Here's chapter 2! Thank you to those who have reviewed so far, I love getting reviews!
When John entered the Headmistresses office, Ruby sat in front of the desk, with several school staff sitting around her, Cora Crawley the headmistress sat behind it. They all turned when they heard the door opening, John recognized Mr. Carson, the head of discipline, Mrs. Hughes, the head guidance counselor and the teacher he had met earlier in the day, Miss Smith.
"What happened?" John asked.
"I caught Ruby spray painting one of the walls in an unused classroom." Miss Smith said, she was sitting next to Ruby, who was glaring at everyone.
"Ruby what on earth were you thinking doing that?"
"Damn this paint smells bad." Ruby's reply was instantaneous.
John had to bite back a sudden laugh. As mad as he was about Ruby's actions, she had a very sarcastic sense of humor that almost never failed to make him laugh. "Ruby Bates." he said sternly.
"Well I was thinking that."
"Why on earth would you do it?"
"I hate this school." Ruby shrugged, her voice dull.
John could see Mrs. Hughes paying close attention to Ruby, he was glad that she was paying attention to his daughter. He had noticed over the summer that she had become withdrawn but had simply written it off as teenage angst. He'd thought that Ruby had simply missed her best friend, apparently it was something more and he knew he would get to the bottom of it.
"We were discussing her punishment when you walked in Mr. Bates." Cora said.
"I feel she should be in detention for the rest of the term." Mr. Carson said, his disapproving tone made it clear that he'd been shot down.
"I understand the need for punishment, she defaced school property, but I highly doubt that setting her in detention for three months is good idea." Cora said smoothly.
"The punishment you have for her, is fine with me." John said, "If I have a say in it, she should help clean up wherever she was painting."
Ruby sighed heavily, which the adults ignored, and they continued talking.
"I have a request." Miss Smith spoke up then, "what if she were to help me on Saturday mornings when I came into school to do the extra work, helping file papers I grade, things like that?"
"That would be a good idea." Cora said, ignoring Ruby's scoff of protest. "Along with ten detentions which have already been scheduled, they start tomorrow and continue every school day until they are completed."
"She's got doctor appointments on Thursdays." John spoke up.
"Well leave her Thursday afternoons open for those appointments." Cora promised, she turned to the computer and began doing something on it.
"What about Monday's and Wednesday's? I'm in Chorus!" Ruby protested.
"Which is where you were supposed to be instead of defacing school property." Mr. Carson said, Ruby rolled her eyes.
"Ruby Bates, check your attitude at the door." John told his daughter.
"I didn't even finish it, I had barely started, you guys are all acting like I spray painted a freaking mural on the wall, it's a couple of lines!"
"And it's a good thing that you were caught before you painted any more, if you had I'd agree with Mr Carson on you having detention for the rest of the term." There was a pause, and John spoke again, still firmly. "Stop the attitude Reuben." The use of her full name surprised Ruby enough that she clamped her mouth shut.
The adults continued to talk and soon it was settled, Ruby would report to the first detention the next afternoon and Miss Smith would come to pick Ruby up bright and early on Saturday morning.
After thanking the school officials the two Bates' went to the car. "I can not believe you did that, Ruby." John said, furious with his daughter. "They could have pressed charges against you then you'd have a record." When they got into the car, he held his hand out. "Cell phone."
Sighing heavily, Ruby dug around in her pockets and pulled out her cell phone. John spoke again, "Nook."
"At home, charging." Ruby told him.
"Get it when we get home and no TV unless it's for school for the rest of the term."
"Term doesn't end until December." Ruby said.
"I know." John told his daughter, he pulled out of the school parking lot and began the drive home.
Ruby sighed heavily and turned away from him. John pulled up into the parking slot in front of their small flat and Ruby got out. She quickly went inside, John clenched the steering wheel in front of him. Ruby could be so frustrating some times, he could see a lot of Vera in her and he did not want his daughter to end up like her mother.
It's the first time she's done this, he reminded himself, we can step in and keep it- or anything other major trouble- from happening again.
