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“...You don’t need to be here, Ruby.”
The girl tilted her head like a confused puppy. Weiss resisted both the urge to roll her eyes and pat the idiot on the head, either would just encourage her. Instead, she settled for looking down at the study material on her desk, hoping Ruby would get the hint and that her red-rimmed eyes didn’t ruin the aloof image she was trying to maintain.
But, of course, Ruby paid no heed to her body language. “Why wouldn’t I be here?”
“Because this is my punishment.” Weiss said, pretending to write critical information in her notebook. “And if you’re not going to at least help me study, then you should leave.” She glanced up briefly, giving Ruby a critical once over. The girl had entered the classroom only 5 minutes after Weiss, paying no mind to the sign outside the door that forbid entry from any other students or to Weiss frantically brushing away the tears streaming down her face. She took the seat right in front of Weiss and sat for maybe 5 seconds before seemingly getting bored and spinning around to sit backwards on the chair. Her stare had not left Weiss’s face in the 20 minutes they’d both been there. Even now, her head was resting on her crossed arms, not looking the slightest bit bored no matter how long Weiss ignored her.
At Weiss’s statement, she merely smiled. “I can help you study then! Although I’m not very good at it.” Ruby scooted her chair closer to Weiss’s desk to read the words in her textbook. She smelled like roses and Weiss hated how she noticed it. She felt her face burn and dropped her gaze back to her writing.
“You know as well as I do that you’re terrible with studying. You’re too slow to memorize, all you would be doing is hindering my progress.” Weiss said curtly. Even as she said the words they felt a little too harsh, but she really did just want to be left alone. It was embarrassing enough being here, the least her self-proclaimed “best friend” could do was save her the extra dose of humiliation.
Ruby didn’t look offended, however. She just continued to stare at Weiss with that dopey bright smile plastered on her face that made Weiss’s heart beat annoyingly fast. “Then I can just encourage you! Everyone always says I’m good at that.”
This time Weiss couldn’t resist the urge to roll her eyes. “I doubt one of your patented morale speeches will help my studying, Ruby. This isn’t the track team.” She could practically see physical gears turning in Ruby’s head as she struggled to find a good excuse to stay. It was almost cute how her face lit up when she thought of an idea. It was a good thing Weiss didn’t find it cute.
“Then maybe I can -”
“Ruby.” Weiss interrupted. She needed to nip this in the bud. “I get what you’re trying to do, but I don’t need your sympathy. It’s a single detention, it’s not the end of the world for me.” It was, actually. When Weiss thought about what her father would do when the school notified him, she wanted to start crying all over again. But, god, she couldn’t tell that to Ruby. She couldn’t tell that to anyone. It made her feel pathetic just thinking about how she had panicked when the teacher handed her a detention slip.
Ruby’s smile dimmed, the only indication Weiss got that the girl was taking her words even slightly more serious. “I’m not here because I pity you, Weiss.”
Weiss scoffed. Thinking about her father had her mood souring quickly. “Right. Then I’ll ask again, why are you here? Is it fun to see me lose face? Does it entertain you?”
“What? Off course it doesn’t! I’m - “
“Then leave.” Weiss could feel her eyes begin to burn with tears again. She willed them not to fall. “I’m not here to be your charity case, Ruby Rose. I don’t need you following me like a stray all over school. You are always trailing after me, and for what? I don’t know what you think of me - “
“We’re friends, Weiss - “
“Don’t give me that!” Weiss bolted up from her desk so hard the chair fell back with a bang. She was yelling. People can definitely hear them, she should stop. Oh god but she couldn’t. The words tumbled out of her mouth like the tears that fell from her eyes. “No one is friends with me. I know how you all talk behind my back, ‘isn’t it nice how Ruby is pretending to be friends with the Ice Queen? It’s so kind of her to give that stuck up rich girl the time of day.’” She could tell Ruby wanted to deny it, but it was no secret how people looked at Weiss, or how strange it had been for Beacon Academy’s star athlete to suddenly declare the two of them best friends.
