UPDATED Michelle-Note (5.15.08): I love Ruby. And damn, I miss this show...I miss having cable! Why is it not on DVD?! We should lobby for it ASAP. LM is on DVD. This isn't fair.

Michelle-Note: Long time, no update...cus I'm a slackass and all. Ruby was hard to write as...I dunno why. I'll try to update more...really, I will, but I will make no promises. It's not like anyone reads this.

Chapter 8: Everybody Loves Ruby

Ruby: Ruby's house: 1:41pm: June 9

"Oh…my…God!" I yelled, hearing a car door shut outside. I opened the front door, and saw Ren stomping toward me.

"Sorry that we're late."

I glanced at my watch, "Only eleven minutes. Your being late only bothers you." I pushed past her and approached the only male in the group, and smiled, stifling my laughter, "You must be Gordo."

"Ah…yeah…" He started to introduce his friends, "That's-"

"Shush. Worry about that later." I interrupted, getting closer to him.

He started backing away from me until his back was against the side of Ren's Jeep. He was a shy boy, but oddly attractive. I had an urge to touch his hair, "I'm Ruby."

Ren cleared her throat obnoxiously behind me.

"What?" I asked innocently, turning around to find her and Tawny with their arms crossed. Glaring at me like I'd done something terrible. Gordo's friends were cowering behind them.

"I think you're scaring him, Ruby." She said firmly.

"I am not."

"Yes, yes you are." He said, and slipped around me.

That was hurtful, "I was just being friendly."

"If you be friendly like that to me, I'll hit you in the face."

"Who said that?"

"I did." A dark-haired girl cut between Ren and Tawny. The blonde girl with them grabbed her wrist, and tried to pull her back.

"Why are you being so grumpy?" She asked.

I put my hands on my hips and proceeded to watch the goings on of the two.

The dark-haired one jerked her arm away, "Don't talk to me, Lizzie."

"What'd I do?" She seemed very concerned and confused.

Tawny rolled her eyes, then hit herself in the forehead, "The grumpy one is Miranda." She said to me, "She's been like this all day apparently."

"Oh." It wasn't just me then. I turned to Ren, "So, where are we going, and who's riding with who."

"Whom." She corrected, "I guess we're gonna go downtown, so Gordo can videotape some things, then to the mall. There's six of us so we can do three and three."

"I'm riding with Ren!" Gordo announced.

I came on a little strong I guess. I would've bet that he was a virgin. Poor boy needed not take that sort of extra baggage to college, and I could fix it for him.

"I'll go with Ruby." Tawny said, afterward beginning to hum "Downtown", which was a terribly catchy song.

"I will not ride with either of them." Miranda pointed to Tawny and I.

I was taken aback, and my partner rolled her eyes and she was accustomed to do at everything.

"I guess she's coming with me then." Ren started to walk back to her Jeep.

"We get the cute one." Tawny mumbled, and headed toward my car, hopping into the passenger seat. Lizzie followed cautiously.

I'd get the grumpy one back. I was in charge of Ren's party, and I'd do something special for her. I'd do special things for everyone, and Ren would leave here with a bang, and so would I. To Hell with her sober fun. The first half of the party was going to be on the beach, so there was swimming, volley ball, Frisbee, and the sun, and all would be ok there because everyone could do their own thing. That night though, it needed a little something, and I would bring it. It was going to be in a club on the beach. We could either dance, play pool, or just sit, and everyone would be getting bored by then.

When I started my car, Tawny announced, "So…anyone have any idea why Miranda is cranky?"

"I sure don't. I met her like thirty seconds ago and all…" I said.

Tawny eyed me on account of my sarcasm.

"She was a little grumpy on the plane and then she got worse." Lizzie stated, seeming a little confused.

"She's fallen for Louis, and…I think she is, on some level, jealous of you, Lizzie…because you get all of the boys. Does that last part seem probable?"

"There's really no need for so much drama." I groaned.

Tawny rolled her eyes at me.

Lizzie was sitting in the middle of the backseat, looking innocent, and very scared of us. "Now that I think about it…I do get more boys than her…"

"Talk to her. That's my solution for everything."

"I remember when I had a crush on Louis. It was a horribly unhealthy obsessive sort of crush…" I felt I should insert some input into the conversation.

"She hasn't even really talked to him…she hasn't known him for a whole day yet how-"

"Maybe your sidekick is looking for a hook up while she's away from home before she goes to college because she's trying to keep up with you."

The blonde's mouth dropped open, "I have not hooked up with anyone, and she isn't my sidekick. We are completely equal."

"But that isn't what she thinks."

"I would tell her if I'd hooked up with anyone. She's my best friend, and we're rooming together at college next year."

I reached for the radio volume and turned it up, drowning them out. Once they realized they couldn't yell over the noise from my speakers, they stopped talking, and Tawny turned around, crossed her arms, and looked generally mopey. I turned the radio back down, "Now…girls…please…you don't even know each other, and Tawny, you stop starting things. Lizzie and the angry girl will work it out, they will talk, and you will not be involved."

"But-"

"No, Tawny. These people do not live here, please do not interfere with their lives."

"You wanna mack on Ren's cousin."

"He's cute, and you have no room to talk because you're the one that-"

"Don't even start! I still have my virginity, and I covet it!"

"Sex is-"

"Slut!"

"But I don't use people like you!"

"You do for sex!"

The poor girl in the back put her hands on her head, "Please, stop arguing!" She took a deep breath, "I'm on vacation. Please. Gordo is a very good boy, and he's really shy with girls, and-"

I snickered, interrupting her. That boy should have stuck with his given name. I could not handle the Gordo thing. David is so much easier to get used to.

Lizzie shook her head, and looked more confused than she had previously, "Do you people really call Sacramento Sack Town?"

"Yes." Tawny and I said in unison then laughed.

We pulled into the parking lot of Dairy Queen, and were followed closely by Ren's Jeep. I turned around, "I'm sorry we got off to a bumpy start. You look completely horrified."

"Ruby and I," Tawny started, "We really get along for the most part…we just have our differences. Obviously. The arguing and yelling is normal." She patted my head.

"Don't touch my hair." I said forcefully, Tawny backing away.

"Ok." Lizzie nodded, and laughed at us.

"There. All better. Now for the tour of downtown Sacramento." I said, getting out of the car, and seeing Ren's cousin with his video camera, filming enthusiastically, having already gotten out.

"When you're alone, and life is making you lonely, you can always go…" Tawny sang, and paused.

"Downtown." Lizzie chimed in.

"Yes! That's what I like to hear!"

Gordo saw me coming toward him, quickly shut off his camera, and ran to Ren. I have never had a boy run from me before. This was going to be interesting. Miranda was still sitting in Ren's jeep. Not seeming much up to coming out at all, "Hey, girl!"

She glared.

"I know what you need…" I said, smiling mischievously.