章 4: Pilot
So I was going to do Patreon but then I remembered copyrights all of a sudden and don't feel like risking getting sued when I'm fine writing for fun so if I feel like it I'll upload a chapter I have in drafts and even if I don't you're guaranteed a chapter on Tuesday. Enjoy the ride byeeee.
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Also check out my new original series Shadows of External Night: Reincarnation of Nyx
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Ruby pov:
"Ruby, it's time to get up! Come on, you can't be late for the first day of school," Tyler yelled outside my door.
As Tyler's voice reached my ears, carrying the enticing aroma of freshly baked cookies, I reluctantly opened my eyes. Greeted by the warm sunlight filtering through my window, I slowly sat up and stretched, ready to start the day.
"Alright, I'm up!" I yelled back.
After getting dressed, I made my way downstairs and saw Tyler waiting for me to go to school.
"Come on, let's go," he told me with a fond smile, handing me some cookies that I had smelled earlier.
"Let's hurry, I bet Caroline's waiting for me," I said while dragging him to the car.
We arrived at school, and I immediately spotted Caroline. "I see Caroline, bye Ty!" I told him before running out of the car.
"Caroline!!" I yelled as a burst of excitement overcame me. I couldn't help but rush toward her, wrapping my arms around her in a tight hug.
"Ruby! It's been so long," she reciprocated with equal enthusiasm, and we held each other for a moment, sharing our joy in being together.
"Huh? But we saw each other yesterday," I questioned her, tilting my head a bit.
"Yeah, but that feels so long ago. Anyway, this guy—" Caroline began ranting about some random guy, her words flowing rapidly as I listened intently, taking occasional bites of the delicious cookie Ty had made for me.
As we chatted, my gaze shifted, and I noticed Elena's presence nearby. Caroline quickly excused herself, hurrying to check on Elena, leaving me standing there feeling slightly awkward.
At that moment, Bonnie caught my eye and waved at me. My heart fluttered, and I blushed, waving back in return, feeling a mixture of happiness and nervousness.
We all headed to class together, and as Mr. Tanner began his lesson, I took out my notebook and started drawing various vehicles. My attention drifted, only half-heartedly listening to the teacher's words as my mind wandered to the world of my sketches.
I was sketching a sports motorcycle with a rose pattern. It was coming out good, if I do say so myself, then the bell rang. I quickly grabbed my stuff and headed to my next class.
Later, I found myself alone in the middle of the forest, trying to activate my semblance. Frustration filled me as I struggled to awaken my powers, but as I got frustrated I ended up summoning my scythe and cutting a tree down.
"Ahhh, why can't I just use my semblance? What am I doing wrong?" I shouted, looking at the fallen tree.
Then suddenly, the fog started to appear.
"Hello, anyone there?" I called out, like a genius because when something creepy happens you just have to call out the killer you know.
But then the fog just disappeared as if it was never there to begin with I looked around but there was no trace of it.
"Ok?" I questioned myself, even rubbing my eyes to make sure they were working.
Then my phone started to ring. I picked it up and saw it was Caroline.
"Hello, Caroline. How can I help you?" I asked her.
"Can you please come to the Grill? The hot new guy is going to be there, and I need my wing woman to be there for me," she pleaded.
"Caroline, you know how I am when dealing with new people. I won't even be able to talk, never mind being your wing woman," I complained.
"Pretty please," Caroline begged.
"Fine, I'll be there," I succumbed to her pleading, knowing she would just drag me there anyway.
"Yes!" Caroline celebrated.
When I arrived at the Grill, I saw Caroline, Bonnie, Elena, and someone I didn't recognize but assumed to be the hot new guy.
"Ahhh, Ruby, you made it," Caroline exclaimed.
"Stefan, this is Ruby, and Ruby, this is Stefan," Caroline said, introducing me to Stefan. I nodded in acknowledgment, feeling a bit shy and not shaking his outstretched hand.
He looked at his hand awkwardly after seeing me not take it, but Caroline quickly defended me.
"Oh, don't worry about that. She doesn't hate you, she's just shy and doesn't know how to interact with new people," Caroline told him, then continued to share stories about how shy I used to be, emphasizing how much progress I had made in coming to the Grill with her.
I simply nodded and took a seat, unable to control the blush that colored my cheeks whenever my eyes met Bonnie's.
As the conversation continued, I found myself lost in Bonnie's presence, my attention drawn to her.
From the corner of my eye, I saw Caroline frown a bit, but she quickly shook her head and focused her attention on the new kid.
"So, Stefan, do you know about the party tomorrow?" Caroline questioned him.
"It's a back-to-school thing at the Falls," Bonnie continued, explaining it to him.
He turned his head to Elena and asked, "Are you going?"
I'm a socially awkward person, but even I could tell how much he was into Elena. I guess I should be ready to comfort Caroline later.
Bonnie quickly answered for Elena, though. "Of course, she is."
Elena stared at Bonnie before turning her attention back to Stefan while smiling, but I just stared at Caroline as she put on a fake smile, trying not to look upset that Elena got the attention of another guy.
After the eventful day, I returned home to rest, mentally preparing for what the next day would bring.
The following day, I sat in class, engrossed in my drawings once again, when I suddenly heard my name being called.
"Ms. Rose, since you're so focused on your notebook, you must already know the answer to my question," he asked me, making everyone look at me.
"Umm, sorry, can you repeat the question, please?" I said to him, blushing at the attention he brought to me.
"How many casualties resulted in the Battle of Willow Creek, Ms. Rose?" he questioned me.
"Ummm, it... it was 373, Mr. Tanner," I answered him while leaning deeper into my chair, wishing I could disappear.
