Ruby wanted to scream. Danna had been avoiding her for days, always finding some excuse to leave the room the second Ruby entered, ignoring her calls, leaving her texts on read.
She sank back onto her bed, racking her brain for anything she could have done to make Danna mad at her. Tears welled in her eyes. Danna was her best friend, her solace from her family, someone she could always talk to. Nothing scared Ruby more than the thought of losing her.
A photo was clenched in her hand, one from the last time they were together. Danna had invited her out to the movies, and Ruby, thinking it was a group thing, that Oscar and Adrian would be coming, had cheerfully agreed, commenting on Oscar's genius for sneaking snacks into theatres. Danna's face had fallen, although only for a moment. Ruby had an old camera from before the Age of Anarchy, and she brought it with her everywhere. It was mostly filled with blurry selfies of her and Danna, from their various escapades. She brushed her fingers over the photo. It was wrinkled from being in her bag. Her fingers ghosted over Danna's smiling face, and she could hear the echo of her laughter and feel the softness of her skin as their cheeks pressed together, feel the burning of her cheeks as she smiled, delirious from joy.
She sighed, pulling up her wristband to once again stare at the word that plagued her to no end.
read.
It had been 4 days, and Danna had spoken 4 words to her.
4 words.
4 words that repeated over and over and over in her brain.
"Sorry, Ruby, gotta go!"
Danna never called her Ruby. Not even at work. It was always Rue, Red, Red Assassin, anything but her name. That may have been what stung the most. The formality.
It wouldn't have hurt so bad if Danna hadn't been so obviously avoiding her. 4 days wouldn't be so bad if Danna had at least looked at her, maybe offering an apologetic smile or wave. Crime had grown recently in Gatlon, and they were all busy, especially the Renegades that specialized in surveillance, like Danna.
It wouldn't have hurt so bad if Ruby wasn't 87% sure that she was in love with Danna. She'd always liked her, as more than a friend. She'd been fascinated with Danna since the second she saw her emerge from her swarm at the Renegade trials, and her heart had fluttered when Danna smiled at her from her table, giving her a thumbs up before Ruby started her trial. Her dimples gave Ruby butterflies, and the way that she could always make Ruby laugh had her falling faster than she'd thought was possible. She'd never told Danna any of this, not even that she was bisexual. She'd been interested in Danna since before they'd been formally introduced, and had always secretly hoped that one day, they could be more than friends.
But no, Danna stiffened whenever Ruby entered a room and immediately rushed out, not even offering an excuse, not even looking at Ruby.
Would things ever be the same?
She could handle being alone, but only if she had Danna. Even surrounded by her family and other friends, she didn't know what she would do without her. Her presence was so comforting, so normal, that it was surely something she couldn't live without. Even if they were just friends.
read.
"Sorry, Ruby, gotta go!"
read.
Ruby.
read.
gotta go.
