As Ruthie made her way to Melissa's house she wondered why Melissa had stayed home that day. She and Ruthie weren't really close friends or anything so she didn't really know that much about her, they had the same classes and they occasionally ate lunch together but that was it, they didn't call each other or anything like that, they just talked in school. Ruthie wondered why that was, because they got along just fine and seemed to have alot in common but they didn't even know each others phone numbers and there principal told Ruthie where Melissa lived otherwise she wouldn't have known. Ruthie decided that she would invite Melissa over to her house more often cause she really liked the girl, she seemed like someone who would be a real friend not just one of those who like you for what you have not for who you are on the inside.
Ruthie stopped in front of the house she thought was Melissa's. The principal wrote it down on a piece of paper so she wouldn't forget, she dug around in her pockets searching for the scrap of paper. Finding it in the very last pocket she checked she looked to make sure she was at the right address, confirming it was the same address as the one scribbled on the paper she shoved it back into her pocket and proceeded to climb the stairs. Reaching the top she crossed the front porch and knocked on the door, after a few moments she knocked again and heard a loud thump coming from inside the house she waited a minute and then all was quiet.
Knocking one more time she heard what sounded like someone rustling around inside, finally the door opened to reveal Melissa standing on the other side looking very nervous.
'' Hi, uh..Ruthie, what are you doing here?''
'' Hi Melissa, I came to bring you your homework.'' Ruthie looked at Melissa worriedly because she seemed nervous and she kept looking back inside her house as if she were expecting someone to be behind her.
'' Oh, um..thanks I'll take it.'' She grabbed the books from Ruthie and was about to say good-bye and close when a man came up to her and put his hand on her shoulder.
'' Hi, I'm James, Melissa's father, you must be Ruthie.''
'' Yeah I am. It's nice to meet to you.''
'' And it's nice to meet you too Ruthie. I don't mean to sound rude but we were just about sit down to supper, of course your more than welcome to join if you like.''
''Thank you, but I should be getting home before it gets to dark.''
'' That's quite all right maybe next time you can join us. Melissa when your done talking come and join me at the dinner table, okay.''
''Okay dad.''
Ruthie backed up as Melissa came out and closed the door. She and Ruthie moved over to their porch swing and sat down.
''How did know where my house was?''
" The principal told me, um, are you okay, you were acting so strange a minute ago, is there anything wrong?''
'' Yeah I'm fine and I wasn't acting strange, it's just my personality is a little weird sometimes I suppose.''
Ruthie nodded her understanding and looked down seeing Melissa's arm she noticed there was something almost all the way under her sleeve curious and a little worried she decided to question her friend about it.
''Melissa, what's that on your arm?''
Looking down her eyes spotted the mark on her arm she tugged on her sleeve suddenly feeling very self-conscious. Trying to pass it off as nothing she stood up and headed towards the door, telling Ruthie the first thing that came to her mind.
'' My brother and I are always rough housing and we got a little carried away.'' She said as she carelessly gestured to the bruise on her upper arm.
''Really, I didn't know you had a brother, I thought you were an only child. Isn't that what you told me, or did I misunderstand?'' Ruthie questioned cautiously, she didn't want to accuse Melissa of lying but she had a feeling that she was in fact being lied to.
''No, I told you that uh..I was the only child who lived at home, my brother is in college so I'm..I'm the only one at home just...just like I said.''
Ruthie knew that her friend was lying to her, on account of her stuttering and she looked as if she was going to be sick. Ruthie could tell something was seriously wrong and she was going to find what it was.
''Melissa, you don't have a brother do you, and I'm guessing that bruise onyour arm is part of the reason you weren't in school today, is that right?''
''No, that's not right at all, I don't know what you're getting at, but I don't think I like where it's headed so why don't you just go home, okay.'' Melissa turned to walk inside but Ruthie wasn't finished.
''Melissa, wait, if you need to tell me something, you can.''
''Ruthie, I don't think I have anything else to say to you except thank you, for bringing my homework. Now if you'll excuse me I have to go eat supper with my family.''
