of worry and sadness.

"Yeah, she did. She said she missed you from time to time. And would tell me stories about everything before the divorce." Yang seemed to brighten a bit about that as she smiled softly. She cleared her throat, moving her hands across her pants again.

"I… I remember seeing her in the casket. I know it was a terrible car accident, but I don't know more than that. How did mom die?" Ruby froze, her hands started to shake as the memory flooded her brain. It felt like the air had stopped flowing through her throat like it was being held seemed to noticeasshequicklypanickedasshequickly sat up."I-I'm so sorry I shouldn't have asked I was just-"

"Leave. Please leave. I'm done talking tonight." Ruby said quickly and shortly. Anger built behind the words as Yang jerked a bit at the words. Quickly she stood up from the bed and moved to the door.

"Ruby I'm sorry I-"

"Bye Yang." Was all Ruby said as she watched Yang's eyes fill with guilt and sadness before closing the door behind her? After she heard the door to Yang's room open and close the tears started to fall. She gasped for air, her hand gripping her sweater where her heart was. Her heart beating into her chest she moved onto her knees once off the chair. Sobs escaped her throat as tears fell onto the carpet, making a pool of wet marks. Pain escaped her throat as she sobbed into the ground, it felt like the world was spinning around her. As she looked down at her hand that rested against the ground, she could still feel the blood that covered them. Digging her nails into her hand she focused on the pain it caused, trying to calm her breathing from the sobbing.

After an hour, Ruby sat on her bed, her eyes red and puffy. With her mind numb from the crying, so was her body, she felt like a husk of herself. Resting her head on the wall she moves her hand around her phone. Looking down she noticed the texts she had sent Flame while everything consumed her.

'Flame are you awake?

'I need someone.'

'This pain is killing me.'

'please'

Ruby sighed as none of them were answered, but uncertainly so. She knew Flame went to bed early that night. Rubys' body moved down to the pillow andher bodymoved into a curl under the blanket she had wrapped around her. Closing her eyes, her eyes started to burn under her eyelids. Pushing past it, she soon was greeted by a dark abyss of sleep.

" It's all your fault darling." Ruby turned around quickly to see her mother. She stood a little taller than her, blood oozing from her mouth as she spoke. A big hole was missing from her stomach and blood covered her clothing. Looking down, Ruby's hands were covered in blood as well.

"You're the reason I'm dead Ruby. If only you hadn't distracted me. Now you have to live with my death." She laughed, her hands wrapping around Ruby's face, fingers smearing blood all over Ruby's face.

"N-No Mom would never say that!" Ruby yelled, tears falling down her face as the woman just laughed.

"Oh, but you do believe it was your fault. Otherwise, you wouldn't have let everyone believe it was your fault. If you had just let your mother focus on the road, then it wouldn't have happened. She wouldn't be gone, dead. All because of you." The woman hissed before digging her nails into Ruby's face. A small whimper left Ruby, who stood there taking it.

"You wouldn't let me do this to you if you blamed yourself." She dug her nails deeper, enough for blood under her skin to seep out. But Ruby didn't move, she stood there and took the pain from the dream Summer.

"If you didn't blame yourself, you shouldn't have distanced everyone away from you." Flashes of her old friends slowly appeared as they circled the two. They watched as Dream Summer dragged her nails downwards, streaks of blood seeped out with each distance. Ruby hissed in pain but didn't move. Soon enough, people started to disappear witheitherpitied looks, discussed looks, or giggling behind her hands. A woman with black hair was the one left, she was blurred more than anyone. She was the figment of what she thought Flame looked stared at her as thestepsslowly started tobe takenbythefigure.

"No..flame" She muttered before her head was snapped back to face the dream, Summer.

"This is your fault darling. No time to get sad my little rose. You did it to yourself." Summer suddenly grabbed a knife from her pocket. Her slender fingers wrapped around it before forcefully wrapping Ruby's fingers around it.

"Wait no, I. I not again please." Ruby stuttered out, tears started to fall as the grip Summer forced Ruby into got tighter.

"You will do what Mother has asked of you Ruby. You owe her for how you failed her. Howyou killed her. And how everything bad in her life happened because of you. Your father cheated because of you. Your sister never got to know her mother because of you. You have abandoned everyone good in your life and left them without a reasonwhy. And now you push everyone away from you, afraid of the horrible monster you are. Now you will repay for the pain you caused. Do it Ruby." Ruby could feel her body shake, as the dream Summer stood there smirking.

