Disclaimer: yet again I don't own 7th Heaven
A/N: Again, sorry it took so long to update, the teachers are being mean and giving us tons of homework...grr...but vacations coming so I should update more then.
Cautiously, Ruthie followed Brenda up to her room. Ruthie felt shy, which was odd for her. Brenda paused before opening the door. "I forgot to tell you on Mondays we have a mandatory group get-together where you can talk about your experiences. You don't have to talk, but you it's a good way to get things off your chest. Well, anyways, here's your room," Brenda told Ruthie. She knocked, and shortly after the door opened, revealing a petite brunette with curly brown hair. "We found a roommate for you, Kayla," Brenda said, smiling.
Kayla grinned and extended her hand. "Hi, I'm Kayla, as Brenda said," she greeted Ruthie.
Ruthie grinned back. "I'm Ruthie."
"I'll let you two talk," Brenda said as she walked away.
Kayla motioned for Ruthie to come into the room, which Ruthie did. "This is my--our—room," Kayla explained. "It's small, but we don't need it to be big. We don't have a lot of belongings. You can put you backpack and stuff over there," Kayla told Ruthie.
"Thanks," Ruthie said, pleased to have such a nice roommate.
"How much do you know about here?" Kayla questioned Ruthie.
"Not much," Ruthie admitted, "Just what Brenda told me, about not having to go back and that they won't answer any questions. Oh, and that we have to go to a group thingy every Monday.
"Okay, well, I'll tell you the rest," started Kayla, "There's a fair amount of rules, but they're pretty basic, like you have to go school, if you're arrested, start doing drugs or smoking, or start drinking, they kick you out. The police can't take you back while you're here, but it's best to avoid them or anyone you know. You have to be in by 10 o'clock every day. Boys aren't allowed in our dorms, but we can bring them into the rec room, which is downstairs. Everyone has mandatory chores, but you get paid to do them. A lot of girls take jobs, too, though. Also, most girls die their hair and cut it, just in case. I died mine two days ago. Before, I was a red head. I like this much better though," said Kayla giggling.
"Okay..." Ruthie said, feeling slightly overwhelmed.
"C'mon, let's go meet the other girls!
Kayla and the other girls' bubbly personalities were infectious, and Ruthie began to feel right at home. Ruthie knew she'd be friends with all the girls, especially Kayla and her friend Maria, a pretty Latin girl. And, for the first time in a long time, Ruthie felt truly happy.
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~*Back at the Camden House*~
"Mommy, where's Ruthie?" questioned Sam. Annie broke into a fresh set of sobs as she stirred the spaghetti sauce for dinner.
Lucy came in at precisely that moment. She walked over to her mom and hugged her. "Don't worry, Mom, they'll find her, she'll be okay." Lucy said, trying to comfort her distraught mother.
"I feel so guilty! How could I have been so shallow! So insensitive! I didn't even tell Ruthie! And now she's gone. In the beginning, it was fine, but as she got older, she seemed so much like my brother, your uncle, Tom. I was so scared she'd be like him. I didn't want to be hurt again. So I drove her off. Oh!" Annie broke off into sobs again.
"Shh! It's okay! She'll be okay! She'll forgive you! Just talk to her when she gets back. Talking to her will help," Lucy said, still digesting what her mom had told her only that morning of why Ruthie left.
"It's too late now though!" Annie cried.
"Shh...shh...they'll find her," Lucy said, hugging her mother again.
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~*At the Church*~
"Eric, I was wondering if you had the...Eric? Are you all right?" Chandler said as he came into Eric's office.
"Yeah...fine...fine..." said Eric distractedly.
"Umm, well, sorry, but you don't look fine. Do you wanna go to the pool hall and get some lunch?" Chandler offered.
"Uhh...sure, thanks, that would be great, actually," Eric said, as he stood and stretched.
"So, any news on Ruthie?" Chandler asked once they got to the pool hall.
"None. Detective Michaels is calling all the bus companies, airports, taxi companies, anywhere she might've gone to. God, I feel so guilty now." Eric said, looking at the menu.
"Why?" Chandler asked.
"Well, you know what I told you earlier? About Annie's feud with her brother and then holding it against Ruthie?" Eric asked.
"Well, yeah, but you didn't do anything, did you?" Chandler asked, slightly confused. Eric had told him the big details about the stories, so Chandler at least new what was going on.
"That's just it! I didn't do anything! I could've at least talked to Annie! I don't know, it only started about a year ago, when Ruthie became so much like Tom, Annie's brother. I guess I didn't notice. Or I chose not to," Eric sighed.
"Well, apologize, once she comes back. And she will come back. I know she will," Chandler said.
"Thanks, Chandler. You're a nice guy," Eric said, smiling at the young man.
"Anytime," Chandler said, smiling back, and praying that Ruthie would, indeed come back.
A/N: How was that? I tried to make Annie and Eric seem more in character and nicer without totally messing up the story. Also, in this story Ruthie's 15. I know in the beginning I said that she came to them 13 years ago, but we'll just say she came when she was 2, okay? O=) now remember reviews(faster update =D
A/N: Again, sorry it took so long to update, the teachers are being mean and giving us tons of homework...grr...but vacations coming so I should update more then.
