The seating chart was an act of God, or perhaps Mrs. Davison's particularly vindictive mood that day. Either way, ruby found herself wedged next to arimi on the first day of junior year English. ruby , perpetually organized, with perfectly straightened hair and a planner that looked like a rainbow threw up on it, and arimi, a whirlwind of tangled curls, ripped jeans, and a notebook overflowing with doodles. ruby sighed, already anticipating a year of crumpled papers and borrowed pens. arimi, on the other hand, glanced at arimi with an appraising look, a faint smile playing on her lips. "looks like we're bunkmates." she said, her voice a low, husky drawl that sent a shiver, unexpected and unwelcome, down ruby's spine. ruby, ever the diplomat, managed a weak smile. "looks like it."
They first few weeks were a dance of avoidance for ruby. She meticulously kept her side of the desk pristine, fielded arimi's requests for erasers with a forced cheerfulness, and generally tried to pretend arimi wasn't there. But arimi, like a persistent vine, kept finding ways to weave herself into ruby's life.
She'd offer ruby a stick of gum, then launch into a hilarious, rambling story about the religion her sleep paralysis demon made a billion years ago. She'd whisper insightful comments about the manga ruby was reading, views ruby hadn't even considered.
One day, during a particularly dry lecture on Shakespearean sonnets, arimi nudged ruby and pointed to a doodle in her notebook: a cartoon Shakespeare with a speech bubble saying, "yo,Juliet, wanna grab some pizza?". ruby burst out laughing, earning a glare from Mrs. Davison, but also a secret, shared smile with arimi.
Slowly, ruby found herself relaxing. The rigid walls she'd built around herself began to crumble. She started anticipating arimi's stories, looking forward to the witty comments. She even started contributing, sharing her meticulously organized notes and her uncanny ability to remember every single factoid Mrs. Davison threw their way.
One afternoon, after class, arimi stopped ruby just as she was heading for the library. "hey," she said, shuffling her feet. "There's this band playing at the femboy cafe down the street tonight. They're… pretty good. I was wondering if you wanted to go?"
ruby's heart leaped. "I...I don't know," she stammered, fiddling with the strap of her backpack. "i have a lot of homework" arimi's smile faltered.
"Oh.ok no worries." ruby watched her walk away, a wave of regret washing over her. She knew she was being ridiculous. She knew she was hiding behind her responsibilities, afraid of something she couldn't quite name.
"wait!" she called out. arimi turned back, her face a mixture of hope and apprehension.
"i… i'll go," ruby said, her voice barely above a whisper.
The night at the femboy cafe was a revelation. The music was loud and energetic, the atmosphere was buzzing, and arimi, surrounded by friends, was even more vibrant than ruby had imagined. They danced and laughed, and as ruby watched arimi’s face lit by the stage lights, she realized she wasn’t just having fun; she was falling.
As the weeks turned into months, their bond deepened. They studied together, shared secrets, and navigated the trials and tribulations of high school. ruby found herself drawn to arimi's free spirit, her ability to embrace the unexpected. arimi, in turn, seemed captivated by ruby's grounded nature, her unwavering loyalty, and the quiet strength she possessed.
One rainy afternoon, curled up on ruby's couch, surrounded by art supplies and half-finished projects, ruby admitted, "I never thought I'd… I'd feel this way about anyone.." arimi looked at her, her eyes filled with a tenderness that made ruby's breath catch in her throat. "Me neither," she whispered.
And then, she leaned in and kissed arimi. It was a soft, hesitant kiss, but it sent a jolt of electricity through arimi's entire being. In that moment, surrounded by the comforting clutter of arimi's world, ruby realised that the seating chart hadn't been an act of God, nor had it been Mrs. Davison's vendetta. It had been destiny.
It had brought her to arimi, the girl who had shown her that sometimes, the best things in life are the things you never expect. And that sometimes, the most beautiful rainbows are the ones that bloom in the most unexpected corners.