Victim

Why wasn't I enough?

Ruby's POV

Yesterday, I promised Kylie that I'd help her make up with Malia. So today, I'm determined to talk to her, but every time I spot Malia on campus, she's always with Dior, Xóchitl, and Momona. Kylie warned me this morning that catching Malia alone was next to impossible, and I thought she was overreacting—but jeez, she was right.

So time for Plan B: talk to Xóchitl. Maybe she can convince Malia to talk to Kylie one-on-one without the others hovering around. After all, Xóchitl is just as wrapped up in this mess as Kylie is, even if she doesn't want to admit it.

I spot Xóchitl talking with Dior and walk up to them, my stomach churning with nerves. "Hey, Xó, could I talk to you for a minute?" I ask, trying to keep my tone calm but feeling the urgency gnawing at me.

Dior raises an eyebrow, her mouth twitching with a smirk. "Hello to you too," she says, laughing lightly.

"Hi, Dior," I say, smiling sheepishly. "Sorry, I didn't mean to be rude. I'm, uh, on a bit of a mission, and I don't have a lot of time."

She gives me a knowing nod. "Got it, no worries girl." she says, reaching over to give Xóchitl a quick hug before turning to me with a thoughtful expression. "Oh, and could you tell Kylie I'm not mad at her, just... disappointed? I'll talk to her in a few days. I just don't want another fight right now, you know?"

Relief washes over me. It's good to know that not everyone is furious with Kylie. Disappointed, sure, but at least Dior's open to talking eventually. I nod gratefully and give her a small smile as she heads off.

When Dior is out of earshot, Xóchitl turns to me, curiosity mixed with a hint of wariness in her eyes. "So, what do you need to talk about?" she asks.

I let out a sigh, carefully choosing my words. The last thing I want is to put her on the defensive, I need her to really listen. "I just wanted to ask for a favor... well, more like a favor that Kylie needs from you."

Her eyes widen at the mention of Kylie, and she immediately stiffens. "L-look, Ruby, I'm back with Momona now, and Kylie and I hooking up has already caused enough drama. I'd rather not get tangled up in any more stuff with Kylie right now," she stammers, inching away as if planning to make a quick escape. But I step forward, determined not to let her brush this off.

"Xó, I get it, okay?" I say, my tone soft but firm. "But how do you all plan on keeping Malia away from Kylie forever?"

She looks at me, biting her lip, her gaze dropping to the ground. "I get what you're saying," she murmurs, voice low, "and yeah, it's impossible to keep Kylie out of Malia's sight forever. But this all happened two days ago. It's just... too soon for Malia to talk to her right now."

I take a deep breath, trying to keep the frustration out of my voice. "Come on, Xó," I say gently. "Kylie just wants to apologize. Don't you think they should at least have a chance to talk things out?"

She sighs, crossing her arms as if weighing her options. "Alright," she finally says. "I'll try to convince Momona to let them talk, but I can't make any promises."

"Momona?" I say, confusion lacing my voice. "Why do you need to convince her? This is between Kylie and Malia."

Xóchitl nods, rubbing her temples. "I know. But Momona's gotten... overprotective. She doesn't think Malia should be anywhere near Kylie."

I raise an eyebrow, surprised. "Dior isn't the overprotective one this time? That's new."

She chuckles, though there's a note of unease in her laughter. "Dior's disappointed, but she doesn't think Kylie hurt Malia on purpose—she doesn't know why, just has a feeling. Honestly, the only one actively against Malia and Kylie talking is Momona. Malia's open to hearing Kylie out, trying to understand what happened. But Momona keeps convincing her it's a bad idea."