A/N: Hey you guys sorry for the late update! Whoever is still interested in this story, thanks for sticking there with me! And I promise more updates! I lost my harddrive a while back along with the POV of Martin. This was actually a good thing, because as I re-wrote the Martin Pov chapter (which the story still contains) new ideas emerged and the story just grew on its own. The story is done; there are two parts to this story. Part 1…
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Ruthie wonders if all the CD's Lucy asked her to take to the Church dance are still on top of her closet. She'd lent some out to Margaret and Meredith, but she can't remember if she got them back or if they were collecting dust somewhere in her room. Most of her CD's had been either Indi Rock or Alternative. There was also some rather embarrassing 80's and early 90's power ballads that she secretly kept stashed under her bed, but those had no intention of ever seeing the light of day. Maybe Boy George was in this year?
Lucy, perhaps delusional and deranged when she thought this out, must have thought that since Ruthie was a teenager, she would have an idea of what was 'in'? And although Ruthie did consider herself to be in with the trends her songs were far from 'in' let alone songs that would be made to dance... in this era. Still, she wanted to do this one thing right because Lucy had been counting on her to come up with a good selection. But Ruthie shouldn't have been thinking of that right now, not when she was a little occupied at that particular moment.
T-bone is on top and she is on the bottom. It's would have been rare occasion had this been two months ago. They are lying on the couch, while everyone else is at the Church getting ready for the dance going on later tonight. Lips were moving as hands roamed with inexperience and desperation, but it was T-bone was doing most of the work. He'd made a few soft groans in the back of his throat. At least someone was enjoying it. This had been a good distraction from her problem once. She grabs the back of his neck and deepens the kiss. Damn it. Why wasn't it working anymore?
The remote control has been digging on her lower back for the past thirty minutes and it's starting to hurt like hell. She knows that she's been squirming, and fumbling in her kisses, but she just can't stand the discomfort anymore.
"Something wrong?" He says a little breathless when he looks up.
"No. No." Ruthie lifts her hips a little. "The remote. See?" She brings the remote from under her and sets it on top of the coffee table. She takes this as an opportunity to lift herself from underneath him. The mood totally killed.
He let out an audible sigh when he lifts his weight to give her room to sit up. When she is fully gone, he collapses back on the couch. T-bone lies there rubbing his hands over his face as she sits with her back to him adjusting the buttons on her pink camisole. Ruthie doesn't have to see his face to know that he is annoyed by how it turned out. She'd been doing it all week long.
Last summer they had talked about having sex, and maybe even a couple of months ago she would have done it, allowed him to be her first, but now so many things had been changing inside her.
When Ruthie turned to look at him she finds him observing her with lowered eyes.
She cleared her throat in discomfort.
"Are you ok?" she asks.
"I just need a minute," he shrugs in response and get up from couch.
"Are you sure?" she asks again, suddenly doubtful.
He doesn't say anything when he leaves her sitting there, unanswered question and all, and makes his way upstairs.
Ruthie should say sorry, but sorry for what? Was he really going to pressure her into something she wasn't sure she wanted? She sits there for a minute before remembering that she needs to finds those damn CDs up in her room.
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The boom box sits next to her, REO Speedwagon's 'Keep on loving you' playing softy in the background as she tries too categorize all the CD's by genres. This doesn't mean that it's any easier to find the kind of CD's that can be discrived as "danceable". She is sitting on the floor, the CD cases are everywhere and she can't find anything, or see a trace of a floorboard for that matter. Cindi Lauper's, "Girls just want to have fun" is still in right? It was an oldie but a goody. (Or so Mary had brainwashed her to think). She was screwed.
She hears heavy drag of footsteps outside the hall. When they near the weighty steps stop. There is silence for a moment followed by a soft knock to her door.
"Can I come in?"
It's T-bone and she tells him yes. When he does, he takes one look the state of her room and raises a questionable eyebrow her way.
"Lucy is having me put a mix of music for the dance tonight." She bids in explanation, a bit embarrassed by the mess.
