Domestic Vocaloid Adventures

Enter Daina and Ruby

"Yo," said Ruby, when she noticed Diana out of the corner of her eye.

Daina has recently turned the corner to the back of the school, and was now shooting Ruby, who was leaning against the back wall causally, a disdainful glare.

"There you are!" Daina huffed. "Dex has been looking for you all morning, you know."

Ruby smiled slyly. "Then why are you looking for me? You wanted to help your boyfriend?"

Daina rolled her eyes. "Do you think you're smart? Do you think you're the first person to ever have made that joke? We've been getting teased about that since kindergarten, you aren't special."

Ruby shrugged. "Considering I'm skipping class right now, you should know already I'm not very smart."

Daina shook her head. "No. I know you. You're smarter than you give yourself credit for, you just refuse to try."

Ruby raised an eyebrow. "Wow, is that a compliment? From Miss Glancy of all people?"

"Don't get used to it," Daina deadpanned. "But anyways, you were actually pretty close, I am out here to help Dex look for you. He was pretty concerned."

"Tell him I'm sorry. I'll swing by his house after school today to show him I'm alive."

Daina scoffed. "Why don't you just come to class?"

"I'm not feeling it today. Too many people."

Daina sighed. "Fine. Whatever. If you have to repeat your senior year it's not my fault. Why are you even out here anyways?"

"Truthfully, I came out here to smoke, and was just about to light one when you arrived. I would offer you one, but I doubt that little miss hall monitor would take me up on that offer. I bet she's already pretty stressed that she's missing class for me right now," Ruby smirked and crossed her arms.

"Shut up," Daina nearly hissed. "What does Dex even see in you anyways? He told me you weren't even answering your phone. The least you could do is text him back so he doesn't combust."

"Ah. Yeah, sorry about that one. My phone's dead."

"What, were you too lazy to even charge your phone?"

"Nah, the electricity in my house has been off for a while."

Daina fell silent. "...what?"

"My mom still hasn't paid the bills, so we haven't had electricity for a while," Ruby replied, all too casually.

"Hang on, how can you just say that?! Like it's—like it's normal?!" Daina found her voice getting louder the longer she spoke, having a hard time believing the conversation she was having.

"'Cause it is. Well, for me anyways. Maybe you've got it better but I've got what I've got. I'm just lucky enough to have a roof over my head."

"That's...that's not lucky! That's a basic human right!" Daina nearly shouted. She may have disliked Ruby, but hearing about what her home was like was setting off all kinds of alarm bells. "Why hasn't your mom paid the bills?!"

"Ah, she used all her spare cash for drug money."

Daina was about to say something when Ruby shot her a look. "You don't have to say it."

Daina blinked. "Say what?"

"That you're sorry, or that I should go to the cops, or whatever else you're thinking. I have everything taken care of."

Daina felt blood rush to her face. "W—Well clearly you don't if you don't have electricity!"

"No, I do have it figured out. You don't know me, or my story."

"Then why don't you tell me your story?" Daina demanded.

Ruby thought for a moment, before answering with a prompt "No."

"Wait, you can't just...not explain! Not at this point, after you already started to tell me!"

Ruby narrowed her eyes. "Frankly, yes I can. I don't owe you anything, and considering you've been nothing but a pain in the ass ever since you've arrived I don't have to think twice about whether I want you to know about my personal life."

"But—if you're not going to explain further, why'd you tell me that?!" Daina's face and ears were burning hot, and she knew her face was red, but she couldn't help it.

"Because little miss perfect seems to think I'm nothing but lazy fuck up, just like my dear mother, and I wanted to let her know not everyone is two dimensional," she glared at Daina. "If you want to know me, why don't you try being nice to me, and expressing genuine interest in my friendship? It's not very hard."

Daina was rendered silent. For the first time in her life, she didn't have a long speech she could pull out of nowhere to fight back with. All she could do was stand there and fail to come up with a response.

"You know, you're always saying you don't know what Dex sees in me, but honestly, I don't know what he sees in you," Ruby continued. You gotta get your head out of your ass and realize there are more people in this world than you, and things are different than your own biased perceptions."

Ruby's voice was harsh, yet cool and composed at the same time. Daina was speechless.

Ruby turned to leave. "Well, see ya around, Foxy. I'm heading out, school's lame anyways. Tell Dex I'll come check up on him after school, it's the least you could do after this headache."

And with that, Ruby walked off. Daina was left standing there dumbfounded.