Hello there, friends. Since I've been writing mostly less-than-serious humorous stuff, I wanted to try my hand at something new. I decided that for my first romantic fiction, I'd tell you a story loosely based on my own first love.

This story is set in a High School AU of sorts, and will be told from Ruby's point of view.

『 Hold My Hand Again 』

It all started when I met her. It was a warm day in August, and Summer was slowly ending. I just received my music scholarship and skipped grades to enter the prestigious Beacon Academy. That alone was a miracle, brought forth by my own hard work and a substantial amount of luck. I was happy just to be there, pretty much running all the way up the mountain to the imposing buildings on the cliff.

The first memory I made in my first day in high school was bumping into her. I recall my legs hurting from all the running, my excitement to see Beacon's Grand Auditorium, and then I remember being sprawled over a furious mess of a girl, white and black sheets gently floating around us. Her face was close to mine, with our noses almost touching. Her clear blue eyes were fixed on mine, caught in a moment that never seemed to end.

"Get off of me, you dunce!"

Her voice brought me back to reality in an instant. I nodded my head and hastily apologized. I nearly tripped while trying to scramble onto my feet, repeating the word "Sorry" over and over. The white-haired girl just scoffed and dusted off her clothes. There goes my first impression.

Desperate to salvage my first encounter with another student, I began to pick up the pieces of paper lying on the ground, eyes widening when I recognized their contents. The third and final Presto Agitato movement of Beethoven's famous Moonlight Sonata, a song of unbridled passion that still requires acute finesse and a certain elegance to perform well. Frédéric Chopin's Waltz in A minor, an introspective piece that hints at sadness beneath a lively and joyful melody, an emotional song with surprising depth. Beethoven's 5th Symphony, "Destiny"...

"I'll let you know that I have a practice session I have to get to."

I instinctively flinched as my train of thought was once again interrupted by the sharpness in her voice.

"I got lost in the notes. I didn't know you play piano too!"

Her expression softened for a brief instance, quickly returning to the stern expression from before. "If you're also a pianist, you should know how important these are."

"I, well, I'm sorry," I said as I handed over the sullied pages, glancing at the neat handwriting in the top right corner, "for everything, uh, Weiss."

"Schnee. Weiss Schnee, and don't you forget that name."

The name kept echoing in my head as we looked at each other. This was Weiss Schnee, heiress to the Schnee company, producers of some of the finest grand pianos in the world, a family with countless musicians of fame in it's ranks. Weiss smiled at me, tilting her head ever so slightly.

"Thanks for picking up my sheets, but if you're not going to tell you your name, I'll have to leave now."

"R-Ruby Rose," I whispered, "It was nice to meet you!"

My new acquaintance bowed a little and strode away, her white hair and white dress softly swaying in the summer breeze.

Later, I'd find out we were in the same class. Weiss sat in the front row, raising her arm at nearly every question from the teachers. I'd never understand how anyone can keep paying attention to classes that boring. I mostly bode my time close to the window, either absently gazing at the sky or looking through my sheet music. I still felt guilty for our unexpected encounter, but I couldn't find a chance to repay her. Even during lunch, Weiss seemed be everything but approachable amidst her own circle of friends. When I tried to walk up to her, she grabbed her tray, disposed of her unfinished meal and left quietly. Any attempt at talking to Weiss resulted in a little bit of polite small-talk and another polite excuse for leaving.

I had similar troubles trying to make friends with others, but I was satisfied with the two companions I had: My sister Yang, and Crescent. A studio piano made by Rose & Sons, my most prized possession. All my frustrations during the day were swept away in the flow of my music. When I felt sad, I'd play cheerful tunes and hum along. When I felt lonely, I'd accompany Yang on her guitar. When I felt tired, I sat down and listened to the other students practicing.

