by Lux Carmine
When I caught myself staring I quickly dropped my eyes back to my homework. I wondered if they'd try to come talk to me and it wasn't long before my question was answered.
"Hey Ruby," Steven said, his warm palm caressed my cheek as he stepped over my things and sat in the seat next to me. I felt my cheeks heat and cursed my body for being so basic and primitive.
"Hey."
Kevin took the seat on the other side of me, both of them played with my hair and stared at me.
"You look a little tense from all that homework you're doing." I resisted letting out a groan when Mike came up behind me and his strong hands started to massage my shoulders.
What was happening? I bit my lower lip and closed my eyes, getting lost in the feel of the three of them petting me, pampering me. "The auditions seem to be going well," I heard myself murmur, my voice raspy.
"We had hoped to see you up there," Billy said, as he too joined the group. His hand grabbed my foot and brought it up to the top of the chair in front of me. His hands kneaded my calf and shin.
Heaven. That's where I was. And it felt so nice that I didn't even care if all fifteen of those girls and Jason were turned around and staring at us. I didn't want this to stop.
"You got me here, isn't that enough?"
"For now," Steven said, his sexy voice sending shivering through my stomach.
"What does that mean?" I asked, keeping my voice soft and pleasing, hoping it would help him open up again and tell me because I really didn’t understand what was happening.
Steven gave me one final pet and then he laced his fingers into my hair, his fingers curling around the base of my head. "We hope you'll find out soon," he whispered. Excitement flooded my body at the sensations happening to me all at once. And at the same time my heart was pounding with fear. What was going on? Why was I getting all this attention? I wasn’t sure I’d be able to stop waiting for the other shoe to drop. Was this a dream or a nightmare?
There was a kiss on the back of my head as Mike stood up, the massage disappearing with him as he headed back towards the table.
And then one by one the rest of them got up and went back to work. I sat there like a piece of rolled out play-doh. Relaxed and perplexed by what had just happened.
When I opened my eyes finally the girls were, as I suspected, standing near the stage together. A few of them were together in a group, looking between me and their phones, giggling.
I snapped out of my trance and sat up straight, suddenly feeling mortified. I wasn't alone in their house or mine. I was in public. That stuff wasn't going to make anything less weird. It probably looked... Weirder.
When I returned home later that night Melissa let me know just how weird it seemed. She showed me her Instagram. There I was on video surrounded by four hot guys, but it didn't look innocent as it had been, the way the camera was angled it looked a lot less innocent.
Northern White Trash
Desperate
How the hell did she get so lucky? Does she had a golden hooha?
HAHAHA Billy wanted to discover what was over the rainbow.
What a slut.
I pushed the phone away and pushed my dark curly hair behind my ear. "It's not what it looks like."
Melissa snorted. "Duh. I know you're not like that. But unfortunately it doesn't look good."
"Who posted it?" I asked, as if it really mattered.
"I don't know. That video is the only thing on the Instagram feed. It just says 'Concerned Davis High School Student.' Do you want me to ask around and see what I can find out?"
I shook my head. "It doesn't matter, really. It's out there."
"Do you want to talk about it?"
"No."
"Get some ice cream?"
"No."
"Have a romcom marathon on the couch and order a pizza?"
If this had been a minor thing, something that wasn't going to affect my whole high school experience then a romcom marathon with pizza would've been just the thing. But it wasn't some minor thing. This was going to be huge, especially since it was quickly going viral with so many comments I couldn't keep up with reading them. This was not what I had wanted at all. I wasn't sure how I was going to cope. But romcoms were like a bandaid and they weren't going to be enough to stop the massive bleeding coming from the injury. I needed stitches and I wasn't sure what the equivalent of that would be.
I smiled a little and shook my head. "No. I just want to be alone. I need to process this."
Melissa hesitated but nodded her acceptance. "Alright, I'll be in my room if you need someone to talk to, okay?"