Ruthie watched Melissa turn and place her hand on the door knob and turn it, and before she could stop herself Ruthie blurted out a question that had popped up in the back of her mind the moment she saw Melissa's eyes when her father placed his hand on her shoulder.
'' Melissa, does your dad hit you?''
Melissa stopped dead in her tracks and Ruthie knew she shouldn't have said that but she didn't know she was going to ask until she heard herself say it. But it was already out on the table and she couldn't say anything to take it back now, so she just waited for some kind of response.
After a moment Melissa turned around and looked at Ruthie with an unreadable expression on her face.
''Ruthie, why would you ask me something like that?''
''Because your my friend and I care about you.''
''Well, that's not something you just come out and ask someone, you don't just bring it up in the middle of the conversation.''
''Look I'm sorry okay, but you didn't answer me.''
''Listen, my dad gets mad sometimes, but it's only when I provoke him. I just have learn not to make him angry, that's all.''
''So, he does hit you, Melissa I think you should home with me and we can talk with my dad and he can help you and your dad, he's really good at helping people.''
''We don't need any help, we are just fine so you don't have to worry about me or my father. My dad loves me and he would never hurt me.''
''Melissa if that were true you wouldn't have that bruise on your arm and you wouldn't be scared of him.''
''I respect him. He has put a roof over my head and put food in my stomach and clothes on my back for my entire life, I owe him.''
''You owe him? He's your father he is supposed to protect you and keep you safe, not beat you up.''
''Ruthie, you don't understand, my mom abandoned us when I was little, she just left, without a kiss good-bye or anything like that. My dad was heartbroken, he wanted to just give up, but he thought of me and knew he had to take care of me, so he did and he's taken care of me since then, so we are doing just fine so we don't need any help from you, your dad or anybody.''
''Did your dad tell you that story about your mom, or do you remember it?''
Ruthie could see that Melissa wasn't going to answer her so she decided to take this into her own hands.
''Fine, if you don't want to tell anyone then I will. I'll go to my dad and talk to him.''
Melissa grabbed Ruthies' arm and lead her down the steps and stopped almost at the end of their driveway.
''Ruthie, please don't tell anyone. If you say something people will come and take my dad away and I will be alone, I won't have anyone, please.''
''If you know that people will come and take your dad away, doesn't that tell you something, thatsomething is wrong. I will not do this, I will not lie for that..that..uhhh!''
''Ruthie, listen to me my dad hasn't done this to me but a few times, and he was really drunk when he did it.''
''Oh, well, now that I know there's a good reason for him to use his only daughter as a punching bag I feel so much better.'' Ruthie was sure that everyone in the surrounding area could here there argument.
''Ruthie, okay, okay...I'll talk to my dad tonight and I'll call you in the morning, but Ruthie I promise you this doesn't happen all the time, so please just let me talk to my dad first before you go off telling everybody, please, I know me and dad can fix this.''
Ruthie wasn't sure about this. She knew that what was happening to Melissa was wrong and dangerous, but she looked at Melissa's pleading face and caved. Maybe Melissa and her father could work this out, and she understood the love that Melissa had for her father, but she was still a little skeptical.
''I don't know, I mean maybe we should get my dad and bring him over here.''
''Let me talk to my dad first, and if doesn't work out, then we'll talk to your dad, I promise.''
''All right, you talk your dad, but if you don't call me by twelve o' clock tomorrow, I'm telling my dad, got it.''
''I got it, listen I need to go inside so I'll talk to you tomorrow by twelve o'clock.''
''Right, well I'll talk to you tomorrow then, bye.''
''Oh, Ruthie thanks for being such a good friend...bye.''
Melissa smiled at Ruthie then turned and walked towards her house, turning away from the door Melissa waved good-bye to Ruthie, barely seeing this Ruthie realized how dark it was getting. Waving back to Melissa, Ruthie turned around and began her walk home all the way,hoping and praying that Melissa and her father would be okay.
''Where is she, I told her to come straight home after she dropped off that homework.''
''Annie, don't worry I'm sure she's fine. She's probably just talking to her friend and she lost track of the time.''
