Not So Bad After All

# 16

Things were finally calm in Ruby's life. Her mom had finally returned home after what seemed like an eternity, Anastasia was still with her, along with Xander, Liam, and Noah, there was no Peyton or Leo, and things were running smoothly with the relationship with Ryder. Ruby smiled as she thought of how they officially announced their love for each other and began their relationship. Ryder was actually the exact opposite of what she had anticipated him to be. She thought he would be possessive, jealous, and rough, but he was actually very kind, loving, and protective. "Hey!" Ruby snapped out of her trance to see Anastasia running towards her, grinning. She smiled softly at her friend, linking their arms together as they made their way through the school.

"So you two are finally together, huh?" Anastasia asked, sitting on Ruby's desk as the classroom waited for the teacher. "Yeah. I couldn't be happier, Anny." Anastasia grinned at her nickname before replying with, "He better be good to you, if he isn't, let me know and I'll take care of him." She said, winking as she slipped off Ruby's desk and sat down at her own as the bell rang and the teacher entered the room. 'Maybe things are finally looking up for me...'

"Hey, Ruby Jones!" A new voice called as Ruby was about to head off to lunch. "Yes?" She asked, turning around and seeing who called her. She furrowed her eyebrows in confusion before realization lit up her face. "You're Angelica, Ryder's sister, right?" Ruby asked, watching as the girl smirked. "That's me. You're his girlfriend, right?" Ruby nodded slowly, feeling like Angelica would start screaming at her to stay away from her brother. "You're pretty interesting, you know that?" Ruby's eyes widened in shock. "You're different from everybody else, I can see why my brother loves you. Look, I'm not here to tell you to stay away from him, actually it is the exact opposite. I want you to take care of him, okay? The two of us have been through a lot, and a heartbreak isn't exactly something Ryder needs right now..." Angelica trailed off, scratching the back of her head. "What do you mean by that?" Ruby asked softly, tilting her head a bit. Angelica sighed. "The anniversary of our mom's death is coming up, and Ryder took it the hardest. So, just be there for him, okay?" Angelica asked, eyes downcast. "I promise I will. I know what it's like to lose a parent, so I want to be there for him so he knows that he doesn't have to face this alone." Ruby said softly, but firmly, determination lacing her tone. Angelica's eyes widened in shock as she looked at Ruby, before she grinned. "Yeah, I knew there was something about you I liked. Like I said, Jones, you are a very interesting girl, you'll be good for my brother. By the way, feel free to call me Angel if you want." Angel said, winking before running off. Ruby smiled before walking to her next class. What the two didn't know was there was someone who had been listening to the conversation. The figure smiled softly. "Thank you, princess..."

"There you are!" Ruby shouted, running up to Ryder. He smiled at her as she jumped into his arms. "Here I am." He smirked, pecking her on the lips. She smiled, hugging him tightly. "Aww" Four voices cooed, the couple turning to glare at the four. Anastasia grinned, winking at the two as Noah and Liam made kissy faces and noises, mocking them playfully. Xander just chuckled, shaking his head softly. Ruby smiled, looking from her four friends to her boyfriend, seeing him smiling down at her. 'Yeah, things are definitely looking up for me...'

(A/N: Well, this chapter was rather short compared to the last one, but it is here! It's more of a filler I guess, but I am kind of running out of ideas, however I will figure something out. I hope you are all doing well after hurricane Matthew. Thank you all so much for reading and I hope you all have a wonderful morning/afternoon/evening! Sayonara!)