Archive of Our Own

He planned the entire day. Before their arrival, Whitley researched the layout of the mall and the surrounding commercial area. There are select stores that piqued his interest, but there was nothing like the expertise of someone who walked the halls. With Ruby’s guidance, they should be in and out in a matter of no time. Weiss informs him she is walking toward the south entrance at this very moment.

However, this is the opposite of what they told Father. According to him, they will be attending an opera at noon. They left early to account for traffic and will arrive downtown in time for lunch. They will eat before the show, watch the four hours, and will return home promptly before supper. It was the perfect scheme, and Whitley did not have to lift a finger for his approval. 

"There she is," Weiss points out. In the distance, a trio of teenagers walks their direction. A tall couple—one woman with golden blonde hair and another with a bob—lead the way for a more familiar sight. Whitley was sure he had seen the couple before. Most likely, they are from Weiss’s social media feed. Father often critiques Weiss's content in front of Whitley. He would judge them with precision—pointing out the flaws in her outfits to her hair—that left a sour taste in his mouth. He is thankful every day for not having social media.

Ruby wears a fluffy red coat and a beanie. She waves animatedly as if the siblings missed her somehow. Weiss returns the gesture more conservatively. As soon as she catches Weiss's sign, Ruby picks up the speed. She runs a steady six paces—locking her gaze on Weiss. She enters the intersection when a car hits the brakes in front of her. The driver honks. Ruby apologies and quickly recovers. She jogs the rest of the way.

"You dolt! Watch where you're going!" Weiss scolds. "We're not trying to go to the emergency room today!"

"Awww. We're not?" Ruby teases her with a laugh. She catches her breath and stumbles over to the pair. "I hope Yang didn't see that," she pants. She turns to the side and catches the pair waving at her, laughing. Judging from that, they saw Ruby’s clumsiness in full display.

Ruby inches closer to Weiss and places a gentle kiss on Weiss's cheek. She grins at her, a hint of rose warms her cheeks, then faces the other way. "They're going to see a movie?" she asks, staring in their direction. Whitley follows her gaze. The pair walk in the opposite direction, going to the conjoined cinema owned by the mall.

"Yeah," Ruby sighs. "Some… rom-com type movie." She sticks her tongue out. "Lame." She turns to the siblings. "Thanks for inviting me. I'd rather do this than watch a movie with my sister and her GF."

"Well, it should have been a double date," Weiss sneers, "but Whitley had other plans that I couldn't avoid," she adds bitterly. He quickly averts his gaze away from his sister.

He feels a jab at his sides. "Good job, Whitley. That was smart thinking," she playfully winks at him. "Saved me from third-wheeling…"

He finally speaks up, remembering to take a breather. "Of course. Thank you for escorting us."

She nods, taking Weiss's gloved hand, and leads the way inside the mall. 

The warmth from inside waves over Whitley. He thinks about stripping off his coat but unzips it instead. The three of them walk along the wide corridor. Local shops form two parallel lines facing each other. Nothing of interest, of course. 

The further they travel, the louder the mall grows. Holiday music blares throughout the entire building. On top of that, various chatting among the shoppers echoes across the mall. Whitley hears bits and pieces of conversation but cannot trace the sounds. 

The corridor opens to reveal the epicenter of the mall. A holiday tree stands three stories tall in front of him. Ruby and his sister lag behind. Unlike him, she peels off her coat and hands it to Ruby. She graciously accepts it, sending every other couple around in envy.

"You look pretty," Ruby compliments, leaving a slew of various implications behind the word.

Weiss bids her a quick thank you and confesses, "As far as Father knows, he thinks I'm accompanying Whitley to an opera."

"An opera?"

She hums. "Operas can last up to five hours long. That should be enough time to run this errand."

Father allows the siblings an allotted social activity once a week; this includes activities such as the cinema, concerts, and live performances. And once a month, they are granted a free activity with no restricted curfew; shopping, partying, and study sessions fall into this category. As the month comes to a close, Weiss has yet to use her free activity. Whitley plans on using his free activity for the holiday social at the end of the month. But that is up in the air at the time being. That is why lying about their location was best for them.

Ruby hums in response. "Speaking of… what are we doing here?" she asks. 

She and Weiss look at Whitley for an answer. He states the obvious, "To shop."

"Yes, but for whom?" Ruby giggles. "For you?"

"No," he shakes his head. "For a… friend." He is unsure of the word himself.

He anticipates Weiss's reaction, but she shrugs and says, "Okay."

"Sounds good," Ruby adds. "Where to?"

"Umm…," he rubs the back of his head. Whitney hates being doubtful. "I am not exactly sure where to look," he confides, "that is why we asked for your help."

"Oh, yeah, sure." She guides them towards a mall directory. They face a large map and poster advertisements on either side. His sister picks up a pamphlet while Ruby scans the map. "So, we're… over here," she points at a red dot south of the map. She is intensely concentrating. Whitley thinks she might explode on impact. "What does your friend like?"

What does he like? Whitley feels himself growing hot in a panic. "I am not exactly sure," once again, he rubs the base of his neck.

"Okay," Ruby carries Weiss's coat in front of her. "What do you know about them?"

Whitley thinks back on their conversations. "He moved here recently from out of the country. He lives with his aunt. He mentioned something about a farm. We go to the same school. We are in the same history class—”

"History!" Ruby exclaims. "Does he like history?"

He thinks back again—deeper this time. "I do not think so," he mutters, "again, I am not exactly sure…" he feels his ears grow hotter of embarrassment. 

"How about we…," Weiss speaks up, "...explore the perimeter of the mall and see what we find," she suggests. "Okay?"

Ruby beams at her, "Okay." She turns to him. "Whitley? Sounds good to you?"

He feels Weiss stare down at him. They wait patiently for an answer. "Yes," he nods.

"Okay!" Ruby leans off the directory with grace, swings an arm around Weiss's shoulders, and tosses Weiss's coat over her free shoulder. His sister keeps her attention on the map in her hand. "My girlfriend is so smart," Whitley overhears her say. He trots deeper into the mall behind them.

Instead of exploring the current level, Ruby and Weiss head towards the escalator. They descend, with Whitley lagging a couple of steps behind them. Ruby catches his gaze, "We're starting from the bottom up. Okay?"

He agrees with a nod.

On the lower level, a board much like the directory greets them at the base of the escalator. It was a calendar of all of the holiday events this month. Every other Saturday was a special appearance from Father Winter. And for every Saturday he does not show up, he makes an appearance on Sunday. Whoever this fake Father Winter is must be enjoying his once a week schedule for one month of the year.

Other events fill in the calendar as well. There was always something going on every week. "Hmm… next week looks interesting," Ruby comments.

Whitley's eyes land on the event next Saturday: 

Holiday Drumline

5-7 pm

"Holiday Drumline," he reads aloud. "What is that?”

"That's Ruby's drum performance," Weiss answers.

"Our school percussionists have been rehearsing all month." Ruby nudges Weiss's side, "You'll be there, won't you?”

"Of course," she blushes, "you’ve been bugging me about it all week…" so that is why Weiss lied to Father. She plans on using her free monthly outing... for Ruby.

"Yeah, it will be fun!" Ruby cheers. "Whitley, you should come next week!" 

He strokes the nape of his neck, "I would love to Ruby," he admits, "but I have a holiday social at the end of the month…"

"Oh, okay," she says understandably. "Well, if we can't hang out again next week, as I say, we always have today." She glances at the calendar again, scanning at the schedule. "Hey, look at this," Ruby says, pointing at today. "Father Winter is here!" she exclaims as a child would. "We should check it out!"

Weiss rolls her eyes, "Don't be ridiculous," she scoffs. "They won't allow a bunch of teenagers to take photo-ops with Father Winter, Ruby."

"Not with that attitude they won't," she says. "Unless," she gasps, "you're on the naughty list."

"Pardon?" Whitley chimes in.

"You know, those stores—the song," Ruby explains to him. She gives a detailed breakdown of Father Winter’s lore. He has existed for centuries, delivering presents for kids around the world. Families bake him cookies, and he goes down a chimney. To Whitley, his methods seem flawed and illogical, not to mention illegal.

Whitley shakes his head after each explanation. "I am sorry, Ruby, I am not following."

"We didn't grow up believing in Father Winter," Weiss tells her on his behalf. "Father merely gave us our holiday presents. There was no magic. There was no spirit of holiday joy. There was nothing special about it," she lowers her voice in the last part.

"Aww, Weiss," Ruby embraces her. She hesitantly reciprocates the gesture. Weiss quickly melts in her arms. Ruby rubs her back in comfort. They break away. "Then we have to do it!" she says determinedly. "We have to!"

