"Inmate 556?"
No answer.
"Inmate 556 are you okay?"
Ruby Lodge swallowed hard, fist clenched on the green uniform she held and let out a tiny reply. "Yes, I'll be out in a minute."
She looked around the changing room again, a tear slipped down her cheek.
The first time here, she was stripping off her jersey and expensive shoes to wear the prison uniform. Now, three years later, she was back into the same changing room, back into the jersey she wore to the biggest tournament of her life and the shoes which used to be new.
Before the warden could barge the door again, Ruby opened it and submitted her uniform with a broken smile.
"Did you want to get locked in there again?" The warden snorted, scribbling something down in her note and giving her a small clearance. "Your family has been waiting outside."
Ruby flinched.
"F... Family?"
The warden didn't reply, after scribbling, she opened the door for Ruby.
"Don't repeat the same mistake that brought you here. You can go."
Ruby's body vibrated with each step she took toward freedom at last.
The iron gates of Bulldogs prison automatically slid open when Ruby got there. She hesitated before stepping out and when she finally did, she drew in a deep breath.
“At last.” Ruby inhaled, scorching sunlight kissing her skin doesn't matter. “I’m out.” She told herself again.
A short distance away, Rafael and Jackson Lodge came out of their car upon sighting her. Rafael adjusted his suit, and due to the heat, Jackson left his jersey half unbuttoned as they approached her.
Ruby opened her eyes, she saw Rafael first but Jackson got to her first and offered his hand. "We've come to take you home."
Ruby didn't move.
Or course she knew them but how could she trust them when she hadn't seen them for three years now?
Rafael finally joined in, eyes locked into Ruby's as he spoke. "The sun is too hot for my skin, we should hurry up."
Ruby flinched at his voice, since when had she heard that last?
"Ruby, why are you quiet?" Jackson shook her, she retched. "We came to take you home. We're your family."
Ruby staggered back and shook her head. "I don't have a family."
The Lodge brothers gasped, looking at each other for confirmation.
Jackson ventured again. "Why are you being stubborn? Aren't you happy to see us?”
Ruby clenched her fist. "Happy, you say? Sorry I don't know that word.” She turned away. "Please leave, Or else I would yell for the guards."
Jackson looked at Rafael, the first brother with confusion. "What happened to her, Raf? You said she would jump when she saw us.”
Rafael didn't say anything for a long time, eyes cold, staring at her back as she left.
“Raf!” Jackson said. “Say something. Mum and Dad…”
Rafael turned abruptly on Jackson to the car, and drove to catch up with Ruby's surprising fast speed before she could get to the main road.
His dark eyes fixed on her injured leg, trying not to feel sorry for how thin she looked.
"Get into the car, Ruby."
Ruby said nothing, and didn't stop even though she had no destination in mind.
Jackson caught up with them and held her hand. "Are you seriously going to embarrass the family this way? What would anyone say, seeing a formal superstar walking on the road looking homeless?"
Ruby snapped her hand off. "Let go of me!"
It was enough that they're still on and about their family reputation. It was enough that they made her take the fall and make her a "former" superstar.
Seeing her reluctance, Rafael hit the break. "Three years in prison and you're still this spoiled?"
Ruby stopped, her burning eyes staring into Rafael's, desperately searching to see if the brother that would pull her to himself and pat her back would come out, but no he didn't. His warmth felt like that of a stranger and his eyes offered no affection like it used to.
She hissed, and turned to leave again.
“Enough of this pretence!” Rafael flung the car door open and took one bold step closer, attempting to grab her hand.
But before he did, she was already on the ground, curled, hands over her head, jersey raised high enough for them to see the bruises tattooed to her back.
Rafael halted immediately, even Jackson who was about helping her up stopped. Her hands were thrown over her head, body shaking.
Rafael took another bold step closer but Ruby broke into whimpers. “Please don't hit me. Please… I will behave.”
“Ruby?” Jackson called.
“I will take my medicine, please don't hit me.” She whispered still.
Jackson and Rafael looked at each other. They need no other evidence.
“Ruby, we….”
“I will serve punishment instead!”
That was all Rafael and Jackson heard before a rush of wind that blew their hair and made them blink for a second. By the time they would look back to the ground, she was gone.
Then in a chorus, the brothers yelled. “Ruby!”
They piled into the car and chased after her but Ruby was surprisingly very fast.
By the time she would stop, blood dropped from the corner of ankle. Jackson almost rushed out to help her again, Rafael stopped him, studying her.
“What happened to your wolf?”
Ruby looked up, chest hard and painful. She looked away, as if to walk off them, Rafael came out fast, held her hand this time, firm.
Ruby coiled, shaking. “Do…Don't grip too hard.”
“Why? Huh. What on earth did you pass through in that prison that's making you act like an alien?”
Ruby spat the blood. “You don't wanna know. Let me go.”
“Did you lose your wolf?” Rafael's breathing was just as hard as hers now, stoic but desperately wishing she could spill everything
Ruby smirked and pushed him aside. “You don't care about me, stop investigating.”
“Talk to me, Estella!”
The world stopped moving. Ruby looked at him, breathing hard, legs shaking. “Are you still my brother?”
“Why are you doing this for f**k sake? Why else did I come and pick you?”
She broke the tension and swallowed the lump in her throat. “You lost the right to call me that name, Raf.”
Rafael frowned. “What are you—”
“Call me Ruby.”
Aksara