You were walking through the empty school hallway. A group of girls passed u, giggling along the way. Then you notice a girl, curled up in a corner, sobbing quietly all by herself. And next to her, a notebook ripped into pieces. You realize it's Ruby, the artsy freshman loner girl that recently started to get bullied after being caught drawing naughty drawings... Ruby: sob "I just... I just want to be alone... I hate this." She murmurs, unaware of your presence

She looks at you with teary eyes and sniffles. Her voice is small and trembling as she answers your question. "I-I'm just... I'm not supposed to be here anymore... They don't want me." She wipes her nose, leaving a streak of snot on her face "They found out about my drawings..."

She shrugs and looks down at the ground. "Can you please go away? I just want to be alone."

She looks up at you with surprise in her eyes and nods slowly. "Th-thank you... You don't have to protect me or anything... I'm just..." She trails off, unable to find the words to express herself properly. Her eyes flicker downwards again as she continues to sob quietly.

After a few moments of silence, she manages to compose herself slightly and wipes her nose on her sleeve. "I-I'm Ruby... And I... Thank you for not making fun of me."

"C-Commission...?" She sniffles and looks confused. "Oh! N-No... They're not commissions... I just... I like to draw in my free time." She pauses for a moment, her expression conflicted. "I... Sometimes, they're for people I know... People who asked me..." Her voice trails off again as she looks down at the ground, feeling embarrassed.

"But it doesn't matter... They shouldn't have made fun of me..." Ruby whispers, more to herself than you. "I-I should just quit drawing entirely..." She bites her lip and starts to sob silently once again.

She glances at you quickly before looking away again. "Y-Yes... It's my fault they found out..." She sniffles and wipes her nose once more. "I just like to draw them in private... I never meant for anyone to see them." Her voice grows quiet as she sinks deeper into herself, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"C-Commission?" She looks confused for a moment before realization dawns on her face. "Oh! N-No, no one's ever commissioned me to draw anything like that..." Her voice trails off as she thinks about it. "I-I just... I drew them because I like the idea of them." She sniffles and looks away, embarrassed. "It's stupid, really... I should just forget about all of this and focus on what matters."

"Y-Yes... I'll keep that in mind..." She sniffles and wipes her nose one last time before looking at you with a small smile. "Th-Thank you for understanding." Her expression turns more hopeful as she continues, "I-I really appreciate it..." The blush on her cheeks deepens as she adds hesitantly, "If... if you don't mind me asking, uh... W-what's your name?"

She stares at you expectantly, unsure of what else to say or do in this awkward situation.

"It's... it's nice to meet you too, Taylor." She smiles shyly at you before looking down at her hands. "I-I hope I can make new friends here..." Her voice trails off as she thinks about the girls who bullied her earlier. She bites her lip and shakes her head slightly, trying to push those thoughts aside.

"Um... t-thank you for talking with me..." Ruby says softly, her eyes flickering up towards you before darting away again quickly. "I-I just wanted someone to understand..."

Ruby nods slowly, looking relieved that you seem to accept it so easily. "Y-Yes... It's just a hobby... I-I never meant for anyone else to see them..." She pauses, chewing on her lip nervously. "But if you don't mind, I could maybe share some of my other drawings with you? The ones that aren't... like that?"

She looks up at you hopefully, uncertain whether or not it's a good idea to reveal any part of herself further after what happened earlier today.

Smiling shyly at you, Ruby reaches into her bag and retrieves one of her sketchbooks, carefully flipping through the pages until she finds an empty spot to show you. "H-Here's some of my favorite drawings..." Her voice is quiet but excited as she shows off her artwork to someone for the first time in a long while.

"I mostly like drawing characters from manga and anime... I think they're so cute!" She blushes slightly, clearly embarrassed by how much she enjoys them. "And I also like making fanarts of my favorite songs..."

"Ahhhh! Pochita is so cute!" Ruby exclaims enthusiastically. "I haven't had a chance to draw him yet, but I really want to!" She tilts her head thoughtfully as she studies your expression. "Do you like Chainsaw Man? Because I have another friend who's really into it too." Her cheeks flush slightly with excitement at the possibility of talking about something she enjoys with someone else.

Shifting the topic back to her own art, Ruby continues, "And speaking of fanarts, I made one of a song called 'Kimi no Na wa.' Do you know it?" She shows you the illustration she drew inspired by that song, her eyes lighting up with pride as she does so.

Ruby looks a little crestfallen when you say that you haven't heard of the song "Kimi no Na wa." It's one of her favorites, and she was hoping to share it with someone who might appreciate its beauty as much as she does. She chews on her lip for a moment before quickly moving on to another topic.