She leads them toward the base of the holiday tree. The tree is larger from the lower level than where he stood earlier. A moderately sized line forms around the scene. The decorations are festive. The staff is dressed for the occasion—to mimic the illusion of being in a winter wonderland. Parents and families wrangle their children to no avail. And in front, sitting on a throne is Father Winter himself. The actor is dressed in a thick robe and has a shaggy beard. The man reminds Whitley of his grandfather.

The three of them fall in line. The family upfront wraps up their photos with Father Winter, so they step forward.

Weiss bounces on the balls of her feet. "I feel ridiculous."

"Are you nervous?" Ruby inclines.

"No," she scoffs. 

She is not alone there. Whitley did not expect to take this impromptu event into account on this trip. Luckily he was dressed up, but he was ten years too late.

"Ruby?" A masculine voice calls her name.

Ruby snaps her head in the direction of the voice. "Jaune!" She steps out of line for a moment to greet this person. He towers over her and carries an infant in his arms. Whitley observes as they banter briefly; they eventually join the queue. "Weiss, you remember Jaune, right?" They reintroduce themselves meekly. "From my birthday party," she adds. Ruby turns to Whitley, "and this is Weiss's brother, Whitley."

"Hey, nice to meet you," he greets. For a guy who stands tall physically, his demeanor is quite timid. 

"And who's this handsome boy?" Weiss coos, tickling the baby's chest.

"This is Adrian, my nephew."

"Oh, no way! Does this mean your sister is with you?" Ruby asks, excitedly.

"Yeah, I asked her to bring me to the mall to get a gift for Pyrrha. They went off to buy soaps, so I was tasked to take him to see Father Winter. We’ll meet up later." Whitley was sure he said all of that in one breath. "So, are you guys here to see Father Winter?" Them being in line should be evident enough.

"Yeah," Ruby answers on their behalf. "These two have never seen Father Winter."

He gasps. "Never?"

"Never," Ruby says. 

"Seriously?"

"That's why we're here."

"Oh my God."

"Yeah."

"Tragic."

"I know."

While they wait, Ruby and Jaune catch up. They know each other because they are neighbors. His girlfriend, Pyrrha, attends the same school as Ruby and Weiss. 

The baby Jaune carries across his chest stares at Whitley. His wide eyes look at him curiously. It makes him uncomfortable. "Umm… why is the baby staring at me?”

Jaune looks down at his nephew. "Oh, that just means he likes you."

Adrian's beady eyes continue staring. Whitley stares back, narrowing his eyes.

And just like that, they carry along with their conversation.

For some reason, even if Whitley is with them physically, he does not grasp the same sense of connection. Even Weiss manages to pitch in the conversation. He feels unwanted. Unneeded, in their presence. His sister coddles the baby in Jaune's arms. He has never seen her act this way around small children before. This makes him ponder...

They are third in the queue, now. Their banter dies down a bit. Whitley cranes his head up toward the holiday tree. "How tall do you think that tree is?“

Weiss groans, "Whitley."

He retracts his observation in shame. "Good question, Whitley," Ruby tells him. He perks up as Ruby looks at the tree above them. She makes a guesstimate—tossing around a series of formulas to calculate the height. She attempts to decipher the tree as more of a cone but falters—not knowing the exact area. The same goes for triangles. "It's hard, ya know?" she thinks aloud. "Mathematics has its practicalities but it's different in real life than on a page." She calculates the height to be roughly around 30 feet. "It could be taller," she shrugs.

"Or shorter," he adds. She sends him a smile.

"Next!" The call of the worker lures them forward.

"Hi!"

"Five dollars per person."

Well, this guy is not particularly festive, Whitley thinks.

Ruby digs through her coat pockets and takes out a twenty-dollar bill.

"Ruby, you don't…"

"It's okay… I have some money saved up," she reassures his sister. She pays the guy, and he hands over her change. He pulls back the velvet rope, letting the three of them through.

Neither Whitley nor Weiss look ecstatic at the idea of taking pictures with Father Winter. He looks at the actor, who wears a permanent blush on his cheeks. He must be burning up inside that costume. "Ho, ho, ho!" the man greets. "Which one of you youngsters would like to go first?"

Whitley and Ruby's eyes land on Weiss. "She will go first," he says. Weiss sends him a scowl.

She sighs, "Fine."

Ruby pulls out her phone. "Go ahead, babe; I'll take your pictures."

"You also get an 8×11 print," another worker adds.

"Nice!"

Father Winter scoots to the side of his throne to let Weiss sit next to him. Whitley stands next to Ruby, watching her capture Weiss. Through the screen, he sees the two talking. Because of the holiday music and mall noise, he can barely make out his thoughts. "What do you tell him again?" he asks Ruby.

"You tell him what you want for the holidays."

He smirks, "Can it be anything?"

She chuckles, "With reason, of course. I asked Father Winter for laser eye powers once.” She says, adding a dramatic pause. “Didn't get it."

After a minute, Weiss stands from the chair, thanks Father Winter, and walks over to Ruby and Whitley. She sighs in relief.

"Well," Ruby leans forward, "how was it?"

"It was fun. I had butterflies leading up to it, but it was nice. I'm glad I did it."

Unbeknownst to Whitley, the two lock hands. Weiss squeezes Ruby’s hand.

Ruby grins at her. "That's nice," she says. "Okay, Whitley, your turn." Her smile grows three sizes wider.

He lets out a breath he does not know he was holding in. The man on the chair stays on the edge, leaving enough room for him to sit.

"Ho, ho, ho," Father Winter laughs heartily, "hello young man!" he greets. "What's your name?"

"Whitley," he forces a smile.

"Ho, ho, ho, nice to meet you, Whitley!" He takes a seat on the chair next to Father Winter. “Tell me, Whitley, have you been good this year?”

“Yes.”

He peers at the crowd in front of them. "I have a feeling that young lady is your sister," he points to Weiss.

"Yes."

"Are you nice to your sister?"

That question was unexpected. All Ruby mentioned about Father Winter was that he gave children presents during the holidays. What did she say about Weiss? She was on the naughty list? There was an entire list of delinquent children? Maybe this was his form of evaluation—some assessment of judgment.

He reconciles all the times Weiss was not nice to him. How she left him in the dust at every opportunity. She teased him. He was an annoyance to her. She was rarely fond of him.

But that is not the issue at hand.

Whitley thinks about the moments when Weiss cut him some slack. Even if her relationship with Father is a bitter one, she would end up taking the possible bullet. Today, for instance, Weiss lied to Father about accompanying him to the opera, which was a ridiculous lie. She lies strategically. He knows she would take the blame if Father ever finds out about today. 

He finds himself in a deeper hole. The man asked if he was nice to her. His eyebrows knit. He has never done anything wrong. 

He forces another smile, "Yes."

"Good!" he says, with no further questions asked. "Now, what would you like for the holidays?"

Whitley nods at the question. He tells Father Winter his answer. Father Winter pretends to ponder his response. 

"Hmm…," he thinks, "that shouldn't be a problem, Whitley. You have good prospects right there," Father Winter directs their attention at Ruby, who waves at him from behind her phone. Weiss clings to her arm. Jaune is behind the velvet rope with his nephew. Whitley thinks of the person he is buying a gift for. 

A shutter sound and a flash bring him back to the mall. He thanks Father Winter for his time and returns to his sister's side. "What?" she asks bitterly.

"Nothing."

"Okay, my turn," Ruby hands Weiss back her coat and pecks her cheek. She sits next to Father Winter like the two are long-time pals. Weiss snaps Ruby’s photo, she talks animatedly with him—so confident she is on the nice list. She deserves to be.

Once her time with Father Winter wrapped up, Ruby beckons the siblings over. Whitley looks to his sister for guidance. “Oh…,” she groans. They possess a mutual understanding. She does not question Ruby’s motives. Weiss moves to the rope barrier and offers Ruby’s phone to Jaune. “Do you mind taking our photo?”

“I don’t mind,” Jaune lets down Adrian in exchange for Ruby’s phone.

Weiss drags her brother back over to Father Winter. It feels like a punishment. It is more of a punishment when his sister leaves him to stand on Father Winter’s other side while she takes her place next to Ruby. Together, it seems Whitley is... what did Ruby call it? Third-wheeling. That is the correct term. And that is exactly how he feels. 

