The morning light was entering freely through the window at the corner of my room. My body was too heavy to be brought up to sit up. So I decided I lay in bed until the energy comes to me. It's too early to go to school anyway. I curl up in my bed, hugging my pillow. I look over my shoulder, the other side of my bed, untouched and made. Then I remember about yesterday.
The more I think about it, it's like he never left this room. His last words hung in the air. His voice, silently comforting me while I was lonely — like what he always did before he left. His scent was stuck on my old clothes, which I still keep in my closet or I often wear to bed.
Even though they were washed away, and probably you couldn't smell it anymore, but I could feel it. It was once there, there's just a barrier that blocks you from everything. And the memories are still here in this room. I just didn't take the time to remember them; I just didn't take the time to remember the past, or maybe I just didn't want to.
I get up on my feet when my mother knocks on my door telling me to get ready. Before taking a shower, I ate breakfast. I brush my teeth quickly and change into a yellow shirt along with blue jeans.
My room was the last, in a hallway. To my right, is Chris' room, and to my left is where the guest room is located — where Jace is staying in right now. I walk towards his room silently, making sure no one could hear. I press my ear to his door, as if eavesdropping but I hear nothing. He must be sleeping.
I rush downstairs, and find Jace in our half-closed-kitchen, seated on a stool, speaking to Mom. His back is facing me and his hair is messy from behind. He's wearing a white v-neck top and black colored jeans.
"You could stay as long as you want, Jace. You're like family to us." said Mom.
"Thank you, Mrs. Harper." Jace replies simply. My Mom spots me standing on the stairs behind them. She gestures me to come down, maintaining the smile on her face.
"Ruby, is it fine if I get you from school later?" she asks as she moves towards me and grabs my wrists.
"I think we're heading for an invitation after school." She checks her watch and lets go of her grasp.
"Mrs. Harper, I've gotta go." Jace says. He stands up from the stool and shoves one hand on his pocket. "I've got to get started, I have a lot of things to do."
My mother lets out a small bounce, like she's excited to watch an Opera show in town. "Oh yes, you go along. You must have got a lot of thing to do." She says, forgetting that I was the same room as her until she noticed me, again, standing beside her.
"Oh, and Ruby has school." She pats both our backs and tells us to go, and do whatever it is we need to need to attend to. My mother rushes off, but Jace and I stay on our exact spots. Unsure of our actions, and what to do. I check my watch, and I think the school bus is outside right now, waiting for me. Wait no, not think, I know that the school bus is outside right at this very moment, waiting for me.
I'm not sure who decided to move towards the door first, but mine and Jace's shoulder bumped. My arm directly grips my shoulder. My senses are either working perfectly fine or it's just overly reacting because I could slightly feel pain on my shoulder. Why over reacting? Because when you bump into someone, you shouldn't be feeling, even a bit, of pain. But maybe because my body is sensitive in the morning. I shouldn't be surprised.
"Sorry." He mumbles under his breath. I ignored him as he continued his way to exit. I follow him, guessing he's in a bad mood or he's just stressed out. I poke his back, which felt quite hard that it hurt my finger a little. He stops walking like I do, and faces me. "What?" He asks, not in a harsh way but you could hear the tension in his voice.
"Are you okay?" My arms feels awkward all of sudden, swinging on my sides, not holding onto something. I decide to hold onto the slings of my backpack and I start to feel my arms go back to normal again.
Jace gives me this smirk, but it's not just any smirk. I have seen this before. This 'before' was yesterday. Oh yes, it's his signature 'teasing smirk'. I hate it. I hate it when he does that. It's a smirk I have never seen him wear on his face when we were younger.
"So Ruby cares?" He asks, but I get slightly confused if I should really answer this question. But there was one thing I was sure of, it pissed me off. I rolled my eyes in response and fold my arms over the chest. "Really?" I say, making sure he could hear the annoyance in my voice.
His smirk disappears, this time looking serious and it seems like I made him remember what he was thinking about earlier, the one that made him look uneasy. "I just," he pauses as he runs his fingers through his brown hair. I wonder if his hair is as soft as it looks like, and now I'm getting the urge to runs my finger through it.
"I just have a lot of things to do but it's fine. See you later." He says, giving me his signature smirk. He's been here less than a day and he already has problems. What has been going on through his mind lately? Did he even miss me? I don't think it's the right time to worry about that right now, he and I have a lot of things to worry about. But maybe the only thing I'm worrying about is him at the moment.
I directly run towards our school bus, which brought me back to my panic of being late after hearing the vehicle honk again.
What did I just say?
