Chapter 15: Hold My Hand
Hold it tight

6:45pm

Ruthie sat on her bed hugging her knees to her chest, crying. 'Today was so great ... how did this happen?I told him everything would be OK ...'

'Flashback to 1hour earlier'

Ruthie and Martin sat on the bench on the back porch, kissing.Neither one remembered how they had gotten there, but there they were.Doing what they had been doing for most of the day. She had her arms wrapped around his neck, pulling him closer and closer, each second.And before she knew what was happening she was laying back on the bench, pulling him ontop of her.''' What am I doing?I have to stop this ... why? Were not doing anything wrong. ... And I'll stop if it go's to far. ... Won't I? '''

Martin's Room

Martin sat at his desk staring blankly at the bright computer screen in front of him. Fighting back the tears that threatened to fall, he swallowed hard. 'What was I thinking? I can't believe this is happening. I'm probably going to get kicked out now, And then I'll have to go and live with my aunt, and I'll never see her again. What am I going do? ...'

'Flashback to 1hour earlier'

He held Ruthie in his arms, she pulled him closer each second, deepening their kiss. He didn't remember how they had gotten outside,it was kind of cold, but he wasn't about to complain. He pulled one of his hands from around her waist , and cupped her cheek in it.His hand then moved through her hair and setteled on the back of her neck. Then without realizing what was happening, Ruthie was laying back on the bench, pulling him along with her. ''' Oh god what am I doing? We can't do this. Wait we're only kissing, there's nothing wrong with that. I mean if this starts to go to far ... I'll stop. Right?'''

Ruthie's Room

'Continued Flashback 5 minutes later'

'''OK I have to stop this. NOW!''' Ruthie started to pull away, but before she could a voice from across the yard made Martin jump up and off the bench.


Eric stood, motionless, and wide eyed, across the yard. "Oh God." Ruthie jumped up and stood a few feet away from Martin. " W-W-WHAT IS GONIG ON! NO! NO DON'T ANSWER THAT!WHAT DO YOU TWO THINK YOUR DOING?"

Ruthie looked at Martin and saw the frightened look on his face. "Dad-"

Eric cut her off. "Is this why you two didn't go to church today! You faked sick so you could make-out all day!"

"N-NO sir we weren't faking. We are sick. I didn't ... I mean ... W-We ..." Ruthie watched as Martin tried to explain what was going to on, to her dad. But when she saw his hand's shaking she decided to try her best to help him out.

"Dad, you don't understand. I know that what you saw right now, looked ... well ... but we weren't doing anything. ... I mean we were, but ..." Seeing the frightened look Martin was giving her, told her that she wasn't helping the situation.

"You lied to your mother, so you could stay home and ... mess around!" Ruthie felt anger rise in her.'That's what he think's this is? Us "Messing Around"?'But she decided not to say anything, for fear of making things worse. She just watched the emotions play across her father's face, as he looked at her. Then all of a sudden, as if just acknowledging, that Martin was still standing beside her, she watched as he looked swiftly in Martin's direction. "And you! We trusted you! Made you apart of our family! And this is how you repay us!" That was one thing she wasn't going to let happen, Martin was not going to get blamed for this. It was her decision not to tell them, Letting the anger finally spill through, tears began to sting her eye's. "Lying to us! Messing around with our-"

"STOP IT!" Both Eric and Martin looked at her, with wide eye's.

Martin's Room

'Contuined Flashback'

He stood and listened as Eric yelled at him. Tears threatening to fall, he swallowed hard, pushing back the lump that had formed in his throat. When he herd Ruthie yell at her father to stop, he gave her a shocked look. He wanted to stop her from saying anything else, but something stopped him. He just watched as she fought for him, ... for them.

"STOP Yelling at him! This is not his fault! As a matter of fact it's nobody's fault, because we weren't doing anything wrong! And you know Martin would never do anything with me! We were JUST kissing, that's all! Nothing else was happening! And how dare you even think that we are just "Messing Around"! That's not what this is! That's not what WE are! It was my decision not to tell you and Mom, he wanted to! But I didn't want to, because I knew you would tell us that we couldn't be together anymore! I Love him Dad! And he Love's me! And we ARE together! No matter what you say, it's not going to change how I feel about him!"