Finally, John got out of the car and went into their flat. It was small, only one floor with only a few rooms. Ruby had already put the TV remote on her Nook, both were on the bookshelf. "Besides vandalizing, what happened at school today?"
"Not much, Mr. Gregson disappeared at the end of last year, and we have a new teacher, Miss Smith, she's okay."
"Who are your teachers this year?" John asked.
Ruby pulled out her schedule, "Mr. Mosley for Botany, Mr. Branson for History again, Ms. Dawson for Geometry, I didn't realize that she taught more then Algebra, Miss Smith for English, Ms. MacClare for Dance, and Ms. Baxter for Home Ec."
"I've never heard of Ms. MacClare and Ms. Baxter." John commented, he started going through cupboards, he usually didn't get home in time to make much more then pasta or a ready made frozen meal but since he'd gotten home earlier then normal, he could make something a little more involved.
"What are we going to have for dinner?" Ruby asked, she got her books out of her bag and began to flip through the papers she'd gotten at the first day.
"Don't forget we'll go through and get your test dates down sometime this week."
"Dad, I'm fifteen years old I think I can remember to study for tests." Ruby complained, rolling her eyes, she separated each of her syllabus' from the rest of her papers though, and set it all aside. "Wait, have you heard of Miss Smith?" Ruby asked, "She's new as well, how do you know her but not Baxter or MacClare?"
"I met Miss Smith this morning, she was struggling with a box in the rain." There was silence between the two for a moment. "Do you have any homework?" John asked, "if so start it now."
"I've got some reading for English, from Sense and Sensibility I know I have it on my Nook, can I use it for English?" Ruby said, "Miss Smith isn't afraid of giving homework on the first day, most teachers take the first day to just talk about the syllabus and talk about themselves, not her."
"Do you have Sense and Sensibility in print?" John asked, knowing the answer.
"Yes."
"Get the print version." Ruby sighed and moved into her room to find it.
As she looked for the book, John glanced out the window as a big moving truck pulled up to the house across the street from them. "Ruby, it looks like someone is moving in across the street." He called as he heard her coming into the kitchen.
"Do we have the ingredients for Banana Bread to take over to them?" Ruby asked. They moved around the kitchen, John cooking, and Ruby getting the ingredients out for her favorite, Banana bread.
"Do the reading for homework, then you can make it after dinner, we can give it to them tomorrow." John said.
"Okay." Ruby said, she grabbed her book again and went into the parlor, flipping open the book and starting to read.
The week passed by quickly, and soon it was Saturday, Miss Smith pulled up a right on time outside the flat. "Bye Dad." Ruby left quickly, wanting to get the morning over with.
"Good morning Ruby." Anna could tell that Ruby was not looking forward to spending the morning with her, but she tried to be pleasant.
"Morning." Ruby pulled a pop tart from her bag and opened it up. "What am I going to be helping you with today?"
"You're actually going to be painting over the mess you made on Monday," Anna said, "if you finish it then you'll be helping me with filing some paper work."
"Okay." Ruby said. Anna glanced over at the girl, something was wrong, she could tell. She had looked up the girl's file, and asked Mrs. Hughes about Ruby, but hadn't gotten much. It seemed that the Bates' were very private people, and all Anna had found out was that Ruby's mother, Vera had left when Ruby was nine years old and that her father, John Bates, the Chief Inspector with the Ripon police force was raising her as a single father. Other then that there wasn't much, but just one look at her and Anna could tell that someone, or something had hurt the girl.
"How did your doctor appointment go?" Anna asked, figuring that was a good place to start.
Ruby shrugged, "It was boring, my therapist thinks I need to get a hobby besides chorus. She needs to stop prying into my life, honestly."
"Therapists do tend to get into your private life, even if you wish they wouldn't." Anna agreed, so Mr. Bates knew about whatever was hurting his daughter and was helping her, good.
She pulled up into the school parking lot, "Lets go, Ruby." The teen sighed heavily, and both women got out of the car.
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