Disclaimer: Nothing's mine. Not even the title (it's a song by letters to
Cleo)
Title: I Want You To Want Me
Summary: Some friends are good, others......
Note: Hola!! Please tell me what you think!! BTW, that's a Robbie/Ruthie
fic, so....
Part 1
Ruthie was sitting in front of the house, watching the sun disappear. She could hear her parents talking through the half open kitchen window. She didn't quite understand what they were saying but she wasn't interested in their conservation anyway. The thirteen-year-old softly hummed a song and enjoyed the last sunrays on her skin. It seemed to be a peaceful evening for her siblings all weren't home. Matt, Simon and Robbie were out doing 'men-stuff', Mary was at the library and Lucy had a date. Sam and David, the babies of the Camden-family had been put to bed half an hour ago.
Ruthie felt a cold breeze and shivered slightly. She stretched her long legs before she brought them close to her body and put her arms around them.
"It's a bit chilly, isn't it?" The young girl looked up and was greeted by a small smile and soft brown eyes.
"Hi, I'm Ann." The other girl put her bike away and sat down at the porch, next to Ruthie who looked at her curiously. Ann seemed to be about Simon's age and had put her light brown hair up at the back of her head. Only a few strands framed her face and fell down at her shoulders.
"I'm Ruthie."
~~~~~~~~~~~~
The girl looked in the mirror one last time before she bounced down the stairs. In the kitchen she found her sister Lucy and her mother taking care of the twins. Ruthie grabbed her purse and turned around. She flashed Annie a big smile. "Hi Mum, bye Mum!" She already was half out the door when her mother stopped her.
"Where do you think you are going?" Ruthie closed the door again, rolled her eyes and sighed. Then she finally turned around to look at her mother who was fighting with Sam's dinner. "I told you, I'm going to the cinema with Ann. And yes, I did my homework and I'll be back by nine."
"You know I don't like it when you go out during the week. What do Ann's parents say about that anyway? And aren't you with her way too often?"
"Muuuum!" Lucy heard the annoyance in her sister's tone and raised her eyebrows, causing Ruthie to ramble on. "Ann is my friend and she doesn't need to ask her parents, she's seventeen." As soon as she said it, she knew that it had been a bad mistake.
"Seventeen?!? You tell me that you want to go out during the week with a girl that is four years older than you are? No way, young lady!" Annie had finally given up fighting with Sam and was now starring at her youngest daughter angrily. Ruthie looked down and started toying with a small silver ring at her left hand. It had been a Christmas present from Robbie and she had never put it off since then.
"Oh come on Mum, it's not like I'm going on a date or something." That was the moment Eric chose to enter the kitchen. He put his bag down, kissed his wife and patted David's head lovingly. Then he turned around to look at Ruthie. "Who's going on a date?"
"No one is. I just want to go to the cinema with Ann." Eric opened his mouth and was about to say something when Annie interrupted him. "Yes with Ann, a seventeen-year-old girl." The reverend looked at his wife and then at his daughter again. "Seventeen?"
Ruthie sighed and kicked the counter with her right foot. "We have been hanging out for weeks now and you never had anything against it."
"That's because you never mentioned that your new friend is four years older than you. I guess you forgot, huh?" Annie glared at her angrily. "I guess that's why you never brought her to have dinner with us."
Lucy, who tried to stop the twins throwing their foot at each other decided that it was time to leave the room. "I'll bring them to bed." And with that she grabbed her baby brothers and went upstairs. There she tugged them in and tried to ignore her mother's loud voice.
Downstairs in the kitchen Eric watched the argument. It his opinion it was ridiculous. But Annie had been a bit stressed lately and Ruthie was an emotional teenager and so one was as stubborn as the other. When he feared that Annie would soon start to scream at their daughter he interrupted.
"What do you think if you cancel the movies for today and Ann stays for dinner. This way we get to know her and we can think about giving you permission to go out with her next time."
Ruthie took a deep breath and folded her arms in front of her. "Fine!" Then the doorbell rang and she stormed off. Eric was satisfied with himself but Annie shot him an angry look. He sighed and looked up at the ceiling, silently asking God why women were always so difficult.
