RUBY'S CUBE

Chapter 1: Ruby Wake Up

   Asleep,why do I always feel asleep? It doesn't matter if I'm wide awake or if I'm laying in my bed and literally trying to sleep. I always feel asleep and numb. Ruby continued to ponder this question in her head until she heard a voice interrupt her thoughts," Ruby wake up,c'mon stop spacing out and eat your breakfast or you're going to be late for your first day of highscool". The voice was Ruby's mother Helen. A devout Catholic and a stay at home mom who spent most of her time and energy polishing her families image so that everyone in the community could hail them as the model family to be. Ruby didn't share a warm relationship with her mother or father,in the eyes of the little girl both her parents seemed too busy to stop and actually get to know her for who she was. Out of all her family members the one who was most distant to her was her father Charles. Charlie, as his family called him spent most of his time at work,even on his days off, Ruby's father seemed absent even though he was physically around them. Although she didn't have a strong bond with her parents,there was one person in her family who she can rely on in times when she needed him,and that was her older brother Max. Ruby was 15 years old and Max was 22,although they were separated by 7 years of age Ruby always idolized him. She thought he was bigger than life. Everything Max did was cool to Ruby and his attitude of not giving a fuck of what other people thought of him was something she greatly admired.

  
Ruby continued to sit in the breakfast table staring into her plate of food completely spaced out."Ruby what did I say? Start eating your food and quit zoning out"her mom angrily shouted. Ruby quickly snapped back into reality when she saw Max walk into the kitchen yawning and combing his short wild jet black hair with his fingers. Ruby greeted Max with a smile and with a cheerful"good morning". Max walked over to Ruby and wrapped his arms around his little sister and gave her a kiss on the top of her head,"good morning baby sis how's life" he asked . Ruby replied with a simple "just trying to survive." Her response was enough to put a smile on Max's face. After Max and Ruby finished greeting each other,Max turned his attention to his mom."Hey moms what's for breakfast?" Helen didn't respond,so Max walked over to her to see what was wrong. He placed his hands in the back of his mom's shoulders and asked if she was okay. Without hesitation Helen pushed Max's hands off of her,she then turned her attention away from her cooking to look at Max."Where were you,why did you come home at 3 in the morning?" Helen angrily asked Max. Max scoffed at the question and shrugged his shoulders, he then turned around and proceeded to walk away from his mother. Max ignoring his mother's questions only infuriated Helen more. Helen grabbed Max from one arm and quickly spun him back around so she can continue her inquiry. Helen repeated her questions only to fall on Max's deaf ears. Helen couldn't get an answer from Max so she began berating him with insults. Helen began yelling louder and louder,calling her own son a loser, a good for nothing child. At first Max did nothing,he stared intensely at his feet to contain his anger. Helen's yelling couldn't get Max's attention so she began poking him in the chest with her finger. Helen's screaming and pokes finally got Max to shout back at his mother.

  
   Ruby sat quietly as she watched her brother and mother fighting,for Ruby this was a normal common occurrence. Ruby's parents had a hard time with Max,being a high school dropout and showing very little interests in looking for a job only made things worse. Max didn't care about helping out his family,he just wanted to live a responsible free life,do whatever he wants and treat his family however he wants. Both Max and Helen continued to argue when all of sudden they heard the garage door open and a car driving in. Both quickly stopped fighting knowing that the person driving into the garage was Charles,coming home from his job as a night security in a hospital. The door to the garage opened and Charlie walked in yawning. Helen quickly began fixing Charles a meal from the leftover steak and mashed potatoes from last night's dinner. Max left the kitchen table and went to his room,Charles pulled out a chair and sat next to Ruby. He didn't greet Ruby or even look at her,he just sat next to her waiting quietly for his meal.