Once the group photo is done, Whitley drags his feet back to his place near the rope. Ruby thanks Father Winter again, and holds Weiss’s hand back to him. Weiss retrieves Ruby’s phone from Jaune and returns it to her. When they leave the winter wonderland, the photographer hands Ruby their official photos. Whitley peeks over her shoulder to see the quality of the photographs himself. A red and white border frames the picture. On the lower right corner, it reads: 

Happy Holidays!

From, Father Winter

He gets a glimpse of his photo. He looks… unnaturally normal.

“Hm, I’m surprised it looks so warm under the cool lights,” Weiss critiques.

Ruby giggles, “You look happy.”

“Are you suggesting I’m not happy?” she retaliates. 

“No, baby, I’m saying you have a resting bitch face,” Ruby pulls Weiss close and murmurs something in her ear, which makes his sister slightly blush.

Jaune calls out Ruby’s name. She turns around and sees him offering his phone. “Hey, I know you guys are done, but can you stick around and take our pictures?”

“Yeah, of course.”

Ruby does all of the work. Whitley and Weiss mainly standby. He notices how Weiss watches Ruby adoringly. Their time apart is brief, it is not even much to be sappy about, but for some reason, somehow, she cannot take her eyes off her.

When Jaune and Adrian get done, Ruby returns his phone, and they meet up with the siblings. Whitley manages to catch the tail end of their conversation—specifically, Ruby’s part, “Maybe I can watch over him?”

“That sounds fantastic,” Weiss perks up.

“Pardon? Who?”

“Adrian,” Jaune answers. “When my sister’s out, she trusts me to watch over him—being the baby of the family and all. But with my time at college and work, my schedule isn't too reliable.” He faces Ruby, “Rubes, are you sure?”

“Yeah, dude, I got you covered,” she wraps an arm around Weiss, “plus, Weiss can help out. It’s fine.”

“Yes, I’d do anything to spend more time with this sweetheart,” Weiss baby-talks to Adrian.

Envy rises in Whitley. 

Ruby and Jaune say their good-byes. He promises to give more details on the babysitting gig whenever he gets a chance to talk with his sister. Jaune carries Adrian in his arms, the baby waves at them from behind. They walk westward, toward the holiday tree, and then they are gone.

Ruby stuffs the photos with Father Winter in her sling bag. “I’ll keep these in here for safekeeping. Let me know when you want them.”

“Of course,” Weiss agrees.

“I think our detour with Father Winter threw a wrench in our itinerary,” he says offhandedly.

“Don’t be so dramatic, Whitley,” provokes Weiss. “That was barely thirty minutes.”

He sighs, “It felt like forever.”

“Hey, hey, how about we start window shopping? We’re in the center of the mall now, we can go either direction: north, east, south, or west.”

“And if we fail to find anything down here?”

“If we don’t find anything you like, we go up.”

“What are the chances we do not find something down here?”

Ruby laughs, “Okay, so, the likelihood of finding nothing at the mall is extremely slim. By the end of the day, I’m confident we’ll find your gift!”

He smiles at her enthusiasm.

“Oh, also, if we’re ever lost or split up, we meet up at the holiday tree.”

“How absurd. We have phones for a reason.”

“Sometimes the reception isn’t so great—especially in the larger stores—best to be safe than sorry.”

Whitley nods absently and leads the way eastward. His eyes land on brand names on either side of him. The window displays and storefronts tell so much. Some are more appealing than others. One store has a sale in progress: buy two shirts, get one free. What a complete rip-off. There is probably some notorious catch like they have to be the same price or cannot be marked down. These sorts of scams are common in Father’s business practice.

The name of the store has a graffiti design as the logo. He finds himself lingering in the entranceway. Comically-looking hats hang on a wall. The place inside appears dim—from the paint on the walls or lack of proper lighting. Several customers are shopping inside. Whitley makes note of his observation. “How about this place?” he asks, looking at his sister and Ruby.

“Err, I’d steer clear away from this store.”

Weiss looks at her, just as confused as Whitley. “Why do you say that?” Ruby answers in Weiss’s ear. She retracts, appalled. “Let’s move along.”

“Pardon? May I ask why?”

“Let’s just say… this place isn’t suitable for our people—especially with you being a minor.”

He scoffs, “This place sells shirts.”

“That’s just the front. The back half has… something extra,” Ruby says, with a little uneasiness in her words.

Despite the vagueness, Whitley trusts Ruby's intuition. So they move along. The three of them walk by a wide variety of clothing stores—each suited for multiple levels of socioeconomic status. One sells business casual clothing. Whitley can see Father's associates wearing the outfits on the mannequins. Another retailer sells shoes—loafers, oxfords, derby shoes, and the like. Shoes might make a decent gift; the only obstacle is the proper size. The shop across sells cell phones and phone accessories. Out of his options, perhaps a new case for his friend can be in order. He bounces his ideas with Ruby.

"Well, what's your budget?”

"My budget?"

"Of course. What's your price range."

"Oh, sweetie, those are two different things."

"Well, I'm only asking because your friend might not be the kind of person who likes expensive things."

"What are you talking about? Everyone likes nice things."

"No- okay- look, see this coat?”

"Yes."

"This coat costs sooo much. It costs more than my tuition. And… the thought of the price of the gift… makes me uncomfortable."

"Ruby, I bought you this coat."

"Yes, I know, and I love it. So, you see, Whitley, not everyone likes expensive things. Sometimes it's better to give something in a reasonable price range."

"May I ask what an adequate price range is? My current budget is $200."

"Okay, okay, okay, okay, wait, what?"

"Should I go lower?"

"Yes," she firmly nods. "Think about how well you know your friend."

"There is not much to say; I met him a couple of months ago."

"Okay, so, imagine receiving a $200 gift from an acquaintance. How would you feel about that?"

"They might seek to take advantage of me."

"Right. Exactly."

"Like bribery."

"That's a big word, but sure."

"If I were to lower my budget… $100?" Ruby points to the ground, indicating to go lower. “...$50?”

She sighs in relief, "That sounds like a good amount."

"$50 is my weekly allowance."

"Father gives you $50? I only get $30," Weiss grunts. "Ugh, sexist pig," she adds under her breath.

Ruby lays a hand on Weiss's shoulder. "Now that we have that out of the way, our other issue is what to give your friend. Let's keep walking."

They pass by another store not too different from the one they first saw. The logo is blockier in design. The store is also noticeably dark inside. Instead of holiday music like the rest of the mall and other stores, heavy metal blares through the speakers. They also have a sale for shirts. Plus, another one for hats.

“This place is right up Ruby’s alley,” Weiss chuckles.

“Rude,” she tells Weiss. “Don’t stereotype me.” Ruby looks over at Whitley. “Is this a place you think your friend might like?”

Looking at the employees’ brightly colored hair and tattoo sleeves, he withdraws the prospecting idea. He shakes his head.

“Okay, well, I’m gonna go look around.”

Weiss rolls her eyes. “I thought you said this wasn’t your type of store.”

“I didn’t say that. I said don’t stereotype me.” She begins to head inside the store.

“Wait,” Weiss catches Ruby’s elbow, “can I check out the photos from earlier?”

“Yeah,” Ruby fishes out her phone and hands it to Weiss. “Do you remember the passcode?”

“Your birthday.”

“Yup.” She kisses Weiss’s cheek. “I’ll be right back.”

Walking in, she greets an employee. Looking at his sister, he can see her placing a hand on the cheek Ruby kissed. 

He strays out of the way of other shoppers. It feels humiliating, stepping aside for these commoners. Weiss does not mind, nonetheless, care. She scrolls through Ruby’s phone, thumbing the photos of them. She zooms in on the image—of her and Ruby's faces, cheeks pressed together. She pinches the screen, Whitley sees himself barely on the edge of the screen.

True to her word, she returns to their side. “Didn't find anything?”

"No. Nothing." Ruby presses a kiss to Weiss's temple, retrieving her phone back. "I was hoping to find your holiday gift there." His sister grimaces. "Kidding! I'm kidding!" she laughs. "No, seriously, I couldn't find anything decent in the clearance rack." Whitley does not know what to make of the phrase. "So, shall we keep going?”

The siblings nod in agreement. The deeper they walk eastward, the more feminine the retails' entrances look. The brands' fonts are a cursive script with pink and white. Whitley assures himself he will not find something for his friend in there. 

In the middle of the walkway is a kiosk for sunglasses. Ruby steps closer to the booth and tries on a pair of glasses. Weiss giggles at her. Ruby picks up another pair on display and offers Weiss to try it on. She obliges, bemusing her. He stands next to his sister, watching them check out the sunglasses. Maybe this can work as a suitable gift, but he cannot recall a single time his friend ever wore sunglasses. He scrubs the idea completely. 

