Eleven

Ruby

“It is just a rumour, but it seems Bryan Lockwood is a suspect in Maddison’s case. Someone saw him being questioned.” Abby looked my way after blurting out her statement in the middle of the Avengers movie we were watching.

“I always knew that guy was suspicious,” Jake added and I shifted on my seat, my mind finally touring towards the one thing I had been trying not to think about.

Bryan Lockwood said he will punish me. No, he promised he would do it. And, that's a grandly messed up statement.

“Do you guys think he killed that first girl? Uh… Melissa?” I asked my friends.

“Melinda. It is very possible,” Jake replied to my question after relaxing his narrowed eyes.

A sigh escaped me and I crossed my legs.

“It doesn’t make sense. If he is a killer or what have you, why is he roaming the corridors of our school? Now that I think of it, when he was arrested for the first incident, he was too calm for someone who was supposedly being arrested for murder.”

“What is going on with you, Ruby?” Abby asked and I looked up at her.

“The whole thing just doesn’t make sense.”

“That, my friend, is a result of the dirty games that happen in this world.”

Jake reached for the last chicken thigh in front of us before saying, “Bryan walks with the likes of Celery because being in her company ensures his safety. Celery’s father has crazy connections, you know.”

“He should have used his connections to put that girl in an exquisite boarding school,” I scoffed. “That would have saved us from hearing tales about the Safari over and over again.”

Abby shook her head and snatched the chicken from Jake’s grasp. “That girl just never rests.”

“Thank God we will be graduating soon.”

“Speaking of graduation!” Abby’s voice perked the space and she sprung out of her seat. “I made us a bucket list.” She danced in excitement while digging gracefully into the seasoned flesh in her grasp.

“That’s so lame,” Jake commented and reached for Abby’s special milkshake and I guessed that was his retaliation for his long-gone chicken.

“Your face is lame. Anyway, Ruby…” I looked up at Abby with a smile. “The moment has come.”

“For you to party?” A hopeful look rested on my face.

“No! For us to party.”

I groaned and slid down the couch. Please, not the party topic.

“Don’t moan as if you are dying." Abby rushed toward me and placed the part of her hands which weren't oily on my lap. With determination set in her eyes, she urged me by saying, "Babe, we need to do this.”

I threw my legs into the air in protest. That action shrugged Abby's touch off my body.

“Do we really have to do it?”

“We intentionally skipped mad-ass parties because we wanted to do them in our last year of high school.” Abby wore a pout and fell to my side, her arm hooking mine instantly. “Please, don’t back out now. You promised we will do this.”

As I wore a frown while contemplating the situation, Jake let out a snicker beside us and I threw him a glare and asked, “Is something interesting you Mr. Glacier?”

“Yes, Ms. Powers. It is very amusing to see both of you acting this way.”

“You talk like you know stuff, “ I replied dryly.

“I have been to more parties than you guys. Wait…” He struck an overconfident pose where he puffed his chest and raised his shoulders. “You guys have never been to one.”

“Will you take us to one?” Abby butted in.

“Uh…”

“Then, piss off.”

“Come on, Abby.” I chuckled. “Stay calm.”

“Are we attending a party before graduation or not?” She looked so serious, you’d think going to a party will ensure her a place in her choice of college.

“Okay Abby, let’s go for one,” I agreed tiredly and let out another groan when she started to tug at my arm in excitement. When she stopped, I was elated and was about to release myself from her hold when I became aware that she stopped because she wanted another bite of the meat in her hand.

The girl is just so impossibly cute.

As I unhooked our linked arms, Abby asked, "What happened though? I didn't see you in your English class."

Jake rested his elbow against the head of the couch and added, "That's true. Where were you? The new teacher asked of you."

My brows quirked.

"He asked of her? Why? Have you guys met before?" Abby quizzed me with the look that befalls her face when she is anticipating gist.

"No."

"So where were you?" she asked.

"Uh..."

"Do you have a boyfriend?"

"What?" I frowned at Abby's question and she immediately nodded.

"So, you don't have a boyfriend. Then what made you miss your class?"

Gosh, she was being like a mother and that made me feel unsettled about telling them what happened with Bryan.

Besides, it's not like he can actually do anything right? If he is eventually found guilty. He won't be coming back to the school at all, that I am sure of.

