Chapter 19: I Like You
A/N: I know I said I would update more often, but I can't update if there is no chapter written. I was suffering from a terrible virus called writus interruptus, more commonly known as writer's block. Yes, I am wonderfully cured and here give you faithful readers another chapter. Thanks again to all those who have reviewed my story.
(Peter's POV)
I hadn't heard from Ruthie Camden in months. I know she wasn't actually talking to anyone, but she could have still written a letter or something. Although, if she wasn't communicating with anyone, she certainly wouldn't talk to me. I didn't mean to yell at her the last time I saw her, but she frustrated me. I didn't like her just sitting there and staring at me like she couldn't talk. My thoughts were interrupted by the phone.
"Peter! It's for you," Mom hollered up the stairs.
"Okay, thanks Mom," I replied," Hello?"
"Hi Peter, please don't hang up on me," a female voice said.
It took me a moment to realize that it was Ruthie. I hadn't heard her voice in months. Instantly, any anger I felt toward her melted away. I could never stay mad at her.
"Hello? Are you there?" Ruthie called out.
"Oh yes. Sorry. I was just shocked that you actually called. I mean, I didn't know you were even talking again," I sputtered.
"That's because I just started talking again. I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings," she apologized.
"No! I'm the one who's sorry. I shouldn't have yelled at you before," I said.
"It's all right. Everyone was a little upset and scared. It's not normal to be quiet for that long," she laughed.
"Yeah. Especially someone who normally loves to talk," I agreed.
"Oh, so I am a blabbermouth, am I?" she asked, faking anger.
"I didn't mean that. It's just, I'm so glad you're talking to me. Do you want for me to come over to your house so we can talk in person? The phone's nice, but I'd like to see you," I told her.
"Sure, that's what I was about to ask," she said.
"Okay, I'll be over in a few minutes," I said.
"Bye, Peter."
"Bye, Ruthie."
I hung up the phone and ran down the stairs to find Mom. She was in the kitchen cleaning up.
"Hey Mom," I greeted her," that was Ruthie and she wants to me to go over to her house."
"Okay, I'm glad you two aren't mad at eachother anymore," she said.
"Yeah, I don't know if I'll be back for dinner or not," I told her as I walked out the door.
I made the short walk to the Camden's house. It had been quite a while since I had walked up to their house. I walked past several times, wondering if I should go visit Ruthie, but each time I decided not to. This time it was different though, she wanted to see me. I was looking forward to seeing her for the first time in months.
"Peter, it's so good to see you," Mrs. Camden said when she opened the door," how are you?"
"I'm fine, Mrs. Camden, how are you?" I asked politely.
"I'm wonderful, thanks for asking. Ruthie is upstairs, you can go up because she's expecting you," Mrs. Camden smiled.
"Thanks," I said as I went to find Ruthie.
"Peter, over here," she called out.
"It's been quite a while since I've seen you. You look great," I complimented.
"Thanks," she blushed slightly," you look good too."
She led me into her room where she sat on her bed. She gestured for me to take a seat too.
"So, how have you been these last few months?" I asked.
"Okay, I guess. I was really withdrawing though. I hardly came out of my room to eat with the family or anything like that. But now I'm feeling normal. How about you?" she asked.
"I'm great," I replied," I can walk under my own power now. I still do some physical therapy stuff, but my life's getting back to normal now too."
"That's good," she nodded her head. Suddenly, she leaned forward and planted a kiss on my lips.
"What was that for?" I cried.
"I don't know. I guess, it's because I like you," she was blushing furiously.
"Oh. Wow. Um. I like you too Ruthie. I have for a while now. But since you wouldn't talk, I didn't tell you so," I let out.
"I didn't know if you liked me or not and I figured that was one way to find out. You didn't mind the kiss did you?" she asked.
"Not at all," I answered," so do you want to be my girlfriend?"