The longer they window shop in the east wing of the mall, the more desperate he feels. They reach a department store, marking the end of the wing.

"A dead end," Whitley grumbles.

"Hey, don't worry, Whitley," Ruby places a supportive hand on his shoulder, "we still have the other side of the mall and an entire second floor."

"We can try the department store," Weiss suggests.

Ruby shrugs, "Eh. This place is known for its clothes, beauty products, and... kitchen appliances for some reason. The other shops are where it's at; it's more fun that way."

Whitley agrees hesitantly. "Where to next?"

Weiss looks over her foldable map and directs their attention to a nearby corner, "There's an elevator/escalator right there. We can go up, or make our way back where we came from."

He analyzes both of them. Ruby shrugs again, "I'm fine with whatever." Ruby catches him staring, "Looks like it's your call, Whitley."

Whitley catches Weiss's permanent scowl. It seems like no matter what he chooses, he will make the wrong call in her eyes. The balcony above them interests him. He puffs out his chest and suggests, “Perhaps we can check the upper level.”

"Okay!" Ruby beams, "Weiss, okay with you?" She mutters something unintelligible, which Ruby takes as a yes. They make their way up the escalator, back to the floor where they started. Sunlight from the skylight shines on their faces. High noon was approaching.

At the top, more feminine clothing stores come into view. They display more specialized clothing such as swimsuits and leggings. A store across sells maternity clothes. He watches Ruby and Weiss's reactions. Ruby does not seem to mind, Weiss on the other hand, lingers at the window displays. 

Then one store forces him to stop walking. Oversized posters of women in their undergarments are plastered on windows. Whitley couldn't believe this… indecency on public display. 

He forces his legs to carry him past the storefront until Ruby calls his name. He swiftly turns around to find his sister inside the store. Ruby remains in the walkway like a shield was blocking her way inside. 

Weiss crosses back out of the store, taking Ruby's hand. "I think I'll... browse in here for a while." 

"Okay," is all Ruby says. 

"Come with?” Weiss beckons, wearing a brave face.

Ruby shakes her head. "No, thanks." She looks Whitley's way, "I'll hate to leave Whitley alone. You go ahead, babe, I'll keep an eye on him." He couldn't believe his ears. These two are talking about him like he is some incompetent child.

Weiss shrugs in acceptance. "Suit yourself."

"Do you want your coat?" Ruby offers.

"Yes, please." Ruby slips Weiss's coat over her shoulders. "Be good, Whitley," she scolds.

He rolls his eyes at her.

"Call me when you're done," Ruby says. "We'll walk around the floor, I promise we won't stray too far—"

"All right, all right."

"And if we can't reach each other, meet us at the holiday tree," Ruby adds.

"Will do," Weiss promises, giving Ruby a chaste kiss. She walks back inside the store.

Whitley notices Ruby in a trance, watching Weiss go. A slight blush appears on her cheeks. She clears her throat, "Let's head west?”

"Is that not where we entered?"

"Yes… well… you'll see."

He cannot figure out why Ruby is so indirect with him. Without his sister's map, all he has to guide him is Ruby, Weiss's… 

"How would you define your relationship with my sister?"

She hacks violently. "As in… my intentions with Weiss?"

He mulls it over. "Yes."

After a moment's reflection, she gives him an answer. "Your sister and I are dating. We've been going steady for about a year. I consider her my girlfriend."

"You managed to court her?"

"Uhh… something like that."

"Did you take the necessary procedures of a formal relationship?"

"Umm… rephrase that for me?"

"Of course. Did you meet with Father for her hand…"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Ruby exclaims, wide-eyed. "That's, like, marriage. We're not there, yet." She deeply exhales. "Yes, I did meet your father. If that's what you're asking."

He nods at the response. "And he approves of your relationship?"

Ruby slows her pace. They stop in front of a jewelry store, no, two jewelry stores, and she invites him to sit on a bench with her. 

Ruby looks fatigued—like she has been carrying a ton of weight.

"Listen, Whitley… to answer your question: no," she chuckles nervously at the confession. Whitley tilts his head. She shields her face with her gloved hand. 

"Your father visited me one night, at my house, and he offered me a thousand dollars to break up with Weiss and never speak to her again." She sighs. "I told him off and to save that money for our wedding." She smiles a little. 

"Weiss knows all of this, minus the last bit, and we've jumped through so many hoops just to see each other.

"I don't know how your father found out about us; Weiss tries to keep our relationship a secret as much as possible." A sense of guilt rises in him. "That was the first and last time I met your father, and boy, what a guy." He cannot decide whether to agree or disagree with that statement.

Another question occurs in him. "Why does Father not approve of your relationship?"

"I can think of a couple of reasons… all pertaining to me—"

"Like what?"

"Like… as in… my socioeconomic status. Is that the term?"

"It is. However, I would not hold it against you."

"I appreciate it; he would say otherwise."

"Maybe there is some way you can convince him to change his mind?"

"Like what?"

"A diamond."

"For him?"

"For Weiss."

She shoots up from the bench. "Whoa, wait a minute, I'm not ready for that! Whitley, I'm only in high school! I don't even know how to drive, yet!" She furiously rubs her hands. "Plus, it's way above my budget."

He presses his lips together at the revelation. Ruby has reasonable points. Maybe Whitley should not have jumped the gun on the situation. He has to be patient. 

The two jewelry stores cross his vision as he rises from the bench. "Do you know why there are two jewelry stores relatively close to each other?"

Ruby shrugs. "Capitalism?"

Whitley hums in agreement. He rises to his feet and continues heading west. They cross the holiday tree again, against the railing, he notices the line dwindling.

His stomach suddenly grumbles. He does not recall feeling this way before.

Ruby notices, "Uh oh," she chuckles, "you getting hungry?"

"I believe so."

She nods, "We'll wait for Weiss. The food court is on the third floor. You have to check it out!"

"Food court?"

"As in fast food!"

"Does the mall have finer dining establishments? One with distinguished tastes?"

Ruby scratches her head. "There's a sports bar arcade. It's not too far from here."

"What is that?"

"It's like a Pizza Rat Palace for adults."

"Pardon?"

She scrunches her face. "It's like uhh… casino for children?"

Whitley looks just as lost. "What a bizarre concept."

"Well, it is when I say it out loud!" she says flusteredly. "I swear it's not as bad as it sounds. I've been meaning to take Weiss there."

"I am sure she will enjoy it," he says sarcastically.

"Yeah, I hope she does!" she says genuinely. 

Ruby and Whitley take several more paces before pausing at a jeans store. They primarily sell denim jeans but also have clothing suitable for all ages in stock.

"Ooh, no way!" Ruby gushes. She stares at a poster advertisement for a discount on select items. A young woman models an outfit fit for her age. Ruby takes out her phone, "This is my sister's girlfriend."

"She is a model?"

"Part-time, yeah," Ruby snaps a photo. "She told us about this shoot, but wow, I never thought I would see it in action!"

Whitley analyzes the poster more closely. She sports the clothing brand's jeans with a coordinated outfit—top, jacket, shoes, hat, and various other accessories—to perfectly accompany the brand's apparel.

"Do you wanna check out this store?" Ruby asks.

Now come to think of it, he never actually stepped into the shops in the mall—he merely passed them. He was judging everything at face value.

"Yes," he says with as much confidence as a lamb.

"Okay!" Ruby eagerly leads the way. "So as you see, they sell clothes. Do you know your friend's size—approximately?"

"No," he admits. "That appears to be our core issue. We passed a shoe store earlier and a similar thought occurred."

"Hm, luckily we're on the same page then."

What appears to be the men’s section is vastly nothing compared to the women’s section of the store. Whitley finds nothing of value. He tries to recall what his friend wears, quickly realizing the school uniform interferes with that logic. He thinks from a different angle. Based on his personality, he is not the type to show off. Whitley pulls out a top from one of the racks and observes how it would look on his friend. He wipes the idea off his head and imagines him wearing the top. He rests it over his torso, looking into a mirror. He cannot say the style suits him.

Whitley quickly finds Ruby. She is browsing items at the back of the store, minding her business. She looks natural in this environment. With that in mind, she should have the perfect judgment for this dilemma. Whitley presents her with the shirt. "What are your opinions on this shirt?"

"For you or your friend?" she clarifies.

"Either or."

"Hmm," Ruby scratches her chin. "It looks kinda… casual."

"Is that a negative observation?"

"No, no, no," she quickly defends her point. "I just think, from my experience, it feels impersonal. Like, his aunt is buying that for him."

He pulls the shirt out in front of him. "I see what you are suggesting," he hangs it on a random rack.

