EIGHTY- FIVE

Ruby was walking as far away from those idiots as possible when someone yelled,"Ruby!"

Then the person enveloped her in a tight hug and lifted her above the floor. She looked back and saw...

Dad?

Her mom came and said,"Oh my little jewel, your sister told us Mack Song likes you."

"Who?"Ruby asked.

"Mack, that handsome hunk in the dancehall who was your date."Her mom continued.

"He's an idiot, besides, we just met."

"Aww don't be like that, he's a nice guy."Her father said.

She knew they wanted something, but what?

These greedy people can't be bought with anything less than three million dollars.

She just decided to blow them off after all they'd done to her.

"Mom, dad—if that's what you want me to call you—I don't like him. So please, arrange a marriage for your favourite daughter and leave this disappointment alone."

Then she walked away.

When she was really far from them, she asked,"What do you want?"

Rose said,"Well, I just wanted to tell you, Mack Song's parents own Onflex, Stripe's(the communications company their grandparents own) main competitor. So if you and him get into a Romeo and Juliet relationship, it will mean a win for mom and dad. The heir of that company will be with the heir of our company and they will be merged. Mom and dad will become a dozen times richer."

It all made sense now, but there was one problem...

"But I'm no more Stripe's heir, because of you, so even if I liked him, mom and dad can't get anything from me."

"Remember he told you he could help you get back your inheritance?"

"How do you know that?"

"I have my ways..."

"You told him! He's not a stalker!"

"Maybe."

"How could you intrude on my privacy like that?!"

"Hey, I was just trying to help."

"Well I don't need your help."

Ruby then stormed off.

The next day, at school, Ruby was walking to class when Mack came in front of her.

She frowned and walked past him but he called her. She didn't listen.

He held her hand and she dropped her books and tried to slap him across the face but he caught her hand, a centimeter away from his cheek.

She kicked his knee and tried to elbow him in the back of the neck but he dodged and still didn't let go of her hand.

She side flipped over him and twisted his arm. He didn't say, but she knew it hurt then she kicked his back.

He fell but still didn't let go.

She tried to hammer fist his arm but he rather pulled her uncomfortably close and held her arms down and he said,"Just hear me out, why have you been avoiding me?"

She frowned and kneed him in his private part then walked away, but he still didn't let go...

He isn't going to give up, is he?

She decided to listen. He stood up and looked into her eyes. His sea blue into her sapphire blue.

She said,"First, you acted like a jerk, switching dance partners last night and my parents want me to date you for your money. Does that clear your question?"

He nodded then said,"I don't care even if your parents steal my company, I just want you."

"Yeah, right. I'm getting late for class, so..."

"Please can we talk again?"

She looked intently into his eyes and said,"Meet me by the school pool at eight tonight, make tarty, and you can forget whatever illusion you had about me."

"I'll be there."

Though he was three and a half years older than Ruby, Mack loved her more than any other person in his life...

That night, Ruby went to the venue and saw Mack standing there, with his hands in his pockets, waiting for her.

She went to him and they started walking and talking, she didn't understand how she actually enjoyed his company, but she did.

They got to a wall and he offered to help her climb up but she rolled her eyes and made a running start then ran up the wall and sat at the top.

He shrugged his shoulders and jumped on a tree then jumped back on the wall and did it again to reach the top.

She looked at him then said,"You said I could ask you anything right?"

"Of course."

"You said you had a way to give me back my inheritance, may I ask how?"

He paused then said,"That man had no right to sue you when he attacked you first, you rather had to sue him. Also, you acted in self defence, that isn't punishable by imprisonment, you could be fined, but not detained. You are still clean."

She hadn't thought about that at all, yet it made sense.

He asked,"Anything else?"

She nodded. She asked him all the questions she had and he answered all of them honestly, even telling her about the fact that his own parents also wanted him to date her just for the money.

They got down from the wall and continued walking. When they got back to the dormitories, he pushed the hair away from her face and kissed her forehead while saying goodbye.

The last time someone kissed her, the person ended up in the emergency room, with one eye nearly permanently damaged, but this one was different, she wanted it...

My birthday was two weeks away and I went to brush my teeth the next morning.

I spat out the lather and looked into the mirror and was stunned.

Is that me?

I looked different, a lot different.

Am I getting better looking?

Woah, cool!

I wanted to ask someone else for their opinion as beauty lay in the eyes of the beholder.

I couldn't ask Mark as he would definitely give me a nice answer, not necessarily the true one.

I needed to ask someone who hated me and will try to make me feel bad about my looks, then I'll read their body language to tell their real answer.

I picked Rose.

I was handing out invitations to my birthday party and at recess, I went up the stairs to Ruby's floor.

I saw Rose...or Ruby, I couldn't tell.

Then I saw her flirting with and stupefying a guy and pick pocketing him...

It was her...

She was opening her locker and I came to her and called her, without looking at me, she said,"Bestie, I wouldn't threaten me if I were you, like I told you, I make promises, not threats."

"No, no, no, I wanted to ask you something...I wanted to ask Ruby out but I'm a little afraid she wouldn't say yes because of how ugly I am, am I right?"

She looked me up and down and said,"Your body mass isn't bad and your facial features...are falling into place so...no."

"What?"

"Ruby for some reason doesn't look for guys as good-looking as herself, maybe so she could easily overshadow them when they're taking a picture..."

Not everyone is as shallow as you Rose

She continued,"...so she would not accept."

"What if I gave her gifts?"

"She hates gifts, trust me, they'll rather push her farther away, the only way to her locked up heart is through her trust."

Makes sense, she didn't like her secret admirer's gifts.

"Thanks..."I said and left.

Rose just said I was handsome?!

Wow, I think Mark's life is beginning to rub off on me.

I invited Ruby to the party but definitely not Rose to crash it, and simultaneously crush my popularity.