Dorm 13: Terrible Things

Ruby couldn't believe it. Noah was gone. He decided to attend a muggle school close to home. Since they wouldn't be seeing much of each other, they decided to remain friend. They had hardly even began dating, but now they were over. She'd miss him but maybe it was for the better. It felt like everyone was leaving her or had already left her. She knew it wasn't true but she couldn't help but feel that way. She couldn't help but feel miserable. She needed some company, someone to talk to her and make her feel better.

She knew that Grace and Tamara would only say the things that she wanted to hear. But Marcy would say what was on her mind and Ruby needed honesty. The first person she wanted to talk to was Marcy, she was sure that they'd just talk and talk until she was feeling better. Even if her friend wasn't the nicest person, she could still count on her to express her opinion. So, she asked the girl to meet her in her dorm after classes. All she told her was that Noah was gone and that she needed someone to talk to. She really hoped the girl showed up.

Marceline wasn't always good with appropriately reacting to bad news. This time, she was incredibly off with the normal sympathetic 'aww that's too bad,' response any good friend would have once they learned of their friend's breakup. Marceline couldn't help but smile and not because she liked the idea of Ruby being down. Because she liked the idea of Noah being far away from Ruby.

She knew Ruby wouldn't be in a good mood when she met up with her and took a few moments to practice her sympathetic frowning face. It was hard for her lips kept wanting to curl up. She took her time making her way up to Ruby's dorm, stopping outside first to pick a few flowers. She didn't know why, she just thought Ruby might like some flowers.

She knocked carefully at the door and put on a solemn face as Ruby opened it. "I, ummmm, picked flowers for you or something," Marceline said, walking in and placing down a bouquet of what she thought was a common yellow flower, but was, in actuality, just weeds. "You alright?" She asked, not really sure what to say. She didn't have many close friends and Frank was never fresh out of a relationship whenever she saw him, so she didn't really know how to handle the situation.

A knock at the door made Ruby sit up in her bed. "Come in," she called. She wiped some tears away before laying back down and oulling her pillow close to her. She liked Marcy's gesture of bringing her flowers but it didn't make her feel any better. "Thanls for the, erm, flowers."

When asked if she was alright, the sexth year began to cry even more than she already was. "I-I," she couldn't continue. She was too upset to continue. Instead, she got up from her bed and threw her arms around her friend. "He's gone, Marcy, he's gone." Everyone was always leaving her. She was getting her friend's shirt wet with her tearsbut she couldn't stop crying. She missed Noah so much and wished that he was still here.

It was obvious Ruby had been crying. She could tell by her friend's reddened eyes. However, Marceline ignored mentioning it and took a seat on Ruby's bed leaving a gap between the two of them. She waited as Ruby struggled with words and then jumped as suddenly she was embraced.

Her hand dropped to Ruby's back and she patted it awkwardly as her friend cried. "I know," Marceline replied, as Ruby wailed that her boyfriend had gone. Ideas flooded her head as to what she should say to comfort Ruby, but none of them she was able to articulate. She was glad Noah was gone. She wasn't sure why, she just didn't like him around, especially around Ruby.

"This is what happens when you trust the wrong people," Marceline found herself saying. It might not have been the nicest thing to say to a grieving friend, but it was the only she thought of that she actually believed in. "They just end up leaving you without consideration to your feelings," She added, superciliously. "I would never do that to you."

A look of confusion spread across the sixth year's face. Wrong people? Noah may have left her, but he was not the wrong person for her. He was still her friend after all, he was still a letter away. Marceline was wrong, Noah wasn't the bad guy. "You just didn't know Noah, he's not a bad guy." He just wanted to stay home with his family instead of coming back to Beauxbatons. "I don't blame him."

She took her head off of the girl's shoulder and wiped her tears. She wasn't sure how to feel about Marcy at the moment. She first insulted Noah then said that she'd never leave her without considering her feelings. Even if she did consider her feelings, would she still leave her? But she had hurt her by saying mean things about Noah. "You're confusimg me," she admitted. She turned away from the girl and rested her hand on her head. She could feel a headache coming on and it was only getting worse with the more she thought things over. "He's not mean, Marcy."

He couldn't be mean because he had given her some of the best times. But he did leave her. Why couldn't she just stop thinking about it? She turned back toward her and bit her lip. "Tell me what you think about me. What should I do? I need to know what people think of me. Why its so easy to leave me behind?" She began to cry once again. Why was it so easy for people to leave her or give up on her? "You won't give up on me like the others, right?" She looked her friend in the eye and pouted her bottom lip a bit.