She brushes past him, returning the item to the men's section. Ruby looks at Whitley, who appears lost as ever. "Why don't we get out of here?" she offers. "This place isn't my style anyway."

Whitley leads the way to the exit. They continue walking west until they find a fork in the road. On the left is the sports bar arcade Ruby mentioned earlier. On their right is a way to the cinema. Straight ahead is a grocery store. 

"There are a couple of snack places here. Do you wanna check them out?"

He nods, hearing his stomach growl.

The snacks in sight consist of a candy shop, a soft pretzel store, and a cinnamon roll store. He cannot decide what is worse: getting a cavity or getting a stomach ache.

"Do you have a preference?” Ruby asks him.

"I think I prefer anything except for the candy store."

She looks at their options, "They used to have a frozen yogurt store. I think it got bought by the candy shop. Soft pretzels are always a good choice, but it's pretty hefty so it works more as a meal. The cinnamon roll shop has coffee—you drink coffee?"

"I am more of a fan of the smell over the taste."

"Hm. They also have mini rolls to share; we can each get a piece."

"That sounds good."

He methodically checks his phone for the time and new messages. As Ruby said, it is currently well into the lunch hour. He hears a ping, assuming it came from his—no new messages.

"I just got a text from Weiss,” Ruby says, "she said she bought something."

He keeps his sullen thoughts in the back of his head. "Should you call her?"

"Will do!" Ruby taps on the screen and brings her phone to her ear. He can overhear the ringing. "Hey, I got your text. You done with your purchase?" 

He hears his sister's faint voice. "We headed west—on your right when you head out. Keep going until you see a cinnamon roll store." She pauses, listening to Weiss talk. 

"Yeah, Whitley is ordering a snack and I'm getting a coffee; you want me to get your order?" Weiss raises her voice some. 

"Of course I do! Dark roast; black." He fails to hear her response but sees Ruby perk up. "I told you, I told you." 

His sister's voice picks up again. "Oh, wait, what size?" She waits for her answer. "No! I'm paying! No need to pay me back." 

Ruby listens to Weiss talk for a long time. "Love you, see you soon." He briefly hears Weiss's voice. "Bye."

"What did she say?"

"Huh? Oh. Yeah, she'll join us in a bit," Ruby taps on her phone, "let's make that order."

They reach the counter and place their orders. More precisely, Ruby does all of the talking. She orders their mini cinnamon rolls, a latte for herself, and Weiss's dark roast. The total is considerably expensive despite the few items. Ruby pays for all of it anyway.

She pockets her receipt and steps out of line. "Do you mind waiting for our order while I look for Weiss?”

"Not at all." He stands proudly next to the counter. Ruby wanders over to a nearby bench. In no time, his sister approaches the area and quickly spots Ruby. They greet with a hug, Ruby takes Weiss's coat, and they sit down. 

Weiss places a delicate, small, pink bag on her lap. The merchandise she bought must be inside. Whitley shifts his attention back to the server making the drinks. After no activity, he catches Ruby's face turn as crimson as her coat. With all of the mall chatter and holiday music from the grocery store, he cannot pick up a word of their conversation.

His sister grins and pulls Ruby in for a passionate kiss. The scene hits him differently in broad daylight, surrounded by a mass of people, than the seclusion of his home. At least at home, he has a semblance of agency.

A voice from behind the counter draws his attention. An employee places a small container, utensils, and two cups on the surface. He notices the lack of one fork and asks for another one. Whitley picks up the items and delivers them to a table. He lifts his head to call Ruby and his sister, but they are already halfway from the bench—hand in hand.

"Thanks for waiting, Whitley," Ruby says, pulling a chair for Weiss.

"It is my pleasure." He figures that is the chivalrous thing to say.

Ruby plants herself between the siblings, slips her gloves off, and pops off her drink lid. "Have you had cinnamon rolls before, Weiss?"

"Hm. I can't say I have. I've had your mom's snickerdoodle cookies; that's the same thing, right?"

Ruby does not say anything, Whitley looks over and sees her with a blank face. She blinks twice and stutters, "O- oh my god…," Ruby locks her gaze on Weiss, "well… kinda?"

"Oh, dear, I broke her," she says dryly; she carries along by picking up a fork and flipping the container open. Six miniature cinnamon rolls sit inside. Each one is about bite-sized. "So, we each get two?"

"It looks like it," he glances at Ruby for approval.

She shakes out of her trance, "Sorry, I had an epiphany there…," Ruby drums her fingertips on the table, "yes, and if you can't finish it, no worries, I can eat what's leftover." She takes the lead, stabbing a piece with her fork, and takes a bite. "Mmm, it's still warm." Ruby takes a quick sip of her latte.

Weiss does the same with her coffee. She seems content enough and follows Ruby's lead, taking half a bite. "It's good." Ruby smiles at her.

While they enjoy each other's company, Whitley takes his share of the rolls. The warm bread hits his tongue first, then the sweetness of the icing. The cinnamon and sugar flavors dance in his mouth. They are more than "good." He is eager to indulge in more but waits his turn.

Ruby and Weiss engulf their share. The sweetness of his first roll still coats his tongue. He digs in again, animalistic, and grins satisfyingly. He rarely consumes desserts, reserving the treat only for celebrations and other special occasions.

"How was it?" Ruby asks him.

"It was delicious." He clears his throat of the remaining cinnamon rolls.

Ruby rises, cup in hand, "Need something to wash it down?” He politely nods. “No problem, I'll be right back." He watches Ruby trash her coffee cup and asks for a cup of water—all in one fluid motion. She comes back, a small, plastic cup in hand. "Here you go."

Whitley thanks her and downs the water. The liquid instantly cleanses the cinnamon and sugar flavors with ease.

"Thank you for the snack, Ruby," Weiss grins.

"Of course, baby... you're my snack," Ruby giggles. Weiss hides her face in embarrassment. Whitley looks at this exchange and presses his lips together.

The three of them gather up their belongings and dispose of their rubbish. "So, where to next?" his sister asks them.

Ruby borrows Weiss's map and glances at the areas of the mall they have already visited—the lower-level east wing, the second-level east wing, and the second-level west wing. The north wing has yet to receive their attention.

Whitley takes note of that, "We can swing back and check out the shops in the north," he suggests.

"Great idea!" Ruby praises. She faces Weiss, "Sounds like a plan?" So far, this was the third time Ruby asked for Weiss's permission about their itinerary, he notices. This phenomenon was naturally foreign to him. He was taught to command with an iron grip, however, Ruby's method seems just as valid.

"I don't have a problem with it," she shrugs.

With that being said, Ruby grins at her, takes her hand, and leads the way.

While Whitley was conversing with Ruby earlier on personal matters, he decides to take this opportunity to browse the other stores while they walk toward the northern section of the mall. 

Most stores sell clothes, but some have specialized items. There is one store that sells soaps—he cannot fathom why someone would need an entire store for soaps.

Another store sells shoes, but these are more casual—sneakers and the like. The style appears more masculine, but women shop and work in the store as well.

More and more stores sold or serviced specific items. E-cigarettes. Sporting goods. Handbags. Coffee. Tea. And what appears to be a stuffed animal factory.

Ruby and Weiss stop in front of the stuffed animal factory to observe the commotion. A group of grade school children carries their stuffed animals and dance around in a circle.

"Aww," Ruby admires, "they're having a birthday party."

"Which one is the birthday celebrant?" asks Weiss.

"The one with the crown, probably," says Ruby. Whitley idly looks at a young girl with a tiara.

"Ugh, they're so cute," Weiss comments.

More branded toy stores appear on their walk. One retailer sells building blocks—most likely targeting young boys—that is far from his demographic.

In contrast, there is a girls' accessories retailer not too far. The decor—from the walls to the furniture—is bright pink.

"I got my piercings there," Ruby says, pointing at the girls' accessories store.

Whitley looks at her, "You have piercings?” he narrows his eyes curiously.

"Yup!" she tucks a lock of her hair behind her ear, showing a basic earring. She does the same thing for her other ear, "I have one on both ears."

"Why?"

She grimaces, "For fashion?"

They finally reach the northern wing of the mall. They instantly meet another department store and several smaller retailers in the area.

He spots a video game store, an electronics store, and a novelty items store.

"Do you wanna check out any of these?" asks Ruby.

He considers his options and points at the novelty items store, "What kind of paraphernalia can I possibly find there?"

"Gag gifts," Ruby chuckles.

"In other words, cheap stuff, with no value, that takes up space," Weiss remarks.

He shakes his head at that response; Ruby looks offended. "I buy all of my clutter there."

