Ruby Rising

by Leah Cook

  Hitting reply I quickly typed, 'who is this'?

  Almost immediately I got a reply. Just a friend who doesn’t want you to think that those you left behind are worth feeling guilty over. They certainly don’t seem to be missing you. Move on.

  I hit reply again, writing the same as before. Who is this?

  The reply was instantaneous. Unable to deliver mail, unknown address.

  I sat back in my chair feeling completely betrayed. How dare they! Why would Claire do that do me? Why couldn’t she have just been honest and told me that she liked him. As far as I had known Claire was also a virgin. Not anymore, I thought.

  My anger flared and I threw a book across the room, hitting the wall with a satisfying thump. I had never felt so betrayed, so angry that she had actually slept with him. She SLEPT with him! I stood up as anger built up inside me and I started to pace. Suddenly the light globe in the lamp blew and with a loud pop it started to flame. I ripped the cord out of the wall and ran to the bathroom throwing it in the shower. I turned the water on and it immediately doused the flames.

  I sat on the edge of the bath and cried. Maybe my parents had been right all along about Jake. And my mother had never taken to Claire. Maybe this move was for the best. I sat there for a few minutes crying for the friend that I had just lost. Crying over a friendship that seemed like it had never meant anything to her. Standing up I looked into the mirror and told myself that I wouldn’t cry over her again. That she wasn’t worth my time, my energy or my tears. I removed the lamp from the shower, picking out the tiny pieces of glass from the globe that had smashed. Undressing I decided a shower would help to wash away the last of Claire’s betrayal.

  As I showered I tried to figure out who could have gotten those photographs of Claire and Jake. They were so intimate, especially the last one. Someone had been watching them, for what purpose though? For her? I didn’t really have that many friends who would do that. Someone had taken the time to get them though. They had been right about one thing, I was moving on. There was no longer anything left in the city that called to me. I was done.

  I dried off and dressed. Looking at my reflection in the mirror, I smiled and pulled my hair into a pony tail high on my head. I pulled on my customary blue jeans and combat boots and teamed them up with a simple blue button down cotton shirt. I didn’t put any make up on not feeling like I needed any to watch a movie. I sprayed on a generous amount of my favourite perfume; vanilla musk paying particular attention to behind my ears and in between my cleavage.

  I was quiet over dinner and I figured my parents took that as a sign of nervousness before my date with Scott and I was grateful that they didn’t ask me any questions. After I’d picked at my food I stood up and went into the kitchen. I thanked them for dinner and packed the dishwasher.

  “Honey, are you okay?” My mother came up beside me to wash up the dishes that didn’t go in the dishwasher.

  “Yep, I’m good.” I answered trying to keep the anticipation of my date out of my voice. “I’m going to feed Phoenix and then wait out the front for Scott.”

  “Okay honey, have fun. Home by eleven.” She reminded me and gave my arm a gentle squeeze as she expertly wiped down the table and joined my father on the couch for their own movie night.

  Scott was parked across the road and was leaning on his door staring at my house. He hadn’t seen me yet, so I ducked back behind the corner of the house and took an opportunity to appreciate him.

  I watched as he picked a rose from the garden next door, I smiled at the romantic idea. He covered it with his hand, like he was waving over the top of it. I blushed thinking he was picking it for me. Instead when he took his hand away the pink rose had turned black. I blinked, unsure if my mind was playing tricks on me. After blinking numerous times, the rose was most definitely black.

  I took a step back and kicked some of my mother’s empty pots that had been stacked behind me. I realised that he would have heard the clatter so I stepped around the corner of the yard and waved.

  “Good evening.” he said, meeting me in the middle of the road and giving me a gentle kiss on the cheek. From behind his back he produced the rose, it was a beautiful light pink, the same as all the others on the bush. It most definitely wasn’t black.

