The shrill buzzing from her alarm was what woke Charlie the next morning. She hit the snooze button giving her another fifteen minutes.
When the alarm went off for the second time Charlie flung back the bed sheets exposing her body to the morning light that was spilling in the window through the blinds. Stretching the full length of the bed and tensing her muscles Charlie let out a small squeal, before relaxing and rolling onto her back. She blinked a few times trying to focus on the white ceiling, her view slightly hazy from the nights sleep.
She rubbed her face with the palms of her hands a few times before managing to sit up. She grabbed her robe from the end of the bed and tied it loosely around her thin frame before tackling the mission of waking Ruby.
Charlie was startled when she heard rustling coming from the kitchen and smelled the aroma of coffee.
"Ruby what are you doing up? I set my alarm so I could wake you, as I always do?" Charlie was baffled, although it was early and wasn't fully awake she still found the situation peculiar.
"I thought I'd get up myself this morning," Ruby stated matter-of-factly, not raising her eyes from making her lunch.
"Oh ok then."
Charlie tightened her robe and sat on the edge of the table unsure of what to say.
"Do you need any lunch money?"
"No I'm fine thanks." Came another monotone response.
"Ruby…" Charlie began not knowing what she was going to say "What's going on?"
"Nothing, look I better go. See you later." Ruby slung her bag over her shoulder and tries to avoid making any eye contact with Charlie.
"Ruby the school isn't open for another half an hour, and doesn't start for another hour," Charlie declared trying to keep calm." Will you please stay and just talk to me?" she was now pleading with Ruby to inform her as to what was going on, she didn't want her going to school with all this tension between them. It had been going on for long enough.
"I'm meeting up with Nic, I've got to go." Ruby rushed out the door before Charlie had another chance to interrogate her.
Accepting defeat for now Charlie sighed and poured herself a mug of coffee, a must for starting the day.
********
Charlie arrived at the station an hour later prepared for a gruelling day. Her week hadn't started off so great and once sitting at her desk in her office, Charlie wondered how it was going for Joey.
Joey used all her strength to push the sandpaper in her hand against the side of the small trawler. Her biceps tensed with each stroke, the afternoon sun beating down on them. Standing back Joey exhaled loudly and ran the palm of her hand over the newly exposed surface removing the fine dust. She smiled at her handy work; the ability to create something new and amazing from something broken and damaged always enthralled her.
"Time for a lunch break yet?"
Joey spun around, alarmed; she presumed she was alone.
"Aden Jefferies you scared me half to death!" Joey lunged forward and pushed him in the chest.
"Aw sorry, I just thought you might want to keep your mate company, but I know where I'm not wanted." He chuckled and started walking backwards pulling Joey with him.
"Where are you dragging me Aden?" Joey sighed as she plodded along.
They were standing at the edge of the pier when Aden said "Sit."
Joey gave in and sat down, swinging her legs over the edge, letting them hang above the water.
Aden landed beside her "I bring you food."
"Oh yum." Joey licked her lips taking hold of the sandwich he was offering.
"Well I figured that if I didn't come along I wouldn't see you?" Aden accused trying to sneak a glimpse of her reaction.
Joey stopped mid bite and stared down at her legs. After a few moments she answered him "I'm sorry Ade things have been busy." Joey turned to face him, using her hand to shield her eyes form the piercing sun.
"You want to know what I think." Aden smiled brazenly.
"I have a feeling you're going to tell me anyway." Joey wasn't sure she wanted to hear; he usually had pretty accurate guesses.
"Ok then since you're dying to know, I think you," He paused to watch her "have either fallen in love or are doing the dirty with someone."
"You know that I haven't had the slightest interest in getting in a relationship since Toni." Joey felt the need to defend herself even though she knew Aden was smarter than that.
"Right, so that means you're doing the dirty." He stated proudly, pleased with his detective work.
"Aden I've just been busy that's all, between the club and working with the trawlers." Joey pointed to the trawler she was working on at present. She knew her excuse sounded meek.
"I wont push you Jo, just don't get into anything you can't handle ok?" He cared too much for her to get unnecessarily hurt.