He gives her an 'Ah' look and hovers around the door as she shovels the cases into one large pile in front of her.
"Need any help?" He offers. He stands there waiting, looking awkward as shoves his hands into the front pockets of his dark blue jeans.
Ruthie knows the only reason he wants to 'help' is because he feels guilty that he walked away before, but she chooses to be the avoider this time, because hey, he started it first. She knows that they should talk about it, but avoiding was so much easier.
"No, I have it all covered." She says with a smile, lying through her teeth. Liar, liar…
Lately she's been avoiding spending time alone with him, but he's been acting distant to.
"Ok…" He looks a little deflated by her response but he still manages to return the smile. "I think I'm going to head to the church, then. Your dad asked me if I could stop by and help set up the DJ booth."
"Alright. " She says and hopes it sounds neutral enough.
"Love you." He tells her.
"Me too."
He nods and looks at her for a moment. She cant read his face, because along the way he's become good at hiding things that even she forgot how to read him, but still, its like he knows. Liar. It feels like its just on the tip of his tongue but he doesn't say anything.
He turns around and shuffles away.
"T-bone?" she calls after him.
"Yes?" he looks almost hopeful when he turns around.
"Um… Can you please close the door on you're way out?" She immediately feels bad when she sees his shoulders drop.
He closes the door and she hears his steps become more faint when he walks down the hallway. When Ruthie hears light steps going down the stairs she knows that he is gone.
With a heavy groan she falls back to the floor. What is she doing? She blames the lack of sleep. Ruthie thinks that she can't fall asleep without her late night snacks. She's even lost five pounds because of it! And though she should be happy, she could gladly gain forty pounds and have it all back. Well maybe not, but it seems that as the days pass she becomes less logical. It hurts, it hurts so much…and before she could go on her usual full-blown rant on her emotional issues that her life seemed to carry on a daily basis, she hears someone outside her door.
"Is there anyone here?" The voice is sort of deep. She doesn't recognize it, so she quickly grabs the first thing around, a bunch of the CD cases, and stands up. She waits now, still as a statue.
"Snookie?" The voice speaks again, but this time Ruthie recognizes the nickname, and quickly puts a face to that voice.
"Robbie?" She says a little unsure, but she takes a few steps forward.
She watches as the doorknob turns and the door begins to open.
"Snooks!" Its Robbie, standing there with his hands stretched out and his grin so wide it looks like it hurts.
Ruthie nearly runs the small distance between them. When she leaps into his open arms, Ruthie is pretty sure that her face mirrors his.
"What are you doing here!" she cries out excitingly, arms still hold him tightly.
Ruthie can't believe her eyes. Robbie, the guy who nicknamed her Snookie year ago when he caught her stealing cookies is right here in her room. It almost feels like he never left. Sure, the guy has some morning stubble and his hair is growing out, and she admits that it looks bit odd on his face, but its so Robbie that it suits him perfectly. He smells like laundry detergent and fresh morning air. It had defiantly been a long time, but damn if it didn't feel great to see him again.
"Um Ruthie…" he half chocked out, "admitting this might be a blow to my ego, but you're hurting me with the killer grip, do you mind loosening your arms a bit?"
"Sorry" she says as she lets go.
They both laugh as he nurses his hurt shoulders, among other things.
They stand there for a moment, the silence broken when she suddenly punches him in the arm.
"You scared me to death!"
"Ouch Ruthie!" He does a weird convention of flinches and squints
"You turned into quite a violent person haven't you?"
"I thought you were a burglar or something." She says defensibly.
"Do I look like a burglar? Besides, I think I'm a little late for that don't you think?" She sees him scanning the room.
" Looks to me like someone already broke in, and decided to raid your CD collection. Oh look Vanilla Ice! Nice." he flashes her a smile and motions for a high five.
Ruthie rolls her eyes but still manages a weak high five.
"Ah Snookie, I knew you were in there."
"So?" she looks at him expectantly.
"So, What?" Robbie asks confused.
"So...What are you doing here?"
"In your room? Snookie, kinda obvious why I'm in here."
