13: The Threat
RUBY'S POV
Max and I were in the first row of an empty class. The bell to end the biology class had been sounded a couple of minutes ago and I was trying to get an idea of what had been taught.
A pile of text books and encyclopedias were stacked infront of me and I held a red stained essay paper on my hand. My score on it had been so embarrassing I couldn't have it staring back at me. So I tore of the corner of the first page and chewed it off. It seemed like every word I had put down was faulty, or maybe the teacher was just excited to use his pen. I happen to notice the quality of the scarlet red ink popping against the page, the page hadn't slightly sunk where he'd scribbled his corrections. It must have been a fountain pen, one could easily get carried away with that.
"...that's complicated." Max concluded before a wide yawn, having opened his mouth in the discussion only in attempts to destruct me from school work. With Nate being on and off, the assignments had to get done somehow and we decided to try study together. The first night worked fine. No one was was missing an limb or bled anywhere which made us realize we weren't that badly off without Nate. Just two strong personalities that's all. Without looking at his paper,I could tell his score was probably worse.
" That's the whole point, maybe." I responded, fighting a yawn that was coming to me as well. " You better write that down, you know you won't remember." By this time my brain felt fuzzy and all i could feel my stomach digesting itself. I hadn't had breakfast, since my dad vanished I wanted any excuse to be out of the house. Seeing his empty spot on the dining table, was too much for me
" Hey, I will. You may not know this but I actually have a great memory." He told me, pushing himself off the chair. He always say on a chair the opposite side so that his front was supported where his back should be and his long legs were spread out on both sides. There would only be a half a metre distance set by the locker between us. Sometimes, times like these, he hugged the back rest of the chair and his eyes scanned every single thing I did.
" I would know that if you had shown me your score and I could see how much of what we discussed you were actually able to reproduce on paper." I challenged him.
"Hey, I can..." his words dried out on his tongue, his face with clear evidence of annoyance. I had done this before, he picked it up from my face too quickly, before I would have fun making him try to prove himself to me. That there is where the problem was he hated mind games I lived for them.
"Not today, not today Ruby." He slinged his back on his left shoulder and started to walk out, his neck visibly stiffening as he fought the desire to turn back and see if I would follow him. Meanwhile, I was taking my time, shoving my pens into my pouch, and dropping my books into my bag. I had far more stationery than Max did. He was now completely out of sight, but he'd go sit on our one spot, he didn't have any other friend and he wasn't such a fan of eating alone he'd have to wait, I would still have won.
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I balanced my plastic gray tray on my hands. On it I had carried blended fruit juice and buns, that had turned out to be my go to during these short breaks. With the sun rays beginning to blaze down on us and the painful attempts at small talk with Max, your girl deserved a thick cold passion -mango cocktail.
Once again, even though I wasn't looking , I could tell a familiar pair of eyes was stealing glances at me. But this time it was out of desperation. Over some narrow shoulders barely covered with some agressively ripped black denim jacket, I noticed Max's face. His eyes were squinted and his defined jaw clenched as he responded to the the seemingly calm girl, with a thick plait of glossy black hair tumbling down her back. I could tell the girl was Alvah and Max needed the charismatic and extroverted Ruby to save him. I don't know, something about the situation made me want to take my time.
" A little bit of tension on the table, what's up?" I joined them. As much as I had savored the moment, I had to reach the table at some point.
" Nothing is up. Just a little misunderstanding." Alvah brushed it off clasping her hands back together, I noticed the empty space on her side of the table. Not to judge but I was suddenly curious to know if she might have been having money problems. It was just occuring to me since she started gracing us with her mysterious presence she never ate anything.
"Oh he'll warm up eventually. He has an issue relating to girls. " Alvah stroked a strand hair behind her ear when I leaned to whisper.
" Ow? I had no idea."She whispered back, just as loud as I had. She knew the game. She'd help me piss Max off, that's there was a desirable quality in friend. Atleast in my book it was.