"Thanks." When she was gone I pulled out my phone and loaded the Instagram video again. I ignored the comments and pushed play on the video, watching myself as it played through. I looked happy. I looked loved.
I bit my lower lip and scrolled down, viewing more comments.
Ew. Skank! I knew she was gross the minute I saw her and her greasy hair in Biology.
She must have slipped them drugs. Lolol
Maybe she put drugs in her panties.
Did she get crabs from Joey? She and M and J had a threesome? Apparently she's into that kind of thing. Lolol
Freak, is what she is. I want some of that freak. Looks like she tastes good. lolol
My phone buzzed in my hand. A notification popped up on the top of my screen. Steven. I hesitated a moment before opening up the text.
Steven: Hey, have you seen it yet?
I turned off the screen and laid down on my bed, curling up. I wasn't feeling much of anything at that moment. I was kind of numb. A new high school. New friends. New crushes. And now this huge bomb that destroyed all of it. How was I going to face them all? How could I combat their stares and whispers in the halls?
My phone pinged again. I ignored it. It pinged five more times in a row. I grabbed it and turned it all the way off and got up, heading to the bathroom. I stared at myself in the mirror for a long time until my face was nothing but shapes.
There was a knock at the door and I pushed myself away from the mirror. I opened the door and forced a smile for my Aunt.
"Hey Ruby, dinner will be ready in about fifteen minutes. Okay?"
I nodded. "Sure. Thanks."
She pulled me in for a hug and that nearly broke me. I managed to keep myself together until she left and then I returned to the bathroom and turned on the shower. I looked again in the mirror and the things people had typed about me were swirling in my head.
Skank!
Trash!
Slut!
Freak!
Over and over the words repeated until I believed they were true. I opened the medicine cabinet to stop the voices and quickly disrobed and got into the hot shower, hoping the hot water would cleanse me and take away my pain.
As I got out of the shower I heard the doorbell. I slammed the medicine cabinet shut and moved to my room to get dressed. In sweats that were too big for me I made my way downstairs.
I paused on the steps. They were here, at the house. Kevin, Steven, Mike and Billy. Jason, of course, was not. He was probably drafting up his own witty response to our videotaped escapade.
There was worry on all of their faces that slowly morphed into relief at the sight of me.
My Aunt turned and raised her eyebrows. "Ruby, you have company." Her eyes flickered further up the stairway. I turned and saw Melissa coming down, a scowl on her face directed at the guys.
"Ruby, dinner is ready but I'm afraid I don't have enough for four extra people."
I nodded. "It's okay. I'll keep it short."
Melissa gave my hand a reassuring squeeze as she passed. Her mother left, going into the dining room and as Melissa passed by them she said, "Hurt her or say anything insensitive and I'll make all of your lives a living hell."
"Melissa..." I said, trying to stop her from saying more.
"I'm done. Y'all are basic." She pointed to all of them. "Bye." She rounded the corner too and I was left alone in the f
oyer with them.
"Are you alright?" Kevin asked, worry on his face. "If I knew it could look like that I wouldn't have done it," he said. He came closer and wrapped me up into his arms. "The things those assholes are saying...I'm so sorry."
I let myself enjoy the hug for a moment before pushing him away. "You can all see I'm fine. So you should go."
They glanced at each other, shocked and still concerned.
"I'll come back later," Steven said.
"No. I'll just be asleep. Go home and forget all about it. That's what I'm going to do. Okay?" I glanced at each of them, forcing a reassuring smile on my lips. Each of them wore a look of disbelief. I shook my head and moved through them, opening the door.
Kevin moved out first followed by Billy and Mike. Steven was the last one, standing there in the foyer, staring down at me. He put his finger under my chin and lifted it so I was looking him in the eyes. "Don't lie, Ruby. Are you okay?"
My eyes watered as I stared back at him. "See you later, Steven." I pulled my chin away and pushed him out the door before closing it.
