A Dirty Game - Chapter Twenty

I do apologize for the long wait, the lack of comments kind of put me off writing for a bit. But I couldn't leave you all hanging for any longer, so here it is =]
~*~*~*~*~*
A beam of bright light cut through the still room, dust balls suspended in the air. The sudden warmth on Ruby's cheek pulled her out of her slumber. She blinked against the rays and winced. It was morning, and she wasn't that kind of person at all. She lay there for a while, just staring at the ceiling and reading the stenciled words. Eventually she decided she had to make a move; her tongue felt like sandpaper, her teeth even seemed to throb. Getting her elbows under her body, she pushed and couldn't understand why she was finding it hard to get up. It was like...like Braiden's big head was cutting off all her air. She laughed as she shoved against him and he rolled off like the big sleeping lump he was. He didn't even twitch, just carried on snoring, fist scrunched up in the duvet. She rolled her eyes as she took in a deep breath, rubbing her skin where it was red from the friction of his bed head against her chest. She hoped that wouldn't irritate her for the rest of the day, she had sensitive skin and her cream was at home. Looking around, she noticed the makeshift bed on the floor, besides the window. The makeshift bed in which Braiden was supposed to have slept. Remembering Mary Jane's warning, she slid out of the bed, not wanting to be caught in such an incriminating scene, even though it was completely harmless. The floor was warm against her bare feet and she took a second to admire her pedicure. It was so pretty. She extended her leg and watched the sunshine reflect off her blue toenails. She was such a blonde sometimes. Smiling, she grabbed her bag and made her way to the bathroom.

When she was done, wearing a white dress with a blue waist belt, and pretty blue sandals to go with her whole outfit, she dumped the bag back in Braiden's room. He was still heavily under, sprawled out in the middle of the bed. Stuck for something to do, she headed for the kitchen.

"Good morning" Mary, Jane called, as she put down a sheet of paper. Ruby jumped, not having seen her at first.
"Morning Mary Jane" she replied, pulling up a chair. The kitchen was about the same size as hers, except there was no breakfast bar. Just a smaller table than the one in the dining room. Mary Jane sat opposite her, handing her a bowl of fruit.
"I'm going to take a wild guess and say you don't eat anything for breakfast...?"
Ruby shook her head as she plucked a bunch of grapes. She chewed a few, and then answered.
"Nope. Fruit, yeah. Anything else, no."
"All teenagers these days. When I was your age...actually, no. I'm not that old!" Mary Jane chuckled, picking a few oranges out. Ruby surveyed her as she chewed. Mary Jane was a nice woman, with a very warm personality, yet Ruby could clearly see that she wasn't a fool. She'd stand up for herself, and she wouldn't take shit from anybody. Unlike Lacey...her mother popped into her head, radiant and miserable. The image was so depressing, so she tried to change it around in her imagination; adding a gorgeous baby girl, and a beach. It still looked horrible. Taylor took her mother's place and stood there, thumbs hooked into his jeans, trademark smirk plastered onto his face. Since that day at her house, she'd thought about the problems she had, the ones that allowed her to mess with her brother. Braiden couldn't have forgotten something like that so easily...right? It confused her to think about it, so she focused on MJ who was still talking, oblivious to her fade out.

"...Wet the bed 'till he was eight" she rambled on. Ruby nearly choked on a grape.
"Braiden?" she asked, her face red. Mary Jane looked up guiltily, her eyes wide.
"Oh don't tell him I told you! Things tend to slip out when I talk, he hates it."
"Of course I won't MJ. Do you have any more childhood stories? They're fascinating" Ruby smiled, a plan forming in her mind.
Hmm, how she did love a bit of teasing.
~*~*
Braiden stumbled through the kitchen door about an hour later, only to find Ruby and his mother in stitches. Ruby had tears running down her face and was clutching her trim stomach tightly. Mary Jane was cackling away on the other side of the table, fighting for breath. He raised an eyebrow as he pulled a carton of orange juice from the fridge and gulped it down straight.
"Braiden get a glass" Mary Jane called, finally able to breathe. He spun around, purposely drinking more. She caught Ruby's eyes and they burst into laughter again.
"What's so funny?"
"You."
"Shh Ruby, don't tell him" MJ chuckled, putting a finger to her quivering lips. He sat down at the table and noticed, for the first time, there was a photo album on the surface. He instantly closed his eyes and flushed. This spurred the girls on, and they nearly fell off their chairs.