  “It’s beautiful, thank you.” My hands shook slightly as I gently took the rose from him and let him open the car door for me. After I put my seat belt on I stared at the rose in my hands. Surely I hadn’t seen him just turn it black? It must have been the changing colours of the sky. The beautiful pink and orange sunset practically yelled romance.

  As he drove off he looked at my face and a small frown creased his head.

  “What’s wrong?” He asked.

  “I’m a little nervous about meeting your parents.” I wasn’t being entirely honest but at least that part was true.

  “Um, yeah about that.” He cleared his throat and looked like he was trying to find the right words.

  “Scott? What’s wrong? Have I done something wrong?” I turned to him and held his hand in between mine.

  “No, you haven’t done anything wrong. It’s just….I don’t….” His voice trailed off. I gave him some time to collect himself and soon we pulled up outside a one story brick veneer house. The garden was neat with no flowers and a few overgrown shrubs. In the middle of the front yards was a massive big oak tree, its large branches providing the lawn underneath with much needed relief from the sun during the day. The house itself was nothing special but fitted well in the neighbourhood.

  Scott turned the car off and undid his seat belt turning so that he was facing me directly.

  “About my parents, Ruby… there’s no need to be nervous because they aren’t here. They died, two years ago.”

  He looked deeply into my eyes, trying to gauge my reaction. I reached over and placed a hand on the side of his face.

  “You would only have been sixteen! I’m so sorry, Scott. How did they die?” I felt the need to ask despite feeling like I was prying.

  “A car accident,” he answered without hesitating. “Mikayla was with them. But she walked away without a scratch on her. They both died before the paramedics got there.”

  I didn’t say anything as I reached over and gently kissed him on the lips. At first it was gentle but as he returned the kiss it became more urgent. I opened my mouth to his insistent tongue that was gently probing my lips for permission to enter. I pulled away when I realised he had pulled me into lap, his obvious need pushing against my own.

  “Jesus Ruby…do you have any idea what you do to me?” He leant his head back into the head rest as I extricated myself from his lap, both of us panting slightly.

  “Probably exactly the same as you do to me I guess. You better have two couches in there.”

  I smiled at him and got out of the car.

  “And why’s that?” he asked as I walked around and met him at the front of the car. He took my hand and led me to the door. Unlocking it he gently ushered me inside under his arm. I stood in the entry way, unsure what to do next.

  The small hallway had lit candles lining each side, all in different stages of melt. Shelves had been added to accommodate them. Hundreds of stars were also suspended from the roof with what I presumed was fishing wire. I couldn’t see it because of the candle light.

  “Wow, that’s so pretty.” I marvelled at it, almost mesmerised.

  “That’s all Mikayla, she loves candles and stars. Wait until you see the lounge room.” He kissed me under the hallway stars, his tongue gently invading my mouth seeking my own. I gave in, letting him explore my mouth, both of us groaned into the kiss.

  When he pushed me back into the wall enclosing my with his body, I pushed gently on his chest and we came up for air. He leant his forehead against mine for a few seconds with his eyes clothes before he pulled me by the hand into the lounge. More candles filled the shelves lining the walls all the way around the room, only stopping at the doorways. The black curtains shimmere
d with even more stars that looked like they were dancing across the fabric in the candlelight. Despite his admission that the candles were Mikayla’s thing, I’d say he had made this as romantic as possible.

  “Wow, no kidding about the candles and stars, huh? It’s so pretty though.” He led me to one of the couches and I sat down, he stood in front of me, his waist perfectly in line with my head. I had the sudden urge to open the fly to his pants.

  Oh my god! Was I really thinking about doing that? After nearly a year with Jake I still hadn't been ready and hear I was ready to rip Scott's clothes off. I sucked in a deep breath and forced myself not to over think the situation and hyper aware that I was now a good match for a tomato.

  “Do you want a drink or anything?” Graciously Scott ignored my colouring and went into an adjoining room I hadn’t noticed before. I heard the tell-tale sound of a fridge opening and decided to following him in rather than site with the image I’d just planted in my head of me kneeling at his feet.

