Chapter 10:
It's Raining, It's Pouring

Ruthie sat quietly, staring out the car window, while Mac played with the radio stations, and Martin drove quietly.

"But then of course everything always happens for a reason
I guess it was never meant to be..."

"Boy you got me feeling so good
You take all the pain away ..."

"I can't pretend
I wish we was more than friends..."

Martin looked at the radio then at Mac who was laughing.
"How about we just don't listen to the radio?.?." Said Martin.Mac shrugged and turned it off. And the car filled with an uncomfortable silence.
After a few minutes Mac let out a long sigh, dropped his head against the back of his seat, and played with his seatbelt. For the first time all day Martin laughed.

"Oh my god!" Ruthie suddenly yelled, making both boys slightly jump.
Martin looked at her in his mirror."What's wrong?"
"I completely forgot about Cassey! We have this huge project due on Monday and I was supposed to be at her house like ..." She looked at her wach. "Three hours ago! She's going to kill me."
"Ruthie how can you forget something like that?" Martin asked.He was barley keeping himself from laughing.
"Well ... with everything that's been going on, and then ... well ... I WAS HUNGRY!" Now both Martin and Mac started laughing. "It's not funny you guy's, she is really going to be mad at me." Said Ruthie, in a sad sort of whisper.
"OK, ok, what do you want to do? Want me to take you over there?" He asked, starting to feel bad.
Ruthie thought about his question for a second. 'We're never going to finish by tonight ... what am I gonna do? ...'"Yea, I guess..." 'OH!' "but could you guy's maybe stay and help? Please?" She asked as sweetly as possible.
"Sure." Martin replied, with no hesitation.
"Let's go." Said Mac, not having much of a choice.
"Thank you!" Replied Ruthie, with a huge smile spread across her face.

When Martin saw the huge smile on her face, he couldn't help but smile too. 'She is so beautiful ...'
"So ... how do we get there?" He asked.

4 Hours later

Ruthie walked down the stair's from Cassey's room, followed by Cassey, Mac, and Martin.

" So I'll talk to you tomorrow right?" Ruthie asked Cassey.
"Yea, but I'll call YOU this time.!" Everybody laughed except for Ruthie who still felt bad for being so late.
"I really am sorry.!" She said.
Cassey laughed and smiled."I know Ruth I was kidding,It's Ok."