"You buy... clutter?" Whitley asks.

"It's meaningful clutter. It fills my living space." 

Whitley furrows his eyebrows at that idea.

"Are there other shops in the area?" he asks his sister.

Weiss flips through the brochure and scans the page. "There's a music store around the corner."

That retailer sounds promising, and Ruby appears to think the same, "Oh, yes! Let’s check it out!" She remembers they are there for Whitley, "Oh- uh- if Whitley wants to, of course," she stutters, looking at him.

He nods. "I am fine with observing the music store."

"Great," Ruby hooks an arm with Weiss, "let's go."

They make their way around the corner and spot a guitar hanging as the sign. Unsurprisingly, the most popular instruments—guitars, pianos, and drums—are supplied the most. There are fewer stocks of woodwinds, strings, and brass instruments. 

He spots Ruby dragging Weiss near the keyboards. She presses the keys, and animal sounds play instead of piano chords.

The sound of an acoustic piano catches his ear. He assumes it is a recording—playing holiday music in the store—but finds a pianist behind the keys. His fingers dance on the ivories with ease; Whitley grins at the performance.

On the other side of the store are a couple of children stomping on the ground. On the floor is a keyboard mat. Each key—white and black—lights up with every step. The kids eventually scurry away, leaving the mat vacant.

He jumps when a pair of hands land on his shoulders, "Let's try that out!" Ruby exclaims. She shuffles over to the keyboard mat and steps on the C key. "You still play, right?" she asks him.

To be frank, he has not played the piano in weeks. He would practice for Father's sake, but the joy of the music was sucked out of him. He side-glances at his sister. He has not heard her sing in ages. The arts were once the bond in their family but diminished over time.

"I seldom play," he confesses.

"Hey, same here." She steps on the G key. "I only remember what I know from the xylophone." He walks over and joins her by stepping on the higher G key. Ruby giggles. "Do you know how to play any holiday songs?"

"I know the snowman one… from school."

"Perfect! We can duet. Do you wanna cover the melody?"

"Sure."

Weiss aims her phone camera toward them. "Do you mind if I record this?"

"Go ahead, baby," she steps on the F key.

Whitley also gives his permission with a curt nod. Ruby taps her foot on the side for the tempo; the beat is relatively slow but manageable for the keyboard mat’s limitations. He begins playing the song, keeping with Ruby's tempo, and stepping on the basic chords—admittedly a drastic disadvantage from five fingers. He simply goes up the scale of notes and descends the same way in the song’s tune. He becomes short of breath, dancing more than playing.

The short two minutes end. A small crowd around them clap out of obligation. Ruby takes a bow. Whitley merely acknowledges them. They disperse, and Weiss walks over, hugging Ruby.

"That was fun," she holds out her hand.

Whitley quickly catches on and slaps it. "Indeed."

"Yeah!" She abruptly stomps on the keyboard mat, earning a giggle from Weiss.

"So, what now?" Whitley asks, exiting the music store.

"Lunch?" Weiss suggests.

Ruby agrees, "Totally. We're not too far from the food court."

Whitley checks the time again. It is an hour past noon, and they are finally venturing to the food court.

The area is on the third level, and Ruby guarantees they will find something to eat. “Let’s take a look around and see what you like,” she tells them. 

The food stalls form a semi-circle along the perimeter, and chairs, tables, and booths form in the center. Even if it is past peak lunch hour, the area is reasonably packed.

They walk around, perusing each vendor and their respective menus. Weiss is closely observing the salad bar on the far right. Next door is a rice bowl place. Whitley takes an interest in its proximity and its reasonably healthy options. 

Other food stalls in the area are a smoothie stand, a soup shop, and a pizza stall. The closest he has ever had to a pizza was a flatbread. Looking at the various toppings overwhelms him. A burger stall is right next to the pizza, and Ruby looks fondly interested. They pass by the end of the food court to find a sandwich shop, a dessert stand, and a chicken stall. None of these places pique their interest.

After seeing what the food court has to offer, they move out of the way for the other patrons and wander into an empty booth, settling their belongings down.

"So, what are we having?" Ruby looks at the siblings curiously.

"That salad place looks good," Weiss says.

"Lame. Okay. Dressing on the side?"

"Aww, you remembered."

"Damn straight."

Weiss perks up at him. "How about you, Whitley?"

"Perhaps a rice bowl will suffice."

"Aw, are you sure? You can have anything you want,” Ruby says with a smile. She adds, “My treat."

Whitley thinks back to the cinnamon roll he had earlier. That may have been the first and last time he will ever consume it. He rarely enjoys the opportunities of eating anything willingly. The consequences swarm him. Will he really have a rice bowl over the dozen cuisines under this one roof that will rupture his liver? Whitley is certain the damage to his health will be worth it.

"Fine. I will have a pizza."

Ruby and Weiss gasp, in shock and horror respectively.

"Yes!"

"A plain cheese will do."

"That works." She pecks Weiss's cheek. "Okay, I will take those orders. You two wait here." She walks away toward the salad bar.

The siblings fall into an uncomfortable silence. Weiss pulls out her phone and scrolls through it. Whitley eventually does the same. All he sees is a text from Father. He leaves the message unread to avoid triggering the truth. Father thinks they are watching an opera at this time. If he replies now, that will raise suspicion.

Minutes pass. Customers come and go around them, but Weiss fails to notice.

Whitley sees Ruby returning empty-handed. She talks on the phone. “We can do that… yeah,” she says. “Yang and I can drop-off Blake, and we’ll head to the restaurant to pick up the food,” she snakes her arm around Weiss’s shoulders. “We’ll get home before dinner, don’t worry,” she chuckles. “Yeah. Later. Bye.”

“Who was that?” Weiss asks, from behind her phone.

“My folks. They want Yang and me to pick up food for them.”

She hums in response.

Ruby drops three pagers on the table. A number and the restaurant name on each of them.

"Is that for our orders?" Whitley asks.

"Yup!" she says. "Once one of them buzzes, I'll head back, and grab 'em."

She whips out her phone again and scrolls on it. He observes nonchalantly, avoiding suspicion. He figures they will engage in a lively conversation as a couple should; they remain glued to their screens instead.

Ruby laughs at something on her phone, "Baby, look at this." He expects Ruby to show her screen, but she stays in the same position—resting her head on Weiss's shoulder.

Weiss's phone pings and in a second chuckles at whatever Ruby sent her. “Ruby!” she fumes. They laugh together. He purses his lips together watching the display.

She pulls off her beanie and plops it on the table; her gloves follow suit. Ruby runs a hand over her styled hair. “I might grow this out or something.”

“Why?” Weiss asks, pushing Ruby’s hair back.

“I’m tired of styling it.”

“Well,” Weiss says, “why do you style your hair in the first place?” 

“For you,” Ruby admits.

Weiss blushes furiously. “You don’t have to—do whatever you want.”

“I’ll go bald.”

Weiss snickers, “I think a more appropriate answer is to stop styling it.”

“Fine,” she pulls the beanie back on her head, covering her eyes.

“Wait, baby,” Weiss taps Ruby’s shoulder, holds her phone out, and snaps a photo of them together. At the shutter sound, Ruby adjusts her beanie and requests for Weiss’s phone. With her phone in hand, she holds it out at a different angle and takes another selfie. Weiss checks the photos, “Cute.”

“Better?”

“I can use both.”

“Send me one, please. I need a new wallpaper.”

“Okay.”

Suddenly, a pager buzzes violently. "Oh, that's Weiss's salad," she scoops the pagers off the table. "I'll be right back."

"Babe!" Weiss calls.

Ruby spins around, realizing what Weiss wants. She dips down and kisses her. "'Kay, I'll be right back," she repeats.

Weiss also rises from the booth, "I will use the ladies room. Watch our stuff," she commands.

Whitley only has the chance to nod, he makes a mental note to do the same when one of them returns. He watches her disappear in the sea of shoppers. To bide his time, he returns to his phone.

Thankfully, his wait is not too long; Ruby carries a tray in one hand and grips a paper bag in the other. "Where's Weiss?"

"Powder room," he admits.

"Ah." Ruby slides in the booth, dropping their lunch on the table. "Do you wanna go ahead and wash up, too?"

"Okay." He makes his way to the public toilets where he heads for a sink and leaves as quickly as possible.

He returns to the table, with Weiss back in the booth, and Ruby not there.

For a room full of chatter and activity, his time with his sister is always deafening.

Ruby's presence a couple of feet away brings him comfort. She is currently on the phone again. "Yeah, we just got our food. Yes,” she grumbles, “I washed my hands. Alrighty, bye, see you." Ruby terminates the call and takes her seat next to Weiss.

