Disclaimer: I do not own 7th Heaven or anything remotely affiliated with it.
Borderline
One: Beautiful Illusions
"Ooph."
She slammed on the brakes and, again, they were jerked forward, their chests being tattooed by their seat belts. He clenched his teeth in an honest effort to not yell at her. After all, this was her first time, but then again, this was ridiculous. Simon couldn't remember ever driving like that.
They started moving again but it was short-lived. He rolled his eyes and sighed out through his nose. She picked up on his frustration.
"You're making me nervous," she said, turning to look at him. "What's your problem?"
He raised an eyebrow at her. "'What's my problem'?" Simon shot back. "You are driving slower than an old woman walks. I mean, you could not be driving and still we would be going faster."
"If you didn't want to help me then why did you willingly volunteer yourself"" she demanded.
"I didn't," he replied, not missing a beat. "I'm doing this as a favor to dad. He said that if I took you out to practice, then he would let Rose and me sleep in the same bed at Christmas."
She scoffed and suddenly they were flying down the road with no warning, save for the petrifying screeching of the tires moments before. Simon tensed and screamed at her, "Ruthie, stop!"
Ruthie hit the brakes and once more his face almost met the windshield. "What was that for?"
She looked at him with anger and disappointment in her eyes. "You're still with her?" she spat.
"Yes. Why?" He prompted against his better judgment.
"'Why'? Simon, the woman is rude, selfish, annoying - you're too good for her."
"Oh, please. You don't even know her."
"Oh, I think I do."
They stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity. Not one of them came to think that they were still in the middle of the road, however private or barren it was. An unpleasant siren sounded behind them and soon there were colorful lights to match it.
Simon broke his glare with Ruthie and looked over his shoulder. Sure enough, a police officer had pulled up behind them.
"You'd better have your permit with you," he said.
Even with an officer about to interrogate her, Ruthie still found the energy to throw anger at him.
"Don't be stupid. I have it."
As the policeman came up to her window, Ruthie dug her folded permit out of her jeans pocket. He was a man with a rather large build, who could easily intimidate almost anyone. However, Ruthie seemed perfectly calm.
"Can we help you, officer," Simon asked.
He studied Simon's face and then Ruthie's. "Do you have a permit?"
Readily, she handed him the slip and he scanned it. Satisfied, he handed it back to her and then turned to Simon.
"How old are you, sir?"
"Twenty."
The officer nodded. "You two are aware that you can't drive, even with a permit, if a person twenty-five or older is not present in the car?"
Ruthie looked at her brother, who replied, "No, I'm sorry, I'd forgotten."
The officer took out his notepad and began scribbling. "I need your license, sir."
"But, this is just a first time offense. Couldn't you just give us a warning or something?" Simon asked, desperately not wanting to get a ticket.
The man looked at him and it seemed like he was trying not to laugh. "No, sir, I can't. Your license?"
With a sour glance at Ruthie, who rolled her eyes to look away, Simon dug in his back pocket for his wallet and extracted his license.
After the officer had gone and Simon had switched places with Ruthie, he examined the ticket. "I hope you know you are paying for this," he told her.
"No, I'm not. I didn't know you had to be twenty-five. That's your bad, not mine." Ruthie clicked her seatbelt and sat back.
"Well, I forgot. If anything, it's Dad's fault. He made me take you."
Ruthie was indignant. "Oh, please! Dad didn't make you do anything. You only took me out so you could sleep with your precious girlfriend at Christmastime!"
"Well - well, at least I have someone!" In a falsetto he added, "'Hi, my name is Ruthie Camden and I can't get over Martin Brewer, the love of my life who doesn't love me back.'"
For a second, Simon saw a flicker of surprise hurt and cross behind her eyes but then it was gone. "'Hi, I'm Simon. I'm twenty. It will be illegal for me to drink at my own wedding, where I'm marrying Satan's spawn.'"
"I'll be twenty-one before my wedding," he shot back, as if that had any real importance.
Once again, it was silent and Simon wondered if he had gone too far. But then Ruthie shook her head at him and unbuckled her belt.
"Whatever," she muttered and got out of the car.
"Where are you going?" he called after her, starting the car.
"Home!" she yelled over her shoulder.
Simon drove up beside her. "Come on, get in the car."
"No."
"Look, I'm sorry about the Martin thing, okay?"
"No, it's not okay. You were right. He doesn't like me back. And he never will." Her voice quavered and for the first time he felt bad.
"Ruthie, really. Just get in the car and I'll take you home."
She snapped her head to look at him, her hair whipping her face. The sun was beating down on her and revealed the tears welling in her angry eyes.
"No," she replied, her voice low and dangerous. "Just get out of here. Go home to your fiancé and stay out of my life!"
"Fine," Simon said, feeling anger rise in his chest.
"Fine!" She ducked off the road into the back end of the park, shaded by dieing trees. Ruthie waited until the car was out of her earshot before stopping. With every ounce of anger, she scuffed the grass with her sneakers and threw her head back, a scream of fury escaping her throat.
She found a tree in a heavily wooded area and sat at the base, where she was hidden from view. Sighing deeply, she furiously wiped the tears from her eyes. Ruthie was angry at herself for letting Simon get a rise out of her, and then making her cry. But she wouldn't cry, absolutely refused to.
"You know that's not true," a familiar voice said behind her.
"What's not true?" she asked without turning around, unalarmed at the sudden voice.
"You know I love you. I always have. I just haven't been able to admit it to you," he replied. His hand was on her shoulder and she looked at it. Somehow, it comforted her.
She smiled and ran her fingers over his knuckles. "I know, Martin. I love you too."
Ruthie bent her head back slightly to look at him. His eyes were the most beautiful things she had ever seen and whenever she looked into them, really looked into them, she found herself never wanting to look away, even for a second.
"You know, I don't like Rose either," he said jokingly and for the first time in a long time, Ruthie smiled, even laughed.
"I think the only person who likes Rose, is Rose."
Martin chuckled. "And Simon."
Ruthie rolled her eyes. "Simon's an idiot."
"An idiot in love, just like me." Martin bent down to kiss her cheek. "You should get home."
And then he was gone.
"Martin?" Ruthie called, looking around but finding him nowhere.
There were no footprints in the dirt or broken twigs to show that he had really been there. There was nothing except the tingling of her cheek where his lips had graced her skin. With a tender hand, she gently brushed her cheek, broke down and cried.
A/N: I know I'm jumping around a lot on my stories, so give me feedback for inspiration to stick with this one! ;) Thanks for reading, guys!
