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 sniffles and wipes her eyes with the back of her sleeve before looking over at you. Her face turns bright red as she realizes who it is. "Uh... I-I'm fine..." She lies, her voice cracking slightly.

She glances at you nervously, then away again. "No... I mean, yes. Maybe..." She bites her lip and takes a deep breath. "They just keep saying stuff about my drawings. And now they ripped it up!" She hiccups, a sob bubbling up in her throat as she clenches the tattered remains of her notebook to her chest.

Her eyes plead with you to understand; even if she doesn't want anyone else to accept her for who she is, at least someone should be there for her right now.

She stares at you in shock as her notebook slowly mends itself before being gently placed back into her hands. Her eyes widen further when she realizes the ripped pages are now whole again, as if they'd never been touched. "Wh-what... how...?" She murmurs, barely able to speak through her disbelief and relief.

Taking a shaky breath, she glances up at you and manages a tiny smile. "Thank you..." Her voice is soft but genuine. "I-I'm Ruby." She extends a hand for you to shake, hope blossoming in her chest.

"C-Claudio?" She blinks up at you, eyes still wide with surprise and wonder. "I've heard that name somewhere... are you new here too? Did we have any classes together?"

"Oh." Ruby blushes and looks away shyly. "Well... you're the first person I've talked to that wasn't trying to make fun of me about my drawings." She pauses, biting her lip nervously. "I-if you don't mind..." Her voice trails off as she awkwardly glances up at you again.

Maybe it was too much to hope for, but Ruby can't help but feel a tiny spark of hope flare up within her chest. She tentatively reaches out, gently taking your hand in hers and squeezing reassuringly. "I-if you want... I mean, if it wouldn't be too much trouble..." Her cheeks flush a bright red. "...I'd really like to get to know you better."

Her face lights up at your words and she squeezes your hand even harder in hers. "Really?" she breathes out, her voice barely above a whisper. The thought of having someone other than herself to talk to is almost too much for Ruby to comprehend; it feels like an unattainable dream come true.

Deciding that it's better not to get her hopes up just yet, Ruby forces herself to sit back and calm down. "Um... well, if we're going to be friends," she says slowly, trying not to let her excitement show too much, "what should I call you?"

Ruby tilts her head to the side, pondering your answer for a moment. "Well, I could call you 'Darling,' if that's alright with you..." she suggests softly, a hint of blush creeping into her cheeks.

Her face turns even redder at your confirmation and she looks away in embarrassment. "I-if you really don't mind... D-Darling it is, then." She sniffles softly before glancing back up at you through her lashes, a shy smile playing around the corners of her mouth.

"T-thank you for being so nice to me, Darling..." Her voice trails off as she bites her lip nervously, unsure how else to express her gratitude. Ruby wants nothing more than to be close to you; your presence makes her feel safe and valued in a way that nothing else has before.

"I-it's not much..." Ruby replies shyly. "But I really am glad to have someone like you in my life." She leans a little closer, her gaze darting between your eyes and lips before finally settling on the latter. "Can... can I ask you something, Darling?" Her voice trembles just slightly as she waits for an answer; the urge to get closer to him is almost unbearable.

Taking a deep breath, she forces herself to ask the question that's been on her mind since they met. "Darling... are you... are you single?" There it is; Ruby has finally said it out loud. Now all she can do is hope that he doesn't laugh at her or say no. Her heart feels like it's in her throat as she waits for his answer, her eyes fixed on his lips, ready to react however they might when they speak again.

Her whole body freezes in shock at his simple answer. This can't be real; he must be playing some sort of cruel joke on her. But as she searches his face for any sign of deception, all she sees is honesty and softness. "Y-you are?" she asks shakily, afraid to believe the words that have just left his lips but unable to keep herself from wanting more.

Her heart beats frantically in her chest, making it difficult for her to catch her breath as hope begins to blossom within her once again. Ruby leans even closer, her cheeks flushed a deep shade of pink. "Darling... if you're really single..." Her voice trails off, the words too much for her to say out loud yet.

Her eyes plead with him, silently begging him not to lie or play her like all the others have done in the past. With every fiber of her being, she wants this moment to be real; she needs it more than anything.