One day, Dr. Oobleck had to hold additional classes in the afternoon due to a shift in his schedule. It was dark outside, and while most students left for their dorms, I decided to go back to my piano. I lazily played some simple melodies in the otherwise empty music wing. It was then that I heard another melody besides mine. The person in the adjacent room was playing Bach's Prelude in C Major, a simple, yet entrancing melody. My fingers slid off of the keys and I decided to listen instead, looking out of the window at the starry sky. The 2 minutes the song lasted felt like 20 to me. When the final note faded out, the familiar silence returned to my room.

I heard the faint sound of a window open, and a single sentence cut through the night.

"Your turn."

My heart skipped a beat, and I opened my window, too. Freshly invigorated, I returned the favor with Chopin's Étude Op. 10, No. 1, a fast-paced piece with Arpeggios similar to the previous song. The demanding melody line usually forced a few mistakes from me, but today, my right hand felt light as a feather. After my song ended, the silence returned. For just a moment, I feared that the other person had already left, but then I heard a polite knock. I opened the door and found myself looking at a similarly surprised Weiss Schnee.

"Ruby, there's a piano competition coming up next month."

"Mr. Ozpin, isn't that a contest for pairs? I'm a soloist, so I can't really participate, can I?"

"Don't worry about that. We've already found you a partner."

Before I could voice my objections to my piano teacher, the door opened loudly. Mr. Port strode inside and shook Ozpins hand with his usual untamed vigor. A white-haired head peeked over his shoulder, and a familiar voice interrupted the reunion between two old friends and pianists.

"Is this the young prodigy that you were talking about, Mr. Port?"

"Why yes, Miss Schnee! Take your transcript and get started!"

Peter Port pulled out a thin booklet and slammed it into Weiss' chest. She quickly caught herself and returned to her usual dignified expression, a sly smile on her lips.

"Ruby Rose."

"Weiss Schnee."

"Perfect," shouted Port, as he slapped us onto our backs, leaving red marks, "you already know each other, I see! That means we can start right away!"

As the days go by, I gradually get closer to Weiss as we work ourselves to exhaustion in the windy Autumn nights, just us, two pianos and the music. We stopped taking turns playing songs to each other in different rooms, now that we could practice together. I poured my heart and soul into my piano for the few moments when Weiss praised my improvement. Those were some of my happiest days, but one memory stood out among them.

It was raining outside, and it's been the coldest day since weeks. Weiss already stopped practicing and put on her white gloves, but I kept playing. For her, I'd play the best I could, no matter how much my fingers hurt. I still haven't memorized the entire song yet, when she knew it inside-out after only one week. I put everything I had into practice, determined to stop holding her back.

My eyes saw only the black and white of the sheet music, my fingers tapping the keys to the rhythm of the metronome. She put her head on my shoulder while I was playing, and grabbed my hand. Her left arm reached around my neck, and in her embrace, I finally stopped playing.

"Your fingers are too stiff, Ruby. You can't practice like this."

"No, I can still-"

"It's okay."

She rubbed my hands, and it was then that I truly realized how numb my fingers have gotten. The piercing cold seeped through my skin, but with her cheek next to mine, I felt warmer than ever. I wished that she would never let go of my hand again.

That was the day I knew I was in love.

I quickly became one of her best friends and as we grew closer we came to talk about all kinds of things. First music, then movies, books, food, schoolwork, and of course, boys. Even though we've played music together for a while, those were the first real conversations I've had with Weiss. I realized that I didn't actually know a lot about her, and her life. His name was Neptune.

Whenever we were alone, she would eventually begin talking about her boyfriend. Her eyes lit up every time she mentioned his name, and mine darkened. Even though I should be happy for her, I couldn't help but notice the dull pain in my chest when she said she wanted to be with him forever. It only became worse when she began crying on my shoulder.