8
The next morning I was surprised to find Steven sitting on my porch steps. When I opened the door, Melissa in tow, he glanced up. When he saw it was me he stood up and smiled. "Hey."
"She doesn't want to talk to you," Melissa said in her best bitchy voice.
"Ruby, I borrowed Gary's car today. I wanted to take you to school."
I looked at the silver Honda Civic parked in the driveway.
"She's already got a ride," Melissa said again.
The way Steven's eyes stared at me there was no way I could reject him. "It's okay, Melissa. I'll see you at school."
She gasped and pulled me aside. "Are you sure?"
"Yeah. Go on. We'll talk at lunch."
Melissa shot Steven a death glare and then went to climb into Joey's car. When they pulled away Steven finally stepped in close to me. His warm, comforting hand smoothed the hair back from my face before cupping my jaw. "You look terrible."
He grinned softly. "I was so worried about you all night. I couldn't sleep."
"So you're going to be a very drowsy driver? You should have told me that before my other ride bounced."
He chuckled a little but it was cut short by his sharp inhale. And then his eyes turned slightly glassy. "We never wanted to put you in this position, Ruby. We never wanted you to feel like an outcast."
It was hard to look at him, being all emotional like that. "I'm used to not being wanted, Steven."
"We want you, Ruby. You're incredible. And all those people at school can all see it too which is why they said those awful hateful things."
I shook my head. "No. They said those things because I made myself an easy target. I'm not going to do that again."
His jaw twitched as he digested my words. "Are you saying you don't want to see us again? Did this ruin it?"
I shook my head. "No. I'm saying that if you and your friends want to date me..." I swallowed hard. Date me? I felt like an idiot saying it out loud. "Then we're going to do it the right way. We're going to do it big. And we're not going to hide or cower or pretend."
He smoothed his thumb over my cheek, his eyes studying mine for a long moment. I was sure he was going to tell me I was crazy. Weird. Out of my mind.
"Okay, Ruby. We'll do it big. We're thespians. We don't cower in front of a crowd. Are you sure this is what you want, though? You said you didn't want your first kiss to be in front of tons of people."
I nodded and reached up, tentatively wrapping my arms around his neck, ready for him to step away at any moment. "I'm sure. And I didn't lie. I don't want my first kiss to be in front of tons of people." I licked my lips and he followed suit.
His arm wrapped around my lower back and pulled me into his tall muscular body. Slowly he leaned into me. My eager lips waited for what felt like forever before his lips touched mine. I melted into the kiss as his lips moved gently over mine. This was it, my first kiss, and I was glad it was with Steven. He was so tender and gentle and caring. When we pulled away we were both panting and could not tear our eyes away from each other.
"Wow..." I said.
He nodded, a handsome grin taking over his features. "I've been wanting to do that since the moment I saw you, Ruby."
"That day in the cafeteria?"
"No. The day your Aunt brought you home and you put on your happy face. You were so kind to her, holding in your feelings to make sure hers weren't further damaged. I wanted to wrap you in my arms that day and kiss you."
"I wish you had," I murmured as I continued to stare into his eyes. I scraped my lower lip with my teeth and then parted my lips. I brought my lips to his and we kissed again. It was no less exciting. The magic hadn't gone away, if anything it was now heightened.
He groaned softly and pulled back. "Ruby, we have to leave for school or I'm going to take you upstairs. And I don't think you're ready for that yet."
I blushed as the thought of us hooking up crossed my mind. "Yeah, you're right." We joined our lips for one more kiss before wrenching our bodies apart.
On the way to school I sat in the seat beside him and stared. He was gorgeous. He was sweet. He was wounded. And he was mine. I was one lucky girl.
I could not help the grin that was glued to my face as I made my way down the hall towards Biology. Steven's hand hadn't left my hip since we'd left the cafeteria. And every hallway seemed to be a new place where he wished to claim his territory. He would glance both ways to make sure teachers weren't looking and then he would pull me to his side and press his lips to mine.