'Can everyone not look at me, please?' I begged in my mind.
"That is incorrect, Ms. Rose. You see, everyone, this is why you have to pay attention and not be focusing on whatever you want like Ms. Rose here," he said while snatching my sketchbook.
"You can have this after class," he told me before returning to the front of the class.
"She's correct, sir," I turned to see who said that and realized it was Stefan.
"Excuse me," Mr. Tanner said to him.
"Well, there were 346 casualties, but if you include the 27 civilian casualties, then there would be 373 casualties in the Battle of Willow Creek," Stefan confidently corrected him, looking Mr. Tanner straight in the eye.
"346 is correct, but there were no civilian casualties in this battle," Mr. Tanner informed him.
"Confederate soldiers fired on the church, believing it to be housing weapons, and they were wrong. It was a night of great loss," Stefan added, providing additional historical context.
But he doesn't stop there
"The founder's archives are stored in the Civil Hall if you'd like to brush up on your facts Mr.Tanner," He says with a mocking tone well to me at least.
I can't believe his face isn't red with everyone staring at him even imagining being in his position has me all red.
As the time for the party approached, I dressed up in a bright red off-the-shoulder shirt, and black jeans, and put on my red and black Jordan 1s before heading to the event.
While there, I noticed Bonnie distancing herself from Elena, a hint of unease in her demeanor. Curiosity got the better of me, and I followed her.
"Hey Bonnie, are you okay?" I asked her, genuine concern in my voice.
Bonnie tried to brush it off. "Nothing's wrong, don't worry about it," she replied, but I could sense something was bothering her.
"Come on, tell me. I promise I won't make fun of you," I persisted, giving her my legendary puppy eyes.
Giving in to my puppy eyes, Bonnie sighed. "Okay, fine. But do you promise not to make fun of me?" she asked.
"I promise," I told her, placing my hand on my heart and standing up straight, which made her giggle. Butterflies invaded my stomach at the sound of her laughter.
"Earlier, I was messing around with Elena about having some kind of visions, but when I touched her, I ended up seeing a crow and a man standing in the fog," Bonnie confessed, wearing a strange expression.
"It's just the alcohol; it means nothing," she reassured herself, shaking her head.
"I was in the woods when fog mysteriously appeared. But the next minute, it was gone like it was never there," I shared with her.
"Do I want to know what you were doing in the woods?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Why are you looking at me like that? It's a nice place to relax and draw without any distractions," I defended myself.
Suddenly, screams pierced the air, jolting both Bonnie and me. Without hesitation, we ran toward the source of the commotion, finding Viki bloodied and injured.
As I noticed the marks on Viki's neck, a surge of repressed memories flooded back. "Vampire," I thought to myself, instinctively pulling Bonnie away from the gruesome scene, my expression unusually serious.
"Ruby, are you okay?" Bonnie asked, concern evident in her voice, snapping me out of my trance. Blushing slightly, I realized I had grabbed her hand. I reassured her, "Yes!"
"Sorry, just seeing Viki like that brought back some bad memories," I explained. Just as Bonnie was about to say something, Caroline appeared, looking down and a bit buzzed. I remembered hearing Ty use that term before.
Bonnie motioned for us to wait a bit as she went to talk to Elena. When she returned, without hesitation, we guided Caroline towards the Mystic Grill, seeking a safe space from all the chaos.
"Are you sober yet?" Bonnie questioned Caroline.
"No," Caroline replied tiredly.
"Well, keep drinking. I gotta get you home, I gotta get us home," Bonnie chuckled, looking at a half-asleep me.
"Why didn't he go for me? How come they never want me?" Caroline questioned, her frustration evident.
"I'm not touching that," Bonnie quickly replied.
"I'm inappropriate and I always say the wrong thing and Elena always says the right thing and she doesn't even try," Caroline says
"Everyone always picks her for everything," She says sadly
"It's not a competition, Caroline," Bonnie says
"Yeah, it is," Caroline insisted.
A while later, Bonnie excused herself and asked if I would join her. I shook my head, indicating that I would stay behind.
As Bonnie left, I turned my attention back to Caroline. Gathering my thoughts, half awake, I spoke up, my voice filled with sincerity. "Caroline, you are someone I care deeply about. Please don't put yourself down. If it ever came down to choosing between you and Elena, I would always choose you." Caroline blushed, clearly taken aback by my heartfelt confession.
Caroline leaned forward and she said, "Thank you, Ruby," with a smile.
I then took hold of Caroline's arm and began to guide her towards the exit, ready to go to my warm, soft bed.
Before leaving, I made sure to grab the cookies the grill had specially prepared for me. As we walked out, Caroline bid me goodnight, and I returned the sentiment, feeling a mix of exhaustion and contentment.
"Goodnight, Caroline," I said, my voice tired but filled with genuine warmth.
"Goodnight, Ruby," she replied, her voice soft and filled with gratitude.
Caroline dropped me off at the Manor, and I watched her drive away before entering the house. I was ready to faceplant right onto my bed, feeling the weariness settle in. However, a pang of annoyance hit me as I realized that Tyler hadn't bothered to mention he was leaving.
"I'll get my revenge tomorrow," I muttered under my breath, determined to give him a playful hard time about it. But for now, I would relish the comfort of my cozy bed.
The night enveloped me as I drifted off to sleep, reflecting on the moments shared with Caroline, Bonnie, and the mysterious vampire that had arrived in Mystic Falls. Thoughts of my parent's death lingered, and I silently hoped that they weren't connected to the current chaos unfolding in the town.
"They better not be the ones responsible…" I whispered to myself before darkness took over my vision, transporting me to the world of dreams.
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