She stopped at the front door , and turned to face her friend.
"OK, well at least we finished right?It turned out OK." Ruthie asked both hopeful and nervous.
"It turned out great, stop worrying." Martin said walking over to where she was standing.
"He's right." Cassey added.Smiling she looked at Martin, who was now standing rather closely behind Ruthie. 'They look like their together.' She thought to herself."But we would have never finished if it weren't for you helping us." She finished.
"Yea, thank's Martin." Ruthie looked at him, and smiled. He smiled back and she felt her heart jump. 'He is so sweet, and smart, and cute, and ... perfect. ...'
"Uh Hello, what about me?" Came Mac's voice, sounding a little annoyed. Everyone looked at him and laughed.
"What about you?" Ruthie asked, like he was insane.
"Oh, OK, I guess I'll just have to let you starv next time." She gave him a shocked look, then laughed.
"Thank You." She said sweetly.
"Both of you were a huge help, thank's." Supplied Cassey.
"It was no problem. I had a good time, ..." Said Mac.He looked at Martin who was still looking at Ruthie. "And I'm pretty sure Martin had a great time." Cassey who had seen what Mac was looking at, laughed, and Martin looked at the both of them suprised.
"What?" He asked quickly, knowing he had gotten cought.
"Nothing." Mac shook his head and laughed, Martin smiled embarrassedly and looked down. Ruthie looked at both boys, not understanding what had just happened.
"What time is it?" Asked Cassey, trying to change the subject.
"It's 10 o'clock." Said Martin gratefully.
Ruthie looked at him shocked by the time. "We better get home.I never told anybody I was leaving"
"No it's fine, I called home around 8, to see if uh ... anybody had called. I talked to your Dad, I explained everything, and told him we might be back a little late. So everything's fine." He said reassuringly.
"Oh wow, thank you." 'perfect!' She yelled to herself in her head.
"Your welcome. ... But we should get going." He smiled at her. Neither remembering the two people standing in front of them. Then finally Ruthie pulled her eye's away from Martins, suddenly embarrassed.
"OK. Well I'll talk to you tomorrow Cassey." She hugged her friend. "Bye."
"Bye Ruth."
Martin opened the door and his eye's nearly popped out of his head."Uh ... was it supposed to rain today?"
"I don't think so, why?" Said Mac.
"Well ... " He pushed the door open wide enough for everyone to see out. "Because it is."
"Oh my gosh when did it start!" Ruthie shrieked.A huge smile spread across her face.
"I don't know. .. Well this will be a fun ride home. I hate driving in the rain." Said Martin, sounding a little nervous.
"I can drive." Offered Mac.
"Or ... we could walk." Said Ruthie looking at Martin pleadingly.
"What?" He asked suprised.
"Come on I love walking in the rain." She said tugging on his wrist.
"Are you serious?" A smile tugged at the corners of his lips.
"Yea.! It'll be fun. Please!" Begged Ruthie, somewhere along the line dropping her hand from his wrist to his hand, pulling gently.
"Well ... -" Began Martin, only to be cut off by Mac.
"Your not actually going to walk, are you?" He asked, like it was the craziest idea he had ever herd.
"Why not?" Asked Martin smiling.
Mac looked at him like he was nuts."I'm not going with you."
"OK. Here." He handed him his car key's. "Just bring it back in the morning."
"Your crazy. Both of you." He looked at Martin, shook his head, and laughed. 'Man he must be in love...' "Bye Cassey." He walked past Ruthie and Martin. "I'll see you two tomorrow." After waving good-bye on last time, he got in the car and drove away.
Ruthie who haden't stopped smiling turned to face Cassey.
" Oh my gosh! OK I'll talk to you tomorrow!" She hugged her again. "Bye!" Cassey laughed.
"Bye Ruthie." Cassey watched as Ruthie walked out the door and into the rain.Martin stood next to her, both of them laughing.
"OK, well this is going to be interesting. So I'll see you later.?" He asked.
"Yea, and thank's again for all of your help."
"Your welcome." He looked out the door at Ruthie and smiled. She was looking up at the night sky, with rain falling all around her, and she still haden't stopped smiling. He felt Cassey watching him and he pulled his eye's away from the girl outside. "What?" He asked.
"How long have you liked her?" Martin nearly stopped breathing, when she asked this question.
"I-I don't know what your talking about." She rolled her eye's
"You realize your walking home in the rain, right?" She asked, with a 'Stop being such an idiot.' type of look.
"I wanted to." He said trying to defend himself.
She crossed her arms in front of her, and laughed lightly. "Yea sure, whatever." He laughed nervously, and started to walk away. "Martin.?" He turned around to face her. "She like's you to you know. She might be in a little bit more dinial then you are ... but believe me, it's there." He looked at her suprised, and didn't know what to say.He turned again to walk away. "Martin.?" When he looked back she tossed an umbrella at him. "Be careful." She smiled again waved good-bye to Ruthie, and shut the door.
Martin smiled to himself and turned around to face Ruthie who was now standing inches away from him. He smiled at her, and laughed at how wet she was.He moved a loose curl out of her eye and softly tucked it behind her ear. She laughed nervously, and looked away, he didn't take his eye's off of her.When she looked at him again, she smiled.
"Ready?" He asked, not knowing if he was asking himself, or her.
After a short pause, Ruthie smiled. "Yea, ... yea I am." She bit on her lower lip. Martin knew she only did that when she was nervous, and he loved that about her.
They both smiled again, then walked off down the driveway.