Ruth picked up a pillow and hurled it aggressively at Noah.
“Do not touch me!” She screamed at him before coughing her guts up. Noah stood against the wall, terrified of Ruth’s attack as she hurled things around Noah’s bedroom.
“Ruth, I’m not gonna touch you.” Noah promised, lifting his hands up to see Ruth’s dark, terrified eyes looking at him. Something basic had set her off; sleeping in her onsie, all because she was ill and more prone to attacks than ever. She hated being ill more than she hated Yasmin Carter from school, not her cousin Yasmin Anthony. And that was one hell of a passionate hate between Yasmin Carter and Ruth.
“Why did you make me sleep in my onsie?” Ruth screeched, throwing more stuff in the room in her tornado of destruction.
“I didn’t know… that you don’t… sleep in it.” He cowered as Ruth threw things at him. She broke down on tears on the bed, tears falling from her eyes. Noah walked over to her and cradled her in his arms. She wept into his chest, crying silently.
“It’s alright, Ruth, it’s okay.” He whispered, holding his future wife tight against his chest as she just cried motionlessly and silently.
“I’m sorry.” She whispered, finally looking up at him with her teary, bloodshot eyes. Noah kissed the tip of her nose gently.
“I need to get to work. You need to call in sick. Go have a shower over at yours and cuddle up with your duvet again. I’ll come to see you after work.” Noah whispered, holding Ruth tight. She stood up and kissing his nose,
“I will.” She smiled and headed back to her own flat and took a long hot shower. She got out, turned the shower off, and heard Noah heading down the stairs. She sighed as she dried herself off. She was missing him when he wasn’t around.
The intercom buzzed around midday, Abbie coming to visit since she had the afternoon off.
“Has your brother not given you a key yet?” Ruth asked, sighing.
“No, you each have the others spare.” Abbie replied. Ruth buzzed Abbie in and left the door open a little for Abbie to come in. A few minutes later, Abbie walked in, made herself a drink and sat on Evie’s chair.
“Feeling any better?” Abbie asked.
“I had an attack.” Ruth stated, looking at Noah’s sister. Abbie stared at Ruth,
“I thought you’d stopped having them?”
“I’m ill and I don’t sleep in my onsie.” Ruth sighed, also snapping. “Being ill makes me have more attacks. Did your brother ever tell you about the one in Maths in year 9?”
“The one where you threw several chairs at Mr Maslow and tipped several tables over?” Abbie giggled.
“No, I was thinking more along the lines of knocking Yasmin Carter out and throwing a chair at Finley James.” Ruth giggled. “I was in isolation for weeks until I was deemed safe to return to lessons.” Abbie burst out laughing.
“You sound like a nightmare.” Abbie managed through her giggled.
“Alyssa was a dream compared to me.” Ruth chuckled. “Though I think Evie rivalled me.”
“Evie just likes pissing everyone off though. On purpose.”
“People used to say that about me if they didn’t about it.” Ruth couldn’t stand the word autism or autistic. It was a statement, people assumed that she was her condition; not that it was just a part of her that she hated and would do anything to get rid of. “In fact, they still do. No one at work knows about it and they just think I’m antisocial and weird.”
“You are antisocial and weird, and that’s what Noah loves about you.” Abbie smiled as she sipped her drink.
“I know.” Ruth giggled before having a sneezing fit. Abbie handed Ruth the box of tissues.
“Thanks.” Ruth smiled as she wiped her snotty nose. “What’s the worst you’ve done in school?”
“I punched Susan Williamson-Kingsley and gave her a black eye because she called you and Noah a retard couple.”
“When was that?”
“About a month or so ago.” Abbie giggled. Ruth laughed. “All because I called you guys the cutest couple ever.”
“Why are we the cutest couple ever?” Ruth giggled.
“You’ve known one another 24 years, you’ve been together about 9 months, and parents like the other halves.”
“How does that make us cute though?”
“You guys are absolutely adorable together.”
“So are you and Ryan.”
“Ryan’s getting arrogant and annoying. Spends so much of his wages on booze; kind of annoying.”
“Why are you with him then if you find him annoying?”
“Because I love him.”
“If you find him that annoying and aggravating is he really worth it? You’re 18 and not at university yet; you’re in a small town; there’s gotta be more to life than Ryan.”
“Ruth, what do you know about love?” Abbie snapped.
“I know that if the good outweighs the bad then its worth it; if it’s the other way around then it’s not.”
“Where do you get your bullshit from?” Abbie asked in a little amazement.
“Books, Harry Potter mainly I believe.” Ruth giggled. Abbie laughed. “Wanna watch some?”
“Totally, if I can sit on the sofa.”
“Go for it.” Ruth scotched her feet and switched the first Harry Potter onto the TV. Ruth couldn’t stand not watching them in order.
YOU ARE READING
Untouchable
RomanceRuth is beyond awkward. Noah has known her since she was 3, and even then she screamed at him for trying to hug her. She has autism, but she isn't her condition; it's just a part of Ruth that it's impossible to remove. Two years ago, there was confu...
