Author's Note: Again with the disgustingly long wait in between updates. Sorry. I had a little trouble with this chapter at first, but once I got it started it worked out well. Well enough that it's a two-parter anyway. Here's the first part (it's a little short, I know –and really more like a prologue than a part one). I should be done with the second part sometime between tomorrow and May. Oh, and as usual: thanks for the reviews and I hope you like this new chapter…

Chapter 5: Spin-the-Bottle (part 1/prologue)

June, 2005

redhotruby813: hey ren

Ren eyed the box that had popped up on her computer screen angrily for a moment before ex-ing it out. She wasn't in the mood to deal with Ruby, and she had no intention of doing so. She went back to typing her book report.

redhotruby813: so… i assume ur still mad at me

This new message appeared on Ren's computer screen after a couple of minutes had passed. Again, Ren's mouse quickly made its way to the little "x" in the corner of the dialogue box, and again Ren went back to typing.

redhotruby813: u cant stay mad at me forever, u no

Ren rolled her eyes –this message making her even more annoyed. What's so hard about typing out "you" and "know", the brunette thought before logging off AIM.

Down the street, the brunette's friend let out a frustrated shriek. Ren hadn't talked to Ruby since the last day of school, and even then it was only to tell the redhead that she wasn't going to Larry's kick-off-to-summer blow-out –only the most important party of the year. She's probably finishing that book report that's not due for another three months, Ruby rolled her eyes at the thought. That's it, she thought, grabbing her cell phone and walking out her front door. She dialed Ren's cell number in the hopes that the girl would actually have it turned on for once in her life, but Ruby had no such luck. Of course, the stubborn girl was not about to give up that easily.

The Stevens' phone started ringing. Eileen Stevens was in the kitchen with her husband, flour everywhere. "Honey, could you get that?" she asked after a few rings, not looking up from the dough she was kneading.

"Sorry, no can do," Steve answered, the pain apparent in his voice. He was holding his now-bright-red hands in the sink under a stream of cool water. Evidently, he had burned them. Both of them.

Again.

Although her hands had a thick layer of cookie dough covering them, Eileen knew better than to wait for her one of her call-challenged children to answer the phone. She unsuccessfully attempted to wipe some of the dough off her hands before answering the phone on its eighth ring. "Hello," she greeted.

"Mrs. Stevens?" Ruby questioned, recognizing the voice, but not the flustered tone of it.

"Yes," Eileen answered, too distracted by the sudden appearance of Beans in her kitchen to elaborate.

"Um… this is Ruby. Could I talk to Ren?"

"Of course, sweetie," Eileen said pleasantly as she swatted Beans away from the cakes she had made. He was about to dip his fingers in the icing. "Just hold on for one moment," Eileen said to Ruby, before turning to Beans. "Alright, I'll make a deal with you," she said, her tone of voice telling the little boy that she meant business.

He stared at her hard. "Shoot," he said, his voice equally business-like.

"Stay out of my kitchen for the rest of the day and I'll make it worth your while tomorrow at breakfast."

The little boy eyed the woman suspiciously. "Will there be bacon?"

Eileen leaned over to place herself eye-level with Beans. "Mountains of it."

Beans continued to eye Mrs. Stevens for a few moments before sticking out his hand. "I think we've got ourselves a deal."

…

Upstairs, Ren was staring at her computer screen, proof-reading her report. Being the perfectionist that she was, she became so immersed in finding and correcting flaws that she didn't notice her door slowly squeak open. She also didn't notice the sound of footsteps coming up closer and closer behind her…

"Hey Ren!" Beans shouted, making Ren nearly fall out of her chair. The little boy smiled and laughed from getting the reaction he'd hoped for, before holding out the Stevens' kitchen phone for Ren. "You're mom told me to give this to you."

"Who is it?" Ren asked her annoying neighbor.

"It's Ruby!" Ren got her answer, not from Beans, but from the phone. "You can't keep ignoring me Ren!" the redhead shouted into her cell.