"Now when have I ever gotten myself into something I can't handle?" Having finished her sandwich Joey hopped up. "Thanks for the lunch."
Aden looked up at her through narrowed eyes.
She ruffled his hair.
"I better get back. I'll give you a text during the week ok?" Joey called as she walked off.
"I've got my eye on you Joey Collins." He called after her but she didn't turn around. She simply waved over her shoulder and headed towards the trawler.
********
Charlie finished her shift at four in the afternoon she made a point of getting her paper work done before then so she could be at home when Ruby finished school and they could finally sort out their differences.
When Ruby arrived home from school she was startled to see Charlie standing at the counter serving dinner. Charlie had her back to the door so she didn't see Ruby enter. Ruby stood there uneasily, then decided to go to her bedroom, Charlie spun around hearing the noise of Ruby's shoes on the tiled floor.
"Hey Rubes how was school?"
"Yeah good. I'm ahh… going to go get started on my homework."
"Here have some dinner," Charlie handed Ruby a plate of chicken salad.
Ruby accepted her offering, she shifted from one foot to the other, head hanging she left the kitchen.
Charlie sighed loudly resting her weight against the countertop. She didn't know how she was going to get them out of this predicament; it wasn't like Ruby to stay silent when something was bothering her.
Taking her own plate Charlie sat down at the table alone, she was tempted to text Joey to come over but it definitely didn't seem like the right time. She ate her meal alone, although the silence wasn't welcomed; it gave her too much time to think. Her appetite gone, Charlie scraped the remains of her dinner into the trash. After putting her plate into the sink she decided she was going to go chat with Ruby.
Charlie didn't even pause to knock when she reached Ruby's room. She simply turned the handle and walked in unannounced.
"Charlie what the hell do you think you're doing, haven't you heard of knocking!" Ruby shrieked sitting up in her bed.
"I thought you had homework?" Charlie was hurt seeing Ruby immersed in listening to her iPod, far from doing the homework she supposedly had. It brought reality a whole lot closer.
"Yeah I do I'm just taking a break." Ruby felt a twinge of guilt, Charlie was visibly hurt.
Charlie sat down on the edge of the bed her frustration taking hold "Ruby what's going on?"
"Nothing…"
"Don't give me that bullshit Ruby you've been ignoring me the last day or so and have been blatantly rude to Joey!" Charlie cried.
"Charlie I don't want to talk about it ok?"
"Ah so there is something. Ruby come on, we can't continue like this…"
Charlie stretched across the bed in an attempt to hold Ruby's hand; but Ruby retreated promptly.
"Ruby… you're my daughter, and we can't continue like this." Ruby still avoided Charlie.
"Rubes?"
"It was just Dad being around that's all… Made it all seem a lot more realistic."
Charlie felt guilty; all along she had presumed it was because of her relationship with Joey, now Charlie felt like she was neglecting her daughter.
"I'm sorry Ruby." Charlie reached out and refused to let Ruby pull away. Accepting defeat Ruby allowed herself to be held by her mother.
"I'm so sorry, I've only been thinking of myself." Charlie soothed her.
"It's not your fault Charlie. I refused to talk about it."
"We'll get through this ok? How about tomorrow evening we go out for dinner?" Charlie pulled back slightly to look her in the face.
"That'd be really nice. Can Joey come?"
"She might be busy, but sure you can ask her tomorrow."
Ruby shuffled back into Charlie's embrace and they hugged in silence for a few minutes. Eventually Charlie spoke "Would you like some hot chocolate?"
"Yeah thanks."
Charlie kissed Ruby on the forehead and got up from the bed.
As Charlie stood in the kitchen waiting for the milk to boil, she felt awful. She was so wrapped up in her own sadness over her Dad, and her secret affair with Joey. She had just presumed Ruby was ok because she wasn't breaking down. Then she had further presumed Ruby's resentment was also because of her and Joey. For all Ruby's bravado she was still young and not as mature as she liked people to believe. Although Charlie didn't want to think about it, she knew deep down things between her and Joey were going to have to change.