"Mum, I've told you several times to stop doing this" he complained, grabbing the album and slamming it shut. Ruby could no longer see his ten-year old face, braces and glasses. Tying in with that, she managed to calm herself down. She gulped in air, wiping her cheeks and fanning herself.
"Wow. Braiden, you were so sexy" she stated. Mary Jane erupted again, trying to cover her mouth. Braiden turned evil eyes onto Ruby and stared her out. She smirked back, folding her arms on the table. She won, of course. Grunting, he looked away, hitching the album under his arm.
She took the chance to check out what he was wearing. Actually, more like, what he wasn't wearing. He'd evidently made his way straight from the room to the kitchen. Somewhere in the night he'd pulled off his jeans and his shirt. So he was sitting there, in a vest and Superman boxers, with wild bed head and rosy cheeks. He had a defiant expression on his face, like a little boy.

"You look so cute" she told him, only to be distracted by Mary Jane getting up.
"I've got work, unfortunately. But another time Ruby, I'll show you the album from when he was in his teens. Oh lord, you'll just die" she grinned, darting out the door. Braiden sighed, "Yes, you'll just die. I'll kill you myself" he threatened. Ruby rolled her eyes.
"Stop that."
"Stop what?"
"Rolling your eyes. I have a nasty fear that your eyes will just drop right out one day, exhausted from all the exercise" he laughed.
"Haha, very funny. Look, I can barely contain myself."
"You know, a wise man once said that 'sarcasm is the sign of a rotten mind'" he replied, juggling an orange from the bowl. She frowned.
"I'm in all the same class sets as you, so if my mind is rotten, well then so is yours." Braiden thought about her answer.

"Touché" he smiled. She watched him eat his orange, wondering when he was going to get off his lazy behind and get ready. She was feeling restless. And as if he could read her mind, he jumped up.
"Going to wash. Go to the living room and watch a DVD or something - according to my mum, I dress like a girl, as in I take hours" he grinned, kissing her forehead and left, bare feet slapping on the floor.
Ruby wondered through to the living room and liked the decor. The walls were a nice lilac, and the windows covered half a wall, shedding a ton of sunlight onto the cream carpet. She turned the TV on and sifted through the DVDs, not really paying attention. A name caught her eye and she paused, zooming in on the case. A smile spread across her face. She couldn't believe they had her favorite DVD. She slipped it in and lay back on the sofa.

True to his word, Braiden came back downstairs about an hour and a half later. He popped his head into the living room and saw Ruby smiling dopily at the TV. He checked out the screen and groaned, heading over and switching it off.
"Hey! I was watching that" she whined.
"Don't even get me started on Harry Potter" he warned, pointing a finger. She growled playfully, getting up to turn it back on. He stepped in her way, forcing her to pause.
"There's nothing wrong with Harry Potter" she told him.
"Harry and Ron are so obviously gay, TOGETHER! All that happens is they kill Voldemort several times, kill some other people, watch Hermione flirt with random trolls and eat" he smirked. Ruby was nonplussed.

"What are you talking about? Ron loves Hermione, Harry loves Ginny, and Voldemort isn't dead so technically they can't kill him 'several times' you fool."
Braiden ignored her protests and fought her attempts to get the film back on. He was damned if he was going to let her turn that wretched film on while he was in the house. Realizing there was no way she could beat him, she stopped struggling and turned away. When she heard Braiden start to follow her lead, she quickly spun around, darted around him and pressed the button.
"I won" she smirked. She didn't even want to watch the film anymore, but she always liked to win anyway. Braiden shook his head at her childish behavior, knowing he was such a hypocrite but not caring.
"You big four-year-old. C'mon, I thought we could go to the beach today, is that alright?"
Ruby looked up, seeing he'd picked his keys up.
"Sure, let me get my stuff."

