She walked into the kitchen where her mom was standing at the counter and her dad was sitting reading the newspaper.
“Hey,” Ruby said, the bright tone in her voice forced, as she didn’t want to alert her mom there was anything wrong.
“Hello, love. How was work?” her mom asked, looking up from rolling out some pastry. Ruby’s mom baked every day. She said it was her therapy. Ruby didn’t mind. She’d kill for one of her mom’s chocolate and banana muffins any day of the week.
“Okay. I didn’t make as many mistakes as on my first shift. And—” Ruby stopped herself just as she was about to mention what had happened with the drunk guy, thinking that it was best left unsaid. Otherwise, she’d have to mention Drew being there, and she wasn’t sure how her mom would react once she found out that he had returned to school.
“And?” her mom asked.
“Um. Nothing. Hey Dad.” Ruby glanced at her father, who seemed oblivious to her presence. He didn’t seem to be reading, either, just staring into space. “Dad?” she repeated.
He glanced up and grunted a greeting. Then he resumed staring at the paper. She guessed this was one of his bad days and knew better than to push things.
“So what will you do?” Tiffany’s eyes were wide as she leaned forward and rested her elbows on her legs.
Ruby had met Tiffany before school started that morning, and they were sitting on a bench outside. She’d told her all about the drunk guy and Drew’s involvement and then about Blake turning up, hoping to get some perspective. Not that perpetually happy Tiffany would know how to handle the complex situation, but it made Ruby feel better to talk about it with someone she trusted. “Good question.” She shook her head and chewed on the inside of her cheek, wondering why she never managed to have a simple life like Tiffany’s.
“Do you still like Drew. As in like him?” Tiffany asked in a matter-of-fact tone.
“No. Yes. No. I don’t know,” Ruby replied, waving her arm in frustration.
“That’s covered all of your bases.” Tiffany laughed but not in an unkind way. Tiffany was the only person who’d known about Ruby’s secret crush on Drew last year. And the year before that. And probably the year before that. When he used to hang out with Blake at home, Ruby would invent all sorts of excuses to be with them. She was surprised they hadn’t ever guessed. And she was pretty sure they hadn’t, because Blake would have definitely teased her about it had he even the slightest inkling.
She remembered one Halloween the three of them had dressed up as pirates and went out trick or treating. Drew shared all the candy he had with Ruby, and at the end of the night, he’d given her his eye patch. She still had it in her memory box.
But that all seemed like a lifetime ago. And indeed it was. Were Blake and Drew ever going to even speak again, let alone actually hang out together?
“The thing is, I think I do still like him,” she said. “But he’s so different now. I don’t mean his scars. He’s a different person. You can’t blame him, though, after such a tragedy. Not that he wants anything to do with me. Which doesn’t matter, because Blake will never speak to me again if I have any contact with Drew.” Ruby jumped up, unable to sit still any longer. She kicked the gravel path, and clouds of dust flew into the air. “Come on, let’s go to class. Just talking about it is driving me crazy.”
They made their way toward the lockers, and on the way passed the science noticeboard.
“Stop a minute. I want to check which group I’ve been put in for the project,” Tiffany said. Instead of a midterm exam, the junior chemistry classes had to do group projects that counted for a full third of the grade. Ruby had forgotten that the group assignments were being posted today.
Tiffany scanned the board while Ruby peered over her shoulder, looking for her own name.
She’d always heard the expression “her jaw dropped,” but she’d never actually had that happen—until now.
Ruby Davis, Richard Kent, Jessica Peters, Bradley Rydell.
And Drew Scott.
“Crap. I’m in Drew’s group,” she whispered loudly. Tiffany turned and gave her a slightly pained but sympathetic look and then went back to looking for her group. “That sure as hell complicates things. I just can’t catch a break,” she continued.
Or can I?
As quickly as her panic had hit her, it subsided. Maybe being in his group wouldn’t be such a bad thing. It meant she’d be able to legitimately talk with him without worrying about what Blake might think. After all, her brother couldn’t blame her for being put in the same group by a teacher. It wasn’t like she’d engineered it somehow.
“Do you want to ask if you can swap with me? I don’t mind being in his group,” Tiffany asked as she stepped back from the board.
“No, it’s okay. I don’t want to cause trouble.” Ruby gave a nonchalant shrug. At least she hoped it came across like that.
Excitement bubbled in the pit of her stomach as she realized that in less than two hours’ time, she’d be working with Drew. And three others, of course, but she could take or leave their presence.
“Have I missed something?” Tiffany asked, tilting her head quizzically like a confused puppy. Her eyes widened as she got it. “Ohhhh. Now you want to be with him. Why didn’t you say?”
Ruby laughed. Tiffany knew her too well, like she had a hotline to Ruby’s thoughts. But she had to be careful—if Blake caught on that she was happy being in a group with Drew, it could damage their relationship for a long time.
Drew crushed the empty soda can in his hand and threw it into the trash can a few feet away. Two points. At least he hadn’t lost his throwing arm. Probably the only thing that hadn’t changed.
He’d just left the cafeteria after lunch, where he had sat alone again. But he’d actually enjoyed it. The other students still gave him a wide berth, but they were growing used to him being around, so the whispers and stares had finally died down.
And he’d never minded being alone—it gave him time to be calm and think. Even being a loner at school certainly beat the constant attention he’d gotten from his parents over the last twelve months. On the odd occasion when they were sober, they hovered like two helicopters, wanting to know everything he’d done and would be doing and was even thinking of doing. His mom would even text him from the kitchen when he was in his bedroom. It drove him bat-shit crazy.
When they were drunk, which they were most often, they were the total opposite. Then he was only good for target practice, as they hurled a constant barrage of verbal abuse at him. They’d even told him that he had better get used to looking out for himself because no one else would, not looking like he did. Cutting, yes. But true. He couldn’t argue with what they’d said.
In his peripheral vision, he spotted Ruby, wearing a short green dress and heading in the direction of the science labs. He could hear her unique laugh as she walked with her friend—if sound could sparkle, her laugh would. He’d always thought she was cute, but in a brotherly sort of way. Since he was an only child, she was the closest thing he’d ever had to a sister. And she always made him laugh with her ridiculous, quirky take on things.
Seeing her on his first day back at school had shocked him. She had changed a lot over the last year. She’d gone from cute to hot. He loved the way her chestnut-colored hair framed her face and brought out her enormous, expressive brown eyes, made even more enormous by the fact that over the summer, she’d obviously learned how to put on eyeliner. And since when had she developed such long legs?
Crazy talk.
Blake would hate him even more if he knew what Drew was thinking. Plus, this was Ruby. She was kind, she was funny, and now, she was suddenly gorgeous. She deserved better than the likes of him—his parents were right to use the word “grotesque” on him. And even if there was the remotest chance that she felt something for him, no way would he ever make a move on her. He was never going to make a move on anyone ever again. He knew he had to pay for Reese for the rest of his life, and even that wasn’t long enough.