(Eric's POV)
I was caught completely off-guard when I walked past Ruthie's room. She was kissing Peter Petrowski. I couldn't believe my eyes at first. Then she pulled away and looked embarassed. I'd like to say I walked away, but I couldn't convince anyone of that. I stayed to eavesdrop on the rest of the conversation. Afterwards, I walked down the hallway, shaking my head. Great, another girl to keep my eyes on. At least, I knew I could trust Peter. He was a nice boy and I don't think he would try anything with a twelve year old.
I got down to my office to start to put my plan into action. I picked up the phone to make sure no one else was using it and then dialed Matt's phone number.
"Hello?" Sarah answered.
"Hey, it's Matt's dad," I replied.
"Oh hi, Eric, what brings you to call?" she asked.
"Well, I'm trying to sort of secretly plan a family gathering. I think it would do the family good to get together and just have a nice picnic or something," I explained.
"That's a great idea. Matt was just saying something about wanting to come see the family," Sarah said.
"Good. Maybe you can help me. I want this to be a surprise for Annie and the kids. You could invite your parents and keep this all a secret from Matt," I told her.
"Sounds like a good idea to me. When did you want to plan this for?" she asked.
"I don't have a certain date in mind yet, but I was thinking in a couple weeks. Secrets don't last long in this family," I shook my head," Annie already suspects something and I just came up with the idea."
Sarah laughed," This may be harder than it sounds. I've gotta go because Matt's home, but I'll call you later to find out some more details."
"Bye," I said.
"Bye," she echoed.
My plan was starting to be put into action.So far, so good. I had to plan some of the specifics before I called Mary. She would need to know what days to get off from work. I truly think the extended family needs to spend a happy day together. I made a quick list of who to call and let know ahead of time: Julie and Hank, Colonel and Ruth, Mary, Ginger and Charles, Ben and Mrs. Kinkirk. I tapped my pen as I tried to think of more names. That was all I could think of for the time, so I hid the list in my desk, hoping a snooping family member would not find it.
A/N: I know I said I would update more often, but I can't update if there is no chapter written. I was suffering from a terrible virus called writus interruptus, more commonly known as writer's block. Yes, I am wonderfully cured and here give you faithful readers another chapter. Thanks again to all those who have reviewed my story.
(Peter's POV)
I hadn't heard from Ruthie Camden in months. I know she wasn't actually talking to anyone, but she could have still written a letter or something. Although, if she wasn't communicating with anyone, she certainly wouldn't talk to me. I didn't mean to yell at her the last time I saw her, but she frustrated me. I didn't like her just sitting there and staring at me like she couldn't talk. My thoughts were interrupted by the phone.
"Peter! It's for you," Mom hollered up the stairs.
"Okay, thanks Mom," I replied," Hello?"
"Hi Peter, please don't hang up on me," a female voice said.
It took me a moment to realize that it was Ruthie. I hadn't heard her voice in months. Instantly, any anger I felt toward her melted away. I could never stay mad at her.
"Hello? Are you there?" Ruthie called out.
"Oh yes. Sorry. I was just shocked that you actually called. I mean, I didn't know you were even talking again," I sputtered.
"That's because I just started talking again. I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings," she apologized.
"No! I'm the one who's sorry. I shouldn't have yelled at you before," I said.
"It's all right. Everyone was a little upset and scared. It's not normal to be quiet for that long," she laughed.
"Yeah. Especially someone who normally loves to talk," I agreed.
"Oh, so I am a blabbermouth, am I?" she asked, faking anger.
"I didn't mean that. It's just, I'm so glad you're talking to me. Do you want for me to come over to your house so we can talk in person? The phone's nice, but I'd like to see you," I told her.
"Sure, that's what I was about to ask," she said.
"Okay, I'll be over in a few minutes," I said.
"Bye, Peter."
"Bye, Ruthie."
I hung up the phone and ran down the stairs to find Mom. She was in the kitchen cleaning up.
