Ruthie Camden watched Simon as he left his room. Sneering at him she shook
her head and made a disgusted clicking noise with her tongue.
"Simon, Simon, Simon.", she said in one of her patronizing voices.
Simon turned around and looked at his little sister, "What?!"
"You just won't learn will you. I know you are going to that party where alcohol is being served."
"I'm not going to drink alcohol okay."
"Does mom know?"
Simon looked at his sister and knew that the gig was up. Ruthie again shook her head in disgust.
"Please don't tell on me. I promise you I won't drink any alcohol."
Ruthie still shook her head.
"How much do I owe you?"
"Twenty bucks in advance."
"I'll pay you later."
"With interest."
Simon looked at her with dismay, then fished into his pocket and pulled out a twenty. He then slapped it onto her hand and stormed off. Ruthie grinned evilly and put the twenty in her back pocket as he went downstairs glaring at her all the way. For a moment she just stayed there. Then her expression changed. It was one that she rarely showed her family and was afraid to show to anyone else.
Walking up to her room which she shared with Lucy she tensed up and her eyes began to water. But she held them back, closed her eyes and tried to pull back her tears. She wanted to lash out, tell Simon she loved him, tell the whole world that she was not the end all and be all of everything. She rushed into her room only to find that Lucy was there so she backed off for a few feet and recollected herself. She swiped away her tears and wanted to go downstairs again. But she saw her mother walking down the hallway so she turned back and headed towards her room again hoping that Lucy wouldn't notice.
She got up there and Lucy was so engrossed in her studying that she gave Ruthie no thought whatsoever. So Ruthie walked up to her bed and lay down picking up a magazine and began reading.
"What are you reading?", Lucy said suspiciously.
"It's called Time Magazine. Why?", Ruthie said annoyingly.
"Give me it.", Lucy said.
"Why? It's only a magazine."
"It's an adult magazine."
"What?!"
"You are child and are not supposed to read adult material. That is adult material."
Ruthie did something that she never imagined she would do in five years ago. She threw the magazine at Lucy and angrily stormed out.
++++++++++
Ruthie left the house. She went for a walk across the neighbourhood, trying to cool off. What was happening to her? Why did she feel this way? And why did she treat Simon this way? She knew it was wrong. But why did she do it? Her mom always said that being moral was everything, always be moral. She had tried that and everytime she failed miserably. With Simon. With Matt and Mary. Everyone.
She stood there for a moment and took a deep breath. Then she nodded her head and headed straight for home.
++++++++++
Simon trudged his way upstairs, glad to be home. He had the best party of his life and it was worth the twenty dollars. But now he had to face Ruthie again. He stood there as she scrutinized him in every detail.
"Are you drunk?", she asked.
"No."
Ruthie looked him over for one long minute. Then she did something that left him in a state of shock. She gave him his twenty back.
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have blackmailed you. And I won't do it again. Just promise me you won't take any drugs or alcohol ever again."
Simon was about to ask what Ruthie was up to but the look in her face stopped him. There was something about it that made it all too real. Normally Ruthie would be condescending and smug and superior when lecturing anyone about their morals. But Ruthie was now lacking those qualities and showing genuine concern and caring. She actually meant it. And before he knew it she was hugging him. Simon stood there and watched her head upstairs totally speechless.
++++++++++
Ruthie lay there in her bed and this time she slept peacefully. All of a sudden she felt better and happier than ever before.
"Simon, Simon, Simon.", she said in one of her patronizing voices.
Simon turned around and looked at his little sister, "What?!"
"You just won't learn will you. I know you are going to that party where alcohol is being served."
"I'm not going to drink alcohol okay."
"Does mom know?"
Simon looked at his sister and knew that the gig was up. Ruthie again shook her head in disgust.
"Please don't tell on me. I promise you I won't drink any alcohol."
Ruthie still shook her head.
"How much do I owe you?"
"Twenty bucks in advance."
"I'll pay you later."
"With interest."
Simon looked at her with dismay, then fished into his pocket and pulled out a twenty. He then slapped it onto her hand and stormed off. Ruthie grinned evilly and put the twenty in her back pocket as he went downstairs glaring at her all the way. For a moment she just stayed there. Then her expression changed. It was one that she rarely showed her family and was afraid to show to anyone else.
Walking up to her room which she shared with Lucy she tensed up and her eyes began to water. But she held them back, closed her eyes and tried to pull back her tears. She wanted to lash out, tell Simon she loved him, tell the whole world that she was not the end all and be all of everything. She rushed into her room only to find that Lucy was there so she backed off for a few feet and recollected herself. She swiped away her tears and wanted to go downstairs again. But she saw her mother walking down the hallway so she turned back and headed towards her room again hoping that Lucy wouldn't notice.
She got up there and Lucy was so engrossed in her studying that she gave Ruthie no thought whatsoever. So Ruthie walked up to her bed and lay down picking up a magazine and began reading.
"What are you reading?", Lucy said suspiciously.
"It's called Time Magazine. Why?", Ruthie said annoyingly.
"Give me it.", Lucy said.
"Why? It's only a magazine."
"It's an adult magazine."
"What?!"
"You are child and are not supposed to read adult material. That is adult material."
Ruthie did something that she never imagined she would do in five years ago. She threw the magazine at Lucy and angrily stormed out.
++++++++++
Ruthie left the house. She went for a walk across the neighbourhood, trying to cool off. What was happening to her? Why did she feel this way? And why did she treat Simon this way? She knew it was wrong. But why did she do it? Her mom always said that being moral was everything, always be moral. She had tried that and everytime she failed miserably. With Simon. With Matt and Mary. Everyone.
She stood there for a moment and took a deep breath. Then she nodded her head and headed straight for home.
++++++++++
Simon trudged his way upstairs, glad to be home. He had the best party of his life and it was worth the twenty dollars. But now he had to face Ruthie again. He stood there as she scrutinized him in every detail.
"Are you drunk?", she asked.
"No."
Ruthie looked him over for one long minute. Then she did something that left him in a state of shock. She gave him his twenty back.
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have blackmailed you. And I won't do it again. Just promise me you won't take any drugs or alcohol ever again."
Simon was about to ask what Ruthie was up to but the look in her face stopped him. There was something about it that made it all too real. Normally Ruthie would be condescending and smug and superior when lecturing anyone about their morals. But Ruthie was now lacking those qualities and showing genuine concern and caring. She actually meant it. And before he knew it she was hugging him. Simon stood there and watched her head upstairs totally speechless.
++++++++++
Ruthie lay there in her bed and this time she slept peacefully. All of a sudden she felt better and happier than ever before.