It was obvious Ruby couldn’t think of something to say back, but Weiss wouldn’t have stopped regardless. “But I don’t need your kindness, Ruby Rose. I don’t want it. So why don’t you just get out and leave me the hell alone!” Everyone else already hated her. She knew rumors about her getting detention were already spreading like wildfire. The “perfect princess” finally being taken down a peg. So Ruby could take her pretty eyes and her kind smile and her stupid, dorky laugh and leave Weiss alone just like everyone else did.
For a few minutes after Weiss’s outburst, the two were completely silent. Weiss felt a flush of embarrassment creep up her face the longer Ruby just stared at her without saying anything. But despite how increasingly awkward Weiss felt, Ruby’s face refused to show a hint of what she was thinking. Eventually, Weiss gave up. She clenched her teeth, sat back down with a huff, and went back to gazing at her barely-written-in notebook.
Ruby spoke. “I always thought you were really cool.”
Weiss’s head shot up. “What?” She was even more surprised when she saw Ruby’s face slowly becoming redder. The girl’s eyes darted around, looking anywhere but at Weiss.
“I - I don’t know. Back before I talked to you, I always thought you were cool.” Ruby looked down at her hands sheepishly. “You’re smart, and you always tell people what you’re thinking. Like you don’t care what other people think about you.” Weiss almost laughed at the ridiculous notion. She would have, if her throat wasn’t so dry.
“I never really thought about how it would look to other people or anything.” Ruby said. “I just - I felt like I needed you to know who I was, like I wanted you to pay attention to me.” Her face just kept getting redder. “You know?”
Weiss didn’t know at all. She had no clue what Ruby was saying, or why it was making her heart beat so fast.
She forced herself to speak, “What are you trying to say?”
For the first time since Weiss has known her, Ruby actual looked annoyed. “I’m trying to say I wanted you to be my friend, Weiss. I’m not here out of whatever twisted idea of sympathy you have in your head right now. I’m here because I want to be around you, is that so bad?”
This would be so much easier for Weiss to process if Ruby’s stupid silver eyes weren’t looking up at her like a wounded animal. If her stupid words didn’t make Weiss’s heart flutter. If the idea of someone wanting to just be with her didn’t make her want to cry all over again.
Ruby kept going, not once breaking eye contact with Weiss. “You don’t have to tell me why you were crying. You don’t have to tell me anything about why detention made you so scared. But can you at least let me stay with you?” She reached over the desk and took Weiss’s hand in her own. Her hand was rough, calloused and warm. Weiss didn’t know whether the right thing to do was pull away or never let go. “I just - I want you to think of me as someone you can trust.”
Again, Weiss wanted to laugh. She had never had someone she could trust. The only one she ever opened up to was Winter, and not even her sister knew how lonely and isolated Weiss felt every single day of her life. Who was Ruby to waltz into Weiss’s life like she had a right to be there? What gave her so much confidence to act like there was already a spot in Weiss’s heart that she was destined to fill? It kind of made Weiss hate her. It kind of made Weiss love her.
The thought made Weiss balk, and she very quickly shook it from her mind. Ruby was still in front of her, however, staring at her with hopeful and patient eyes. Weiss sighed. “I’m not going to start sobbing into your arms, if that’s what you’re hoping for.” The other girl had the gall to look sheepish. Weiss willed her face to stay it’s natural color. “But, I’m willing to give you a proper trial run.”
Ruby’s face brightened instantly. She bounced in her seat like she couldn’t control her sudden burst of energy. “Really? You’ll really let me keep being your friend?” She asked, like a child that was given permission to eat dessert before dinner.
Weiss rolled her eyes. “Yes, really. But on three conditions.” Ruby’s head nodded so quickly Weiss was afraid it would fall off.
“One, stop stealing my pudding cups at lunch. It’s not my fault your diet consists only of sugar, and I buy them for myself.” Ruby pouted, it was not cute. “Second, if your obnoxious sister insists on sitting with us, she can at least stop glaring at me like I’ve corrupted you. Third,” Weiss smirked, “If you really want to help me study, then you better be serious about it. No getting distracted 5 minutes in and trying to show me pictures of your dog.” Weiss stretch out her hand.
Ruby grimaced, but only for a second. She took the hand Weiss had offered and gave it a good shake. “Does this mean that I can make those matching T-shirts - “
“No.”