''I suppose your right and I guess she isn't that late considering she's walking, but it is getting kind of dark. Oh, I told her told her to take Martin's cellphone I don't know why I didn't remember that before.'' Annie said as she walked over to the phone and picked it up dialing the number and waiting for about two rings before someone answered.
''Hello.''
''Ruthie, where are you, I thought you would be home by now.''
''Oh..uh..sorry mom I guess I got caught up talking with Melissa and lost track of time, but I'll be home in a few minutes.''
''Okay well, I was starting to get worried because it's getting dark..are you okay, you sound like something's wrong.''
''No..everything's fine, um, I think I'm losing the signal mom, I'll see you in a few minutes..okay.''
''All right, I love you..bye.''
''Love you too mom..bye.''
Annie put the phone back on the receiver and looked over to her husband.
''Where is she, is she almost here?''
''Yeah, she'll be here in a minute, something's bothering her.''
"We can figure it out better when she gets here.''
''Yeah.''
Annie was about to speak again when she heard someone knocking on the door, Eric being the closest got up to see who was outside. Opening the door to reveal Martin, he was surprised that the boy had knocked, Martin was considered family around here, and nobody in this family ever knocked on a door in this house unless it was locked. Even though Martin lived across the street with his father now, he was always welcome in the Camden house.
''Hey, Martin you know you don't have to knock on the door, even though you don't live here anymore this is still your home, you know that right.''
Martin looked at him and smiled.''Yeah, I know but I still don't feel right just barging in.''
''Well, that's okay too, however you feel comfortable.''
"I think the more time he spends over here, the less he'll think about knocking each time.'' Annie said as she went to the refrigerator and started gathering stuff for dinner.
Eric and Martin laughed and sat down at the bar trying to give Annie space to move around while she cooked.
''Where's Ruthie, I needed to talk to her about something.'' Martin asked as he went to the refrigerator to get something to drink.
''She should be here in a minute, I called her a few minutes ago and she said she was almost home.''
''She should've been home way before me, she's been gone a little over an hour.'' Martin announced looking at his watch. ''It's too dark and late for her to be out by herself, next time I'm just gonna ask her to wait for me.''
Annie and Eric looked to each other at the same time and smiled, happy that there youngest daughter had found such a caring friend as Martin was. Martin was probably the only boy that they completely trusted with Ruthie, well, the only boy that wasn't related to her.
''She said she got caught up talking with her and lost track of time.'' Annie explained to Martin.
As if on cue, Ruthie came walking through the door with her head down.
''Hi, Ruthie.''
"Hey, Ruthie.''
''Uh..oh..hey everybody, listen I think I'm gonna skip supper tonight and go to bed.'' Ruthie said dejectedly as she started to make her way up the stairs to her room.
Martin waited a moment then followed after Ruthie telling her parents he was going to go check on her.
Ruthie tossed her book bag onto the floor and collapsed on her bed. Thinking about Melissa she sighed, wondering if she was doing the right thing by letting Melissa talk to her father by herself. She'd had a pretty good feeling about it when she left Melissa's house, but the longer she walked the longer she had time to think about it, she did have an overactive imagination sometimes, but being physically abused by someone who claims to love you is a serious issue. But Ruthie figured that Melissa was a smart girl, so she would wait till tomorrow afternoon like she promised, but she didn't feel good about it.
''Are you okay?''
Ruthie rolled over to see Martin standing in her doorway looking at her with concerned eyes. She sat up and motioned for him to come sit next to her.
''Yeah, I'm fine..why?''
''You just seem a little...down I guess.''
''I'm just tired, how was baseball practice, was it worth making me walk home all by myself?''
''You know, you don't have to be a smart aleck right?''
''I know, but life's more fun that way.''
Martin looked at her with a raised brow and she smiled innocently at him. After a moment she yawned and curled up to her pillow. Martin got up taking the blanket from the other bed he gently laid it over Ruthie and pulled it up to her shoulder. Smiling at her he tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ears.
''Good night, Ruthie.''
''Night, Martin.''
Martin walked to the door and turned to switch the light off. He knew there was something bothering Ruthie and he was going to find out. But for now he would leave his friend to her peaceful slumber.