Beth and I stayed in the classroom, like we would often do after our last subject. We would just talk about random things before any of us go home. Both of us were seated on our own chairs as I had my legs over the arm rest while she had hers, crossed. I sat lazily on my chair, a position that’s capable of getting me to sleep. But I feel much more well rested than I was the other day.
“Hello, ladies.” Sam was always happy. I have been friends with him, the same time I was with Beth. Sam was the funny one in our group —which was only out of three— Beth, the nice and sensitive. And I, the short-tempered and the easily impressed one. Except when it came to studies, I was a perfectionist.
He and Beth were both my fashion guru’s. My fashion sense weren’t as good as theirs. I never really agreed to the clothes they decided to buy for me. I claimed that I don’t know the right occasion to wear those — which was partly true. But I think I dressed great, in an appropriate way. Okay, not really.
Sam had his raven black hair down this time, his top hair above his eyebrows and the side touching his ears. He wore a red plaid shirt with dark jeans.
“Where have you been, Samuel? We haven’t seen you much in days.” Beth complains, making a puppy pout face. Sam entered the room more, and he sat on the teacher’s desk.
“You can say that I’ve been quite.. busy,” He gives us a face that looks like he did something naughty. Beth lets out a teasing tune, guessing like she knows what he meant by it.
“Academically.” He says as he bursts out laughing for making Beth think of something as dirty as that. He stops himself from laughing then clears his throat, "What about you guys? What have you been up to?"
"Not much but you should've seen Ruby kick Brett's ass yesterday." She answered simply. I didn't really kick his ass, just terrified him with horrifying, natural looks. "She did? Wish I have been there to see it."
"So Ruby, how about you? Update me." He adds.
That question snaps me out of my chill mode. I can feel my anger rising up, more like a volcano about to erupt. It has only been less than a day, and I fell that he already has pissed me a lot. Him, teasing me in the airport, teasing me in the car. Teasing, teasing everywhere.
"Ugh. My life started going downhill since yesterday." I say with annoyance in my tone, letting out a sigh.
"What's wrong Ruby?" Beth asks. I clench my fists and unintentionally, slam it on the desk.
"It's this boy!" I say angrily, and Beth looked startled as if she has never seen me mad.
"Oh, boy problems. I'm interested." Says Sam as he leans on his elbows.
"What? No it isn't!" I snapped. My fingers start to shake as I realize that it kind-of-is a boy problem.
"Well, not really. He left me five years ago and now he's coming back into my life without a single warning! I mean, we were good friends but I was expecting him to change, like his attitude to change but instead he changed physically and now I'm pretty sure he is going to make my life a living hell more than it already is and I hate the idea of it."
Silence was all I got in response. Beth, still looks startled and Sam had a small smirk on his face. It's probably because the has never seen me freak out over a boy before. Even Beth hasn't seen me like this, ever.
And I didn't sound as mad as I was feeling in the inside. But words are so different from what you really feel. You can't just put your thoughts directly into words. You can't just expect people to understand so quickly.
Instead he changed physically, I recall. I didn't mean to say that out loud. I didn't mean for everyone else to hear. Maybe I was just too caught up in being honest. And why did I even say that? It sounds like I don't dislike him.
I can't use the word hate on him. Well, not yet.
"Is this guy bullying you? What's his name?" Beth asks, looking too worried. I try to give her a smile to show her it's something I can handle on my own and something that isn't much to worry about, in her case.
"Jace Golden and no, he's not bullying me." I think.
Smiling and what I just said calmed her down from the way her eyebrows let go of the furrow it has been holding on to. "What is it then? What's he like?"
"I don't know but last time I checked he was nerdy and only hung out with nerds and another nerd, who is me."
Beth and Sam let out a laugh. Sam stops himself to say, "Don't let a nerd bully you, Ruby. I bet he's not a big deal." His gaze goes to Beth for a while and then comes back to me.
"Just tell us when something happens, okay?"
I give them a small nod to tell them that I will. I start messing up with myself. I now have my own — personalized Twitter. 'What's happening?' a question that appears just above the text board and soon 'What's happening' coming out of my best friends' mouths. Weird, how people compare people from the internet.
They do not know what this boy is capable of doing. When you look at him, you think he's an innocent little angel but he's a dangerous bastard. Why can't anybody see that except me?
Sam left, claiming that he is on his way to detention for 'accidentally' answering back to a teacher. My friends are much more of a trouble maker than I am. Although I have never been in detention. Beth and I exit the building and sit on the same bench as yesterday. I open my bag and search for my phone. When I spot it, I dial Mom's number and get no answer.
I sigh, "Beth, this might take a while. You go ahead." I insist.
She looks at me, and says "Are you sure?