About an hour or two later, Ruby was lying back, the sun on her face and the sand between her toes. She loved summer, she really did. It was undoubtedly the best season, perfect for a tan. She slid her sunglasses on, and folded her hands under her head. Braiden was buying ice cream for them, and so she was left on the towel, soaking up the sun by herself for a little while. Kids were laughing, throwing beach balls at each other and building sandcastles. The adults all looked relaxed for once, smiling and eating. She felt good. A shadow was thrown over her and she glanced up, squinting to see.
"Hey babe, can I get your number?" It was a boy about three years older than her, and she didn't know him at all. She sat up, meeting his eyes.
"No."

He was stunned at her bluntness, and she could tell by his baby blues and long black hair that he wasn't used to being rejected. She surprised herself; she didn't even feel an urge to flirt with this one before she cut him back.
"Why not? You're sexy, I just want to get to know you" he smiled, twanging the elastic on his swimming shorts. She didn't like the provocative way he did that, so she stood up to balance out the power. She was taller than him, and he stepped back so he could see her properly without tilting his head. She fought a smirk.
"I said no. You can't have my number. I have a boyfriend. And even if I didn't; I still wouldn't want to give it to you."
His nostrils flared and he clenched his fists. Uh oh. She'd messed with a live one this time. She'd done it several times before, and it never had a good outcome. Usually the calm ones just walked away, dejected at her rejection, but sometimes they were stubborn. Sometimes they lashed out.

"It's eleven lousy digits. I don't really care if you've got a boyfriend darling" he spat.
An arm twined around her waist and she jumped slightly even though she knew who it was.
Braiden had two ice cream cones in his other hand, but they didn't take away from the anger in his stance. That worried Ruby; she didn't like to be the reason he was acting like that. She knew his standards on anger, and she was forcing him to bypass them. Again.
"Is there a problem here?" he asked calmly. The boy glanced between them, rolled his eyes and walked away. Ruby sighed, her heart beating faster than normal. If that had turned violent...

Braiden handed here an ice cream cone.
"Way to get yourself into trouble within twenty minutes Rube" he joked, no longer angry. She loved that he could get rid of it in seconds. He reminded her of just how strong he was.
"Yep. I'm a trouble magnet," she licked her ice cream, sitting down again. He pulled her back up, grabbing the towel and their bags.
"Don't sit down, I heard a couple of guys talking, and there's a little place further up. It sounds cool, I wanna check it out" he told her, leading the way. She followed, not sure of what he was talking about, but pretending to.

Ten minutes later though, she understood. They rounded a massive boulder and suddenly they were on what appeared to be an island. They weren't really, but it was so secluded and perfect, they might as well have been. It was like something out of a movie; the sea sparkled prettily, the sand seemed to be brighter and it was quiet. Ruby ran her hand over the chalky wall that ran around the little beach, her skin coming away powdered white. Braiden dropped the bags and collapsed beside them, patting the sand next to him.
"It's perfect" Ruby marveled as she folded her long legs beneath her. He encircled her waist and drew her closer so that her head rested on his shoulder.
"I know."

Ruby closed her eyes to the perfection and just relaxed. The sun warmed her muscles and she became more aware of Braiden's arm. It seemed to be burning right through her dress and scorching her skin. She hoped that when she went home and changed her clothes, his hand print would be imprinted on her stomach. As soon as she thought it, she flushed. What kind of stupid thing was that to think?! She really needed to cool down - Braiden was getting to her head. She jumped up, and made her way to the water.
"Rube what are you doing?" Braiden called, confused.