I saw him intently watch us engage in a gossip wishing striking thunder on us and we deserved it. There was something more in his eyes though. Apart from the bags hanging on his lower lid from lack of sleep, there was more. Fear mostly. He was always on his fight or flight mode around Alvah. But when I looked at her I saw a sophisticated weirdo and a potential best friend.
I mean, she helped me make fun of Max without me having to ask. There's only such few gems and when you see them on your path you collect them and try to make them get along with your other gems. Okay so maybe not that second part. But Max, saw something completely different. Something out of his nightmares. It had been that way since the second he had lay his eyes on her and I was starting to wonder if I should trust his gut.
" It's been about two days you guys. Still no sign of my dad, still no leads..." since there was still quietness at the table, I decided why not talk about my favorite topic. Me. And besides, I had been dying to talk about it, burying myself in school work was really not going to prevent the thought from coming in my head.
"Ah, Nate! " Max head snapped upwards, managing a small smile acknowledging Nate coming towards our direction, . Nate however didn't respond, I had to turn to confirm that Max had indeed seen him. It was Nate. Much paler and much more...attractive? I think it's the glasses. The glasses and the change of outfits from the old professor cardigans to t-shirts on sweats on sneakers, like a normal human being. He looked different, dressed different and the next thing he did made me think he had become different. Infact I was only sure that it was Nate because no one else would dare to come to our table on purpose.
"Hi Ruby? what's up dude?" Were his rushed attempts at greetings and without leaving an allowance to respond he turned to Alvah.
"We need to talk." his voice came out gruffy and mean,his eyes burned the side of Alvah's head.
" Can it wait?" she shot back still very composed for the way Nate had come onto her. I was beginning to think she might just be supernatural. I could feel the bad vibes burning off of Nate's aura, and naturally I was scared but not Alvah. She was fearless. Or maybe just abnormal. This wasn't a case of being tough. To me, it seemed like a problem of not being able to process information as a human normally would.
" No!" He immediately responded.
Reluctantly, Alvah placed her arms on the table and pushed herself up on her feet. As soon as she was on her feet Nate grabbed her by the elbow and hauled her a distance away from us.
" Even Nate can see it, I just wonder why you can't." Max murmured and clipped his headphones on his head before I would respond to him.
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NATE'S POV
" I thought I was very clear!" I shrieked, my sanity and patience was wearing thin by the second.
" You were, to stay away from you. But you don't own Max and Ruby. They are my friends too. " Alvah argued.
There is no way she could really mean that. She didn't know anything about friendship. She pulled her arms away from my grip and crossed them infront of her. Her face was plain as a wall while mine was literally seething along with the rest of my body from having to have this discussion. If I were to wait for her to retract her statement or even give me a decent response, it seemed, I would wait till forever.
" You don't really believe that!" An unexpected laugh bubbled out of me. I had never felt so infuriated in my life. Just the few minutes I had been talking to her, I had killed her in my head for about six times.
" Ruby and I have quite the similarities. Max and I are off to a rocky start but..."
" Listen Alvah, this isn't a game! Those two people are all I have left and if anything happens to them I will destroy you. I don't want you breathing anywhere around them!" oh if I could just let Emi take this one away for me.
"Am not the threat here, Nathan." she told me, confidently.
" You're messing with me right?" She was. She had to be. She was out to get me. And she probably decided her way of doing that would be by messing with my head so that I felt and acted crazy. She didn't even have to pull strings, maybe wasn't even trying to but here I was wanting to punch something. Anything , but the thought of hitting her surprsigly hurt me to even think about.
" How is Ruby's dad doing?By the way?"
" How dare you go there?"I hissed.
" You have me confused, weren't we talking about people's lives being in danger?" My tongue was suddenly glued to the roof of my mouth. She had a point and i hated that she did. I hated that she had logic and was making it hard for me to keep blaming her for everything.
" You know what Nate. I don't need you, you need me. Good luck with this whole thing you have going on!" Her voice notched up. She shook her head, pitying me before she walked out on me, leaving the whiff of her scent lingering in my nose.