High school tuition.

Chapter 6: Wild Fire.

She could feel her heart thump against her chest, and beads of sweat trickle down her forehead. Ruby hissed as she turned her head to the side, the small action aggravating the bite mark on her neck. The girl was checking if she was being followed, she didn't need any narks on her case, or god forbid, any more teachers. Of course Mrs. Yvette had people looking for her.

She stopped right in front of the door, her hand reaching for the handle but instantly recoiling with the recurring anxiety pressing down her stomach. Are you scared of a toilet, now? Ruby ridiculed herself, shaking her head 'no' in response to her own question. She stepped in slowly, the last thing she wanted to do was startle Sapphire, and opened her eyes. When had they closed? She didn't know. Was it out of fear about confronting the girl she had just helped 'out' in front of her maths class? Probably. She couldn't punch her way out of this one. Or kick. Or bite. No, this was a very abstract problem for Ruby, one that required her dreadful communication skill.

"Is it true...?" A uncharacteristically shaky voice echoed through the room, making Ruby flinch to the side and see Sapphire sat on the rim of the sink, her normally poised figure slouched against the wall and a single droplet rolling down her flushed cheeks, leaving behind a thin trail of smeared mascara. But still, no emotion. Just a poker face with a tear. "...Yes? But, it weren't my fault, Amethy-" "This is going to spread like wild fire." Sapphire held her hand to her head, blinking slowly and letting more tears spill out the corners of her eye. Her shoulders shook a little, and Ruby could hear her weeping quietly as her poker face vanished, revealing just how troubling she found the whole ordeal.

"Who cares?" Ruby bellowed, hopping onto the sink with the most reassuring smile she could muster. "My parents." Sapphire sharply turned to Ruby, a cold blue eye meeting two warm brown ones. Ruby couldn't handle the tense, awkward atmosphere. Sapphire seemed fine though. Why was she hiding one of her eyes? Another questioned that she didn't have the answer to. But she wanted to know. She reached forward, Sapphire flinching away with an expression that could only be called confused.

"Oh. Sorry..." For the second time today, Ruby recoiled. "I just wanted to see what's under your hair." She shrugged with a forced laugh. "My other eye is under my hair." Sapphire bluntly replied, with a look of 'duh' on her face. "Well then why is it under there?" Ruby swung her legs, looking expectedly at the other girl. "Because it's prosthetic." She flicked her fringe to the side, revealing a glimpse of the hidden eye. She stayed like that for a minute just staring at the other student. Ruby was i shock. She was stunning, her two blue eyes glistening with her lipgloss in the light. "So, yeah." She flicked her hair back, blushing a little.

"I think you look pretty. Like, you don't need to hide your eye." Ruby smiled, accompanied with various hand gestures. Sapphire giggled. Only a little, but it lifted Ruby's spirits just like it had in french. "I'm just gonna deny it. If i tell them that it's just a rumour, they have no evidence. Right?" Sapphire said with a serious tone. "Yeah, but you shouldn't pretend to be something your not." Ruby looked at the floor, frowning a little.

"No, it's fine. I'll get Amethyst to say it's a lie too. Will you say it's bullshit?" Sapphire looked to her. "Um..." Was she really going to go against her morals for this girl? "Please." Sapphire cupped Ruby's face with one hand, a hint of desperation detectable in her voice. Ruby liked the contact, leaning into it as if she were a dopey cat, making Sapphire grin as her shoulders relaxed. "Ok." Ruby sighed against the cold hand on her cheek. Sapphire quickly kissed her, jumping from the sink and turning to the door. "Text me where you live, okay? I'll be round later." She casually informed, waving goodbye and leaving behind a rather stunned Ruby.