Ruby Red - Xavier Thorpe [on hold]

Chapter One

Ruby Addams was different from her sister, it was clear the second she was born and put into her mother's arms. She had red hair, much like her maternal grandmother, and grew to have brilliant green eyes. Despite the family custom of wearing black and white, Ruby always managed to add a little pop of color that would compliment her special features. She was always more compassionate and caring than her family, she was quite like her mother in that sense, while Wednesday had only shed tears once in her life, never feeling a need to have emotions, or at least express them. When Wednesday got expelled from eight schools in only five years, Ruby switched schools to stay with her sister, she actually had quite a perfect record, and many liked her but kept their distance because of her sister. She was an outcast and it wasn't her fault.

The day that Wednesday got expelled from their final school before Nevermore, she had stayed with Pugsley, comforted and untied him. She sat there with him while he cried in her arms. He knew that whatever Wednesday was doing would mean Ruby would have to leave with her and he would have to continue at this school alone. He would miss them.

Then it happened, Wednesday was expelled, and Ruby was pulled out of that school and they were enrolled at Nevermore.

While Wednesday was giving their parents the silent treatment, Ruby was planning on talking her ear off, she was unhappy that this would be their ninth school in only a few years. She was happy it was Nevermore, but she wasn't happy that Pugsley wouldn't be with them. She had always dreamed of going to Nevermore, so that is what she blabbed on about to her sister.

"Wednesday, can you believe it? We're finally going to Nevermore! I wonder if I'll meet the love of my life like Mom and Dad. Do you think I will? I'd love to. Oh! And we could go to the Rave'N together and we could go on dates. That sounds like a dream, right Wednesday?"

She didn't seem impressed. Ruby tended to be talkative sometimes, but that was only in Wednesday's opinion, and well, talkative to her was a couple of sentences at most, so this was uncharacteristic of Ruby. She had rambled on about her dreams of Nevermore during the whole car ride how she wanted to become captain of the fencing team and win the Poe Cup. She wanted to be involved, she finally could be in a place where she would be welcomed, an outcast finally finding her place in a school full of outcasts.

Upon their arrival at the school, the twins found out they wouldn't just be in separate rooms, but separate buildings. While the older twin would be in Ophelia Hall, Ruby would be in Midnight Tower. There she had gotten her own room, no one in Midnight Tower had roommates, the rooms were all singles.

Ruby loved her room, it was mostly round, besides one flat wall with her closet and her door that went out to the landing and staircase. The room had a forest view from one of the three windows, along with a view of the lake, and grounds.

A knock came at the door, and Ruby walked over to be met with a pretty girl with bright blue eyes. "Hi. I'm Divina, I'm in the room above you, and I've been told to show you around. Follow me, we have to get your uniform." Ruby smiled and did as she said. When they got to the registrar's office to grab the purple and black striped uniform along with other essentials needed, they saw Wednesday and her roommate leaving.

Wednesday had a custom black and grey uniform. Ruby wasn't surprised, despite Wednesday's hatred of being in the spotlight, she sure did like to be different than everyone else and stand out. That was something that made Ruby dislike her sister, as much as she loved her, she wasn't someone she would willingly care for, she was closed off, always made a scene, and ruined everything for Ruby. Any friends Ruby made were scared away by her sister, and any birthday they had was ruined because Wednesday got something that, again, scared people away, any happy moment Ruby had was wrecked by the dark shadow Wednesday cast over her. She was such a perfectly dark and nefarious daughter while Ruby liked colors, and wasn't so into evil plans and plots against people as her family was. She was much more like her grandmother. Madame Frump was well known as a Nevermore legend. She had fiery red hair, piercing green eyes, and magic so powerful that only a few in the bloodline could possess it, that few all had the same features, red hair, and green eyes. Ruby was just like her, Morticia always told her about their similarities, they were kinder than most in their family, and they just never fit in. They were a family of black sheep, and Ruby and her grandmother were white sheep.

"Hey," Divina caught Ruby's attention again, "I know coming to a new school can be tough, especially in the middle of the semester, but I can guarantee you will find your forever friends here, we all understand what it's like to not fit in."

"Thanks, I just saw my sister, and I just hate how she can get into my head sometimes. But that doesn't matter right now, I don't have to deal with her right now, and that's all I care about. So, what clubs are you in? I was hoping to join the fencing team and I just really want to be more involved." Ruby thanked the man who passed her the necessities, and Divina showed her to the bathroom to change into her new uniform. She loved the way it looked on her, it was perfect, and she was lucky that purple worked on her, it made her hair stand out.

She left the stall and Divina smiled, "Okay, first, give me a spin girl, 'cause that looks so good on you. Wow, I've seriously never met someone that the uniform worked on like I know people that look good with it on, but you really look like you belong. But, back to what you were saying, yes, you're lucky, you are looking at the president of the student council, and an amazing swordswoman, along with someone who can get you into the best club ever. Have you ever heard of the Nightshade Society?"

"Well duh, my parents were in it, my grandparents, and a bunch of other ancestors, Nevermore legacy here. I thought it disbanded years ago."

"That's what everyone else thinks, it used to be secret, but now it's so secret that if you get kicked out, the sirens have to make you forget it even exists unless you swear that you will keep it a secret, but we're lucky that the only people who have been kicked out were expelled, so they can't really do much about it. But, I can totally get you an in. I think you're perfect Nightshade material."

The two girls made their way out of the bathroom, and Ruby was quickly realizing that she was going to love it at Nevermore. She already made a friend who could also help her into the clubs she wanted to join, and she didn't have to share a room with her sister like she had originally thought she would.

Divina brought her back to where she would have to say goodbye to her family, and she tearfully hugged them.

"My little stormcloud, I'm going to miss you so much, I hope you love it here," her father cried as he lifted her from the ground and shook her around in a tight hug.

Pugsley rushed into her open arms, "I'm gonna miss you, Ruby, I don't know what I'll do without you."

The Addams' matriarch stepped forward and pulled her daughter in, "my beautiful gem, I hope Nevermore fulfills all the dreams you spoke about in the car, and I hope you have the experiences of a lifetime," she let go and reached back to Gomez, for a small black box, inside was a beautiful amulet and ring. They had matching ruby stones. "These were my mother's and I know she would have wanted you to have them. They are very fitting for you, and here is your crystal ball, keep in touch whenever you can."

Just as Ruby said a small goodbye to Lurch, Wednesday was making her way over to say goodbye as well. She took that as her cue to go back to the quad to meet back up with Divina.