It was a miracle I was able to walk to class at all. Regretfully he had to let me go once we reached my classroom.
"Thanks for the escort."
He turned and put his other hand on my cheek. He smiled down at me as his thumb smoothed over my skin.
"No PDA, you two!" Mr. Richards yelled as he approached.
Steven took his time letting me go. And even snuck in one more kiss before running off down the hall, Mr. Richards beginning to chase after him.
Blushing I snuck into class and took my seat. Jason was already seated. He turned away from me once I sat down. Normally I would be crushed but today was different. Nothing could put a damper on my good mood.
Or so I thought.
After the bell rang and attendance was taken, Mr. Richards announced the first semester's group project. It would require hours of time alone with our lab partner. The thought of spending time with Jason didn't seem unappealing until he raised his hand and announced to the whole class that he wanted a different partner.
Mr. Richards quickly diffused the situation but I could hear the murmurs and whispers. The giggles and the comments about how Jason was jealous that he hadn't gotten in on the action with Ruby and that was why he wanted to switch.
"Skank ass ho," Tracey Bouche said loudly enough for my ears. She glanced over her shoulder directly at me to see if her verbal assault had hit it's mark. I glanced at Jason to see if he was going to stand up for me again. His jaw was clenched, his body still slanted to the side, and his eyes were on his notebook.
I swallowed hard and grabbed up my books, quickly retreating from Biology. I heard Mr. Richards calling after me but I didn't dare stop or look back.
I ran through the halls, trying to get as far away from there as I could. I was almost to the exit when I passed another hall and bumped into something hard.
Steady hands grabbed onto my shoulders and kept me upright.
"Ruby?"
When I glanced up I was staring into Kevin's eyes and the look of concern there made everything I was trying to hold back come out. I pressed my face against his chest and the sobs came rolling out. Warm arms went around me and held me for a long moment.
As I cried I thought about the bully Tracey, the video and all the mean comments. The disdain in Jason's eyes. I hadn't done anything to any of them and yet they didn't mind viciously attacking me.
"I c
an't do it, Kevin. I can't do this. I'm not strong enough."
"Shh. You are plenty strong. Especially with us." I felt him shift and he tucked me against his side and led me out into the parking lot. Once we found Billy's truck we climbed into the back. I snuggled up against him and he put his arm around me. "What happened?"
I resisted at first but after he lifted my chin and made me look him in the eye the whole story came out. When I mentioned Jason Kevin's kind eyes suddenly turned stormy. He looked away and cradled my head to his chest. I could hear his heartbeat. It was strong and steady, maybe I bit faster than normal.
"I'm sorry he was such a dick to you, Ruby. He'll come around, though."
"Did Steven tell you? About this morning?"
Kevin's eyes dropped to mine and I felt heat pooling in my belly. His gaze was hot. He nodded. "He told all of us right after he got to school."
"Even Jason?"
Kevin shook his head. "Jason has been avoiding us. He's trying to push us away, it's what he does."
I hated to think of Jason being outcast from his group of friends. I knew what it was like to be all alone and to feel like I wasn't good enough or worthy enough. "What are we going to do?"
Kevin's eyes dropped to my lips and they trembled. "I love that you think of him. He needs us. And we want him to be happy. We're going to have to show Jason that this thing can work. And that no matter what happens we will all be together and happy."
I nodded but inside my stomach was going on a loopy roller coaster at the thought of what might have to happen for Jason to accept us the way we were. "But what if he doesn't, Kevin? What if he just doesn't like me?"
Kevin's head slowly dipped and his lips gently moved over mine. It was like a whisper. It sent tremors to my toes. "How could he not like you?" he whispered and then kissed me again. This time with more heat. I moved my arms around his neck and pulled him closer. We laid down in the afternoon sun in the back of Billy's truck and kissed until the final bell rang. It was the best afternoon of my life.