"Hey Mom," I greeted her," that was Ruthie and she wants to me to go over to her house."
"Okay, I'm glad you two aren't mad at eachother anymore," she said.
"Yeah, I don't know if I'll be back for dinner or not," I told her as I walked out the door.
I made the short walk to the Camden's house. It had been quite a while since I had walked up to their house. I walked past several times, wondering if I should go visit Ruthie, but each time I decided not to. This time it was different though, she wanted to see me. I was looking forward to seeing her for the first time in months.
"Peter, it's so good to see you," Mrs. Camden said when she opened the door," how are you?"
"I'm fine, Mrs. Camden, how are you?" I asked politely.
"I'm wonderful, thanks for asking. Ruthie is upstairs, you can go up because she's expecting you," Mrs. Camden smiled.
"Thanks," I said as I went to find Ruthie.
"Peter, over here," she called out.
"It's been quite a while since I've seen you. You look great," I complimented.
"Thanks," she blushed slightly," you look good too."
She led me into her room where she sat on her bed. She gestured for me to take a seat too.
"So, how have you been these last few months?" I asked.
"Okay, I guess. I was really withdrawing though. I hardly came out of my room to eat with the family or anything like that. But now I'm feeling normal. How about you?" she asked.
"I'm great," I replied," I can walk under my own power now. I still do some physical therapy stuff, but my life's getting back to normal now too."
"That's good," she nodded her head. Suddenly, she leaned forward and planted a kiss on my lips.
"What was that for?" I cried.
"I don't know. I guess, it's because I like you," she was blushing furiously.
"Oh. Wow. Um. I like you too Ruthie. I have for a while now. But since you wouldn't talk, I didn't tell you so," I let out.
"I didn't know if you liked me or not and I figured that was one way to find out. You didn't mind the kiss did you?" she asked.
"Not at all," I answered," so do you want to be my girlfriend?"
(Eric's POV)
I was caught completely off-guard when I walked past Ruthie's room. She was kissing Peter Petrowski. I couldn't believe my eyes at first. Then she pulled away and looked embarassed. I'd like to say I walked away, but I couldn't convince anyone of that. I stayed to eavesdrop on the rest of the conversation. Afterwards, I walked down the hallway, shaking my head. Great, another girl to keep my eyes on. At least, I knew I could trust Peter. He was a nice boy and I don't think he would try anything with a twelve year old.
I got down to my office to start to put my plan into action. I picked up the phone to make sure no one else was using it and then dialed Matt's phone number.
"Hello?" Sarah answered.
"Hey, it's Matt's dad," I replied.
"Oh hi, Eric, what brings you to call?" she asked.
"Well, I'm trying to sort of secretly plan a family gathering. I think it would do the family good to get together and just have a nice picnic or something," I explained.
"That's a great idea. Matt was just saying something about wanting to come see the family," Sarah said.
"Good. Maybe you can help me. I want this to be a surprise for Annie and the kids. You could invite your parents and keep this all a secret from Matt," I told her.
"Sounds like a good idea to me. When did you want to plan this for?" she asked.
"I don't have a certain date in mind yet, but I was thinking in a couple weeks. Secrets don't last long in this family," I shook my head," Annie already suspects something and I just came up with the idea."
Sarah laughed," This may be harder than it sounds. I've gotta go because Matt's home, but I'll call you later to find out some more details."
"Bye," I said.
"Bye," she echoed.
My plan was starting to be put into action.So far, so good. I had to plan some of the specifics before I called Mary. She would need to know what days to get off from work. I truly think the extended family needs to spend a happy day together. I made a quick list of who to call and let know ahead of time: Julie and Hank, Colonel and Ruth, Mary, Ginger and Charles, Ben and Mrs. Kinkirk. I tapped my pen as I tried to think of more names. That was all I could think of for the time, so I hid the list in my desk, hoping a snooping family member would not find it.