PRINCESS OF DARKNESS

PART IX

Ruthie wins... or does she?

Ruthie Camden was positively giddy.

First of all, Jenna was dead!

Secondly, Jenna's father was in prison for something she made up!

Thirdly, Peter had been investigated for Jenna's murder, and within hours of the police talking to him, confessed the whole thing!

He told the police (i.e., Detective Michaels and Kevin) about what Ruthie had told him, about how Jenna and Mr. Livingston were out to kill her.

Neither Detective Michaels nor Kevin Kinkirk believed him. When confronted about the allegations, Ruthie denied, denied, denied. The little boy with the initials of PP was to be put away for quite sometime.

Charged as an adult, no less.

Ruthie was positively giddy.

The Camdens were going to the funeral, of course.

Most people in the town were.

Granted, hardly anyone really liked Jenna, but the manner in which she died (poisoning!) was so shocking to the Glenoak residents that they had to go.

Ruthie arrived, in a nice black dress of course, and had to contain her smiles throughout the proceedings.

She wished they would play 'Ding Dong! The Witch is Dead!" but she knew better than to expect that.

And, as Ruthie sat there, in the church, she couldn't help but feel like she had won. Even after all Jenna tried, Ruthie still ended up smelling like a rose. Sure, she was adopted, and had multiple injuries, but all the same, she knew she had won.

That's what you get, Jenna Livingston, for setting your dog on me.

And more importantly:

That's what you get, Jenna Livingston, for dumping oatmeal on my head.

Ruthie was shaken from her thoughts by young Yasmine.

"Ruthie, are you alright?"

Ruthie couldn't help but answer with sarcasm.

"What do you think?"

Ruthie sighed to herself, as oatmeal continued to drip off her. She was covered in it, and standing in the boys bathroom. Not only that, but she was only feet away from one of those most disgusting things known as a urinal. She had never wanted to see one of these, but the sight of one now assaulted her poor, obstructed eyes.

"You're not going to cry, are you?"

"Of course not." Ruthie said.

Concerned (male) teacher entered the bathroom.

"Miss Camden, are you alright?"

Ruthie answered with a groan.

"Let's get you cleaned up."

Ruthie groaned again. The last thing she wanted to do was to go back into the hallway and face her peers. But, alas, she had no choice. It was either that or stay in the room of the horrifying urinal. Ruthie walked to the concerned teacher, and left the bathroom.

Once outside, she was met with the laughing faces of her peers, including Jenna. She felt like Charlie Brown. She could almost see the words 'ha, ha', written in the air above her. It was the single worst moment of her fourteen-year-old life.

Jenna, of course, laughed the hardest. She was, after all, the one who set up the prank in the first place.

Ruthie walked through the hallway, as throngs of students laughed at her plight. Several humiliated tears managed to slip past Ruthie's mental goalie, running down her oatmeal-encrusted cheeks like a river.

Concerned teacher gave Ruthie a sympathy pat on the back, as Yasmine whispered words of encouragment, like:

"Hey, don't worry. In a couple of days, some other kid will pass gas or something, and then they'll laugh at him."

This didn't make Ruthie feel better.

The Camden girl shot a quick glare at Jenna. Needless to say, she was angry.

Mortified.

Humiliated.

Disgraced.

Livid.

Jenna would pay.

Jenna would definitely pay.

GAME OVER.

Thanks to all those who reviewed. It is now 2:08 in the morning, and I'm still glowing after finding out that Phil Jackson will not be returning as Laker coach next season. That's 95 percent less whining in the NBA coaching fraternity.

Anyway, it was fun and... rather disturbing to write this story. I hope you all enjoyed it.