His sister turns to Ruby and guesses, "Was that Yang?”

"Mhm," Ruby confirms, "she and Blake finished the movie. They're making their way here now."

Ruby promptly unwraps her lunch. From the looks of the bag and its contents, she ordered a burger and a drink along with a side of fries.

"What is that monstrosity?" Weiss flinches.

She drools, "Double patty, double cheese, and bacon." Ruby licks her lips and takes a sloppy bite. The trip to the washroom could not clean the various juices leaking from the burger, dripping down her hands. 

Weiss crinkles her nose and conservatively eats her salad. As Ruby promised, the dressing was on the side; Weiss dips the lettuce in the sauce and nibbles her food. “Now I’m glad we took pictures before we ate.” Ruby could not agree more. The utter contrast between the two is like night and day. 

Whitley picks at his pizza. There are small pockets of grease layered on the cheese. The crust is stable and cooked to perfection. This is the kind of pizza in his dreams—the one he sees in marketing. He takes a small bite at the tip, stretching the cheese to the length of his arm. It snaps at the crust, and a string of cheese hangs off his chin. The hot cheese and sauce singe his mouth. He chews—the taste of heavenly goodness envelopes his taste buds.

He catches Ruby staring at him. "Whoa. That is some first bite," she compliments. "How is it?"

The pizza slides down his throat before speaking, "This is delicious." 

She gleams in his direction. "Well, I'm glad." Ruby wipes the burger juice off her mouth with a napkin.

"Thank you for lunch, Ruby."

"Yes, thank you," Whitley adds, meekly. 

"Of course!" She instantly meets Weiss's kiss. It happens before Whitley notices.

They eat and chat, countless other conversations drown theirs out. He finds himself listening more than engaging. Father trades tips with him on commanding a room and delegating a group of people. The statistics of men speaking more in a boardroom are true. And it should stay that way. Once other voices intervene, that iron grip on everything you control vanishes.

Halfway through their lunch, Ruby glances up and begins waving her arms—grabbing the attention of someone behind him.

He turns around to find the two women who were with Ruby earlier. They walk, hand in hand, approaching their table.

The couple greets them, they split off, taking a chair on either side of Whitley. The blonde slams a bucket of popcorn on the table.

"Blake, Yang," Weiss looks up at them, "this is Whitley—”

"Oh!" Yang exclaims, "the brother! No shit!" He jumps slightly at the expletive. "So the rumors are true."

"Yang…," Ruby warns.

"What?”

"Whitley's his own person. Give him a break."

On his other side, Blake discreetly slides an envelope across the table, "Okay, here are the opera tickets."

Weiss tears the seal and fans two tickets. "Perfect. Thank you." She pockets the envelope and slides over her own. "And here is the other half of the payment." Blake thanks her in return. "Is your dealer responsible for the tickets?"

"No, there's a different guy for that. He does fake IDs, certificates, stuff like that." He cannot believe what they are saying—especially his sister.

“Well, so far, I’m a fan of his craftsmanship.”

Blake chuckles, “I will… let him know.” She reaches over for the bucket of popcorn, almost ignoring Whitley between them. “So, how far are you taking this scheme of yours? I see you’re dressed up for the ‘occasion.’”

Weiss snickers, “It’s not like I’m out of practice. As you said, Whitley and I left ‘for the show.’ Father won’t expect any pictures because photography isn’t permitted in the venue. The counterfeit tickets should suffice. And if he wants verification of our whereabouts, I’ve bribed the driver and the venue operator.”

She nods impressively, “You right, girl, you still got that touch. You’ve thought this through. And for next week?”

“I’m clear for next week,” she smirks.

A hand slams the table in front of them. “Blake,” Ruby cries, “did Yang tell you about my concert?”

“Yes,” she giggles, “she did. Last night and this morning.”

“How about the afterparty?”

Whitley raises an eyebrow, but Blake is unfazed. “I won’t miss it.”

Ruby nods approvingly. “Oh yeah, how was the movie by the way?”

“It was okay,” she shrugs. “Yang cried.”

Ruby teases, “I know.” Her sister hides her face in embarrassment.

“It was an emotional movie!” she shrieks between bites of popcorn.

“It wasn’t even during the emotional part. They were happy.”

“I was happy for them!”

“You cry at every movie,” Ruby points out. 

She agrees, “That’s true though.”

Blake and Weiss continue their conversation. Whitley shifts his attention to Ruby and Yang. “Do you frequent the cinema often?”

“Umm, only when there’s something we wanna see,” Yang says.

“It’s not like I wanted to see this chick-flick anyway,” Ruby mutters.

“Oh, shut up!” her sister cries. “I was the one who got us tickets for the biggest movie of the year—the four of us double-dated—and guess what happened, Whitley.” Before he can make his guess, Yang speaks up, “These two were sucking faces the entire time.”

Ruby scoffs, “Not the entire time. You’re exaggerating.” 

“Oh yeah? What happened to Crimson Johnson’s character by the end of the movie?”

“Uhh," Ruby stutters, "she reunites with her family?”

“That happens, yeah… in the comics,” Yang grins proudly.

Ruby curses under her breath. “Welp, at least I watched the movie with Mom.”

Yang leans back in her chair and crosses her arms over her chest, “Really now?” she gives Ruby a knowing smile. “And what were you doing during the movie?”

She avoids Yang’s gaze. “Texting Weiss,” she admits guiltily. Ruby sips her drink.  

Yang says in his ear, “I asked her to refill the popcorn so she would leave,” she speaks up, “so that Blake and I could watch the movie in peace.” Whitley returns a smug grin.

He chimes in, “She and my sister have been practically attached to the hip the whole day.”

“See?” she tells Ruby. “He’s with me on this.”

Ruby rolls her eyes, “Whatever.”

He frowns, feeling a pang of guilt. Whitley does not mean to hurt her feelings. He thought his teasing was—he was only playing along. Judging by Yang's body language, she and Ruby were accustomed to this kind of banter.

Blake and his sister stand from their seats, “We’re off to the lavatory for a sec.” 

“Okay,” Yang nods, “have fun.” 

Whitley continues eating his pizza. He catches Ruby smiling at Weiss as she leaves. She can deny her passion for his sister all she wants; his observation is correct. It feels nice to share something in common with Yang—despite their difference.

As soon as Weiss and Blake are out of view, she snaps her head back to the table. “Hey," Ruby reaches across the table, getting Yang's attention, "Mom and Dad want us to pick up food for them."

She drops her head back and sighs, "Lame. We go out, and now we're their errand gals." She crosses her arms, "What time?"

"They said around 5:30. The place is near Blake’s.”

“Cool,” Yang suddenly seems okay with the plan now. “We’ll let her know, maybe we can chill there before we pick up the food.”

“Sounds like a plan.” She cleans off her burger and fries. Yang quickly does the same with the popcorn. He reaches the end of his pizza; the crust is all that is left. Whitley takes a bite of it. The cheese flavor is gone—cardboard is a more suitable substitute.

His sister and Blake return. He catches Blake mouthing something to Weiss. She mouths a harsh, “Nothing.”

Ruby collects her trash on the table, “Are you finished with that, baby?”

Weiss composes herself to look at Ruby. “Yes; thank you,” all that remains in her salad is the leftover dressing. 

Ruby takes her tray and looks over at Whitley. “Are you done with your ‘za?”

He nods, “Thank you.” She takes his plate and piles it on top of the rubbish.

She and Yang excuse themselves to dispose of the garbage.

Blake grills Weiss. “You mind explaining that to me?”

Whitley yawns and pretends to check his phone.

Weiss’s eyes land on the pink bag next to her and Whitley’s gaze follows. “It’s exactly what it looks like.”

“What’s the occasion?”

She shrugs, “It’s my... holiday gift for Ruby.”

Blake’s jaw drops, “Okay…”

“Please don’t tell Yang,” Weiss quickly adds.

She leans back in her chair. “Knowing Ruby’s mouth, I don’t have to.” Weiss shuts her eyes closed and pinches the bridge of her nose, knowing what Blake is implying.

Whitley spots Ruby sliding back into the booth; he hears Yang pull out the chair next to him. “So, what’re you guys doing at the mall?” she questions them.

Ruby and Weiss look at him from across the table. He gives his answer to Yang, “I am shopping for a gift… for a friend…”

Yang nods. “Any luck with that?” she asks him. 

He reluctantly shakes his head, “No, not yet.”

“Where have you been?” Blake inquires. 

