This chapter sucks. But so do most of my filler chapters so…Yeah, thanks so much for the reviews guys. I really appreciate them. Like I said this chapter isn't very good (Due to a distinct lack of inspiration) but I thought I should through it out there anyway. Enjoy…(Or not).

Chapter 83

Ruby coughed awkwardly to announce her presence as she she leaned on the doorway to the living room.

Joey looked up and offered a small smile "Hey"

"Hey" Ruby said hoarsely as she took a hesitant step into the room before pausing and glancing around "I was kind of wondering if I could talk to you…I-Is Charlie here?"

"She's at work" Joey answered quietly "And of course you can talk to me"

Ruby nodded and walked over to sit on the couch next to the older girl "So…"

"So…" Joey echoed softly, at a loss for what to say after their conversation a couple of days ago.

"Now you know" Ruby said unsurely, her hand dropping to play with a loose thread on her jeans.

"Yeah" Joey nodded still slightly shell-shocked "Now I know…" she glanced sidelong at Ruby who was avoiding her eyes "How…How long were you…."

"I honestly don't know" Ruby shrugged "Maybe since we were in the house with Grant. Maybe even before then…"

"Wow" Joey whispered "That's…Wow. I didn't even know you were…."

"I'm not" Ruby said quickly "I mean I don't think I am. I've never been…I've never felt like this towards a girl before…It's just her"

"Oh" Joey nodded slowly as if processing the information "Wait…That girl you were talking about wasn't your friend was she?"

"No" Ruby shook her head "That wasn't a friend I was talking about"

"How long have you known?" Joey asked curiously as she turned slightly on the couch to face the teen "That you loved her?"

"I think I started to suspect after we got back from being with Grant…Or maybe when we were in the forest" Ruby murmured thoughtfully "Everything was just so comfortable and natural with her and I didn't think anything of it before…But then I started to realise how I felt"

"It make sense now" Joey stated quietly "You two always seemed close…The hand holding, the looks….It makes total sense. So the way you described that girl's feelings…They're really your own?"

"Yeah" Ruby nodded with the hint of a smile "They really are"

"And you're sure it's not just really strong friendship?" Joey offered.

"It's not" Ruby shook her head "It's so much more than that"

"But how do you…"

"I kissed her" Ruby said suddenly causing Joey to trail off in shock.

"What?" Joey questioned wide-eyed "Y-You…When?"

"Just before she left" Ruby confided a slight blush creeping up her neck "Actually when we were standing at the car. I figured I couldn't wait any longer so I just…Went for it"

"And?" Joey asked softly.

"It was kind of perfect" Ruby stated trying to blink back the tears that were rapidly filling her eyes "It would have been if she hadn't left"

"Maybe I'm being a bit slow…" Joey said with a sheepish smile "But if you have all of these ridiculously strong feelings for Summer…What is this thing with Nathan?"

"I don't know" Ruby shrugged sadly "I guess just wanted to be with somebody who wanted me. Somebody who cares even if it is all for the wrong reasons"

"Summer cares for all the right reasons" Joey said strongly "Even I could see that Rubz"

"Nathan wants me for who I am"

"Is this really who you are though?" Joey asked as she leaned forward "Are you really the girl who drinks, smokes and makes out with random guys? Because I don't think you are"

Ruby shrugged in defeat "Nathan wants the person I feel like being right now. Summer doesn't want me at all"

"Come on Rubz. Don't say that…"

"She told me she would call me and she hasn't" Ruby said shakily "What else am I supposed to think Joey? Because right now it really doesn't seem like she cares about me at all"

"There has to be reason she's not contacting you" Joey said feebly "She wouldn't ignore you on purpose"

"Unless I completely freaked her out?" Ruby asked as she wiped quickly at her eyes "What if she didn't feel the same way about me and when I kissed her she freaked out? What if she hates me?"

