Chapter 8—Ruby
Istill don’t understand why the college requires us to attend these seminar things.
It would make sense if it were a play or something and I was getting credit for writing a synopsis.
But no. This is for University Seminar, a required credit that I have to take that’s meant to help me adjust to college life and explore the resources the school offers.
You’re supposed to take it in your first year, but I pushed it off, hoping it would just go away.
Like parking tickets. But sadly, I still have to take it.
And I still have to pay those tickets. I have to attend three of these damn things and turn in the ticket stub or pamphlet they pass out.
Well, joke’s on them because, like the last two, I brought my Organic Chem book and was reading it while sitting in the back row. If I’m going to be forced to attend this when I’ve already gone to the weekly hour-long class, I don’t see a need to waste more time.
I’m sure if I’d taken this course freshman year or even in the fall, the seminars might have been better.
As it is, I’m a month shy of the end of spring semester, and I’ve got very little left to choose from.
It was either this discussion on Jane Austen in regard to today’s society or the benefits of snails to beauty products and face creams. At least with Jane Austen, I read her book Pride and Prejudice.
Well, I saw the movie. It counts. The movie was awesome, and I’m told it’s just like the book.
As for snails, to my knowledge, I don’t put them on me or wear them.
Maybe I should have gone to that seminar instead, just to confirm it, but whatever.
The credit has been acquired, and I have the pamphlet in hand to prove it.
I walk with the rest of the students down the steps and out of the auditorium hall. Mostly women came to this one—surprise, surprise—and it was pretty packed. I was able to hide easily as I read my class assignment.
The night heat is a breath of fresh air as I pull off my leather jacket and set it over my crossbody bag.
There are a few groups milling around, talking about everything from the seminar to what they’re doing after this, and even my boots.
I’ve got on killer heels with spikes down the back like a spine.
They’re tricky to wear but look awesome.
I wear them when I’m feeling feisty, like a dinosaur.
Nat calls them my Spinosaurus heels, and she ain’t wrong.
The revving of a motorcycle gets my blood pumping like nothing else does, and I look in the direction I hear it.
“What the hell?” I mutter as I see Kooper flying across campus at me. I’d recognize him and his bike anywhere. Especially since I glared at it half the night two nights ago from my window, wishing it would go away.
There was a party I knew about. I was thinking about going. But I wouldn’t if Kooper was going to be at my side. There was a glint about him that night that said he was in a mood to be squirrelly like that and ruin my fun.
Which he did. Sort of. I also kind of didn’t want to go.
So I looked out the window half the night and played Fortnite the rest of it.
And I got to do it in comfy clothes, so it was actually a delightful night for me.
Again, not something I’m going to thank him for.
So if that’s what he’s here for, he can go right to hell.
I haven’t been able to get a decent workout in over the last few days, and my temper is at a boiling point. If he’s looking for a fight, I’ll give him one that he won’t soon forget.
“Koop, what the fu—” The sight of his gun pointed at me has me going stock-still. I know I piss him off, but I really never thought it would go this far.
I duck when I hear the shot, my mind already telling me I would have felt it before I heard it if I was hit.
But I still take a second to look at my body to see if any parts are oozing blood.
Another shot goes off, this one from behind me.
I turn and see some guy coming across campus, sprinting with a gun raised.
People all around me are screaming and running around like they have no idea where to go.
“Get inside,” I yell, but I don’t know if anyone can hear me. “Go back inside and lock yourselves in.” I keep low to the ground as I try to see what’s close to me for cover.
The campus is landscaped like most are, kept pristine with nicely trimmed grass and small round bushes. They do shit for cover.
Somewhere, Kooper lost his bike, and now he’s right in front of me, pulling me up by the arm and pushing me back behind him. I don’t know where we’re going, but I’m not about to stop and ask. I go where he’s pushing me and duck when he pulls me down.
“What the hell is going on, Koop?”