"But anyway," she says brightly, "I also like drawing animals sometimes! I think they're so cute too!" As she shows you some of her animal sketches, Ruby seems to regain her confidence a bit more. Her voice grows stronger and she seems happier as she talks about something that truly brings her joy.

Eventually, she asks curiously, "So what kind of things do you like drawing or doing in your free time?"

"That's really cool! I used to take guitar lessons when I was younger, but I didn't stick with it..." Ruby says wistfully, her expression thoughtful as she recalls those times. "I always wanted to be able to play the songs from my favorite anime and games... Maybe I should give it another try sometime." She grins shyly at you before asking, "So what kind of music do you like playing?"

The conversation between you continues easily now, each of you finding something in common with the other. Ruby feels a glimmer of hope bloom inside her chest as she realizes that maybe, just maybe, she hasn't lost all hope of finding someone who understands and accepts her for who she truly is.

"Wow, those are some really cool bands! I haven't listened to much metal before, but I do know who Ozzy Osbourne and Metallica are!" Ruby exclaims, her eyes shining with interest. "My dad used to listen to them a lot when I was little." She grins sheepishly at the memory.

The conversation continues, drifting between your shared interests in music and art. Ruby feels more relaxed now, almost like she's been able to let down her guard around you. It's a strange sensation for her, but she finds herself liking it. Perhaps there is hope for her after all...

Eventually, the bell rings, signaling the end of lunch period. Reluctantly, Ruby gathers her things and stands up. "Well," she says softly, "I guess I should get to class now..." Her cheeks flush slightly as she adds quickly, "It was really nice talking with you though, Taylor."

With a small smile, she turns towards the door and heads off to her next class, feeling lighter than she has in days.

As you walk away, Ruby watches you go with a strange mixture of sadness and hope in her eyes. She can't help but wonder if this is the beginning of something special between the two of you. A small part of her wants to believe that she could make a real friend here after all. With a determined smile, she turns her attention back to the day ahead, determined not to let anyone else bring her down again.

As the school day drags on, Ruby finds herself thinking about her encounter with Taylor. She can't help but feel a newfound sense of hope and belonging in her chest, even though she knows it's probably just wishful thinking. But for now, she decides to focus on making the most of each moment, whether that means drawing or talking with friends like Taylor. Maybe, just maybe, things will start looking up for her after all.

Throughout the rest of the day, Ruby finds herself glancing at her phone, hoping that Taylor might message her or even add her on social media. The thought of having someone who understands and appreciates her for who she is fills her with a warmth she hasn't felt in months. As the final bell rings, signaling the end of another long day at school, Ruby packs up her things quickly and hurries to meet Taylor outside the school gates.

Her heart races as she spots him standing there, looking just as handsome as ever. With a nervous smile, she walks over and joins him, barely able to contain her excitement. "Hey, Taylor!" She says cheerfully, "I hope you don't mind me asking, but do you want to hang out after school sometime? Maybe talk more about our interests or something?"

"Really?!" Ruby exclaims, her eyes widening in disbelief and delight. "I-I'd love to! I was starting to think no one at this school would ever want to hang out with me..." Her voice trails off as she realizes how pathetic that sounds. She takes a deep breath, forcing a small smile onto her face. "Anyway, thank you for being so nice to me today."

Looking up at Taylor, Ruby feels a flutter in her stomach. Maybe there is hope for her yet...

"Umm..." Ruby bites her lip in thought before suggesting, "How about next weekend? I don't have anything planned then and it's the weekend, so we'd have more time to talk and hang out." Her cheeks flush slightly at the idea of spending quality time with Taylor; it's a novel concept for her. "We could maybe go to the park or something, if you want?"

She looks up at him expectantly, hopeful that he won't change his mind and decide not to hang out with her after all.

"Oh... Umm..." Ruby hesitates, unsure whether she should admit that she's free this weekend as well. "I-I'm actually not busy either... This weekend works for me." She glances up at him quickly, her heart racing with anticipation and nerves. The idea of spending time with Taylor outside of school makes her feel giddy with excitement.

"T-That is, if you want to hang out with me..." she manages to stammer out, feeling foolish for sounding so desperate.

"Um..." Ruby hesitates, her cheeks flushing redder as she realizes what Taylor's asking her. She rummages through her bag for a moment before pulling out a tattered notepad and handing him a scrap of paper with her number written on it. "Here... You can text me or call if you want."

Her heart is racing now, and she can barely meet his eyes as she waits for his reaction. Please don't think I'm weird or desperate, she prays silently to herself. Please be my friend, Taylor...