A/N: Hey! Sorry it's been so long since the last
update. But what else is new? I always say that and I mean it every
time. ;) Anyway, hope you like this chapter. As promised, things are gonna
get steamy. :p
Living in the Moment
Chapter Five
Once in a Long While
"Please turn in your homework in the silver basket on my desk before you leave today. Remember, mid-terms are coming up after break, so I suggest you study." Mrs. Kelly's voice rang out. Mrs. Kelly was a large woman, hard to ignore. She was also Ruthie's math teacher.
Ruthie slipped her blue pencil into her binder, along with her new assignment, with which they were meant to study. She was zipping up her backpack when the lunch bell rang.
Desks scrapped the cheap linoleum floor of the classroom as students hurried to get to lunch. Before leaving the room, Ruthie made a stop at Mrs. Kelly's desk to turn in her homework. Outside in the hall, she saw Peter waiting for her. Ruthie sighed.
"Hey," Peter greeted her kindly as she met up with him.
Ruthie smiled politely and shifted her backpack from her hand to her shoulder as she interlaced her fingers with Peter's.
"I was thinking that we could eat outside today," Peter suggested.
Ruthie glanced at Peter strangely. "Don't we eat outside every day?"
Peter shrugged and looked slightly embarrassed. "Well, yeah."
Ruthie could tell that there was something that he wanted to say, but was debating. His hesitation was making Ruthie slightly uncomfortable. She didn't want to rush him with it and risk having another fight.
"I just wanted to talk--" Peter started.
Ruthie shot him a death glare, reminding him that she didn't want to talk about a certain thing.
He assured her, "No. Not about that." Peter paused. "Just about...us."
Ruthie bit the inside of her cheek. "Well, the thing is--" Ruthie didn't want to hurt Peter. "I was kind of thinking about eating with my friends today."
One of Peter's eyebrows went up. "But you would be eating with your friends. I'm your friend."
They stopped. Hungry students swerved around them, making their way to the doors.
Peter looked into Ruthie's eyes, searching them. Trying to see what she was thinking. What was he doing wrong?
Ruthie forced a laugh and looked away. "My girl friends." she classified.
"Oh." Peter sounded hurt. "Okay. Whatever. I'll see you later." Peter managed a small smile before turning on his heels.
Ruthie sighed. She adjusted the strap
of her backpack before joining the throng of students herself.
"Earth to Ruthie. Hello?" Amanda, one of Ruthie's friends, was waving a hand in front of her face.
Ruthie blinked. Her friends were watching her, half amused, the other half concerned. "Oh. Sorry."
"What is up with you? You've been spacing a lot lately." Amanda asked.
"Nothing is up with me." Ruthie defended herself.
They had been sitting out on the grass, their lunches spread in front of them. Ruthie had been watching Peter from were she sat. He was across the yard, sitting underneath a large oak tree, all alone. The shade from the branches and leaves hid his expression from her.
Amanda glanced at where Ruthie had been staring moments before, understanding dawning on her face. "Oh. Boyfriend trouble?"
Ruthie sighed. "Yeah." She turned back to her food.
"What did you do?" Shandi, another one of Ruthie's friends, asked.
"Well, I kind of..." Ruthie
launched into the story of what had happened the previous week and what
had happened in the hall that same morning. She probably shouldn't have
been telling Shandi and Amanda, the two biggest gossip queens in the school,
about the whole 'sex' thing, but before she realized this, the story was
out.
"You told Amanda and Shandi about us?!" Peter screamed at Ruthie over the phone that night.
"I'm sorry! They're my friends." Ruthie replied.
"Now the whole school thinks I'm some kind of--"
"Maybe we shouldn't be having this conversation over the phone." Peter was silent. "Why don't you come over, and we'll talk?"
Peter sighed. "Fine."
The dial tone that sounded told Ruthie that Peter had hung up. She set the phone back into it's cradle before getting off her bed. Ruthie stopped in front of the mirror on her vanity.
"I know. I know!" she screamed
at herself. Ruthie rolled her eyes, grabbed her coat, and stormed out of
the room to go wait for Peter outside.