"He's the reason why you're hurt right now, though," Marceline replied sharply. Maybe Ryan wasn't a bad guy, but that didn't mean Marcy suddenly liked him, especially after how he left Ruby. She frowned slightly as Ruby moved away from her. No doubt she irritated the girl with her unkind words, but by now Marceline was used to the after effects of her personality.

She was a bit taken aback as Ruby asked her opinion of her. Her mouth hung open for a bit as her voice was caught in her throat before Ruby added and she was saved.

"I think you had little to do with his decision to leave this school," Marceline said, indignantly. She then sighed heavily. Now she was arguing for Noah's side. She really was being confusing, wasn't she. "he probably had his reasons or whatever and then after weighing his options, decided that sticking around just for his girlfriend wasn't appealing enough," Marceline reasoned. "And you're fine the way you are," She added with a huff as an afterthought. Her face turned slightly away from Ruby. Her own opinions didn't matter, right? There was nothing Ruby could do now to change the fact that Noah had moved schools or the fact that her parents had put her up for adoption.

Marceline's eyes dropped down to her hands as Ruby asked whether or not she would leave her. "I don't think I could," She uttered, slightly defeated. "Because I'm stuck here for now," She added quickly, blushing slightly.

Marcy's reply left Ruby even more confused. How was she supposed to know how she felt about her if she hadn't told her? It was like she avoided talking about it. Instead, she was defending Noah. Which made the poor sixth hear more confused. She thought her friend didn't like Noah but now she was defending him. "You're so confusing," she blurted out. "Tell me how you feel about me." She put her hand on her friend's shoulder. "Be honest with me."

What if she didn't like her and she was ignoring her question because she didn't want her to know? Her stomach did a flip. She wouldn't be able to handle lardy disliking her. She cared too much about what she thought about her. It was easier to read her other friends but Marcy didn't give away feelings often. "You're like a book in a language I don't understand, you're so hard to read." She bit down on her bottom lip until the pain was too much and she had to stop.

"I'm stuck here too," she said softly as she placed her hands in her lap and looked down at them. Her feelings were all mixed up, she didn't know if she should cry, smile, or do nothing. "So, I won't leave you."

Marceline didn't like the way Ruby was honing down on her, trying to get her to discus her feelings. That wasn't something Marceline ever did, no exceptions. Besides, they were supposed to be talking about Ruby's feelings. Particularly the ones about her boyfriend dumping her and then moving to a new school.

She moved away from Ruby's hands as they were placed on her shoulders and all attention was placed on her. "It doesn't matter how I feel!" Marceline spat. "I like to keep it that way." Being a closed book was how she survived. Once you start showing weakness out in the real world, people will take advantage of you.

"Sorry, but you're stuck with twisted ol' me," Marceline huffed, sliding back closer to Ruby. The girl seemed really distressed and Marceline felt obligated to help. She took Ruby's hands in her own and without thinking, she moved forward and pressed her lips to Ruby's. She held them there for a moment before pulling away and then stood up. "Now you know..." She started. "How I feel about you."

Ruby didn't like the tone in Marceline's voice. She didn't like her outburst. Of course it mattered how she felt, it mattered to Ruby. She felt like she lost her voice as the younger girl continued. She didn't know what to do or say. Ws there nything she could say to get the girl to change her mind? Instead of talking, she just stared at her friend. "Being stuck with you isn't a bad thing," she said softly. Finially her voice was back.

She was getting closer again, she took Ruby's hands in hers. What was she doing? Before she could question the girl, their lips met. It was like the air was sucked out of her, her mind went blank. It didn't last long. Ruby let out a small breath as she began to think and breathe again. What did she do? What did she say? She couldn't say that she hated the kiss because she didn't. But it just seemed too soon.

She touched her lips with her fingers before looking up at Marceline. "I-I didn't know," she muttered, her fingers were still pressed to her lips. So many thoughts were swiming through her head. "I don't know what to say, I don't know what to do." If she kissed her again, she felt as if she were betraying Noah. She had a feeling she knew what Marcy wanted to hear, she wanted her to say she liked her back. She did, she did like her back.