Ren rolled her eyes and told Beans to hang up. The little boy just shrugged and did what he was told. He wasn't really in the mood to annoy Ren... Plus, he could've sworn he smelled bacon as he passed Louis's room. He darted down the hall to go investigate.

…

Five minutes later, the door to Ren's room opened once again –this time a lot faster, causing a gust of air to hit Ren's face as an annoyed Ruby bolted inside. "Look, I'm sorry, okay? Happy now?" she greeted her friend.

"No."

"Ugh, Ren why are you making such a big deal out of this! We live in San Fransisco, California not Small Town USA, Kansas!" the redhead shouted in frustration. Lowering her voice substantially, she added, "No one cares that you're gay, Ren."

Slightly paranoid, Ren didn't say a word until she shut her door. "I care. Besides, that's not even the point. I told you something in confidentiality and you go and tell the whole school," Ren said harshly, but without raising her voice above a whisper.

"Okay, first of all, I so did not tell the whole school. I told, like, two people and it just… spread. And second of all, it's me you're dealing with. I kept quiet for a whole year. That's probably the longest I've kept something to myself in my entire life."

At least she's honest, Ren thought. But her anger refused to let her forgive her friend just yet. "That's no excuse for outing me to the whole school!" the brunette said, managing to do the impossible and shout while still whispering.

Ruby rolled her eyes. "Fine, I'm a horrible person who should be jailed, beaten, and forced to be a librarian. But, still, you've gotta admit I did you a bit of a favor. Now that you're out, you can start dating. Oh my God, I know this girl that would be perfect for you! I can set you up next-"

"No." Ren sighed, no longer angry with her easily-excitable friend. "Thank you, but… Have you considered the idea that maybe I'm not ready to start dating yet?"

Never before knowing that the words "not ready to start dating" could go together in that order, Ruby's answer was no. "You're just nervous, Ren. Come on, I know you'll love her. Tall, blonde, absolutely gorgeous –I'd totallytap that."

Ren cringed. "For the sake of my sanity, please never use the expression 'tap that' ever again… Besides, you're the straightest person… ever. I really doubt that you'd…" Ren cringed again, "tap that."

"Okay, so maybe you're right… which is good because then you won't have any competition." Ruby gave her friend her best puppy-dog pout. "Come on, Ren. Just give her a shot. If it doesn't work out, I have plenty of other friends I can hook you up with."

Which is further proof that you have way too many friends, Ren thought. "Thanks Ruby, really, but no. I just don't want to start dating yet."

The redhead looked quizzically at Ren for a moment before raising an eyebrow. "Is it that you don't want to start dating yet… or that you don't want to date anyone who isn't Tawny?"

The taller girl, with her mouth agape and a blank look on her face, stared at her friend. "How did you… I never said… I only told you…"

"Do you really think I'm that stupid?" Ruby rolled her eyes. "I can put two and two together, you know." (Usually to come up with five, Ren thought.) "Besides, it's pretty much blaringly obvious to everyone that you have a thing for her. That's why Louis dumped her, you know."

"What?" Again, the brunette looked completely puzzled –usually a rare occurrence for the perfect, goody-goody, straight-A Ren Stevens. "But he said-"

"That he'd lost interest –that he didn't think they'd work out," Ruby completed Ren's sentence for her. "He really did it because he thought you deserved a fair chance to be with her… There was a little truth to what he said though. He did think they wouldn't have worked out –but not because he wasn't interested in her."

Ren stood silently in place. As predictable as her brother could be with his childish jokes and stupid pranks, Louis never failed to surprise Ren with his occasional bouts of maturity. Usually a self-centered brat, it was more than a little odd that with the one thing –one person- that meant more to him than anything, Louis was willing to share. "Do you think she's interested in me?" Ren asked.

"Louis sure is convinced that she is," Ruby answered. She smiled warmly, basking in the knowledge that she was about to get her way, and gave her friend a hug. "She'll be at Larry's party tonight. You should come with me –find out if Louis is right."

"Okay." Ren sighed, nodding slowly. "I'll go."

To be continued...