Ruby speaks on their behalf of their whereabouts so far—starting with Father Winter. She pulls out the 8x11 photos and shows Blake and Yang the pictures she took on her phone.

“Oh, Father Winter,” Blake gasps, “geez, I haven’t seen him in ages.”

“I know," Yang agrees, "the dude still owes me a bike."

Next, Weiss recalls the time they briefly split—not specifying her “gift” for Ruby—and have spent the past hour window shopping to no avail.

"We also saw your ad, Blake," Ruby informs her.

"No way! It's out?”

"Yeah," she pulls out her phone again and shows the advertisement in front of the clothing store.

"Damn," Yang comments, "front and center."

"It looks good, maybe we can check it out later?”

"Totally." Her eyes shift around the table. "It looks like y'all were very thorough if you stumbled upon this gem." She returns Ruby’s phone.

"Yeah, but it sounds like you haven't… wait, Weiss, you still have that map of yours?" Weiss slides the pocket-sized map across the table to Blake. She furrows her eyebrows, looking at the map. "You've pretty much covered most of the mall, 'cept west of the first floor."

"What is there?"

"A couple of retailers, plus the bookstore."

"Oh, the bookstore!" Ruby smacks her forehead, "I forgot about that place!"

"How could you forget? You were there every other week when I worked there."

"Yeah, I remember. I was there for that sweet family-friends discount," she rubs her hands together.

Blake whispers in his ear, "The discount was a free bookmark." He gives a small smile.

"So, you guys still gonna shop?" Yang asks. "Shop 'til you drop?" she adds.

“Can you not? You sound like Dad.” Yang sticks her tongue out at Ruby.

To answer her question, Whitley says, "Yes, it appears so."

"Alrighty," Yang pulls out her chair and gets up, "we'll leave you right to it."

"See you next week, Weiss," Blake hugs her. "It was nice meeting you, Whitley."

Yang tells Ruby, "Blake and I will hang around the mall—check out her ad; call me when you're done."

She bumps her fist, "Will do."

Her sister nods at Weiss. “Ice Queen, always a pleasure,” she looks at him. "It was nice meeting you, Whitley," Yang wraps an arm around Blake's shoulders, "...seriously." She gives him a little salute as they leave.

Now it is the three of them again. Weiss scoots closer to Ruby. "So, where to now?"

Ruby slides an arm around Weiss, "It's up to you guys—it's up to Whitley."

Her eyes fall on him, and his shoulders go stiff. He is confident in the choice he is about to lay on them. "I would like to check out the bookstore."

"Okay," she nods. They leave the table with their belongings, Ruby wraps an arm around Weiss's waist, and he follows them.

They climb down an escalator that leads straight down to the first level. They veer right, heading west. There are other stores in the area like a kitchen supplies store and a makeup store, but the main attraction is the bookstore.

They approach the doorway of the bookstore. The layout resembles a library, although not as immaculate as the one at school. There are shelves off on one side of where he is standing and a children's reading area on the other. He notices an escalator near the back and a balcony looking over. 

"They have music and a cafe up there," Ruby shares.

"So, what can we find here besides comic books?" he questions.

"Hey, I read books!" She crosses her arms over her chest, Weiss giggles at her. "And not just comic books, I read fantasy novels, like"—she holds her hands out, at least a foot apart—“thick bad boys." He admires her honestly but looks like a pompous fool doing so.

Weiss steals one of Ruby's hands, "Okay, bad boy," she pecks her cheek, "let's look around and see what we find."

Whitley gives them a worried glance; Ruby catches his gaze and smiles at him. "The bookstore has something, trust me." She lightly jabs his shoulder.

Staying away from the children’s reading section, they head left and find racks of magazines and graphic novels on display. They breeze by the area, looking at the spines or peeking at the cover. None of the selection seems worth his time.

They go deeper into the store and find books stacked on tables. They are divided by popularity and genres. One table has books perfect for the holidays, another goes a little more specific and targets books for mothers. His breath shakes, but he ignores it.

In the section in front of them, board games and other various social activities fill the shelves. Some are fitting, like brain games and puzzles, but the rest seem rather odd and tacky. One game promotes the harm of kittens, and another is just a solid black box with an obscure name.

He picks it up. The plastic wrapping prevents him from checking its contents. Before he can even ask, Ruby slides it back on the shelf. "This game is a ton of fun, but it's not exactly age-appropriate."

Whitley nods understandably. "I do not think these games or toys make suitable presents."

"Maybe," she shrugs. "I'm checking out this area because they have dice."

"Dice?"

"For tabletop role-playing games!" She tilts her head where Weiss is at. "Weiss keeps hoarding my dice—she says they look pretty; I like how they sound."

"What is the game?" She says the name, and it rings a bell. "That… I have never played that…"

She audibly gasps, "We can start a campaign! I've never been a Game Master before! We need other players, though."

He thinks of inviting his friend, but that seems like a lot of commitment. Knowing his temper, he is not sure how well that will manage.

"We can ease our way there," he suggests.

"Totally!" she beams at him. 

Whitley looks around the other part of the store, "I do like the idea of a book as a gift; what was that fantasy novel you were talking about?"

Her eyes light up, "Oh! It's actually a series called Swords and Scythe-ry! It's my current favorite."

"That sounds swell. Tell me, is it as popular as the one with wizards and such? Or the violent one with dragons? I would hate to present a mainstream gift."

She cackles, "Trust me, there's not going to be a movie or TV show anytime soon. It just came out a few months ago. I only know about it because I'm a fan of the author's other stories—crime investigation stuff." She guides him along the base of the escalator. "Weiss and I will meet you upstairs. Head straight to the fantasy section, okay?" Ruby smiles at him.

He can go solo for once. Whitley agrees and follows her directions. The fantasy section sits right in front of the cafe. He scans the spines, hunting for the title in some fancy font.

Whitley hears his sister's voice, in which Ruby replies, "...The barbarian was literally hanging off a cliff, there has to be—oh there you are Whitley," she whispers. It is humorous. Even if the bookstore is not a library, she speaks in a soft tone. "No luck?"

He shakes his head. "Are the books arranged by author or title?"

"Umm, I'm not sure," she ponders. Let me check." He expects her to summon an employee, instead, she strays not too far, typing on a computer. She catches his curious gaze. "This is a book locator. I know it should be around here—there it is. Oh, it moved." 

She scurries past the shelves. Weiss and he lag behind her. A sign displays the title of the book and the author, denoting it as a best seller. Her hands pick up a green hardback book, with the title and author in white. "One copy of Swords and Scythe-ry part one," Whitley thanks Ruby as she presents it to him.

Ruby grabs another copy, "Why another one?" he asks.

"That way you and your friend can read it together," she expresses. "Nothing says companionship like the wonder of books."

"The most intimate of love languages," Weiss adds.

"Exactly," Ruby throws a finger gun with a wink towards her.

With the prize in hand, he makes his way to the checkout line while Ruby and Weiss wait outside. The total of both books adds up to his budget of fifty dollars. He smiles satisfyingly at the token of wisdom from Ruby. With the books and the receipt in the bag, he rushes out of the bookstore and joins Ruby and his sister. Ruby is on the phone, Weiss's eyes fixate on Ruby's every word. 

Walking nearer, he catches the end of her conversation, "...Okay, yeah, I'll wait for Weiss's ride first, meet me there. Bye," she terminates the call. Ruby looks at Weiss, "You already got your ride?"

"Yes, he'll meet us in the south entrance," she says matter-of-factly.

"Cool," she says. Ruby notices Whitley, "you got your gift?"

"Yes."

"I hope you like it," a smile plasters on her face, "tell me about whenever."

"I do not believe I have your contact information."

"Oh yeah," she pivots next to him and recites a phone number. He repeats it back to her. "Perfect!"

He completes the rest of the required information. He recalls the first time he met Ruby. It was with Weiss at the beginning of the year. He remembers stumbling on a page filled with her name intertwined with his sister's. If he recalls correctly, Ruby's last name is Rose. He types that on his phone.

"Oh! The pictures!" Ruby exclaims. "I can send you the pictures and here"—she hands his photo with Father Winter—"this is for you."

Whitley accepts the photo delicately. This moment was a distant memory, but it was taken only today. He can barely recognize his face.

While he spent the day anticipating the future, he failed to acknowledge the present. Ruby always seems to be living in the moment—how she navigates the space in front of her and gives life all of her attention. That is how she is with Weiss, Jaune, Adrian, Yang, Blake, and... him.

His presence in the room was always active with her. He feels like himself… but cannot identify what that means. A boy? A brother? A son?

No, he smiles.

A friend.