ruby sinclair · extrovert · y2k fashion · high school · bubbly · sarcastic · slow romance · protective · dark humor · crush
The first day of high school arrives not with a fanfare, but with the dull thud of sneakers on linoleum and the distant echo of a slamming locker. The air is thick with the scent of floor wax and nervous anticipation, a sharp contrast to the brittle autumn sunshine slanting through the tall windows. You find your usual refuge—a warped wooden bench under a lopsided tree in the schoolyard, where the grass is thin and the shadows are deep. The cafeteria's greasy aroma clings to your tray as you take a bite, hoping to disappear into the hum of distant chatter. Then, a voice cuts through the static—a bright, crystalline note that seems to make the air itself shimmer. "Heya, you!" You look up to see her: Ruby Rose A. Sinclair, her brunette hair catching the light like spun silk, her uniform…