"Do it"

"Do it"

"Do it"

Multiple people started to chant as the people who had disappeared started to chant what the dream mother had said. Ruby brought the knife closer, tears falling down her face, breathing gasps of air.

"Do it." Ruby turned her head to see the figment of Flame from her words. Then pain, pain was all that filled Ruby as she looked down. The knife dug deep into her chest, where her heart was located. The hands of the dream Summer moved the knife deeper, a scream erupted out of Ruby's throat. The beating of her heart hit against the blade, every time, slowing her heart longer and longer. Ruby fell to her knees, blood seeping from her mouth as she coughed out. Summer smirked as she looked down at Ruby, before moving her hands around Ruby's face. She watched as Ruby's eyesstarted to grow adull silver, and her heart slowed beyond saving.

"I'm sorry Mom...it was all my fault."

Ruby screamed awake, launching herself up and gripping where her heart was. Panicked breathing took over as she dug her nails into her sweatshirt and skin to feel the pain. She was awake now, she was awake. Taking gasping air, Ruby panicky started to grab for her phone. Once she could feel the cold metal against her skin, she dragged it back to her. She gasped for air as she turned her phone on. She scrolled past the time, and she quickly opened the chat with Flame, she quickly pressed the call button as she continued to gasp for air. Her body shook uncontrollably as her world spun around her.

"Ngh…hello…?" A grungy voice came from the phone, pulling Ruby out of the pounding pain in her chest.

"F-Flame" Was as she could get out, as breaths wouldn't reach her lungs. There was a quick shuffle from the other side of the phone.

"Red? Why are you calling me at… 3 in the morning?" Ruby could only gasp for air while she pulled the phone closer. Soft sobs came through her as she pulled her knees closer. "Red are you crying? Are you okay? Dear talk to me. What's wrong." Panic came through Flames' voice as she became more awake.

"I-It… happened again… she… mom… me" She sobbed between words as she covered her mouth with her hand. She could feel her heart beating faster and harder, her head pounding with her heart. Sobs escaped her throat as she couldn't keep from crying anymore.

"You had the dream again… shit okay okay. I'm going to have you take deep breaths with me okay Red? In," Doing as what Flame said, she took a deep breath in. "3,2, " Breathing out when instructed. "you're doing great, dear. Now in 3,2,1 out 3,2,1."

Both did this for a few minutes until Ruby's breathing had calmed down. Her raging heart slowed down with each breath. Ruby did her best not to continue to cry as she sat there, shaking slightly.

"There you go Red. I'm here for you. You're doing great. It was just a dream dear." Ruby closed her eyes from the sound of Flames' voice. She rested her head against her knees as she took deep breaths.

"I-I'm sorry Flame.." Her words came out hoarse, as she could feel tears burning her eyes.

"Red, don't you apologize. I promised I would be here when you need it, even if it is 4 in the morning. You're important to me." Ruby hiccuped a bit as she moved her body closer together. "Was it the nightmare about your mom… blaming you?" Ruby gulped as she bites her lip,

"Yeah… This time you were in there and… everyone was telling me to…to end myself and… I did it.." Ruby's lip started to quiver as tearsstartedto buildup in her eyes.

"Red it's okay, it was just a dream. I'd never want that from you. Remember 4 months ago, when you had tried to end yourself because of the dream? I was there to stop you. Why would I stop you, only to encourage you to do so again? Red, I care a lot about you, I won't leave you." Ruby took a few deep breaths, letting her words sink in. She trusted Flame and wanted nothing more than for Flame to take all the pain away. As her brain processed, her body slid down to a lying position. Her phone is next to her head.

"I wish you were here Flame.. to be able to feel your arms, warmth, and comfort," Ruby confessed as she held onto her sweatshirt tightly.

"I know Red, and I'm sorry I'vebeen hesitant in showingmy face. Andmeetingup with you. I haven't… had a person like you before in my life. Someone who I care so much about. But soon enough, I promise, okay?" Ruby nodded to herself as she pulled her phone closer to her. Her eyes started to get heavy, but fear gripped her heart.

