0.1 | No Exit from Deception ✓

0.24 | Peaches And Brown Mascara

Tick, tick, tick . . .

Ruby was pacing back and forth in a cold sweat, sticking her hands on her hips and biting her nails to the extent that tucked her pink flesh between her destructive canine every so often. She dissolved onto the alcove bed and blew out a curl that fell like a question mark on her forehead.

Tomorrow was going to be a double whammy for her, as she not only had to face Mrs Warner in place of her blood-owned, missing daughter but more importantly, speak the right lines. The last thought was a scary one, but she had no rescue.

Considering the high venous pressure building in her gut she tiptoed into the flushable toilet for the third time and was back in her room. She looked down at her feet which met a wedging of ice before the floor. She whipped her head and spared a deadly glance at the manuscript, which grinned back at her. Just like how students dreaded the slogan 'school starts tomorrow' after summer vacation, Ruby's journey was fraught with a similar kind of anxiety.

"Argh! I can't do this," she cried out, stamping her feet and punching the pillows out of frustration. That act continued for several minutes until she felt her stress ceasing. "Joseph, what's wrong with your head? At least you should have given me a day to practice my stuff. What if I mess it up in front of her? I don't care about them honestly, but I certainly don't want to lose you!"

She vented with a belief that she would fire the same questions to Joseph. Then she stormed out of her room and mounted upstairs to his darkroom. After letting out a huge breath and as she was about to knock on his door, he opened it by himself.

What a surprise!

"Oh, Ruby. Thanks for coming. I was about to get to you." His eyes sparkled, although he looked extremely bewildered and weary. His frizzy hair and the fatigued cusp of his shoulders offered a restricted consent, in contrast to what he maintained, "Please come inside."

"Yeah sure, good to know our line of thought is moving in one direction. At least for now." Sadly, an outright contempt that didn't make it through her mouth was but I still can't stomach the fact that tomorrow I'll be meeting with her.

She gaped at the inviting bed situated in the center of his spacious room, the dim table lamps were lit. She was about to sit on it. However, it was not her day, as he called for her attention.

"Here," he trailed off, taking a seat on the chair and offering her to sit on the adjacent chair.

Ruby sat where she was told to and was directed to open the bedside drawer. She affirmed and found a box of brand-new phone.

"What is this?" She lilted as she picked it up. The bezel-less screen promised to make multimedia consumption a pleasure.

"A device that will keep us connected. It will also add to your background. Materialism is another personality trait to attract anyone's attention. Besides, I've noticed you don't have a cell phone."

"Wait a sec. Does this mean we will not be able to see each other in person if she accepts me and I start living there? Are you going to stop seeing me? Joseph." Her heart stopped working as she interpreted the rigor his face had at the moment.

He placed his elbows on his knees as he ran his hands against his rough hair. "Ruby, let's be serious. We are working on some objectives. It's not like we are having fun here."

Ruby gulped hard and descended her eyes on her hands, nodding. She knew somehow she would ditch this tedium by being in constant touch with him.

"Ruby, it's a plan, and you are my main player. If the dart goes off the red mark, the consequences will be nothing to laugh upon. Remember that." With that, he gave her a mighty scare.