Outcasts

Second Chances

Trigger Warning: Physical Abuse

Winter sits up and stretches her back in her desk chair. She flings her arms outward with a yawn, closing her book and notebook for the night. The pale girl pushes herself up and out of the chair. She walks a few feet, then collapses onto her bed, and pulls her phone out of her pocket. She opens it only to be greeted with a notification.

5 missed calls from Qrow.

"What the hell?" Winter whispers to herself. She curves her brow as she swipes the notifications away. Almost instantly, the phone echos to life with a basic ringtone. Winter jumps at the sudden loud noise. She looks at the name on the screen.

Call from Qrow

"Jesus Christ." Winter whispers to herself once again. She goes to decline, but stops herself.

"I better just tell him to stop calling me." She thinks. She answers.

"Hello?" Winter keeps her voice low.

"Hey Winter." A mellow voice comes over the other phone. Qrow's voice.

"Why are you calling me?" She spouts, right away.

"I just wanted to say that I'm sorry." Qrow says genuely. Much more kind and normal that it sounded when they first met.

"Why? I thought you hated me." Winter strikes back, not caring about the other words said.

"I was... drunk." Qrow says, pausing.

"Drunk?" Winter's face goes pale. "You're eighteen!"

"I know, and I'm sorry." Qrow sighs. "I guess I'm just asking for a second chance."

"You're acting like we were a couple or something." Winter shouts, without raising her voice to high. "Why do you even want my help? You said yourself that you don't care."

"Listen. I'm not forcing you to give me a second chance, I just really need help." Qrow says.

Winter sighs into the phone and pauses for a minute. She is about to speak when she hears a door slam somewhere else in the house. She jumps.

"Winter?" Qrow askes, concerned.

"Sorry," She goes back to the phone call. "I will help you if you promise to never get drunk around me ever again."

"I promise. Are you free tomorrow around noon? Meet at Snowbird Coffee?" Qrow says.

"Winter!" An angry voice echoes from the hall outside her door. Winter quickly jumps up off her her bed and stands up.
"Yeah. I'll be there." Winter hangs up without waiting for a response. She hears loud footsteps in the hall coming for her door. Winter panics and throws her phone on her bed. She runs back to her desk and opens up her book and notebook once again. She picks up her pencil, and waits. Soon enough, a large, tall man bursts through Winter's bedroom door.

"Are you deaf? I called for you." He shouts.

Winter moves her eyes from her notebook.

"Sorry dad. I was talking to Glynda on the phone. I didn't hear you." Winter shakes, hoping that he didnt see through her lie.

"Well next time, pay attention to your father!" He shouts again. Winter takes a deep breath.

"Yes father." She says.

Suddenly, the sound of Winter's ringtone echoes from her bed once again. She runs to the bed.

Call from Qrow

Her stomach sinks. She quickly presses decline.

"Did that say Qrow?" Her father questions. "Qrow Branwen?"

Winter says facing the other direction, not wanting to look at his face.

"We're just paired up for a school project." She squeaks out.

Winter hears her father walk up behind her. He grabs her shoulder and whips her around, smacking her across the face. Winter grabs her cheek and falls back onto her bed. He grabs her hair bun and yanks her back up to a standing position. Winter yelps from the pain and tries to release her father's grasp from her hair. He leans down to look into her eyes.

"The Branwens are a poor, disgusting family that does not deserve to be anywhere near a Schnee."

"I -" Winter tries to speak, but is thrown to the floor.

She looks back up to her father, only to see him turn and walk out of the room.

Winter coughs, and stands up.

Her phone rings again.

Call from Qrow

She picks it up and clears her throat, trying to disguise the sound of tears streaming down her face.

"Hi," Winter answers. "Sorry, I accidently pressed decline."

"It's okay," He replies "Hey. Are you alright?"

His voice was almost therapeutic for her.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm fine." She says softly. "I'll see you tomorrow."