Losing Her Wings

Chapter 13

Skylar didn’t waste any time after Waldo left her room, she went straight out to the campus café and bought herself a sugar loaded drink to help the fatigue and dizziness she felt after her latest vision and set off in search of Ruby. She asked about a half dozen people in her search, who all said the same thing, if she wasn’t at the sorority house then she could be anywhere, which didn’t help her any at all. Each one of them went on to ask just why she wanted to talk to her since she wasn’t ‘in her league’ before giggling or laughing at her in a way that said she was worthless. She knew otherwise, from someone in a higher power than they could ever hope to reach. Even the elders couldn’t have told her she was nothing, the very fact that she had been given the chance she had told her that the one person who mattered, though that she was special enough to be given the opportunity to show what she could do for other people. It only took her around fifteen minutes of wandering around campus and asking people who she knew were in Ruby’s social circle if they knew where she was, before she found her, sitting by herself in a quiet, shaded area of the campus gardens, looking quite lost.

“Ruby…do you mind?” Skylar waited until she had been invited to take a seat before sitting and contemplating how to start the complicated conversation she wanted to have with her. She asked her if she was okay only for the shrug of her shoulder to say that she wasn’t sure how to answer it so she felt that random casual chat was out of the question. She was obviously not in the mood. “I saw Waldo today…” She began with the important things, glad to see that Ruby instantly snapped to attention, turning to her with a hopeful smile as she clutched at the bench arm rail between them.

“Is he alright? Is he staying? Can I see him?” She couldn’t help but blurt out a dozen questions that Skylar couldn’t answer and when she admitted that, she lost her interest in the conversation and began sulking again. It annoyed Skylar, who was trying to do a nice thing for her only for her inability to ask random questions that only Waldo could answer result in rudeness and a lack of participation. But she wasn’t going to let it get in her way, she had only been around for one day but she hadn’t yet managed to complete on single task on her list, whether Ruby and Waldo’s relationship was on her list of mission or not, she was going to see the two back together.

“I’m sorry about what happened with you and Ryan but I understand that he’s beginning to act like a child and I want to help. I was going to help him until I realised how ungrateful he would be, so either I help you or not but it’s up to you.” Skylar made it quite clear that she was offering a one time deal to get her back together with the mans he truly loved but that if she refused it right there and then she wasn’t going to get another opportunity. It was about time that someone realised what an effort she was making and how she could have been doing a lot more interesting things with her time than making everyone else happy when she wasn’t. Not that that was why she had come back but it was certainly something she could have spent her time doing. “He gave me his number to keep in touch and I gave him mine in case he needs any help or advice but I’ve managed to persuade him to stick around town for a while. He came to talk to Ryan so I expect he’ll come back again and when he does I want to know that you’ll do the right thing.” Her words gave Ruby an unexpected jolt, becoming slightly defensive as she challenged her to explain exactly what she meant by that, not knowing what she was expected to do when he had broke it off with her even after hearing her explanation. He knew the truth and he still said he couldn’t handle it, why should she expect that to change now? “Such as apologising to him and begging him to take you back. He misses you, he won’t say no. But you know men, he needs to think it’s his idea.” Skylar knew fine well that most men needed a little help with the idea department but that it had to be done delicately so that they all thought it was their idea and were therefore more likely to accept it or go along with it. It was just the way the world was.