She laid back on her bed and covered her forehead with her arm. It was time to empty her brain for all things Noah and do things she wanted to do. She reached out and grabbed Marcy's hand. "You promised you weren't going anywhere, I trust you." She pulled on her hand, she wanted her to kiss her again but she didn't want to sit up.

Ruby hadn't kissed her back, not that Marceline was expecting her to do in the first place. However, she did expect her friend to be repulsed. Marceline couldn't imagine anyone fancying her, and Ruby wasn't the exception. Instead, Ruby looked surprised and confessed that she didn't know what to do.

"It's fine," Marceline replied, gruffly. "I don't expect miracles anymore." She added. There was no way in Merlin's name that Ruby actually liked her back. She had been a fool to kiss her in the first place, only Ruby wasn't going to let her leave the room without Marceline telling her what was going on. Actions, for Marceline, were always so much easier than words.

"I'm not gonna leave unless you want me to," Marceline said, seated at the opposite side of the room, while she let Ruby sprawl out on the bed. "We can still be friends if you don't think it's too weird," She finished, then fell silent. Although Marceline couldn't promise that she would get along with those who Ruby fancied, like Noah.

Ruby felt bad to say the least. She did like Marcy, but she couldn't just rush into another relationship. She wasn't ready and it felt like a stab towards Noah. Though he wouldn't know and he was so far away now. Yet, she still couldn't do it. She couldn't help but explain herself. "I just got out of relationship," she started. She didn't know how to end her little speech. She let out a small sigh. Did she admit to liking the girl? Or did she just keep her mouth shut? She had to finish what she was saying or else Marcy wouldn't know how she was feeling. She didn't want her to get the wrong idea and have her think that she was disgusted by her or something. "I think..."

She let out another sigh. She was at a loss for words. "Being a teen girl sucks," she said aloud more to herself than the other girl. Another sigh escaped the sixteen year old's lips as she sat up. She ran a hand through her hair to make sure it wasn't sticking up. "I like you, okay? I just...need time, you know? I just got dumped for the first time and it's a little hard for me."

Marceline rolled her eyes. After everything Noah made Ruby go through, Ruby was still stuck on him, she was sure. That was, until Ruby continued and Marceline found her previous judgment to be proven false. Her mouth hung open wordless, and then she nodded. "Alright," She said, crossing her arms as if to mentally protect herself. It wasn't exactly what she had wanted, but it still was better than a flat out rejection.

"Though I can't make any promises that I am just going to wait around for you," Marceline added, coldly. She doubted she could find another girl at the school that she liked as much as Ruby, but something made her say that anyway. Maybe she just didn't want Ruby to know how important she was to her. Once people start knowing things like that, they might be able to manipulate you. "So are you done moping around in your room for now or can we go do something fun?" Marceline asked, picking out the dirt from her nails. It was about time she actually helped Ruby get her mind off of the break up by a different means other than kissing her.

She didn't expect anyone to wait around for her so when Marcy said she wouldn't it was no surprise to her. "As long as you're happy, I don't mind. Unless the person you're dating is an ass, then I'll mind." She didn't want anyone being mean to her Marceline. She hadn't left her room in days, besides to go to class and to eat meals. It would be weird for her to leave her room now. But at least she wouldn't be alone.

"Yeah, we can do something fun," she said after a little while. She felt like a small puppy who was terrified to see what was outside, but she was also a bit happy to be leaving the room that she began to memorize. "Have anything in mind?"

She blushed slightly at Ruby's concern. It was just like Ruby to be kind enough to support any relationship of hers, despite it being a conflict of her own personal interest. Marceline wasn't that kind however. "I'm not one to be easily bullied," Marceline replied. She wasn't one to stand down when someone was being rude. In fact, often times people didn't need to be excessively rude to get on Marceline's bad side.

"We could go for a walk, or hell, even go to the library as long as it gets you out of this miserable room," Marceline answered, then offered her hand for Ruby to take as she stood before the door of the dorm. "Whatever you want."

Ruby knew that Marcy could protect herself and that she was good at protecting herself. But, if anything did happen to her friend then the person that harmed her would have to hear from Ruby herself. Though she wasn't much of a fighter, she would protect her friend no matter what. "You can hold your own, I know. But if anything were to happen to you then I'd jump in like a kangaroo on a hot sidewalk." She giggled at her little simile.

She rose from her bed and slipped on her shoes. "A walk will do nicely," she said. She grabbed the offered hand and gave it a little squeeze. "Thanks for making me feel better."