They hadn't brought any swimwear, Ruby because it was at home and Braiden because he didn't own any. She didn't answer him, instead just stopped at a distance from the sea. She unclasped her waist belt and dropped it onto the sand. Then she gripped the bottom of her dress and pulled it over her head. Braiden's eyes were wide and he followed her every movement in suspense. What was she doing?
Her dress slipped through her fingers and she kicked her sandals off, so that she stood in only her matching blue underwear. The sun's rays glinted off the bar in her navel as she turned, which he hadn't known she had. She was amazing.

"I'm going for a swim" she laughed. He watched her spin back around, run towards the water and dive in. Hormones racing through his body, he shucked his shorts, vest and Vans, and followed suit, only not as graceful as Ruby. She splashed him as he swam towards her, and he took the challenge. They had a splash war, and he chased her around the seabed, her screaming and laughing. He finally caught her when she stepped on a sharp seashell and had to stop to pull it out. He got her from behind, grabbing her waist and tickling her rib cage. She shrieked and wriggled in his grasp, slapping at his hands until he stopped.
"You suck" she pouted, not actually caring about the splash war, but happy about being with him. Having fun with him.

"Yeah, I suck" he chuckled sarcastically, biting her ear gently. She jumped slightly, goosebumps attacking her skin even in the sweltering heat. He laid his chin on her shoulder and kissed her just under her jawbone. She became conscious of the fact that his abs were pressed against her bare back and tried to stay innocent. She could not perv on Braiden during such a romantic moment. No way. He tightened his arm around her and she bit back a yelp. Okay, she was really perving on him, it was easy to admit. She could have stayed there all day, but she was a teenager, and she did have hormones, and they did not mean good things. Reluctantly she pulled away from him and dripped up the beach, back to their bags. A few seconds later he did the same and they lay on the sand, drying out their wet bodies.

The silence was comforting and Braiden didn't even bother to look away from Ruby when she closed her eyes. He loved the curve of her legs, and the soft flat of her stomach. Her shoulders were dainty, her neck elegant. She looked peaceful with her eyes closed, her face relaxed and her skin golden. Her hair, usually straightened to within an inch of its life, lay in small curls, one of them soaked to her cheekbone. He traced it lightly with his finger, entranced by the sweetness of her. He'd caught her in a moment. It was pure bliss. It was everything he'd ever asked for in love. It was Ruby.
Her eyelids flickered and she turned her face into his hand as she met his eyes.
"What's wrong?" she asked.
"Absolutely nothing" he smiled, telling the truth. She believed him. The day had been so breathtaking; she knew that nothing could spoil it.

Ruby found herself in a daze on the way home. The world seemed to blur past her, and she couldn't catch it. Braiden dropped her off on the bike, and she hugged him goodbye. She kicked open her bedroom door and fell face first onto her bed. Her skin was coated with sand in places, her sandals were gritty, her underwear had dried to a starchy material, her dress was creased and her hair was crazy. She looked mad, but she felt great. Going through her bag, she put everything back in its place and kicked it behind her bed. She spotted her school bag on her desk, considered doing her homework, and walked right out. Her mum was in the living room, drinking a glass of wine and reading a magazine.

"Hey mum" she smiled and sat down next to her.
"Ruby, darling. What did you do today?"
"Nothing, just went to the beach" she shrugged, hiding just how happy she was. She didn't want to be questioned. She didn't want to tell anyone. The day was her and Braiden's. No one else's. She switched on the TV and the low murmur lulled her to sleep, her head falling back. Lacey picked up the piece of paper Taylor had passed on to her earlier. Some boy had rung up, asking for Ruby, and he'd left a message. She'd read over it what felt like a hundred times. Taylor didn't know the significance of the message, but Lacey did. She didn't know whether to show Ruby, for fear of upsetting her, or destroy it, in case she was angered. Sighing, she looked at it again, deciphering Taylor's spider scrawl.

'Brody called, says to tell Ruby - hey there classmate - whatever that means'.