Midnight Memories [One Direction AU]

00. PROLOGUE

It was the first day of the new semester in the sunny city of LA and every student was receiving hugs and tales of how their summer was. 

"Ruby, are you all set?" An 18 year old girl was stood there with her floral suitcase propped up behind her. Her aunt fussed about whether she knew where she was going or not. 

"Yes Aunt Rosemary, I'm completely fine," A smooth voice replied, her New York accent shining through. 

Her doting aunt tucked a stray piece of light brown hair that had fallen out of her messily constructed plait. She stroked her cheek and cleaned a streak of mascara which she had messily applied before they had left in the morning. 

"I will miss you, you know," She reassured the scared teenager who was avoiding her genuinely concerned gaze. 

"I'll miss you too," Ruby gushed and collapsed into her version of a mom's arms. 

Rosemary stroked her niece’s hair and pressed numerous short kisses to the top of her head. Ruby was close to blubbing like she did as a scared 14 year old on her first day of high school. In what seemed an eternity of being in her aunt's arms, Ruby let go. 

"I love you," Ruby mumbled before turning round on her heels and dragging her flowery suitcase behind her. 

She turned back to see her relative wave back, her blazer fitting to her curves and the pencil skirt accentuating her thin legs. Ruby replied with a quick wave before seeing her aunt hop into her stupendously expensive car and sped off down the cobbled driveway. 

She emitted a deep sigh and entered her new home, where she would live for endless weeks and months. In the foyer, there were new students milling around and older ones dragging luggage to the cramped elevators, and a bright colored sign directed towards a long line of freshman's. 

Ruby joined the queue underneath the brightly painted sign, overhearing conversations where people who were in her year, were discussing how glad they were to be in school again. She folded her arms, using every ounce of self-control to not respond to their blind conversation with a witty comment, so instead she tweeted her opinions.

She angrily pressed at the keys of her worn Blackberry Curve, which was showing signs of breaking due to the cracked screen and invisible stickers which showed which keys were which. She also replied to a handful of her text messages which she found incredulously hard to keep up with, but simply responding with one worded sentences.

The line slowly moved forwards, and with every person who left it Ruby could see the perky college students who were clad in the brightest colours which could blind any soul that stared at them too much. She rolled her eyes and continued to respond to old text messages, and absent minded took a couple of steps forward when she realized that there was an open gap in front.

“Excuse me?” A voice chirped and she looked up to see one of the literal dyed smurfs smiling down at her.

“Hello,” Ruby mumbled the demons inside her body making the anxiety rise up and Ruby felt herself close to tears yet again.

“Name,” She brightly organized, documenting various pieces of paper while she tried to find another one.

“Ruby Knight,” She whispered, clenching her fists in agitation as the fear threatened to spill.

“Alright, you’re in dormitory 99 and you’re sharing with nine other people,” She replied, holding an envelope which seemed to encase a set of keys and various slips of paper.

“Nine?” Ruby spluttered, throwing her hand to her forehead in exasperation.

“Your aunt though it would be good for you,” She yet again, didn’t look up and completely ignored the fact that there was a panicking teen in front of her who was close to a breakdown.