Ann greeted Ruthie at the door with a hug and a big smile. But all she got back was an awkward smile and a "Hey!" She raised her eyebrows. "Hey yourself. What's wrong, I thought we are going to watch Tom Cruise's new film?" The younger girl rolled her eyes and sighed.
"Change of plan, my parents don't want me to go out tonight but you can stay for dinner."
Ann looked at her and then shrugged. "Okay."
"Great, the kitchen is over there, I'll just go, call my brothers and sisters." Ruthie shot her friend a wide smile and ran upstairs to the girls room where she found Marry reading a magazine. "Dinner!" She ran down and knocked at Matt's and Robbie's door but the room was empty. She called Simon and was down in the kitchen minutes after she had opened the door. She didn't want her father to be alone with her new friend longer than necessary.
Meanwhile Ann had entered the kitchen and introduced herself to Eric and Annie. She pretended that she didn't see their curious looks and then turned around to greet Robbie and Matt who were setting the table. While Ruthie's eldest brother wasn't very interested in her Robbie shot her a smile.
"So you are Ruthie's new friend? She talks about you a lot." That comment made Ann smile and Annie and Eric raising their eyebrows. They didn't like that Ruthie hadn't talked to them about the girl and the knowledge that Robbie seemed to know much more worried them.
Soon everyone except Lucy and the twins was seated around the big table. The reverend couldn't stop asking their guest one thing after the other while Simon starred at the girl openly. Matt kicked him under the table several times but he didn't seem to notice. Robbie, who knew what was going on, shook his head in amusement.
"And don't you think that four years is a bit much?"
"DAD!"
Ann smiled. "Probably. But I just don't get along with the boys and girls my age. Their heads are full of bad ideas like alcohol and cigarettes. And I don't really need that. I always had friends who were younger or older than me. My first boyfriend was fifteen while I was thirteen."
With that it got silent for a while until Annie spoke again.
"That's a nice necklace you have there."
Ann touched the small gold cross and smiled. "Thanks, I have it since I was a little kid. My father gave it to me when I was a baby."
"Your earrings are quite nice as well."
"Oh you mean the David's stars? (AN: I have no clue if that's the right English word, sorry) I got it from my grandfather, he's Jewish." And then everyone was silent again. Eric put his bread down and shook his head. Ruthie saw that he was up to something but she couldn't do anything to stop him.
"I don't remember seeing you at the church."
"DAD!" Ruthie glared at her father, her eyes wide. Why did she have to have such, such .......parents!! Her father just wanted to point out that Ann didn't go to church. And? There were quite some people who weren't going, no big deal.
Ann smiled at Ruthie reassuringly. "Of course you don't. That's because I've never been there. You see, I'm Catholic. My parents live in Ireland, and now I'm staying with my grandfather. Actually it's quite funny, he goes to the Synagogue on Saturday, Sandra, who helps us doing the housework goes to your church Sunday morning and I go to a Catholic church Sunday evening."
A big smile spread across Ruthie's face and Robbie saw a glimpse of triumph in her eyes. Now her father couldn't say anything against Ann. She leant back and enjoyed the rest of the meal.
Later that night when Annie and Eric went to bed they talked about Ann. "Annie, love, she seems to be a really nice girl. She's probably a bit older than Ruthie but I don't think that she has a bad influence on her."
His wife turned around and he could see doubt in her eyes. "Eric, I have a really bad feeling about this." "Oh Annie, I...." She stopped him by putting her arm up. "It's okay, I won't say anything. But don't say that I haven't warned you."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
FOUR YEARS LATER:
It was dark night and Ruthie looked in the mirror one last time before she carefully went down the stairs to the living room. She looked around, her eyes slowly scanning over the photos on the wall. There was one of Lucy in her wedding gown and another one of Matt's baby girl Kirsten. But Ruthies eyes went on to a picture of the whole family, taken years ago in front of the house.
Eric, Matt, Mary, Annie, Robbie, Lucy, Simon, the twins and herself. She quickly pulled the photo out of it's frame and put it in her bag. Then she smiled before she went to the door, turned around one last time and disappeared.