"Flame… will you stay on the phone with me… till morning? I'm… I'm scared." Some shifting was heard before a sigh as to someone lying down.

"Of course, Red, I would love to spend more time with you." Ruby let out a wet chuckle.

"I hate you Flame." Ruby joked as she rolled her eyes, a small smile emerging through her lips.

"Yeah, well I love you too Red." Flame chuckled on the other side of the phone as Ruby let out a soft yawn. Both lay there on the phone, listening to each other's breathing. Soon enough, both fell back asleep in each other's company.

The sound of Ruby's alarm brought her back to life as shelet out a whinefrom the loud noise. Reaching over, Ruby swiped off it as she groaned looking at her phone. Flame still looked like she was on the call, but no sounds came from her side.

"Morning" Ruby's voice was scratchy and her nose was still stuffy from the late session cry. A groan escaped from the other side of the phone, some shuffling could be heard before a soft breath broke through.

"Good morning Red" Her voice was deep and silky, andRuby could feel a warmth spread through her face.

'Her voice makes me go crazy'Ruby thought before being drawn from her thoughts to Flame talking.

"Red? How did you sleep?"

"H-huh? Oh sorry. It was good after we had fallen asleep together on the phone." Flame hummed in response as Ruby let out a small sigh to stop her heart beating as fast.

"Can I ask, why did you have that dream again? It's been about two months since this happened last." Ruby took a deep breathas shemoved her body up into a sitting position.

"Yang asked about mom. And it was going well until she.." There was a pause in her throat like her body rejected any notion of talking about it.

"She asked how she had passed, didn't she?" Ruby breathed out once Flame said it for her.

"Yeah… I could feel the panic attack starting to happen. But I remembered what you always said so Iwas able tocalm down. Then I fell asleep and… had the dream." Flame sighed softly as Ruby stretched her legs out.

"Well, I'm glad I could help. How are you feeling now?" Flame asked softly as Ruby hummed a bit.

"Sore, but I'll be fine. I'lljusttake a nap during my lunch period." Ruby yawned at the thought of sleep. Flame chuckled a bit from the yawn from Ruby before sighing.

"Well, I'm glad you're doing okay. I wouldn't know what to do with myself if my best friend left me." Flame spoke softly as Ruby just nodded in response. "I do have to start getting ready for classes. I will trymy bestto respond to texts if you need me okay?"

"Yeah, thank you Flame. For everything."

"Anytime, smell you later." Ruby chuckled as the phone call ended. Sighing, Ruby stood up with a soft groan, before stretching her body. Cracks and pops could be heard before a sigh of relief from Ruby. She rubbed her eyes before starting to change for the day. Today she wore a black hoodie that had a red rose on the back of it. Her jeans were a dark blue,withher hair was put up in a half ponytail. She grabbed her backpack once putting everything that she had on her desk inside thebackpack. Looking at the time, sighed a bit before making her way quietly outside her room. Slipping through the stairs and the kitchen, no one else seemedto beawake. The lights turned off,silencethrough the house.

Slipping her shoes on, she slipped out of the house before anyone would notice her. After sneaking out, she made her 20-minute walk to the college. Once making it, Rubyslippedinto the library, just like she had the day before. She noticed there were fewer people than yesterday morning. She started to walk towards the table where she sat last time, only to see that redhead.

Pyrrha was sitting there, her computer in front of her, with headphones on. She was typing something onto the laptop with lightning speed. Ruby's stomach twisted as she hesitantly walked closer to the table. Her brain told her to find another table, yet her heart wanted to sit near someone's company. Taking a deep breath she moved to sit across from Pyrrha like she did last morning.

"Good morning Ruby." Pyrrha smiled as she looked up from her work, one of her headphones set behind her ear. Ruby looked towards the redhead and waved a tiny bit.

"Morning…" Ruby muttered softly before taking out the homework she had put in her backpack that morning. As she started to work, she would look up at Pyrrha, who was doing her work. She didn't always have a smile on, she had a normal resting face as she zoned into her work. Ruby felt relieved from the lack of attention she had received from Pyrrha while she worked.

