Chapter Five Hundred and Forty Six

"Why am I always the third wheel?" Ruby asked with a frown.

It was Monday night and she had spent much of the day with Romeo, working on a school project. She had then gone with him to the restaurant where he had reserved Joey's infamously best table for himself and Indi. It was her first day of O-Week, the very beginning of her University life and he was eager to be the perfect, supportive boyfriend. He was using his entire week's wages (thankfully Charlie and Joey provided a very generous staff discount) for a three course meal for the woman he loved.

"Hey, that's not true," Charlie said.

Once again, she had come to keep Joey company at work after her own long shift.

"Look around you!" Ruby complained. "Romeo's waiting for Indi. Claire's over there with Hannah. Watson and Kerri. John and Gina. Not to mention you two! I mean, you're holding hands over the bar!"

Charlie and Joey immediately broke apart. Angelo cleared his throat awkwardly.

"Welcome to my world," he said. "I mean, like every single day."

Ruby felt awkward and a little guilty about complaining. She also worried that one day, she might actually turn into Angelo. That idea was absolutely abhorrent.

"What are we all gossiping about?" Leah asked, approaching the bar, Bianca not far behind her.

"Smug couples and being doomed to singledom for the rest of your life," Ruby informed her.

"Oh," Leah said, hopping onto a stool beside Charlie. "Well, sadly, I know what camp I'm in."

"And we all know what camp Bianca's in," Joey remarked, raising her eyebrows.

Bianca blushed and ordered a drink.

"Still going well, judging by the look on your face!" Leah teased.

Ruby merely rolled her eyes. Angelo chuckled and began making the newly ordered drinks. He understood what it was like to have other people's happiness rubbed in his face. He understood completely how Ruby felt.


Romeo glanced at his watch, aware that Indi was running late. Only by ten minutes but she was definitely late and it wasn't like her. She was never late and if she ever was, she at least got in touch to let him know. But he had checked his phone constantly and heard nothing from her. She was obviously having way too much fun with her new Uni friends to be bothered about him and all the effort he had gone to. This was clearly the beginning of her leaving him behind.


Nicole was already at home. She hadn't had a great day, immediately being labelled 'the pregnant one' at University. She had met one guy initially who she felt she had got along with, not in a romantic way, just because he'd seemed like a nice guy. But she hadn't seen him for dust the moment he'd realised she was pregnant. Indi had vanished early on. Nicole hadn't been able to get hold of her, although she had tried. She'd last seen her go off to some toga party. Friendless, pregnant and feeling utterly left out, Nicole had returned home, got into her pyjamas with a big bucket of popcorn and one of her favourite movies. And that was where she planned to stay.


"Do you think he's been stood up?" Joey fretted to Charlie.

Leah and Bianca were engaged in an in depth conversation about what it was really like to live full time in a tent by the river with the man of your dreams. Ruby seemed like she was in a world of her own.

"I don't know," Charlie said.

"It's the first day of O-Week for Indi," Ruby told them.

Apparently she hadn't been in a world of her own after all.

"Maybe Indi's just caught up with Uni stuff."

"I'll get him another drink," Joey decided. "Check he's okay. He looks so sad."

"I'll take it over," Ruby offered. "I've been with him all day studying. All I've heard about today are his plans for tonight!"

"Do we even want to know?" Charlie laughed.

"Romeo's not like that, Charlie," Ruby said seriously. "He's a nice guy."

"Hey, I know that," Charlie said, a little hurt by the accusation. "I was only joking."

She and Joey exchanged glances as Joey handed the drink over to her step-daughter.

"Tell him it's on the house," she said.

"Please don't tell me it's a new crush," Charlie said, pressing her fingertips to her temples. "Please don't tell me it's a new crush. Please don't tell me it's a new crush."

Joey took hold of her hands and kissed them.

"If it is, we'll deal, okay?" she promised. "Don't stress."

Charlie nodded, leaning over and stealing a quick kiss.


"Are you even paying attention to anything I'm saying?" Hannah asked.

Claire was taken aback by the sharpness in her voice. She snapped all her focus back to her girlfriend, who had asked her out for a proper date.

"Of course I am," she said.

"I just feel like I'm always second best for you," Hannah said honestly, sitting back in her chair.

She picked up her beer and took a gulp.

"What do you mean? Second best?" Claire asked worriedly.

She never ever wanted to make Hannah feel that way. She really cared about her.

"Well, who do you think I could possibly feel second best to?" Hannah challenged.

Claire swallowed anxiously. She sipped her Amaretto and coke.

"Claire?" Hannah nudged, trying not to feel irritated.

"Hannah, I really care about you," Claire said sincerely. "You're my priority."

