17 DATES

CHAPTER 1: the wrong way to start uni

"I tell you two everything!" Peggy exclaimed.

"We're friends?" Ruby smirked, amusement dancing in her eyes like a flame. If someone asked her if she was friends with her roommates, the answer would be an immediate no. The three rarely hung out and they knew only basics about each other. 

The blonde threw her hands into the air, "we're not?"

"We're friends. You're the only two people that know my phone number." Olivia plucked a potato chip from the bucket in Peggy's hands and popped it into her mouth with a small smile.

"Jared doesn't know your number?" Ruby turned her attention to the black haired beauty, who sat on the chair by the desk and leaned forward to steal another chip.

"Who's Jared?" Peggy watched her friends with a lost look, her eyes growing glassy.

"The guy with those Hulk muscles and tree trunk thighs that was here Wednesday night."

"Wait, wait, wait. We're changing the subject. Hulk guy can wait." Peggy shook her head. "Did you tell Mia that you liked this Will guy?"

"Of course I did, I'm an idiot!"

"Hold on a minute. You like Will?" Olivia looked constipated, which meant she was holding in laughter. Ruby had seen it before. It happened every time she had seen something embarrassing; whether a person tripped or someone made a situation awkward, she always pursed her lips, narrowed her eyes and puffed out her cheeks.

"I liked Will. Or I'm trying to 'had liked' Will. That doesn't make sense, " she stumbled over her words, "what I'm trying to say is that I'm getting over him."

"So this is all because of Will?" Peggy sounded skeptical.

"Mia and I aren't talking. At first, I ignored her when she tried to ask me what happened like she didn't know. When I finally realized, I was maybe overreacting, she started to make these short comments about me that sounded very passive aggressive. Then she started to ignore me, looking through me like I wasn't even there. To top it all off, there was this kiss with Anton."

A short gasp followed from both of the girls.

"You kissed Anton?"

"Why would you do that?"

Phoebe rolled her eyes, "that's the point. I didn't."

Olivia and Peggy paused to think over her words. 

"I don't know what to say," Peggy's eyes glossed over, her throat bobbing.

"I know. Let's go beat his ass," Olivia glared at Ruby, but she knew it wasn't directed at her. A chuckle crawled up from her throat.

"If I knew that would have happened, I would have stayed for your dinner party."

"If I knew it would have happened, I would have never had that stupid dinner party."

"Scream," Olivia offered her a blank look.

"What?" Phoebe didn't understand.

"Scream!"

It came immediately after her Latina friend yelled at her. The dark beast from her chest, that had been resting while clawing at Ruby's insides and eating her happiness with a spoon, had been released. The glass broke. All of her bottled fury, depression and self pity had finally been pulled from her insides. She regurgitated it to the surface with a forlorn shriek.

Her friends watched her; Peggy with pursed lips and Olivia with a slight smirk. They shared a look, before they also let out their own howls. Ruby hadn't even noticed she closed her eyes, until she opened them again to look at her friends. A tug at the corners of her lips let her know she was okay. The screams soon faded into soft laughter until all that was tugging at their hearts was a warm type of kinship they weren't used to.

Peggy dropped her hand on Ruby's and ran her thumb over her friend's knuckles.

"You can't stop believing in love, before you even feel a strand of its magic. We're going out."

"And if you don't meet the love of your love tonight, you can just find someone to replace your horrid memory with Anton." Olivia shrugged, a wicked glint in her eyes.

"You're going out with us?"

"No, Shawn is coming over. But text me updates."

AUTHOR'S NOTE: hi! if you noticed the names tessa or phoebe, please correct me. ruby used to be phoebe and phoebe used to be tessa. i have been working on this story for almost a year now and it's constantly been changing. also if you want to know the cast or who i have been imagining as the characters, drop a comment or write to me. i will gladly add a cast or even direct you to my spotify playlist for the story. and if you're waiting for flynn, the wait won't be long! i just had to get her story through to you first. flynn is coming and maybe even a few more love interests that will surprise you. love you!
p.s.: the other chapters will be shorter, i kinda went all out with this one!