N/A: This is a filler chapter because I just realized that I have a lot of loose ends. No worries the final chapter is done, but I keep going back and adding stuff. Lol. Also, is anyone still interested in reading the story "Blinding?"
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Ruthie enters the church hall. T-bone is trailing not far behind. He hadn't said anything after they left the parking lot grounds. All that is left for T-bone to do is scatter over to the DJ booth where Jane had probably been waiting for him. Jane was biting her nails and taping her foot nervously against the steps of the podium when they came in. Her gaze immediately turning to T-bone, brightening when their eyes connected. Ruthie supposes it was in triumph, because it was all about winning with that girl.
Ruthie didn't know how to feel at that moment. She'd had been lied to by her boyfriend, but Jane had owed her nothing. Jane had shown that she had no scruples when it came to screwing her over. Maybe, Ruthie should go and confront Jane for all the lies shed made up, but Ruthie was not about to make a scene, besides she had something every important to take care of. Had Martin come back? Ruthie wonders as she scans the room. She knows it is unlikely since she hadn't seen any cars come in when she'd been outside, but she just had to make sure. Kevin and her dad where talking to Sergeant Michaels, while her mom was busy talking to the twins, Savannah resting her head against mother's shoulder as she held her to one side.
Ruthie spotted Robbie. She might have missed him if she hadn't been really looking for someone, but there he was in the corner of the hall, and he wasn't alone. Ruthie immediately identified the second person to be Lucy. They were standing by the old cherry wood doors leading to the hallway.
By the good distance that separated them, Ruthie could not tell much of what was going on. She saw that Robbie was busy talking or explaining? Something, and by the way Lucy was bugging her eyes, it didn't take much to figure her sister was in shock. Ruthie looked on, wide-eyed. He'd actually done it! Ruthie immediately shot her eyes in all directions, of course everyone continued on like nothing was happening--they hadn't a clue. And Ruthie had a conversation with Robbie, not thirty minutes ago as to why he couldn't do precisely what he was doing right now? She was going kill him! Why, of all days, did everyone one chose today to be honest?
From her peripheral all Ruthie can capture is Lucy, looking at Robbie for a good while and then, in that instinctual mother hen type of thing Lucy seems to have, she pulls Robbie down into a hug. Robbie wraps his arms around her back and they stay like that for a couple of seconds before Lucy pulls away. Lucy smile sympathetically. Robbie stands there with resigned acceptance. At that moment Ruthie has to look away, feeling like an intruder witnessing a moment she probably shouldn't have.
"Hey, we need to talk." Ruthie feels a tap on her shoulder.
Jane was standing on Ruthie's side. Ruthie hadn't even felt her coming, but Jane was there, looking troubled, and notably absent was the condescending bravado her voice usually carried when speaking or referring to Ruthie. It was rather soft, almost.
"Yes, I suppose we do, but I don't think now is the right time." Ruthie answers stiffly, turning her back to Jane in an attempt get Jane to leave her alone.
"Well, tough nails because we are." Jane says this time more bravely, positioning herself in front of Ruthie and blocking any way out, which leaves Ruthie to wonder if she has a choice in the matter.
Ruthie looks furiously at Jane because who was she to say when, and where, and besides had she not taken note on the amount of people inside the hall? Janice, the number the ring leader in the gossip crowd of the church and the rest of her gang, have already gone silent sensing that something was about to go down, and begin to whisper to themselves.
"Excuse me?" Ruthie says, raising her eyebrow at Jane, finding herself becoming more aggravated with that felt like an ambush.
"Look" Jane says, her bravery deflating a little. "I need to talk to you about T-bone and Martin… Please."
"Well, I don't want to talk to you." Ruthie snaps back.
And when Ruthie tries to leave, Jane moves to block her, preventing any means of a getaway.
"Why not?" Jane appears to be offended.
"What do you mean, why not?" Ruthie yells out, incredulously, "You and T-bone were having a thing behind my back!"
"So?" Jane responds, looking like she didn't quite get what the big deal was.
Was she for real?
"What do you mean so?" Ruthie yells, stepping in closer. "He was my boyfriend."
"Yes, a boyfriend you didn't want," Jane counters. "A boyfriend you took for granted all because you are still in love with Martin Brewer. Or was it not you seeing him behind T-bone's back while he was in Seattle at his dad's?"
Jane was giving her that 'you know I'm right look', hand on hip, daring her to deny it.
"No." Ruthie moves in closer, feeling her anger rising now, "You don't know anything about what we had, we didn't sleep together, and we didn't do anything, so don't stand there and try to justify you actions with such a crappy excuse. He was my boyfriend. I chose T-bone and I made a commitment to him. I would have stayed with him."
"But you didn't love him. I do. I want him…" Jane stops herself, putting one hand over her mouth to stop herself.