"But it doesn't feel like that," Hannah told her. "It feels like your number one priority has always been and will always be Ruby and I get whatever is left."

Claire sighed and immediately apologised. She reached for Hannah's hand across the table.

"I never meant to make you feel that way," she said. "Ruby and I have been through a lot together. I just really worry about her."

"Do you have feelings for her?" Hannah asked bluntly.


Ruby handed Romeo a drink and informed him that it was a gift from Joey.

"A pity drink?" he sighed. "She's not coming, is she?"

Ruby put her hand on his shoulder, suggesting that she might just be late. He reminded her that this was Indigo Walker they were talking about and she was always punctual.

"It's only the first day of O-Week and she's already standing me up and leaving me behind," he sighed.

Suddenly, Indi burst into the restaurant. Romeo leapt up and rushed over to her.

"Hello!" she said cheerfully.

He knew she was drunk the second he saw her. It felt weird. He had never seen her drunk before. He and Ruby guided her to the table where she immediately downed his drink and then frowned.

"Lemonade?" she asked. "What about a real drink? Joey!"

Romeo cringed as she yelled loudly across the room. Ruby hovered nearby, wondering what to do. Various people were looking at them. At the bar, Joey exchanged looks with Charlie, Leah and Bianca. Curiously, she walked out from behind the bar and approached Romeo and Indi's table.

"Can I help you?"

"A vodka in this lemon… lemon… lemonade please," she said.

"I don't think that's a great idea," Romeo interjected. "Some water, please, Joey."

"Water it is," Joey confirmed.

"Oh, don't be so boring!" Indi protested.

Joey wasn't sure what to do.

"Come on!" Indi said. "I've left an amazing party at Uni to have dinner with you. The least you could do is be fun!"

Joey could see the hurt on his face.

"I think Romeo's gone to a lot of effort to organise a nice meal for you, Indi," she tried.

"I'm not really that hungry," Indi admitted. "I'm actually kind of tired."

She yawned.

"And thirsty," she said. "Can I have that vodka?"

Romeo looked crestfallen.

"Why don't we just go home?" she suggested.

"I can give you guys a lift," Ruby offered. "Can I take the car?"

Joey agreed. Ruby and Romeo helped Indi out of the restaurant. Sighing, Joey returned to the bar, disappointed for her friend, who had gone to such a lot of effort for his girlfriend.

"Well, that didn't go well," she said.

"No," Charlie said. "Poor Romeo."

"That girl is going to have a hell of a hangover tomorrow!" Leah remarked.

"Oh, to be a student again!" Bianca laughed.


Indi had been sick. Thankfully, Romeo had got her out of Charlie's car before she had actually thrown up. The Sergeant would not have been happy if her backseat had been covered in vomit because Ruby had been doing a good deed.

"I'll leave you guys to it," Ruby said at the door.

"You may as well stay," Romeo said. "I mean… if you want. I'm just going to put her to bed and then… well, I could do with the company."

Ruby was delighted.


Back at their table, Claire still had a question to answer. Both she and Hannah had been briefly distracted by Indi.

"So?" Hannah asked. "Do you have feelings for her?"

"No," Claire said, desperate for it to be the truth.

She hated lying. She always thought of herself as a sincere and truthful person. But it didn't serve any purpose to try and explain her feelings for Ruby, not in she wanted to make her relationship with Hannah work. And she really did want it to work.

"Hannah, I don't like Ruby in that way," she said. "I like you."

"Well, I'm in love with you, Claire," Hannah told her. "This might not be the way to say it but I am."

Claire sat back, a little surprised. Nobody had ever said that to her before.

"I love you too," she replied.

She hoped that was true too. All she wanted was to be happy.

"Well, let's make this work then," Hannah said. "Me and you."

Claire smiled, squeezing Hannah's hand.

"But if Ruby's the one… please just break my heart now, Claire," Hannah added. "Before I get in too deep."

"I have no plans to break your heart," Claire promised. "You're the one that I want."

She grinned.

"And now all I want to do is sing!"

Hannah laughed. She leaned across the table and kissed her.

"I think we can find something more interesting to do than that!"


At home, Dex was busy playing with the video camera that Marilyn had given him. It was his new obsession and he was very much enjoying filming everything he could find, even if it was annoying his father, who was trying to have a serious conversation with Marilyn about the baby.

Dex still couldn't quite believe that he would soon have a little brother or sister. He also couldn't believe that its birth mother would be his friend, Nicole Franklin. The whole situation was bizarre to him. But at the heart of it, he just wanted his Dad and Marilyn to be happy. He knew some of what Marilyn had been through in her life, including that her baby boy, Byron had died. She deserved a second chance to love a child.

