Chapter 18: Are you gonna finish that?

"Please?"
"Ruthie No." Martin was beginning to get irritated.
"I can't do this" Ruthie pulled his hand gently.
Rolling his eye's Martin pulled her along behind him. "You can - and you will. Your the one who agreed to come, you can't back down now."
"I wasn't thinking right! I had just found out my brother's having a baby, and then everything was happening with you. And to top it all off I had like a 1000 degree temperature - I was delusional!"
"Your such a drama queen."
"Yea ... but you looove meeee." She said in a sing song voice.
Martin stopped and turned to face her. "You know what ... I really do." A goofy smile spread across her face. "I mean I still don't completely understand why -"
Ruthie gasped in mock surprise, and punched his arm, which caused them both to laugh. Martin pulled her to him, wrapped his arms around her and kissed her. When they pulled apart he leaned his head against her's and smiled. "Oh that's right. It's because I love doing that."
Ruthie smiled shyly and looked down. Martin simply lifted her chin and kissed her again.

"Awe honey look - my little sister has a toung down her throat." At the sound of the sarcastic voice coming from somewhere next to them, Martin & Ruthie jumped apart.
"Oh my Gosh Simon leave them alone. Hey you guy's." Cecilia walked over and gave Ruthie a long hug, before giving Martin a shorter one - figuring it might be alittle awkward for both Simon and Ruthie.
Simon who had yet to say another word , had stuffed his hands in his pockets and kept his eye's on Ruthie, who was staring right back at him. Martin and Cecilia were standing quietly to the side, an awkward silence had taken over the small group, deciding that it was best if they gave the two some time alone, they walked over to a nearby table.

The silence remained for a few moments longer before Simon began to speak. "I'm really sorry ... I didn't mean for you to be ... I didn't want you to have to ... ya know?-" His voice began to shake with held back tears.
Ruhtie's eye's filled almost instantly, and she walked over and hugged her brother. "You didn't want me to be the first to know." He shook his head while his arms were still wrapped around her. "Because you didn't want me to have to hide this from anybody." He gave a small nod. Ruthie pulled away and sat down on the wall next to them. Simon followed her actions. "I'm so happy that I'm the only one who knows. ... because -"
"It feels like old times ... me and you against ... everyone else." Ruthie laughed and nodded.
The smile that had briefly graced her face, quickly faltered. "But it's not really me and you is it? I mean it's me, you, Martin & Cecilia."
Simon gave a small nod while his gaze fixated on the floor. 'Yea..." Then as if he had just been struck by her statement, he quickly shook his head and looked up at her through confused eye's. "What? No - Ruthie no matter what - or who - happens in our lives ... it's always going to be me and you. ... Your my sister - my friend ... one my BEST friends. The only way we survived as kids was because we had eachother ... and the only way I'm going to survive the next couple of months - years ... is if we stick to that. I love Cecilia - with every inch of my heart ... and you apparently... Tolerate - Martin..." Ruthie who had tears falling down her cheeks, rolled her eye's, knowing that he was joking. Simon simply smiled in return. "But that's not going to change anything between us."
Ruthie smiled, and sat quietly for a moment before she decided she needed to finish this conversation. "As great as that sounds ... it's a lie." Simon gave her a mixture of looks - hurt, anger & confusion. "Things have already changed, it hasn't been like that between us in a really long time. We're not as close as we were back then ... we don't talk - EVER - as a matter of fact I think this is actually the longest conversation we've had sense you left to school." Simon began to protest, when she cut him off with a shake of her head. "You know it's true. And I love Martin ..." She saw Simon flinch at her words. Which got a small laugh out of her. "And as weird as it is for people to hear that - it's still just as strange to hear myself say it. But I do - and it's a feeling I've never come close to feeling before - it's new and scary and exciting ... but mostly scary. And I have nobody to talk to about that ..." He began to speak again and again she cut him off knowing what he was going to say. "Lucy. OK she's our sister - we love her ... but do you actually remember her track record of past relationships? Not so good." Simon laughed and motioned for her to continue. "I need somebody Simon ... and I would love if that was you. I want my brother back - for ever selfish reason that there is. ..." Not knowing what he could possibly say, Simon nodded and hugged her.
"OK ... I'm sorry for ... everything - and I promise - it's not going to be like that anymore ..." Ruthie nodded in response as they pulled away."And from now on we talk about everything - if your having a bad hair day, you woke up late - anything - I wanna know. OK?" Laughing Ruthie wiped her cheeks, smiled and gave a small nod. Simon smiled. "OK. Now enough of that mushy stuff ... I don't know about you but I'm starving and I think we've left them waiting long enough..."
Ruthie laughed as Simon turned around to see that Martin and Cecilia had already ordered a pizza and were eating."I think their OK." Simon laughed as they both got up and slowly made their way over to the table. "So this is weird right? I mean it's not just me?"
"What are you talking about?"
"Me and Martin ... You and Cecilia ... Martin and Cecilia." Simon simply shrugged. "OH COME ON! You know it's weird!"
"I guess. But I mean I dealt with the whole Martin Cecilia thing while it was happening ... and we're together now so it doesn't really bother me." Ruthie stared at him for a second before nodding.
"Wow. That's very muture of you." They walked a few more seconds in silence before Simon let out a loud sigh.
"OK it's weird! She was my girlfriend - then his - now she's mine again - and now he's with my sister. How could that possibly not be weird!" Ruthie practically burst with laughter as the approached the table.

At the sound of her laugh Martin looked up from his plate and smiled. "Hey." Standing up from his chair he pulled Ruthies out for her and kissed her cheek. "Everything OK now?" He said it low enough for only her to hear.
Smiling she nodded and sat down.

"So Cecilia - I didn't really get the chance to ask you before ... how are you?"
"Besides the getting fat, mood swings, constant throwing up, and weird cravings? I'm doing pretty good. You?" Was her sarcastic had been taking her second bite of pizza when she had said 'throwing up', which prompted her to put it back down. Not knowing how to answer that - or weather or not she should answer it at all, she looked from Simon to Martin and back. "Well uhm ... I got stuck in the rain the other night - and ended up with a pretty bad cold." Cecilia stared at her daring her to continue. "Oh and Martin pulled me to the ground with him - God I've never felt that dirty before." A wicked grin spread across Cecilia's face, as Simon stared at Martin like he was about to pounce on him. Ruthie sat there oblivious for a few seconds before Martin jumped up and ran from Simon who chased after him.. "MUD! ... I fell! ... I swear! ... I took her down with me!" Simon sped up as did Martin. "Come back here! ... I'm not gonna kill you! ... Just - hurt you a little bit!" "Your crazy man! ... We fell in the rain! ..."

Cecilia's wicked smirk turned into a bright smile, as Ruthie watched her brother chase her boyfriend around the promenade. Cecilia giggled softly and Ruthie looked at her curiously. "Are you gonna to finish that?" She gestured to Ruthies slice of pizza. Slowly Ruthie shook her head and pushed the plate in the other girls direction. Cecilias smile seemed to grow as she bit into the the cheesy slice, and Ruthie turned her attention back to the two boy's running around like lunatics.

AN: OK everyone ... well here's chp. 18 ... it's not the best but it is what it is lol. Not very much Martin/Ruthie ... but I hope you enjoyed it anyway!

ANY AND ALL feedback isWELCOME! So PLEASE tell ME what YOU think! Thank you all so much for reading ... OK well LOVE ya ALL!

OthGgC