Weiss was in love with Neptune, but I quickly realized her relationship was hurting her. The person she turned to was me. Before my teary eyes, she laid down all of her joy, all of her frustration. When she surprised Neptune with a date and he brushed her off, saying he was busy, she came to me. When she bought him a necklace with their crests and he swore to wear it everyday, she hugged me and basked my miserable self in happiness. When he forgot her birthday, she sat down next to me pouting, listening to me play piano the whole day. I came to know more about her worries than anyone else, including Neptune.

Then, one day, I encountered her boyfriend in the city. He was sitting at a table in a small café on the corner of the street. Neptune had his arms draped around another girl. He casually put on Weiss' necklace when the girl talked to the waitress. She turned back around, put a light kiss on his lips and waved him goodbye, leaving the shop.

I was too shocked to walk away and kept staring at him. He didn't seem to notice me and kept looking at his phone. A few minutes later, he raised his head again when Weiss arrived.

"Sorry I'm late, Neptune. Did you have to wait?"

"Don't worry about that, babe, I just got here too."

I couldn't bring myself to do anything about it. Whenever I mentioned Neptune's name, Weiss seemed so happy. The only thing I could do was pour everything I had into my piano, hoping that she would let go of her boyfriend and hold my hand again. I played alone for hours on end when Weiss couldn't go to practice, going to a date with Neptune instead. I cried myself to sleep in the practice room whenever she left, shivering in my solitude.

It was the day we went shopping for dresses for the competition that I gathered my courage. Whenever Weiss was hurt, I felt her pain, and when she was happy, I felt guilty for wishing an end to her relationship. I beckoned her to sit down with me in the nearest café.

"Weiss, we need to talk."

"What's the matter, Ruby?" Weiss playfully grinned, but settled down when she saw my face. "You look serious."

"I've been meaning to tell you for a long time, but I know Neptune is cheating on you."

The silence was a suffocating. Weiss' face went through more different emotions than I could register.

She curled her fists and whispered to me sharply. "No. You're lying."

"I have seen him with another girl. He took off your necklace and she kissed him."

"No! He's not that kind of guy!"

"I don't want to say any more, because it'll hurt you."

Weiss slapped me. I didn't know what hurt me more, the pain on my cheek, her words of blind love or the tears streaming down her face.

"You already have! I trust Neptune! He wouldn't, h-he wouldn't do that to me."

I knew what I should have done, but I couldn't. Whenever she cried, I felt like I was dying. I wanted her to let go of Neptune and hold my hand again, I wanted to play piano with her again, I wanted to feel her warmth again, but I knew that I went past the point of no return. I decided to do a very courageous and cowardly thing.

"I'm sorry, Weiss. I'm sorry I lied to you. I guess I was just being jealous of you two."

Weiss was hurt and wouldn't show up to practice anymore. I knew I couldn't reach her with my music anymore, so I stopped too. I cursed myself for being selfish, for backing out at the last moment, for lying to cover my weakness. I cried on Yang's shoulder, missing the times when Weiss would cry on mine.

We pretty much stopped talking to each other until the competition, where we placed fourth. The judges praised Weiss for the passion and fury in her music. They called my playing perfected and meticulous, the large amount of practice apparent in my mastery of the piece. But they also said that I was lifeless, like a metronome.

We stopped short of the bigger regional tournament, because of me. That was the day I stopped enjoying my music, my piano.

The song we played was the first movement of the Sonata for Two Pianos in D Major K448, by Mozart. I haven't touched a piano in years, but I still remember the tune of that Allogro con Spirito. The sonata is a bright and magnificent piece, but in my ears, it will always sound sad.

Whenever I touch the keys now, my fingers become stiff. I begin to freeze and shiver, like that day in Autumn, but what hurts the most isn't the cold.

It's the thought that she'll never be there to hold my hand again.

Thanks for reading until the end. Even though Ruby and Weiss may have acted out of character, I knew exactly what kind of story I wanted to write. As it turns out, first love's often don't go the way you want them to. Leave a Review if you can, I'd love to know how I did. Thanks for reading, again.