"I find that hard to believe" Joey said shortly "She wouldn't ruin your friendship like that"

Ruby sighed heavily her gaze dropping to the couch "I hate that I can't stop thinking about her. Even when I'm messing round with Nathan…She's never far from my mind" she laughed self-deprecatingly "It's pathetic"

"No" Joey shook her head and grasped Ruby's hand lightly "its love"

"I want her back Joey" Ruby admitted softly "I can't stand this anymore"

"I know" Joey whispered sadly "I know Rubz"

"Charlie…"

"I know Watson!" Charlie growled out in annoyance "You've told me like 10 times already. Brett's coming back and he probably plans to make your life more of a misery than it already is at the minute"

"I was only saying…" Watson said in a wounded voice.

"Do you have to walk around here like a love sick puppy?" Charlie complained "God you're almost as bad as Ruby"

"What's wrong with Ruby?" Watson frowned as she seated herself across the desk from Charlie "Is she in trouble again?"

"Depends what you mean by trouble" Charlie sat up and stretched slightly "She's been a bit of a mess since Summer left. She's been drinking, smoking…She's even gotten herself a 'Bad boy'"

"Wow, Really?" Watson asked in surprise "She doesn't seem like the type to do all of that stuff"

"That's what I thought" Charlie chuckled darkly "But as Joey keeps reminding me…Ruby's hurting right now"

"And you don't understand, right?" Watson asked knowingly "You don't understand why she can't get over it"

"You're making me sound like a jerk" Charlie frowned "I'm just worried, okay? Ruby won't even talk to me about it"

"Maybe she doesn't know how to say what she's feeling?" Watson suggested idly as her gaze skimmed over the file in front of her "Or maybe she doesn't think you'll understand"

Charlie sighed feeling the beginning of a headache "Maybe" she stood up from her seat and grabbed her jacket "I'm going out. I'll be back later, okay?"

"Okay" Watson nodded "But Charlie…"

"I know Watson!" Charlie exclaimed in frustration before she walked out of the room.

Watson frowned in concern as she glanced down at the file in front of her showing an image of Brett Collins gazing stonily ahead of him. She shuddered unwillingly at the thought of what he had done before he had been locked away and quickly closed the file.

"Hey, I'm…" Charlie walked into the living room and frowned when both Joey and Ruby turned silent and sat up straight in their seats "Home?" she glanced between them suspiciously "What's going on?"

"Nothing" Ruby said as she stood up from the couch "Nothing at all. I'm just going to…" she motioned to the doorway and rushed off leaving both Charlie and Joey frowning after her in confusion.

"What was that about?" Charlie asked suspiciously.

"I have no idea" Joey shrugged shiftily "What are you doing home so early?"

"I figured I'd come and see if anything's going on with Rubz" Charlie answered "It seems like you two are hiding something from me"

"Erm…" Joey winced slightly under Charlie's stare "It's not really for me to say Charlz"

"Is she in trouble?" Charlie asked in concern.

"No" Joey shook her head in response "It's nothing like that. I promise"

"Okay" Charlie nodded though she didn't look happy at the idea of Ruby hiding things from her.

"I had an idea!" Joey exclaimed suddenly as she jumped up off the couch "A way for us to solve the Ruby situation and the Brett situation"

"How?" Charlie asked curiously as she took a seat on the couch and leaned back slightly.

"We'll go away for a while like I suggested!" Joey enthused "To England!"

"Seriously?" Charlie questioned sceptically "That won't work"

"Why not?" Joey frowned "It's a good idea"

"We don't know where Summer and Cameron live. In fact we'll most likely get lost" Charlie explained "Plus isn't there a giant ash cloud over England right now?"

"How do you…"

"I checked it out" Charlie said with a small smile "I was thinking about going there too…But it's not going to work"

"If you checked it out" Joey argued "You'll probably know that some flights are getting through"

Charlie sighed softly "I don't know. I don't think it's a good idea to get Ruby's hopes up"

"Well we have to do something!" Joey stated strongly "She's…"

"She's what?" Charlie questioned expectantly as Joey trailed off.

"She's a mess" Joey sighed heavily "You know that"

Charlie paused for a moment in contemplation "I'll think about it, okay?"

"Good" Joey grinned in triumph.

TBC