Outside a car was waiting for her and Ann waved at her. She jumped into the car and smiled at her friend. "Finally free!!!" The other girl laughed and started the engine. They went off.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
TBC
Part 1
Ruthie was sitting in front of the house, watching the sun disappear. She could hear her parents talking through the half open kitchen window. She didn't quite understand what they were saying but she wasn't interested in their conservation anyway. The thirteen-year-old softly hummed a song and enjoyed the last sunrays on her skin. It seemed to be a peaceful evening for her siblings all weren't home. Matt, Simon and Robbie were out doing 'men-stuff', Mary was at the library and Lucy had a date. Sam and David, the babies of the Camden-family had been put to bed half an hour ago.
Ruthie felt a cold breeze and shivered slightly. She stretched her long legs before she brought them close to her body and put her arms around them.
"It's a bit chilly, isn't it?" The young girl looked up and was greeted by a small smile and soft brown eyes.
"Hi, I'm Ann." The other girl put her bike away and sat down at the porch, next to Ruthie who looked at her curiously. Ann seemed to be about Simon's age and had put her light brown hair up at the back of her head. Only a few strands framed her face and fell down at her shoulders.
"I'm Ruthie."
~~~~~~~~~~~~
The girl looked in the mirror one last time before she bounced down the stairs. In the kitchen she found her sister Lucy and her mother taking care of the twins. Ruthie grabbed her purse and turned around. She flashed Annie a big smile. "Hi Mum, bye Mum!" She already was half out the door when her mother stopped her.
"Where do you think you are going?" Ruthie closed the door again, rolled her eyes and sighed. Then she finally turned around to look at her mother who was fighting with Sam's dinner. "I told you, I'm going to the cinema with Ann. And yes, I did my homework and I'll be back by nine."
"You know I don't like it when you go out during the week. What do Ann's parents say about that anyway? And aren't you with her way too often?"
"Muuuum!" Lucy heard the annoyance in her sister's tone and raised her eyebrows, causing Ruthie to ramble on. "Ann is my friend and she doesn't need to ask her parents, she's seventeen." As soon as she said it, she knew that it had been a bad mistake.
"Seventeen?!? You tell me that you want to go out during the week with a girl that is four years older than you are? No way, young lady!" Annie had finally given up fighting with Sam and was now starring at her youngest daughter angrily. Ruthie looked down and started toying with a small silver ring at her left hand. It had been a Christmas present from Robbie and she had never put it off since then.
"Oh come on Mum, it's not like I'm going on a date or something." That was the moment Eric chose to enter the kitchen. He put his bag down, kissed his wife and patted David's head lovingly. Then he turned around to look at Ruthie. "Who's going on a date?"
"No one is. I just want to go to the cinema with Ann." Eric opened his mouth and was about to say something when Annie interrupted him. "Yes with Ann, a seventeen-year-old girl." The reverend looked at his wife and then at his daughter again. "Seventeen?"
Ruthie sighed and kicked the counter with her right foot. "We have been hanging out for weeks now and you never had anything against it."
"That's because you never mentioned that your new friend is four years older than you. I guess you forgot, huh?" Annie glared at her angrily. "I guess that's why you never brought her to have dinner with us."
Lucy, who tried to stop the twins throwing their foot at each other decided that it was time to leave the room. "I'll bring them to bed." And with that she grabbed her baby brothers and went upstairs. There she tugged them in and tried to ignore her mother's loud voice.
Downstairs in the kitchen Eric watched the argument. It his opinion it was ridiculous. But Annie had been a bit stressed lately and Ruthie was an emotional teenager and so one was as stubborn as the other. When he feared that Annie would soon start to scream at their daughter he interrupted.
"What do you think if you cancel the movies for today and Ann stays for dinner. This way we get to know her and we can think about giving you permission to go out with her next time."
Ruthie took a deep breath and folded her arms in front of her. "Fine!" Then the doorbell rang and she stormed off. Eric was satisfied with himself but Annie shot him an angry look. He sighed and looked up at the ceiling, silently asking God why women were always so difficult.