She gives him a look that tells Robbie he knows darn well that's not what she's asking.
"I don't even get a 'Hey Robbie nice you see you?" he asks, playfully nudging her arm.
Ruthie stares unamused.
Robbie knows that this battle had been lost long before it began. He takes a deep breath. " I heard about Mr. Camden."
His focus suddenly shifting to the CD's cases scattered all over the floor.
She quickly wants to take her words back. Ruthie doesn't have to see his face to that there is guilt written all over it.
"Matt told me that he hadn't been doing well." Robbie sounds so serious now, regretful.
"He's was sick, but he's ok now." Ruthie feels her voice go softer.
"I know." He clears his throat. "I know. Its just…I should have been here."
"You didn't know."
"I wanted to be here, especially after all he did for me. I owed him that"
"But you're here now." She says gently.
When he looks up, his smile doesn't quite reaching all the way.
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All serious conversations aside, Robbie helps Ruthie pick a couple of CD's that he assures her are still "awesome". Robbie comments that her CD collection is quite limited of any good music, which automatically earns him a couple of more punches to the arm. He tells her that she is lucky he brought his ipod and she just rolls her eyes. Secretly Ruthie is very thankful, but he doesn't have to know this.
The condition for letting her borrow his ipod, he tells her, Vanilla Ice is a must. They were still in the negotiations stage with that.
When they're done, they head downstairs because Robbie is hungry and Ruthie just doesn't want to look at another CD in her life.
She makes him a sandwich and puts a side of cookies in his plate. He laughs good-naturedly and asks her if she is still in the cookie stealing business.
"Shut up." She answers, laughing.
"So Snookie. How's life in Glenoak treating you? Any boyfriend's I should be having a talk with?"
"Umm, life here is," she tries to find the right words, "interesting and complicated"
"Interesting and complicated?" He repeats as he learns forward, with a smirk, hoping to hear just how interesting and complicated.
"Yes. But hey what about you?" She tries to shift the conversation back to him because she'd rather not talk about it.
" Not so fast Ruthie Camden. Now its your turn to spill." He sits there waiting, looking amused.
"Robbie, I just…I rather not ok? I've had a couple of rough weeks and I haven't been sleeping well. So, how about we leave it at that?"
Robbie seems to contemplate it for a moment but when his wide grin appears again, Ruthie knows that he had no intention of leaving anything alone.
"Snookie I know about complicated and I know about Interesting. Come on, I lived in this house too. Dated Mary and Lucy, Remember?"
With a heavy sigh she knows that maybe its wise to get an opinion from a person that doesn't know either Martin or T-bone. Maybe Robbie would be the perfect person to confide in, because frankly who else was there who could understand better than Robbie?
"Ok." She concedes, a bit hesitant. "But I'm warning you, it's a long story."
He nods and she takes that as an ok to start.
"Well, It all started about two months ago, but even then you can say it goes back to years ago. It all started with a boy. His name is Martin. Martin Brewer lived here with us, just like you had, and well I kind of fell for him…"
Robbie sits there listening and nodding here and there. Ruthie tells him the short version. How she had fallen for Martin, about Sandy and baby Aaron, and the humiliation of realizing that he only liked her like a friend. She tells him about coming home from Scotland and meeting and falling in love with T-bone, how she even got a tattoo with his name on her back. Robbie looked shocked when she told him that part. Ruthie also told him about her break up with T-bone via text message and then getting with Martin, only to find out that he was two timing with Jane, which ultimately led to the break up. She told him about this new Martin, the one who wanted to make amends, asking her to give him another chance, but instead choosing T-bone because she loved him and forgave him. Then, Ruthie told Robbie about the sleepless nights, and the late night snacks.
"Then about two weeks ago, I find out that he's back with Jane. I mean come on! First he tells me that he's in love with me and then he goes off and asks Jane out? He's a jerk right? Why should I let that two timing jerk affect me?" She feels a little out of breath, but all this has brought up so much anger that in trumps any feelings of being tired.