He reloads as we hunker behind a tree.
“The Devils Damned VP, Duke, put a hit out on every piece of property the club has.”
I don’t think I’ve ever been so scared in my life. Not for me, but for my family. “Mama Bear? Princess? Grace?” The idea of anyone getting hurt is like a tsunami of emotions I don’t want crashing into me.
“Fine. Hounds took out the threat before anyone was hit. Everyone is going back to home base to check in. You’re the last one still out.” He fires off two more rounds.
“We can’t stay here.”
He nods at my assessment as we both look behind us to see what cover we have to work with. People are still scattered across the yard in small groups, huddling together, hoping no bullet will find them.
“Where’s your car?”
“Around the building, a block down.”
“It’s too far. If we make it to my bike, we might have a chance to get out of here. I’ll give you cover fire. You start her up, and I’ll be right behind you.”
Back the fuck up. I must have missed something.
No way in hell did Kooper just tell me to drive his bike.
Do I know how to ride? Of course. Despite my dad’s protests, Mom made sure I knew how to handle anything between my legs—another thing Dad hated hearing.
But she and I both knew I was only interested in learning about the motorcycle and not a man’s third leg.
“Stop gawking at me and get moving. On the count of three, run your ass off, and don’t make me regret it. The keys are still in her. One, two—”
I start running before he says three, and he starts shooting. I see his bike—big, black, and the sweetest thing I’ve ever seen in my life right now. I chance a glance back and miss a step, going down with a twist of the ankle.
I let out a small cry like a stupid girl, cursing to myself as I look down and see I tripped over a damn sprinkler that popped up. A dozen others around us start going off at the same time.
I look at Kooper and see he’s still pinned behind the tree, but thankfully, he isn’t paying attention to me. I don’t think my ego can take him laughing at me falling on my ass after we get out of this.
I move to stand, but I can tell my ankle won’t take my weight. I don’t think it’s broken, but I’m going to need some ice on it. So I do the next best thing: I crawl to the bike.
“Ruby, get your ass up!” Kooper yells at me, and there goes my pride.
“Ankle,” I shout over my shoulder and continue to crawl. I’m close. Just a few more feet and I can get on the bike. I know once I get there I can get it started. I will break my damn leg if I have to for us to get out of this.
A bullet hits the dirt right in front of me, and I halt my progress as I look back and see Kooper watching me. His eyes narrow, and I shake my head. I already know he’s going to play hero, and I so don’t need his death on my conscience.
As he stands, I scream, “No!” But he doesn’t listen. He fires twice across the yard and then races to me. He grabs me by the waist and runs us both to his bike. Another shot rings out, and we both go flying, me from being dropped by Kooper and him from getting shot in the back.
I can barely brace before my head hits the tail of his bike, and then I land on the ground.
My ears ring and my vision blurs as I lie there.
My head hurts like a fucking bull ran a horn through it.
I touch it, wincing, and pull my hand back.
I see multiple sets of fingers, but that doesn’t concern me as much as the blood running down my hand.
Pushing up, I look over and see Kooper fighting with someone.
I think it’s the guy who was firing at him, or maybe someone else.
I don’t know. Kooper’s getting his ass beat from what I can see.
Or at least the three versions I see are.
I close my eyes tight and shake my head to line myself up, but it’s a bigger mistake than when I decided that orange looks good on me.
I turn to the side and puke up everything I ate before coming out tonight.
It doesn’t clear my vision, but it’s all I can do to hold myself upright and not fall into it.
I feel dizzy and think the ground is spinning.
Maybe the earth started spinning at a crazy speed and I’m feeling it, or I just have one helluva concussion.
“Come on, Ruby girl, we’ve got to go,” I hear Kooper say. Then his hands are pulling me up, and I almost crumple on him. “Easy. I got you.” He helps me onto his bike with one arm and then holds me up a bit before getting on himself. “Just hang on.”