Chapter 25
Sam was right about catching up on my school work being hard. I started at eight in the morning and didn't finish till six in the evening, though most nights I was convinced to stay for dinner. However it was easier now that I was diagnosed with dyslexia. Allison had found me a coloured filter that made it a lot easier to read and I was scribing my notes to her, meaning they weren't written in my illegible scrawl.
It was hard to concentrate on school work with Ruthie in the room. She had taken to passing me notes while Allison wasn't watching.
It had been a few months since I started coming here instead of going to school and Ruthie was getting more confident around me. Her face wasn't permanently straight; she would occasionally smile at something I said.
She would disappear about an hour before lunch every day to cook. She was an amazing cook, all her food was delicious. It turned out it was her who made the cookies.
I had just sat down as she put a plate of ham and mango chutney sandwiches in front of me. I know they sound disgusting but she's taught me not to diss it until I've tried it. She even had me eating pancakes with maple syrup, bacon and bananas. It was my new favourite meal.
Ruthie sat down next to me and passed a note under the table to me, it said: "I like that shirt on you ;)". She kept on sending me messages like that, it was driving me crazy. I wanted to pull her into my arms and press my lips to hers, hard.
She always looked stunning, either with her long hair cascading down her back or pulled up into a ponytail, showing off her face and neck. She always wore skinny jeans - showing off her long legs - and a hoodie, hiding her curves and leaving a lot of her body to my imagination. On the few occasions that she pulled her sleeves up I could see a few simple bracelets.
She was still blogging about me, but I didn't feel the need to obsessively follow it any more. I spent most days with her and talked to her online at night.
The contrast between the Ruthie I talked to online and the one I met in person was huge. The one I met in person had to pass notes to be able to communicate with me; where online she seemed to have no problem communicating. Although one good thing was that in person she had started to get my attention through physical contact, which sent a buzz through my whole body.
The only thing stopping me from taking her into my arms and never letting her go was the fact that I had never heard her voice.