An Aura of Hope: A RWBY Fan Fiction

Chapter Ten

The three days with Yang were some of the greatest in my life. Mostly because of the food. Who knew how much better bacon and eggs would be when you hadn't grown them?

I did my fair share around the house, but it was hardly a chore; getting lost in a mansion with nothing but a duster was too much fun.

Yang made me get a haircut. I was "too shaggy to go to Beacon," she said. I thought my hair was fine, but she was too convinced to hear any arguments, and since she was the only stylist she trusted, she cut my hair herself. My light blond hair was now short enough that it seemed to spike up on its own. Yang said it did that because it was "trained" to hold the heavy load of my hair from before it was cut.

On the morning when I was scheduled to leave for Beacon, I laid on the sofa in the front room and traced the pattern on the ceiling with my finger in the air. Yang wasn't awake yet, and I didn't want to attempt cooking the food. I would probably end up ruining it.

I heard a loud THUD come from upstairs, followed by the opening and slamming of a door, followed by a louder THUD accompanied by the rattling of metal. Yang was awake.

"HIYA, JAMES! YOU'RE UP EARLY!" she said as she slid to the top of the stairs. I chuckled. Yang's morning stupors were something to look forward to watching. Unless she drank the night before, then she was something you'd hide your children under their beds for. But, it looked like she had a sober night. She bounded her way down the steps and did a strange acrobatics move to flop herself on the sofa so that her feet were in my face and she was resting her head on my feet. She did this every morning, so this time I was prepared for the impact that left me gasping for air the first time.

"Morning," I choked out. I kept staring at the ceiling, because Yang always forgot in the morning that wearing a nightgown while doing this gave me a...friendly...sight. A bit too friendly for me. So, I just kept staring at the ceiling, willing myself not to look.

She giggled. "Why you up so early? You're always up so early." She started poking my face with her toes. It was a weird feeling.

"I'm not up early," I said, "you're up late!"

"Nuh uh! It's only..." She glanced up at the clock. "Eleven o'clock! I'm up right on time!"

I laughed. "Okay, Yang. Come on, now. Up! Go make food!"

She rolled sideways and flopped onto the floor. "Okay!" She hopped up and ran towards the kitchen. Sometimes it was hard to believe that she was eight years older than me.

A few minutes later, Yang had calmed down and called me in for breakfast. She made toasted bagels and cream cheese for us. My mouth was watering before I even got to the kitchen. She handed me a plate, and I devoured the salty-sweet bagel.

"Hungry much?" Yang laughed.

"Just excited! I'm finally going to Beacon! Today!" I said.

"Yep. And I'll be taking you there."

"Wait, what? Why? You've already done so much for me. I can't ask you to do this for me."

"Hush now. I'm taking you. I want to go and see Ruby anyways."

"Ugh. Fine. Stubborn girl," I mumbled. I ran upstairs to the room Yang lent me and packed up the clothes I'd gotten out. I heaved the luggage onto my back and trudged downstairs.

Yang was dressed and ready to go by the time I got down there. She had on the clothes she wore when I met her along with a pair of aviators.

"Ready?" she asked.

"As I'll ever be," I returned.

"Good. I opened the garage already. Sorry, but I only have my bike here right now. You'll have to hold your stuff and sit on the back."

"Won't that, like, screw up your balance?"

"Oh, completely!" She smiled deviously. "But that's what makes it fun."