"Well, he's all yours"
Ruthie suddenly feels nauseous, and all she wants is to get out of this hall. She can see her mom standing six-- seven feet away from where they are, staring at them like if she's barely understanding the severity of the problem. Ruthie knew that her mom had been trying to make her and Jane friends, and Ruthie also knew that because it had been her mom's personal mission to do so, her mom would take this failure as something she could have prevented.
Her dad, Sergeant Michael, and Kevin looked on—stunned. She noticed for the first time how silent the room actually was, and all the eyes that were on them. Ruthie sees Robbie moving across the room, heading their way.
"Look, Ruthie I'm sorry." Jane says seriously.
Ruthie meets her mother's eye. She looks disappointed.
"There. You have no idea how hard that was to say." She admits, still talking.
Her dad seems to be debating whether to walk over or not.
"I mean it. I am sorry for letting things go this far. At first it was to get back at Martin for what he did to me. I couldn't just let him get away with it, and guess I didn't care who got cough it the cross fire."
" What exactly did you do to get back at him?" Ruthie questions, her attention now on Jane.
"I went along with what was supposed to be 'a good plan'" Jane answers, "When T-bone called me the last night he was still in Seattle and asked me to pretend to back with Martin, I went along with it without so much as a second thought. I was still so angry for what Martin had done to me it was the perfect opportunity I'd been waiting for. But then, everything changed and then…"she trailed off and looked where T-bone was standing.
"Then? You slept with him and thought that why not? Might as well get Ruthie too" Ruthie breaks in, pointing at T-bone who had to duck away in the booth.
"Um…Ladies." Robbie interrupts; turning from Ruthie to Jane, not sure how to approach the situation he'd just walked himself into. "Maybe this is not the place to be having this discussion." He eyes the hall, and Ruthie and Jane follow his gaze to the small crowd that has long ago stopped working and were now staring.
.
Robbie was right; this conversation was too private to be airing their dirty laundry for everyone to hear. No doubt the Glenoak gossip circuit would have the whole congregation know by the end the day.
"Your right, I'm done" Ruthie give one final glance at Jane and Robbie before heading to the exit.
She still hadn't forgotten her pending conversation with Robbie, but that would have to wait.
Ruthie can hear Jane call her name, following her, but she doesn't stop.
When they are by the parking lots, Ruthie turns around abruptly causing Jane to come to a complete halt. Ruthie clearly not impressed at Jane's newfound conscious, just looks on with fiery eyes.
"I just don't get it? What have I ever done to you to hate me so much?" Ruthie flails her arms up in confusion.
"I don't hate you" Jane frowns.
"You do!" Ruthie accuses back because why else would Jane have gone out of her way to make Ruthie so miserable?
"But I don't" Jane asserts.
"Then why do you do the things you do?"
"I would have thought that the Camden's own freakin' family shrink or whatnot would have figured it out by now" Jane makes an irritated face, like if the answer is the most obvious thing in the world.
"Well, I haven't," Ruthie shouts, honestly, "So explain to me what is it that I'm suppose to have figured out."
Jane lets out a groan; looking as though she hadn't actually thought she had to say it out loud.
"Fine" Jane seems reluctant and avoids making eye contact with Ruthie, taking, instead, interest in the small green leaves from a nearby bush.
"Go on."
They both stay quiet for a good moment.
"I'm jealous. Ok." Jane spills the words out fast. Sill avoiding making eye contact, she starts picking the small leaves sticking out of the bush.
"You're what?" Ruthie steps in closer.
If Ruthie hadn't heard it coming from the source, she wouldn't have believed it. Frankly, she didn't know such words existed in Jane's vocabulary.
Maybe she should double check?
"I know shocking right? I don't get it myself." Jane confesses.
"You should see you face right now."
Jane says through her sudden fit of giggles, which she tries to suppress in her hand. There is no mock in her face. Its true, shock, disbelieve, whatever synonym you want to give, Ruthie's face mirrors it.
"Why?"
Ruthie can't say that she isn't completely taken aback at this revelation. Jane jealous of her? Jane might have been her sworn enemy, but Ruthie had to admit a lot of guys wanted her. She was tall, blond, and attractive. Wasn't that like the description of the 'Every guys dream girl?'
"You're pretty, not as good-looking as me of course, but come on guys totally want you and people just think your great, and you're sincere and stuff. You've managed to affect someone to the point where you've actually changed them for the better. Look at what a slime ball Martin use to be. He's actually a decent guy now. Even I apologized to you. Me!"
"Guys don't usually get with me for my brains. Except, that all changed when…T-bone, he actually cares about what I have to say--"
Ruthie has to interrupt right then, "Ok I get it" she puts one hand up before Jane can go on any further. "I just don't think we're at the point where we could discuss T-bone and your, whatever."
"Ok" Jane nods.
"I can't forgive you" Ruthie says with finality, looking at the lot of cars outside.
"Ok" Jane says, again.