Ann greeted Ruthie at the door with a hug and a big smile. But all she got back was an awkward smile and a "Hey!" She raised her eyebrows. "Hey yourself. What's wrong, I thought we are going to watch Tom Cruise's new film?" The younger girl rolled her eyes and sighed.
"Change of plan, my parents don't want me to go out tonight but you can stay for dinner."
Ann looked at her and then shrugged. "Okay."
"Great, the kitchen is over there, I'll just go, call my brothers and sisters." Ruthie shot her friend a wide smile and ran upstairs to the girls room where she found Marry reading a magazine. "Dinner!" She ran down and knocked at Matt's and Robbie's door but the room was empty. She called Simon and was down in the kitchen minutes after she had opened the door. She didn't want her father to be alone with her new friend longer than necessary.
Meanwhile Ann had entered the kitchen and introduced herself to Eric and Annie. She pretended that she didn't see their curious looks and then turned around to greet Robbie and Matt who were setting the table. While Ruthie's eldest brother wasn't very interested in her Robbie shot her a smile.
"So you are Ruthie's new friend? She talks about you a lot." That comment made Ann smile and Annie and Eric raising their eyebrows. They didn't like that Ruthie hadn't talked to them about the girl and the knowledge that Robbie seemed to know much more worried them.
Soon everyone except Lucy and the twins was seated around the big table. The reverend couldn't stop asking their guest one thing after the other while Simon starred at the girl openly. Matt kicked him under the table several times but he didn't seem to notice. Robbie, who knew what was going on, shook his head in amusement.
"And don't you think that four years is a bit much?"
"DAD!"
Ann smiled. "Probably. But I just don't get along with the boys and girls my age. Their heads are full of bad ideas like alcohol and cigarettes. And I don't really need that. I always had friends who were younger or older than me. My first boyfriend was fifteen while I was thirteen."
With that it got silent for a while until Annie spoke again.
"That's a nice necklace you have there."
Ann touched the small gold cross and smiled. "Thanks, I have it since I was a little kid. My father gave it to me when I was a baby."
"Your earrings are quite nice as well."
"Oh you mean the David's stars? (AN: I have no clue if that's the right English word, sorry) I got it from my grandfather, he's Jewish." And then everyone was silent again. Eric put his bread down and shook his head. Ruthie saw that he was up to something but she couldn't do anything to stop him.
"I don't remember seeing you at the church."
"DAD!" Ruthie glared at her father, her eyes wide. Why did she have to have such, such .......parents!! Her father just wanted to point out that Ann didn't go to church. And? There were quite some people who weren't going, no big deal.
Ann smiled at Ruthie reassuringly. "Of course you don't. That's because I've never been there. You see, I'm Catholic. My parents live in Ireland, and now I'm staying with my grandfather. Actually it's quite funny, he goes to the Synagogue on Saturday, Sandra, who helps us doing the housework goes to your church Sunday morning and I go to a Catholic church Sunday evening."
A big smile spread across Ruthie's face and Robbie saw a glimpse of triumph in her eyes. Now her father couldn't say anything against Ann. She leant back and enjoyed the rest of the meal.
Later that night when Annie and Eric went to bed they talked about Ann. "Annie, love, she seems to be a really nice girl. She's probably a bit older than Ruthie but I don't think that she has a bad influence on her."
His wife turned around and he could see doubt in her eyes. "Eric, I have a really bad feeling about this." "Oh Annie, I...." She stopped him by putting her arm up. "It's okay, I won't say anything. But don't say that I haven't warned you."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
FOUR YEARS LATER:
It was dark night and Ruthie looked in the mirror one last time before she carefully went down the stairs to the living room. She looked around, her eyes slowly scanning over the photos on the wall. There was one of Lucy in her wedding gown and another one of Matt's baby girl Kirsten. But Ruthies eyes went on to a picture of the whole family, taken years ago in front of the house.
Eric, Matt, Mary, Annie, Robbie, Lucy, Simon, the twins and herself. She quickly pulled the photo out of it's frame and put it in her bag. Then she smiled before she went to the door, turned around one last time and disappeared.
Outside a car was waiting for her and Ann waved at her. She jumped into the car and smiled at her friend. "Finally free!!!" The other girl laughed and started the engine. They went off.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
TBC