Martin watched her as she said this, and knew what she said was true. She would love him no matter what. And even though, it might not have been the right time, he felt a smile spread across his face. Then quickly bringing hiself back to reality, he looked at the man standing across the yard. And saw the tears in his eye's.

"Just ... go up stairs." His words came out barley loud enough for them to hear. "To your own rooms." He quickly added.

Martin felt Ruthie looking at him, and when he looked back at her, he saw the tears streaming down her cheeks. He wanted to hold her, and take all of her pain away. But he couldn't, not now, so quietly they both turned doing what they were told, and walked quietly into the house and up to their seprate room's.

'End of Flashback'

Martin smiled to himself again. 'She told him she loves me. She told her DAD that she LOVES me!' He jumped when he herd a knock on his door, and the smile on his face quickly disappeared. And his heart began to race.

"C-" He cleared his throat, which made a shot of pain shoot through him. His sour throat seemed to have gotten worse as the day went on. "Come in." He let out a sigh of relief when he saw Lucy walk in.

She gave him a sympathetic smile, shut the door and leaned against it. Martin shifted in his chair, feeling uncomfortable, with Lucy staring at him, like she was."What?"
"You OK?"
Martin smiled sarcastically at her.'NO!' "Sure I'm fine. ... I mean what's there to not be OK about?" Lucy just kept looking at him. "Oh you mean the whole thing with your dad, 'the man who gave me a place to live, made me a part of your family, TRUSTED me', walking in on me making out with your sister, his daughter. That whole thing? I'm just fine."
Lucy inhaled a long breath as Martin crossed his arms protectively across his chest. "Martin he didn't mean what he said. He was just mad."
Martin gave a short laugh. "Yeah well he sure looked like he ment it. ... And how would you even know? You weren't even there."
"I know, becuase it's not the first time his given that speech. It's just a 'Dad' thing. And besides what did you expect? I mean come on ... the porch Martin?" She laughed lightly, which caused Martin to smile slightly. "What were you thinking?" She mimiced him and crossed her armss across her chest.

Martin looked down at his feet and sighed. "I wasn't. ..." He looked up at Lucy. " That's been happening alot lately, all I can think about is Ruthie." Martin began to blush, when Lucy smiled at him again. "Sorry I shouldn't be telling you this, she's your sister, it's probably awkward for you."
She laughed again, and let her arms fall to her sides."Are you kidding me? I'm just glad I don't have to watch you two walk around telling everyone, that you were like brother and sister, when I knew how you both really felt. Because seriously it was getting kind of creepy." They both laughed this time, but stopped when sombody else knocked on the door. Martin began to breath hard again, he knew who was on the other side of the door and what was about to happen. Lucy opened the door, and peeked out.

The voice he herd was not the one he was expecting, ... it was Mrs.Camden."Luce? What are you doing in here?"
"Just talking to Martin."
"Oh, well tell him we're ready to talk to him and Ruthie downstairs please."
"Sure mom."
"Thank you."

After shutting the door, she turned to Martin and saw the frightened look on his face. She watched as his unsteadily stood up, and she felt sorry for him."Hey think of it this way, It could be worse."
He looked at her like she was crazy."How on could it possibly be worse?"
"Well ... Kevin and Simon could have caught you." She smiled at Martin one more time, before opening it for him, and ushering him out.
"Very funny." With that he walked away leaving Lucy behind in his doorway, biteing her bottom lip.

Kitchen

Martin steped off the starcase and saw Ruthie was alredy there sitting on a stool at the counter, she looked up and smiled at him. He bagan to say something, but just then Eric and Annie walked in.

Annie was the first one to see them."Oh good your both here. Sit down we need to talk." Ruthie stood up, and sat at the table, followed by Martin, who sat next to her, Eric and Annie sat across from them.Under the table, Ruthie reached over and picked up Martin's in to her's, and held it tight.