"First of all wow." he blinks a couple of times before continuing. " I need a minute for the spinning effect in my head to go away."
If feels so weird to get all that off her chest, but she sure feels a whole lot lighter, and when Ruthie thinks about it, she understand what Robbie means.
"Ruthie, sounds to me like you know the answer to a lot of your questions." Robbie finally remarks.
"What do you mean?"
"Late night snacks with a guy you can't stand? Letting this Martin guy get to you even though you love that T-jay guy?"
"T-bone" Ruthie corrects.
"Look Snook's I get it. Hell, I was T-bone, remember?"
She did. Ruthie remembers Robbie telling Mary to pick him over Wilson, the guy with the baby.
"I sympathize with the guy, but I can tell that that's not where you're heart is at" And as if he could tell, he put up a hand to stop her from interrupting.
"Ruthie let me ask you something. Why are you so mad that he asked that girl out, if you already have T-bone?" Robbie asks, carefully.
She must look like a fish on water, opening and closing her mouth. She doesn't have an answer. Why did she care? Ruthie knew why she cared, but those feelings, they had the power to bring her up the highest of mountains, or make her fall to the lowest deeps.
"I…I can't lie anymore" She says to no one. "I guess I've always known."
"You still love him?" Robbie's voice is warm, understanding.
"Maybe."
They stay quiet for a moment before Robbie asks, "So, tall, curly hair, and skinny? He must be T-bone, right?
Oh no. T-bone. What was going to happen to them? I'd looked like the avoidable was about to become the unavoidable. It was finally time for them to have a serious talk.
"Yes. Wait, how do you know how he looks like? She looks at him puzzled.
"Well…" his lip quirk as he puts two fingers on each side of his temples. "Didn't you know? I'm psychic"
"Yeah, ok…" she laughs and rolls her eyes, Ruthie Camden style.
"Ok, I saw him for a second when I was coming in through the back door. Besides, I stopped by the church before I came here, figuring your dad would be there and I met Martin."
"You've met him?" she asks surprised.
"Yes, which actually explains a lot." He laughs. "I would have been here earlier, but it took your dad some time to convince the kid that I wasn't a stranger to you. I guess he didn't trust me to be her with you. Before I left he told me he was a baseball player, and very good with a bat."
Ruthie couldn't the smile tugging at the edge of her lips. The butterflies were everywhere. He…he wanted to protect her. Shouldn't he be mad at her? I mean she'd been acting Doctor Jekyll and Mister Hyde for the last couple of months, even she was mad at herself.
"Either way, Snooks, looks like my replacements are no prices, but somehow they got a girl like you so how bad can they be?"
"Believe me Robbie, I'm no price." She makes it sound like it's a matter of fact.
Robbie looks at her incredulously. "Ruthie, you are one of the greatest girls left out there. Smart, beautiful, strong. A true Camden lady."
He walks up to her and puts an arm around her shoulder. "You can quote me on that."
"No Vanilla Ice" She tells him at the risk of sounding cheesy with another line.
"Oh Come on!"
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Robbie is taking a phone call in the hallway and Ruthie decides to check her text messages. Its weird because there would usually be one or two texts from T-bone, but she shouldn't be to surprise that there wasn't one. He must have been mad at her. She has to talk to T-bone today; it was a talk long over due.
Ruthie decides to send him a text message asking him to meet her outside the church. When she sends the message she hears a vibrating sound somewhere around the kitchen.
She spots the blackberry on top of the microwave and she goes to get it. Its T-bones, he must have forgotten it on his way out.
In the LCD Screen the "Unread Message" appears. He has one unread message, which is hers.
Ruthie should just delete it.
When the opens up the screen she finds her text and just below hers there is one read message from…Jane. She clicks before thinking twice.
The message reads: I'll be waiting if I don't answer I'm in the shower gets the key and follow the trail of clothing lol.
Lol? More like WTF? When Ruthie opens T-bone's message, she finds that he was the originator of the text, which says. "I need you. I'm heading over there."
It's Robbie who snaps her back into reality.
"Are you ready to go?"