"Yeah, bye."
"See you later." She flees off with a wave of hand. And I'm left here, waiting for my mom who might take a really long time to arrive. My mom didn't even tell me what party we're going to. If Mom's goal is to be late, she is doing well. But what about Jace? Is he coming along with us? If he isn't, what's he going to do? What's he going to have for dinner? And what is he going to do while we're away? And—
Why am I so worried. Ugh.
"Ruby!" A familiar voice calls my name. I turn to me left, following the direction of the voice. The voice was too deep to be Mom's. Jace. Now I wonder what he's here for and what he wants this time. "Get inside the car."
"What? No." I say and turn my back on him, getting as far as possible from him. My mom was the one who was supposed to get me out of school, not him. Is this what Mom means by 'I'll get you from school'? Well, I don't like it and I don't think I ever will.
"Where are you going?" He asks, and his voice sounds more louder now. I look back and find him right in front of me. How did he get behind me so silently? And his actions years ago weren't as graceful as it is now. "Sorry, did I startle you?" Giving me another smirk again.
"Argh!" I stomp my way away from him until he grips my shoulder from the back. I let out a heavy sigh, "Your mom asked me if I could pick you up." He turns my around with the hand he has still gripped on to my shoulder.
"So I will."
"I'd rather walk home." I snap, slowly pushing his hand away from my shoulder.
"If this is how you play it," he paused and a smirk spread across his face.
"You haven't changed a bit too, Ruby." His left hand slid around my waist tightly and his other hand brought my both of my legs above ground — carrying me.
It was really unexpected and I bet I look shocked in the outside to because Jace just chuckled. Anger raises up, and I can feel my blood boiling but all it does is make me blush, flooding my cheeks. That I'm in his arms.
I hit his chest repeatedly, "Let me go!" I chant. His chest was felt almost as hard as stone. I wouldn't believe it if Jace, the skinny and nerdy boy, would work out. Skinny and nerdy? Well, he used to be.
"You wouldn't like that." He said in a teasing tone.
"Why wouldn't I like that, you nincompoop."
"Nincompoop?" He said sounding confused. "I still wouldn't let you down" He kept his face straight, towards where he's heading.
When we reach the car, which was definitely not Mom's since it was Mercedes, he finally let me down. A feeling of relief spread all over me when my feet had finally touched the ground. Although I still refuse to enter the car. He's still beside, patiently waiting for me to enter. He gently opens the door and gestures for me to enter. The stubborn girl I really am, I shake my head, trying to avoid looking at him. He pats my back and slowly pushes me towards the door.
Giving up, I do it but as fast as I can. He closes the door and walked across, entering the driver's side. He left the car's engine running so we fled away as soon as he sat on the seat.
The few minutes had been uncomfortably silent until he decides to speak up.
"Any plans for today?"
"Nope." I answer popping the letter p. "Why are you asking?"
"Nothing, I was just trying to have a conversation."
"Oh." That was the only word that came to my mind. Jace and I haven't really had proper conversations lately. The last time was this morning and it didn't even last 2 minutes. And all of the other conversations weren't so long. At least the boy is trying.
And last night, what did he even do after I fell asleep? What did he mean when he said he'll stay in my room for a while? I just hope he didn't scan my room like opening closets and drawers. And please tell me he didn't touch my CDs again. If I find i scratch, I blame him. Most of my CDs were gifts. Some were even from when I was young. In fact, Jace gave me a track list of my favourite songs for my 12th birthday. Few days after that, he left for Alaska. He left me something he knew I would keep forever.
Speaking of birthdays, it was his birthday few weeks ago. I don't just miss him but I also missed his birthday. It was pretty hard to communicate but it was quite mean of me not mentioning it yesterday. I could've got him a present or something. But maybe I wouldn't now or maybe I'll regret it if I did because he has been pretty teasy. Besides, I didn't know he was going to arrive yesterday.
The car drive home wasn't that silent. It's surprising how I was nervous just talking to him. And I even had a hard time thinking of a topic and I bet so did he. We had a small talk. Topics that didn't last five minutes talking about. Awkwardness was all throughout the air.
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Author's Note: Hiii guyyssss. Sorry it took me a long time to update chapter two. There's school and we're having a lot of tests. Also, there's a play and i have to learn the songs since it's going to be a musicale and why do I have to be one of the main characters.
Fuck, okay i should stop ranting about school. And I also had wanted to add more to this chapter. I'm quite a perfectionist because when i update it i do not want to edit it unless its spelling errors or such. I have some things planned for chapter 3 and 4! I hope you like this chapter!
Thank you for reading! You supports means a lot! :*
Quin xx