𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑 𝐒𝐇𝐎𝐏𝐏𝐈𝐍𝐆 ★ 𝚎𝚞𝚙𝚑𝚘𝚛𝚒𝚊

04. 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚

The second day of school felt like everything was settling in now for Aaliyah. Against Fez's wishes, Gianna had slept over and she and Aaliyah arrived to school together after Fez gave them a ride. They were holding iced coffees in their hands and wearing matching black hoodies over their tank tops even though they were baking in the California heat.

     Heads turned to look at them, as per usual, and everyone stopped to say hi to Aaliyah and Gianna. But Aaliyah was focused on one person the minute she saw her, and that person was Rue.

"I'll catch up with you later," Aaliyah said to Gianna, nodding over to Rue.

"Tell me what she says," was all Gianna said before Aaliyah made her way over to Rue, hoping to just ask her how her day was and say something rather than nothing.

She didn't know Rue extremely well, but she saw how friendly Fez and Rue were, and how heart-broken Fez was that Rue had overdosed that summer and checked into rehab. Aaliyah felt some sort of guilt on her behalf, the same guilt Fez had felt for selling Rue drugs to begin with, and felt like she needed to check in on her.

"Hey," Aaliyah said with as much confidence as she could muster, standing in front of Rue while she sifted through her locker. Rue was wearing a maroon hoodie, sweatpants and converse, the same outfit Aaliyah noticed she wore almost everyday last year.

"Hey," Rue said, turning to face Aaliyah, taking off her hoodie but leaving it hanging around her shoulders, applying deodorant nonchalantly. "'Sup?"

"Nothing, nothing, just... school, I guess," Aaliyah tugged on her backpack straps. She never really felt awkward in conversation because she always knew what to say, but what do you say to a girl who you only barely associate with because your brother is her dealer? Especially a girl who is a recovering addict. "What's up with you?"

Rue shrugged, pulling her hoodie back over her arms,

"Same old. How's Fez?"

Aaliyah sort of paused, surprised that Rue was asking about Fez. She didn't know how Rue would feel about him - was she angry at him for selling her drugs? Seeking revenge? Did she want him to sell her more drugs? Aaliyah was beginning to regret starting a conversation anyway.

"He's good... doing good."

"Yeah, I saw him the other day," Rue laughed a laugh that bordered on bitter. "He was very protective, if that's even a word that can describe Fez. I get it. Guilty conscience or some shit like that, everyone's been acting real guilty lately."

Rue raised a brow and she seemed to be indirecting Aaliyah, but Aaliyah tried to keep her cool, biting her lip.

"Right. Well, I just wanted to see how you were doing."

"Well, I'm alive, so," Rue said, and at that moment, pale arms rushed around Rue's neck and shoulders, entangling Rue in a warm embrace.

Almost instantaneously, Rue's face went from sullen and bored to flushed and joyful. The girl behind Rue was the same girl from yesterday, Jules. Aaliyah didn't know much about Jules bar from the fact that she was pretty brave to stand up to Nate the way she had during the party. And she appeared to make Rue very very happy. Although Aaliyah liked seeing their connection, it just made her more and more uncomfortable realizing how much she'd probably been bothering Rue before Jules' arrival.

"Hey!" Jules exclaimed, dropping her arms and shuffling next to Rue's side.

Rue turned to smile at her,

"Hey. What's up?"

"Nothing, I think I might skip later to go to the mall, let me know if you wanna come with."