Buzzing from her phone drew her back to reality as she perked her head up. Pyrrhawas starting to packher things as she looked over Ruby with a soft smile. But she didn't say anything as she held her backpackin her arms. Ruby saw Pyrrha slowing down with her movements, inviting Ruby to walk with her without words. Ruby bites the inside of her cheek before packing her things into her backpack, then slips it over her shoulder. She stood up andstarted to movecloser to Pyrrha, who just could sensetheunstable emotional stateof both walked out of the library they stopped and turned towards each other.

"See you in class Ruby." Pyrrha waved before starting to walk to her first class. Ruby nodded and turned back to start walking to her first class.

Once she had made it to her seat for her first-period class, Ruby had her homework with the other students' homework. The chair next to her moved, as Cinder moved to sit down. She had bags under her fire eyes that seemed to sag in exhaustion. She didn't have her usual smirk plastered on her face. A phone rested in her lap like she was waiting to feel the vibration of a notification. She didn't payanyattention to Ruby, as they both still felt uneasy about being track partners. After the first initial look, they stopped looking at each other.

After the class was dismissed Ruby speeded and walked her way to her next class as she avoided everyone who would glance in her direction. Once making it to her class, she sat down at one of the lab tables. As she pulled her stuff down, she prayedto herselfthat Penny wouldn't be there. She almost groaned loudly once she heard the chair moving across from her.

"Hi new friend." Ruby took a deep breathas shesent a quick glare to Penny, who was smiling like always. Once Penny noticed the quick glare, she stopped talking before clearing her throat. Seeming to understand the message, she left Ruby alone the rest of the day. Ruby thanked the heavens above as she looked down at her stuff, it was going to be a long class.

After class ended, Ruby wanted to pull her hair out from the chaos that ensued. During the lab that they had that day, one person exploded their face with smoke. Another had liquid spilled all over the floor. And the ginger head crazy was talking so much to noise the overflow of compound, that it exploded out of the bottle. Ruby was the only onetonot have any troubles. Turning in complete notes and acompletevial of the substance they were instructed to create.

Ruby started to walk out of the classroom in anger, her body couldn't move fast enough toget away fromeveryone. Skipping the lunch line, she made it to the library in a hurry. She opened the door to see it quiet, no one sitting at the main tables. Sneaking back, Ruby moved to the bean bag that she had been using the last few days. Plopping onto the bean bag she yawned, grabbing her phone she decided to text Flame.

'Hey, been in a bad mood today. But other than that it's been going okay. I'm about to take a power nap on the comfy bean bag. Wish me luck.'Ruby sent the text as she set the alarm for her nap.

Beep

Beep

Ruby groaned at the beeping sound from her phone as she scooped the phone in her hand, turning off the alarm. Letting out a long yawn she slowly rubbed her eyes of sleepiness. Noticing the clock, she woke up on time before class started. Moving out of the bean bag with some trouble, shestartedto walk out of the library. Bookbag in hand. Once she had made it to her class she sat down letting out a soft groan. Then a tap on her finger made her head fling upwards. There stood Pyrrha, with a gentle smile, in her hands were two coffees.

"I was unsure of what coffee you would like. So I got a white mocha, or a normal Mocca with some sugar stirred in." Ruby perked up at the sound of coffee running through her body. Ruby's eyes widened a bit at the kind gesture.

"U-uh, you got me… coffee? Why?" Ruby asked without much thought as she looked up at Pyrrha. She just chuckled, moving to sit next to Ruby.

"I noticed you seemed very out of it this morning. You are not a chatty person, but you looked very upset, and tired. So I thought some coffee might bring some life into you." Ruby could feel her heart beating against her chest.

'Why is she being so nice to me? She doesn't even realize how broken I am,'Slowly Ruby reached for the white mocca coffee that Pyrrha had offered. Pyrrha just smiled as she moved to sip on the other coffee she had gotten. Ruby sniffed her coffee before a breath of air escaped her lungs. She slowly put the lid to her mouth and sipped the liquid into her mouth. The coffee was at the perfect temperature to drink and not burn, but not cold. A smile slipped onto Ruby's face.

"T-Thank you Pyrrha. I… it'svery weirdto have someonedoa kind gesture to someone they don't know…" Ruby looked down as she could feel her heart being squeezed. Her fingers tightened around her cup as she took a small sip to distract herself.

"Even if I don't know you well. I do hope to get to know you. At your pace, of course, I'm not the greatest at making friendsto be honest. But I do enjoy your company, it's nice to have a silence that's not…awkward." Pyrrha confessed as Ruby looked up at her. Her eyes were shining like emeralds, yet her smile was soft. Not big and bright like the sun, not like Yang's who she found suffocating.