Cautiously, Ruthie followed Brenda up to her room. Ruthie felt shy, which was odd for her. Brenda paused before opening the door. "I forgot to tell you on Mondays we have a mandatory group get-together where you can talk about your experiences. You don't have to talk, but you it's a good way to get things off your chest. Well, anyways, here's your room," Brenda told Ruthie. She knocked, and shortly after the door opened, revealing a petite brunette with curly brown hair. "We found a roommate for you, Kayla," Brenda said, smiling.
Kayla grinned and extended her hand. "Hi, I'm Kayla, as Brenda said," she greeted Ruthie.
Ruthie grinned back. "I'm Ruthie."
"I'll let you two talk," Brenda said as she walked away.
Kayla motioned for Ruthie to come into the room, which Ruthie did. "This is my--our—room," Kayla explained. "It's small, but we don't need it to be big. We don't have a lot of belongings. You can put you backpack and stuff over there," Kayla told Ruthie.
"Thanks," Ruthie said, pleased to have such a nice roommate.
"How much do you know about here?" Kayla questioned Ruthie.
"Not much," Ruthie admitted, "Just what Brenda told me, about not having to go back and that they won't answer any questions. Oh, and that we have to go to a group thingy every Monday.
"Okay, well, I'll tell you the rest," started Kayla, "There's a fair amount of rules, but they're pretty basic, like you have to go school, if you're arrested, start doing drugs or smoking, or start drinking, they kick you out. The police can't take you back while you're here, but it's best to avoid them or anyone you know. You have to be in by 10 o'clock every day. Boys aren't allowed in our dorms, but we can bring them into the rec room, which is downstairs. Everyone has mandatory chores, but you get paid to do them. A lot of girls take jobs, too, though. Also, most girls die their hair and cut it, just in case. I died mine two days ago. Before, I was a red head. I like this much better though," said Kayla giggling.
"Okay..." Ruthie said, feeling slightly overwhelmed.
"C'mon, let's go meet the other girls!
Kayla and the other girls' bubbly personalities were infectious, and Ruthie began to feel right at home. Ruthie knew she'd be friends with all the girls, especially Kayla and her friend Maria, a pretty Latin girl. And, for the first time in a long time, Ruthie felt truly happy.
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~*Back at the Camden House*~
"Mommy, where's Ruthie?" questioned Sam. Annie broke into a fresh set of sobs as she stirred the spaghetti sauce for dinner.
Lucy came in at precisely that moment. She walked over to her mom and hugged her. "Don't worry, Mom, they'll find her, she'll be okay." Lucy said, trying to comfort her distraught mother.
"I feel so guilty! How could I have been so shallow! So insensitive! I didn't even tell Ruthie! And now she's gone. In the beginning, it was fine, but as she got older, she seemed so much like my brother, your uncle, Tom. I was so scared she'd be like him. I didn't want to be hurt again. So I drove her off. Oh!" Annie broke off into sobs again.
"Shh! It's okay! She'll be okay! She'll forgive you! Just talk to her when she gets back. Talking to her will help," Lucy said, still digesting what her mom had told her only that morning of why Ruthie left.
"It's too late now though!" Annie cried.
"Shh...shh...they'll find her," Lucy said, hugging her mother again.
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~*At the Church*~
"Eric, I was wondering if you had the...Eric? Are you all right?" Chandler said as he came into Eric's office.
"Yeah...fine...fine..." said Eric distractedly.
"Umm, well, sorry, but you don't look fine. Do you wanna go to the pool hall and get some lunch?" Chandler offered.
"Uhh...sure, thanks, that would be great, actually," Eric said, as he stood and stretched.
"So, any news on Ruthie?" Chandler asked once they got to the pool hall.
"None. Detective Michaels is calling all the bus companies, airports, taxi companies, anywhere she might've gone to. God, I feel so guilty now." Eric said, looking at the menu.
"Why?" Chandler asked.
"Well, you know what I told you earlier? About Annie's feud with her brother and then holding it against Ruthie?" Eric asked.
"Well, yeah, but you didn't do anything, did you?" Chandler asked, slightly confused. Eric had told him the big details about the stories, so Chandler at least new what was going on.
"That's just it! I didn't do anything! I could've at least talked to Annie! I don't know, it only started about a year ago, when Ruthie became so much like Tom, Annie's brother. I guess I didn't notice. Or I chose not to," Eric sighed.
"Well, apologize, once she comes back. And she will come back. I know she will," Chandler said.
"Thanks, Chandler. You're a nice guy," Eric said, smiling at the young man.
"Anytime," Chandler said, smiling back, and praying that Ruthie would, indeed come back.
A/N: How was that? I tried to make Annie and Eric seem more in character and nicer without totally messing up the story. Also, in this story Ruthie's 15. I know in the beginning I said that she came to them 13 years ago, but we'll just say she came when she was 2, okay? O=) now remember reviews(faster update =D