Descendants//𝐸𝐿𝐼 𝐻𝒜𝐿𝐸

𝖙𝖜𝖔

After Noah Stilinski dropped her off at school, Ruby quickly made her way through the parking lot, spotting her best friend, Charlotte Mahealani, waiting by the entrance.

"I am so happy that in a month, all this shit will be over!" Charlotte exclaimed the moment Ruby reached her.

Ruby raised an eyebrow, adjusting her bag over her shoulder. "I mean, I get it, but I'm not going to be here anyway," she reminded her.

Charlotte gave her a dramatic eye roll. "You could stay here with your dad, you know. It's not like you have to leave."

Ruby sighed, shaking her head as they entered the crowded school hallway. "That's impossible. Even if I could somehow convince my dad to stay here for more than 24 hours—which would be a literal miracle—he's always working."

Charlotte glanced at her, confused, as she opened her locker beside Ruby's. "You can't tell me an FBI intern doesn't get two weeks off to go on vacation."

Ruby let out a small laugh and rolled her eyes. "Char, killers don't just wait two weeks to murder someone because it's the 4th of July."

Before Charlotte could respond, Ruby's locker slammed shut with a loud bang, making her jump.

"Who killed who?" came a voice behind her, casual and full of amusement.

"Luke! God, you scared me!" Ruby exclaimed, clutching her chest where her heart was pounding. She turned to glare at Luke Mahealani, Charlotte's twin brother, who grinned mischievously.

"I just wanted to tell you to stop being so pretty," Luke said with a smirk. "It's the fifth time this week someone's asked me for your number." He nodded toward a group of lacrosse players across the hallway, who were eyeing Ruby with not-so-subtle interest.

Ruby rolled her eyes, crossing her arms. "What I don't get is why they play with you all the time but never say anything directly to me."

Nearby, Charlotte and Eli Hale stood watching the exchange. Eli shoved his hands into his pockets, his jaw tightening.

"She doesn't ignore you on purpose, you know," Charlotte whispered to Eli, noticing his expression.

Eli let out a sigh. "I can deal with her not noticing me here. But at Friday dinners? We're the only teenagers there! How can she not see me then?" he asked, frustration seeping into his voice.

"Maybe she doesn't think you care about spending time with her," Charlotte suggested, shrugging as she followed Ruby into their first class.

Eli muttered a quiet "Yeah, maybe," under his breath before trailing behind them.

After what felt like an endless day of classes and lacrosse practice, Ruby was finally done. She made her way to the parking lot to meet Charlotte, who was standing with her brother and Eli.

"What's up?" Ruby greeted them, pulling her hair into a loose ponytail.

"Luke's giving us a ride home," Charlotte explained, gesturing toward her brother's car.

Ruby nodded and gave Luke a quick smile. As the twins chatted, she finally noticed Eli standing off to the side, glancing at her hesitantly. Their eyes met for a brief moment, and Eli stiffened before giving her a nervous wave.

"Oh, um... hi," he said awkwardly, his voice almost cracking.

Ruby pressed her lips into a tight line, resisting the urge to roll her eyes. "Hello..."

It wasn't that she didn't like Eli—she actually wanted to get to know him better, especially since their families were close. But he was always so awkward around her, and she didn't know how to handle it. They hadn't spoken much in years, so avoiding him felt easier than trying to bridge the gap.

In the car, Charlotte turned to Ruby with a teasing grin. "Steven Brooke was totally staring at you today during practice."

Ruby's eyes widened. "Shut up. That's not true," she said, her tone defensive.

"It absolutely is!" Charlotte insisted.

Ruby groaned, throwing her head back. "How many times do I have to tell you I don't care about him?"

"Why not? He's hot!"

"Then you date him," Ruby shot back flatly, pulling out her phone. "He's not my type."

Charlotte crossed her arms, pouting. "Okay, fine. Then what is your type?"

Ruby shrugged. "I don't know. Someone like Timothée Chalamet, maybe."

Charlotte rolled her eyes dramatically but stayed quiet. She couldn't help but notice how much Eli resembled Ruby's celebrity crush—not that Ruby seemed to notice.

Up in the front seat, Eli sat in tense silence, listening to their conversation. He clenched his jaw when Steven's name came up. Steven was a jerk who had been bothering him and Luke all week, asking them to set him up with Ruby.

Eli had liked Ruby since fourth grade. He admired her every day during lacrosse practice, where she effortlessly outshone everyone on the field. She wore number 24, just like her dad, and played with a level of skill that left everyone in awe. To him, she wasn't just the most beautiful and popular girl at school—she was everything.

But Ruby didn't seem to notice how much people admired her, least of all him.

When the car pulled up to their neighborhood, Ruby and Eli got out together. They lived just three houses apart, but this was the first time they were walking home side by side.

"So, uh..." Eli started nervously, glancing at her. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow at the game... which is dumb to say because, obviously, you'll be there since you're on the team... but, uh..." He trailed off, his cheeks burning.

Ruby turned to him with a serious expression, making him freeze. Was she mad? Did he say something wrong? But before he could panic, Ruby burst out laughing.

Eli let out a relieved laugh, though he couldn't tell if her reaction was good or bad.

"You do talk a lot," Ruby teased, her eyes sparkling. "But it's not a bad thing."

Eli stared at her, momentarily speechless.

"Well, I've got to go," Ruby said, adjusting her bag. "But it was nice talking to you again, Eli."

Eli blinked, caught off guard. "Oh, uh... yeah. Same here."

Ruby started walking away but stopped suddenly and turned back to him.

"Oh, and don't forget—we have dinner tonight, like every Friday," she said with a laugh. "Not sure if it's at your house or mine, though." She gave him a small wave and walked off without waiting for an answer.

Eli stood there for a moment, watching her go, his heart racing. She'd actually said it was nice talking to him. He couldn't believe it.

Smiling to himself, he turned and headed home, already looking forward to dinner.