"I-I… I don't know what to say Pyrrha.." Ruby could feel the heat rise to her cheeks as she looked away, looking down at her coffee.

"And that's okay," Pyrrha reassured as she turned towards the front of the class. As Ruby's mouth went open Professor Port appeared in front of the class. He had a textbookin his hand, with a marker in the middle of the spine.

"Good afternoon students! I hope your lunch was good! But class is in session now, so please open your textbook for lesson three." Ruby sighed as she opened her textbook on her computer, and scooted her notebook closer. As the class went through, she kept sipping on that coffee. herheartracing at the thought of the kind gesture every time her fingers wrapped around that coffee. The words of Pyrrha echoed in her head.

'Why would she want to get to know me? I'm just a broken mess, left behind to glue pieces unknown to me. Yet here she is, didn't even know what happened last night. And give me coffee. And my heart feels likeit's going tobeat out of my chest every time I think about her. Ugh!'Ruby rubbed her forehead as a headache started to rise from the constant thoughts. Turning to look over at Pyrrha, she was going through the lesson, focusing on that instead of her.

After the lesson Pyrrha stood up as did Ruby, both starting to put their stuff away. Looking over, Ruby bites her lip. A plan in herheadforming, yetunsureif she wanted to move this far in her life.

'Fuck it, if I don't want to have contact with her, I'll just… avoid it."Ruby took a deep breath and followed Pyrrha out the door.

"You needed to talk about something? You normally always stay there since it's your next class." Ruby took a deep breathas sheshuffled weight onto her left and right leg.

"Look, I'm… shit at all of this. To talk to people, tomakingfriends, fuck even knowing how people function most of the time. But, I know you wanted to learn about the game Huntress. And I do… enjoy the company you provide in the mornings. So here." Ruby pulled out a slip of paper, writing down something onto the to handit to Pyrrhawitha rush of warmth invading her tilted her head before letting out a smile once she saw numbers on the sheet of paper.

"Thank you, Ruby, I will use this wisely." Ruby rolled her eyes a bit but had a small smileinvadingher face.

"Yeah yeah, just… Please don't make me regret it…" Ruby muttered as she rubbed the side of her noddedbeforesending a small wave before leaving for her next could feel the butterflies enter her stomach, staring at the back of Pyrrha. She couldn't believe she had just done that, a small chuckle from the nerves escaped. She turned around before entering the room again and satdownat her normal seat. A ding came from her phone as she looked at the message.

"This is Pyrrha,justputting you in my contacts!"Ruby gulped before scrolling down to the other text she had missed.

"I'm glad you got some rest between classes. Just let me know if you need to call, and I will step out of classesto do so."Ruby could feel heat move up her neck from the gentle words Flame sent to her. Gulping, she sent a message back to her.

"I'm doing better so no need for that! Plus I don't want to be bothering you in classes! I will call you tonight though, so Idohope that's okay."Ruby hit sent as she pocketed her phone in her hoodie pocket. Taking a deep breath, Ruby looks forward to waiting for her last class to start.

After the class had ended, Ruby gotupout of her seat andstarted to leave the classroom. Her phone buzzed as she pulled it out of her pocket. Looking at the message,itwas from Flame.

"Alright! Shoot me a message whenreadytonight!"Ruby smiled a bit before shoving her phone into her pocket as she started to jog home. Once she had made it she slipped in, noticing Yang at the kitchen stove. It looked like she was making something. Ruby took a deep sniff of the food, as the meat was what she could smell. She started to put her stuff up when Yang turned around.

"Ah, you made it back safe. Dinner will bedonesoon. And Dad will be able to join us tonight." Ruby rolled her eyes before starting to walk up the stairs. "Are you going to be joining us?" Ruby looked down as Yang had a smile, it wasn't as big as normal.

"Not today."was allRuby said before she walked into her room, closing it behind her. Sighing she rubbed her eyes, feeling moved to put her backpack onto the side deskasshethenmovedto lie down on her eyes stared at the wall before moving her hands to pull her phone took a deep breath beforegoing tothechatwith Pyrrhaonthe contacts.

"Hi, how do you take your coffee?"