Peter met up with Ruthie a minute after they had ended their phone conversation. She was standing out on the front porch, hands shoved into her coat pockets, hair blowing in her face. She had spotted him and came to meet him on the sidewalk. She was so beautiful, he didn't know how he could ever be angry with someone that precious.
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have told Amanda and Shandi anything." Ruthie quickly tried to explain.
"You're right. But, I'm sorry, too. I shouldn't have gotten so angry." Peter stepped closer to Ruthie and grabbed her hand lightly.
Ruthie smiled and led him back to the porch where they sat on the wooden bench. "You had every right to be angry with me. Tomorrow I'll straighten everything out. Okay?"
Peter smiled. "Okay." Peter leaned in and kissed Ruthie on the cheek. "Why don't we go back to my house to talk? My mom isn't going to be home until late tonight."
Ruthie had a feeling that Peter
didn't just want to talk, but she agreed anyway. After all, she wouldn't
let anything happen. She was smarter than that.
What had happened was a complete mystery to Ruthie. She sat on Peter's bed, pulling her shirt down. Everything had happened so fast, she could hardly believe it. Peter had left the room, slamming the door behind him. Ruthie thought that to be a bit odd, considering she was in his house. She should be the one to storm out.
Ruthie sighed as she slid her hands underneath the layer of her hair, bringing it out of her shirt and letting it fall onto her shoulders.
He was so close to her. So close that she could feel his breath on her face and neck. They had been that close before, but that time just didn't feel the same. Something wasn't right. And now....now she didn't know what she had done.
She felt tears welling up in her eyes, then falling on her face. Ruthie brought up a hand and quickly wiped them away. She spotted her coat on the back of Peter's computer chair.
Ruthie pushed herself off of the bed, grabbed her coat and left the house.
What was he thinking? She had
to talk to him, to straighten things out. Try to save their relationship.
But the way things were going, it seemed that there wouldn't be a relationship
very much longer.
"Peter we need to talk," Ruthie's
voice was soft, a whisper.
Peter's voice was hoarse on
the other end. "Ruthie, it's one in the morning. Can't we talk later?"
"No," Ruthie's answer was firm. "I can't sleep without talking about what happened."
Peter sighed. "It's kind of embarrassing."
Ruthie switched the phone to her other ear. "Just tell me. I won't laugh at you."
Peter was silent for a while. "I'm sorry I did that. I wasn't thinking."
"Peter, you practically ripped my shirt off. Why?" Ruthie's voice was firm.
"It's just that you're so pretty, and I love you. And people who love each other have sex, right?"
What was Peter thinking?!
Ruthie sighed. "No. Not all people. Not me."
"Ruthie, you've got to believe me, I'm really sorry." Peter didn't sound so tired anymore. His voice became more clear.
"I believe you, but you need to show me that you respect me, because right now, I feel that you don't even know me. Peter, I don't like this side of you." Ruthie finally felt that Peter was actually listening to her.
"I know. I don't like this side of me either," Peter agreed with her. "But I do respect you, Ruthie. I have the greatest respect for you, and I shouldn't have kept bothering you about the whole Valentine's Day thing."
"No, you shouldn't have. You should have just stopped asking me when I asked you to."
"I know. Speaking of V-Day, what are we going to do?" Peter asked.
"How about we go see a movie or something in a public place. I need to get to know you better before I spend more time alone with you."
Peter sighed. He was disappointed, Ruthie could tell. "Okay. Again, Ruthie, I am truly sorry."
"Peter, I'm sorry about telling my friends about our situation. I should have just talked to you."
"Thanks. I love you, Ruthie," Peter's voice was soft.
Ruthie smiled. For once in a long while, she could tell that he meant it. "I love you, too."
Ruthie set the phone back into
it's cradle, and lay back in her bed, smiling. She was going to be okay.
Their relationship was going to be okay.
A/N: One more chapter to come after this. Review, and you'll get it tomorrow. ;)
Au Revoir,
Carrie