"Ruby?" Jake's voice interrupted my thoughts which were about figuring out what could happen if Bryan Lockwood is found innocent.

"Yeah?"

"Is something wrong?"

Instantly deciding to hold off the decision of telling them what had happened, I chuckled and pushed Abby to the side a bit, receiving a frown from her.

"I went to the library and I got carried away."

"Hmm." Abby eyed my seated figure with her suspicious eyes. "If you say so."

"Is there something in the library that interests you that much? " Jake asked.

With a straight face, I replied, " Yes, books."

"You'll die single, my dear." I stuck my tongue out at him and faced Abby who gave me an agreeing shrug.

"I hate you guys."

"We can't help but be worried about you, Ruby. You haven't had your first kiss," Abby cooed.

"And what if my baby hasn't had her first kiss?" My Mom's voice entered the room and I instantly smiled. As she found her seat on the arm of a nearby couch, she faced us with a smile. "Are you guys enjoying yourselves?"

"Definitely." Abby gave a large grin that sort of looked creepy from an angle. "I have a question though."

"Ask away."

" Will you let Ruby attend a party if she wants to attend one? Will her father object?"

I can't believe this girl.

" Hmm." I blinked at my mother and hoped she would understand my unwillingness to go out. "Will she be going with you two?"  My mom asked.

"Yes. We will make sure to protect her so well, she will not even get something to drink."

I threw my mom a pout as a smile grew on her face. "Very well then." How is she finding it easy to ignore the plea on my face? "She can go."

"Yay!" Abby got up and started doing some weird moves.

"How was school today? I heard about what happened two days ago," my Mom became sober.

Abby relaxed her moves and sat down. Then, she replied, "It was a sad sight."

"I was surprised they asked you all to come to school the following day." My mother wore a concerned look. "What if the sight traumatized someone?"

"I just hope they nab the killer if there is one," Jake added soberly. Then we all fell into silence.

Seconds later my mother asked, "There is going to be a memorial for the student, right?" We all shook our heads and her lips fell apart in surprise. " Why is that? What kind of principal do you have? Such a program should have been announced already. It is the least the school can do. I should give her a visit because that is just bullshit."

"Mom..." I smiled in admiration. She is just so awesome.

"Mrs. Powers..." Abby got up and hugged her. "You are the best."

Chuckling as Abby went back to sit, she asked if we wanted some cookies and we all replied gladly. At that moment, a very quiet Zion tiptoed into the room and asked to join our movie night. It was then we took our movie-watching seriously because Zion began to ask questions about the heroes.

At the end of the night, Abby and Jake left for their places and I also retired for the night which I hoped will be blissful.

It wasn't.

~

As the weekend flew past, lack of sleep tugged at my eyes and I cursed the day I met Bryan Lockwood at the entrance of the prison gates.

I had no idea that Bryan's words would affect me so much. I sincerely thought I would be able to ignore them, but each time I closed my eyes to sleep, I kept hearing his voice. The memory of his strong breath didn't leave me.

Sighing as I wished for at least thirty minutes of sleep to get rejuvenated, my ears picked the voice of the one person I didn't want to see at that moment of weakness.

"Hello, Ruby."

"Celery." She didn't appear bothered by the pseudonym I gave her any more. Good. It was about time.

Instead, she scoffed. With her arms majestically crossed, she asked, "Who could have guessed?"

"Excuse me?"

"I know I have my way with guys but I don't go as far as you to get their attention."

What on earth is she rabbling about?

"Is this some crazy tactic to get on my nerves?" I fully adjusted my stance and faced the girl. "It won't work, Celery."

"One thing I know for sure is that you are done for. See you around Powers." She smirked before walking away and I just stood there with a huge frown on my face because her words made absolutely no sense.

And her presence made my headache worsen. Argh!

"Ruby..." This time it was Abby. And I didn't want her to see my bleak face. She would probably think I spent the weekend trying to become a monster. "We have a problem." Her voice carried extreme seriousness that I instantly forgot how I looked and faced her.

As expected, her eyes widened a bit at my sight but she didn't comment on that. Instead, she asked, "Have you seen it?"

"What?"

Her lips gave a whoosh sound and she pulled at her hair a bit hard before taking her phone out. "Ruby..." She pushed her phone in my direction and heavily dropped, "Your nudes are everywhere."