"Why don't you just get a prenup or something?" he suggested, butting in on their conversation about the legalities of adopting Nicole's child.

"Pardon?" Sid said.

Dex shrugged.

"You know, make it clear legally from the start what everyone's rights are?"


"Looks like Nic had a different kind of night to Indi," Ruby remarked.

There were blankets and an empty bowl of popcorn discarded in the lounge. She and Romeo took seats once he had dispatched Indi in his bedroom. He had thought it better to bring her to his house rather than send her home drunk. Sid would not be pleased to see her that way.

"Well, I guess she can't exactly join in that kind of thing in her condition," Romeo said.

"I'm sorry your night didn't go to plan," Ruby said.

"Me too," Romeo sighed.

The truth was, Romeo had wondered if perhaps tonight, he and Indi might really connect, if tonight might be the night they slept together for the first time. It was something that worried him. They were already drifting apart and without a physical connection, would Indi pull away from him completely? But more than that, he loved her and he wanted them to be together properly and for the rest of their lives. But he truly felt that this was the beginning of her leaving him behind.

"I'm sure she'll make it up to you in the morning," Ruby said brightly, patting him on the shoulder.

"Yeah."

"Romeo?" Ruby nudged.

"I've just never seen her like that before," he said. "It was a shock."

"She was just tipsy," Ruby said. "People do that all the time."

"I don't," he told her.

"Nor do I," Ruby agreed. "I mean, not anymore."

He studied her face, silently recalling the time she had been sent to a clinic.

"My Mum was an alcoholic," he told her. "It was hard growing up with that. I guess I've tried to stay away from people when they've been drinking heavily. Indi's never been someone who does that. What if now she's at Uni she starts?"

"Then it's something the two of you will have to work through," Ruby said.

"I'm sorry I didn't help you more when you were struggling," Romeo said earnestly.

Ruby smiled.

"We help each other now, don't we?" she said brightly

"Yeah," he agreed. "I feel like I can't get through a day without your support!"

"And I can't either," Ruby said sincerely. "Losing my Dad… you helped me so much, Romeo."

She reached forward and hugged him. They both held on tight.


"I think you should call Robertson," Joey told Leah.

Leah, Charlie and Bianca were all surprised. Charlie eyed her girlfriend curiously, wondering where that little gem had come from.

"You think I should call him, why?" Leah asked.

"You keep saying that you're feeling lonely and you want to explore romance again," Joey said. "Robertson is desperate to date you. Why not?"

"Um… Joey, you do remember that Robertson is a piece of shit, right?" Charlie objected.

"Yes, he is," Joey agreed. "I'm being completely selfless when I make this suggestion."

Leah and Bianca both laughed.

"I mean, every time I see his smug face, I just want to punch him right on his nose," Joey continued. "But for some weird reason, you actually like him, Leah. So, I think you should give him a shot."

"The whole of Summer Bay would hate me," Leah said unhappily. "It would be like when Irene supported Will."

She sighed, thinking of her friend who was preparing to say goodbye to Lily, who was returning to live with her mother, Gypsy the following day.

"I think people would support you as long as you were happy," Charlie said.

"Charlie and I will look after VJ if you want to arrange a date with him," Joey offered.

Charlie chuckled to herself at the lack of consultation. Joey merely grinned at her.

"Is he actually a nice guy when he's with you?" Bianca asked more seriously.

"He is," Leah admitted. "And he's so good with VJ. It's like he has this cop persona where he barges in on people and he's rude to them and thoughtless. But when he's with me, he's funny and charming and he's so kind as well. He's lovely."

"I say call him," Bianca shrugged.

Charlie and Joey agreed. Leah pulled out her phone and stepped outside where it was quieter.


"Well, I'd better leave you to it," Ruby said decisively, standing up and heading for the door.

Romeo followed her in order to see her out. He thanked her sincerely for her support.

"We're friends, aren't we?" Ruby said, smiling sweetly at him.

He smiled back at her.

"You've quickly become one of my best friends, Ruby," he replied.

She leant forward and planted a soft kiss on his cheek, almost at the corner of his mouth. She let it linger for just a second too long before turning around, saying goodnight and heading out to say goodnight. Romeo gazed after her, a little shocked. He touched his face, where her lips had been, wondering why she had kissed him and if it meant anything.

Shaking his head and focussing back on the fact that his girlfriend was asleep upstairs, he tidied up Nicole's things and his and Ruby's glasses before heading upstairs to bed. Indi was starfishing on the bed, snoring. He sighed heavily and got changed. Managing to get hold of a pillow, he curled up in a chair and endured a very uncomfortable sleep.


Next time… Nicole falls out with Charlie, Leah goes on a date with Robertson and Romeo and Indi struggle on…