  “Sure, what you got?”

  “I’ve got Zero, I know you like that.” He poured us two glasses with ice and we went back into the lounge.

  “So, what are we watching?” I asked as he sat in the corner of the couch. I hadn’t decided where I was going to sit; next to him or on the other couch. I decided to sit on the opposite couch, not trusting myself to sit close to him.

  “I hired the latest Transformers, I hope that’s not too far out of your idea of a good movie. I took a wild guess.” Getting up he went over to the small black TV cabinet and loaded the DVD player. Turning to me his lips turned up at the corners as he smothered a grin before deliberately coming to sit down next to me. “Trying to avoid me?”

  I looked at him blushing as usual. “Firstly, I love the Transformer movies. And secondly, I’m not trying to avoid you….completely. It’s just…I think we should have some space. I still want to wait a bit longer to…”

  “Ruby, it’s okay. I get it. I’m not trying to force you, I just can’t seem to get enough of you. You seem to light me up, like I’m suddenly full of energy.” He held my hand and caressed my face, I leaned into it, loving the small tingle it sent down my back. “Just say the word and we will stop, I will stop.”

  He leaned in and kissed me so softly I barely felt it, merely a whisper on my lips. We kissed softly and slowly and I took some time to run my hands down his face and around his neck. His skin was warm and smooth. We kissed like this for a while before I let him guide me from sitting up until he was gently lying on top of me. I was comfortable knowing that all I had to do was say the word and he would stop.

  I gently sucking on his lower lip and my heart thundered at the sound of the primal groan that flowed from his open mouth. I loved the sound of him responding to me and the things that I did to him. It made me feel like a goddess. I searched for his tongue and he eagerly entwined it with mine. I ran my hands down his arms, feeling the hardness of his biceps through his shirt. I couldn’t believe how bold I was being yet I couldn’t bring myself to take off his shirt.

  I groaned as he kissed my neck and slowly trailed his fingers down my face and to my breast, leaning his weight on his other arm. He cupped my breast through my shirt and my hips instantly rose to meet his warm palm. The tortured sound that came from his mouth nearly had me tearing his clothes off. I wasn’t sure anymore if I even wanted to wait. Or if I even could wait.

  I felt him reach for the buttons on my shirt, gently undoing them one by one. “Don’t worry,” he breathed in my ear as he nibbled on it. “I won’t take off your pants.”

  I groaned as the nibble sent sparks flying through my entire body. I knew I wanted him and I didn’t stop him as he opened up my shirt.

  “Oh Ruby, you really are beautiful.” My nipples were peeking through the thin material of my bra. He reached around and deftly undid it, and slowly pulled it down off my shoulders until it landed with a small thud on the floor. My nipples hardened at the cool air surrounding them. My breath came faster and harder, my chest rising and falling in anticipation. He didn’t reach for me straight away, preferring to look down at my bare chest and into my eyes for what felt like an eternity. I gasped when he finally cupped one and gently flicked the nipple with his tongue.

  “Oh God…that’s… amazing.” I closed my eyes and my head tilted to the side as I took in the different sensations of what he was doing to my body. I sounded like I’d been running as he gently attended to my breasts and nipples with a reverence I didn’t know existed. He worshipped them, taking each into his mouth and suckling gently.

  As I groaned louder he reached down between us and rubbed my core though my pants. I felt an unfamiliar heat rising through me. Although it certainly wasn’t a bad feeling. I didn’t stop him as his hand moulded to me, cupping me as he rubbed gently in time with our hips as we grinded against each other. I reached up and pulled him down to me, my tongue forcing its way into his mouth and taking possession. He groaned and rubbed faster. The need grew inside me, I felt a heat so deep within me, growing with each movement, each rub. I yelled out his name as I came, ripping my mouth away from his and arching my back. At the same time, the DVD player made a loud popping noise and started to smoke.