They stand there. The two of them in the middle of the parking lot. Jane's stares onward at the cars passing through the narrow two-way road up ahead.
Ruthie looks out into the distance; just beyond the parking lot, at the row of giant pine threes lined along the roadside barriers across the street. The sun is at its highest point by now, shining bright against a clear blue sky. There, on the mountain ridge up ahead there is already a visible hint of snow at its top. It's amazing that in a couple of days the green- yellow earth covering the ridge will soon vanish and begin to be replaced with coatings of pure white snow. When Ruthie had started her late night snacks with Martin, the mountain ridge had barely begun to be roofed with small patches of dry yellow grassland, welcoming the beginning of fall. Now, it was getting ready to welcome another season. I'd been too long. Ruthie thought. How she longed to see him.
"What are you doing to do about Martin?" Jane asks, as if guessing what Ruthie was thinking
"Nothing. He probably hates me anyway." Ruthie says quietly, more to herself than to Jane. She feels the lump in her throat forming, but she won't cry.
It was better this way right? This didn't change anything, well except the fact that she'd been completely wrong and had to apologize to Martin, but other than that, what? Martin probably must have thought her a crazy nut with multi-personality issues. He probably didn't want her anymore. No, no. Please not that. She quickly preyed. Deep inside, Ruthie knew that she didn't want Martin to give up on her.
"I know!" Jane shouts excitedly, snapping her fingers together as if having a great idea. "I'll tell Martin everything. I'll tell him what T-bone and I did, and he'll know the truth."
"You'll cry, he'll cry and voila! Everything willbe ok!"
"I don't think so."
"Come on, He'll understand."
"Understand what? That I'm a lunatic that goes off whenever I see him? What's worst, over something I had no right to get worked up about? I had a chance Jane. And I screwed it up. I was confused and I pushed him away. I let myself believe that you and Martin were back together without questioning it, without giving him a chance to know why I was angry. All because…because…"
"You were scared?" Jane fills in, where she found Ruthie couldn't.
"It doesn't matter anymore."
Ruthie doesn't know why she was telling Jane all this, it's not like she'd care, but Ruthie guesses that's what happens when you keep things in for too long. You spill your guts to anyone that will listen…. even if it's the girl you dislike most in the world.
"What do you mean, it doesn't matter anymore!" Jane cries out, mimicking Ruthie, "You have to try! You can't let go of your true love just like that. Not without fighting with all you've got! A wise person once said, 'People that are meant to be together always find their way back.' So, duh, you'll totally get back together then."
"You got that from a TV show." Ruthie argues lethargically.
"It doesn't make it any less true."
"Why do you care? Wasn't your mission in this whole thing to ruin his life?"
"True. It was before, but now…" Jane says with this unrecognizable gentleness in her voice. "I know what true love is and I can't…I won't let what I did be the reason why you can't be together. "
Ruthie didn't know where all these surprises were coming from. First Robbie, then T-bone, and now Jane, the crusader of true love and justice? What would be next?
Ruthie has to suppress the urge to tell Jane that the feeling seem to be one-sided. T-bone had pleaded for Ruthie forgiveness and asked her to take him back earlier in this parking lot. Whatever feelings Jane might think they had shared, Ruthie was certain T-bone was not reciprocating, not in his mind.
"T-bone won't forgive you." Ruthie remarks carefully, feeling uncertain in the territory she's venturing in.
"He will." Jane eyes are bright and brilliant, and sure. She seems so certain that he will it's hard for Ruthie not to feel at least sympathy for her.
Ruthie manages a smile, because what else is there to do? There was that small voice inside telling Ruthie that it was wrong for her not to say anything, but what it she did tell Jane about what happened earlier? Ruthie was sure Jane wouldn't allow herself to believe any of it, not when Jane thought herself so in love with T-bone.
Maybe, Ruthie thinks, Jane will find the truth on her own.
Ruthie doesn't say anything when she starts to head into the direction of the Church, leaving Jane standing there.
"Where are you going?" Ruthie hears Jane ask from behind.
"Where do you think?" Ruthie says, not helping the mirth in her voice.
"Oh yes!" Jane's echo cheers on, raising two thumbs in encouragement, "good luck!"
Ruthie waves one hand in goodbye and she disappears inside the Hall doors.
Ruthie was left feeling weird sensation after her conversation with Jane. It certainly wasn't how Ruthie had pictured it in happening, that's for sure. She imagined bloody noses and swollen eyes. Of course, this came from the imagination of a person who derived all her experience from fights sequences she'd seen in the Karate Kid as a little girl. Ruthie believed she would make Mr. Miyagi very proud. Ruthie hadn't expected to be confronted with this Jane, though. A Jane that was nice, even helpful.
It was safe to say that they probably wouldn't be friends after this, but the funny thing was, somehow they were no longer enemies, either.
It defiantly gave Ruthie something to think about on her way to Martin's house.
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