  Scott looked down at me and smiled. “See, we even blow up the appliances when we’re together!” He went over and unplugged the smoking device. “I guess I’ll have to pay for that DVD now. It was totally worth it though.”

  After taking the DVD player outside he came back to the couch and laid down with me again.

  We lay on our sides facing each other, my heart still racing and my body still quivering with tiny aftershocks.

  “Ruby, can you look at me?” He tilted my head up with his hand, “was that too much? Did I go too far?”

  I lifted my eyes and looked into his blazing bright emerald eyes were filled with concern.

  “I’ve never…” I was so embarrassed I was grateful for the soft candlelight. “I’ve never, um, had one of those before. Did you…”

  Sensing my utter embarrassment Scott didn’t wait for me to finish speaking, instead he leaned in and kissed me, stopping me from trying to find the right words through my embarrassment. “No I didn’t, but I didn’t want tonight to be about me. I figured you’d never had an orgasm before.”

  He trailed his finger down my chest, my shirt still gaping open my breasts exposed. My body still tingled. He spoke so easily about sex, I wondered how many people he’d been with. I wondered how long he would wait for me. Seeming to anticipate my question he answered it before I asked.

  “Just one. And it wasn’t anything like the way I feel when I just kiss you.” I sat up and pulled my bra back on before Scott slowly did up the buttons. “I’d better get you home, before I break my promise to you about leaving your pants on. I just need to go to the kitchen. Be right back.”

  I sat up and looked over at the blank TV. I really had wanted to see that movie too. I smiled at myself and stood up staring at the curtains. The stars suddenly began to shake and flowed together to form a large star filled with little ones and all held inside a single large circle. I blinked and it was gone. Get a grip, Ruby, I thought to myself, you just stood up too quickly.

  I heard Scott pick up his keys. “Are you ready?” He leaned against the door frame looking sexy and relaxed. It was all I could do to nod.

  He dropped me home at ten to eleven. The few hours had flown by, it had felt more like an hour. He walked me to the door and gave me a short kiss. I melted into his embrace, my body remembering what he had given me only half an hour before.

  “I’ll see you on Monday at school. I hope you had a good time, I know I did.” He smiled and I blushed, both from the smile and from what he’d said. How could I not have had a good time?

  “I did, you know I did.”

  I stood there composing myself for a few minutes after I watched him get back into his car and drive away. The rose bush he’d picked from earlier caught my eye in the street light and I rem
embered what I thought I’d seen. I shook my head dismissed it as a trick of the light.

  I headed into the quiet house, my parents were already in bed. I heard them talking quietly so I went to their door and told them I was home and was going to bed.

  I flicked on the light to my bedroom startling Phoenix who was curled up on my pillow. I smiled as he sleepily wagged his tail at me. My face fell when I looked at my bedside table. Sitting in a small vase next to my bed was a single black rose.

  CHAPTER 8

  I woke up late and still tired on Sunday morning after staring at the rose for hours after I got home from Scott’s. I had even ripped off a petal to see if it had been coloured on the outside and ripped it in half. It was black! Not just a dark black, but dead of night black, all the way through.

  I knew Scott hadn’t put it there, he hadn’t even come into the house. So who could have done it? And more importantly, why? What did it mean, what did it represent?

  At eleven my mother came into see if I was okay as I rarely slept in so late. I told her I hadn’t slept well and was just going to rest for the day and catch up on some reading.

  As she was leaving she noticed the rose in the vase. “That’s unusual Ruby. I’ve never seen a black rose before. Where did you get it?”

  “Um, I found it, around the lake when I was walking the other day.” I wasn’t even sure why I was lying, but I didn’t really have the truth to tell her.

  “Well someone will be disappointed they lost it. You can’t grow black roses you know, they are coloured. I’ll bring you up some lunch and a coffee soon.” She shut the door quietly and went downstairs.

  I stared at the rose until she came back I hadn’t even realised that any time had passed. She sat the food down and asked if I was okay, if something had happened with Scott on our date.