A Dirty Game - Chapter 5

Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage.
Lao Tzu
~*~*~*

Ruby was fairly certain that she was getting far with Romeo. There was no way that he could still think of her as a friend after a whole month of non stop flirting. She smiled as she made her way into English. She had missed period one and assembly, so she was unprepared for the boy she saw sitting at her desk.

At first all she saw was his short, curly brown hair bent over the desk as if he was sleeping. She stood in front of him and glared at the top of his head. Someone nudged him because his eyes fluttered open and he lifted his gaze to hers. They both froze. Ruby because he had the most amazing blue-grey eyes and soft pink lips, an angular chin and sexy stubble. Him because her striking blue eyes were almost as beautiful as her delicate heart - shaped face , pouty lips and curvy figure.

Ruby recovered first.
"You're in my seat", he blinked at her and then smiled the sexiest lazy smile she'd ever seen.
"So?"
"Where am I meant to sit?" he shrugged. Ruby growled.
"Move or I will stick my pen through your eye geek features" she shouted. He cocked his head to the side.
"Geek features? Is that why you keep staring at me? 'Cuz I have...geek features?" he smiled.
"What?! Just move!". He shook his head.
"No". Ruby was about to stab him when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned, expecting to see a teacher but instead seeing Romeo.

"You can sit next to me, chill" he smiled and Ruby's anger deflated. Here was another chance, hmm, maybe asshole was useful after all. She glared at him one last time before sitting down at Kim's desk and then Mr Joll came in.

The thing was, in between blazing looks of passion directed at Romeo which he pretended he couldn't feel, she was wondering about the so-called 'asshole'. Who was he and why was he here?
She sneaked a look at him when he was scribbling something down in a notepad. He really was fit. But Romeo was better looking and...Romeo was the one she wanted. There was no point in even straying from the task in hand.

Romeo tapped her hand and she looked up.
"Do you have any gum?" was all he asked.

~*~*~~*~*~*
At lunch time Lauryn sat down next to her.
"Oh my god, have you seen Braiden Ashton yet?" she asked.
"Is he the hot one...the new guy?"
"Oh yeahhhh. He plays the guitar. Isn't he lush?" she pointed to the hall doors where Braiden had just appeared.

Ruby nodded absentmindedly. Braiden...what a strange name. Yet it seemed to suit him. His whole weird aura. She watched as he pulled a beanie over his hair and about half the girls in the hall fainted.

Someone sat down next to her and she smelt Romeo's cologne.
"He's alright" he said.
"Who?" Lauryn asked.
"Braiden. I was talking to him on the way here. He's cool, and he's a joker" he nodded.
Ruby rolled her eyes.
"He's also rude, arrogant -" she started but was cut off.
"Are you talking about me love? Well, I feel honored" Braiden said behind her and then sat next to Romeo and grinned at her. Automatically her blood began to boil.
"Why. Is. He. Here?" she said through clenched teeth. Romeo looked between them.
"Oh you're not still hung up over this morning are you? Jeez, that was so stupid. Just say sorry and be friends"

Braiden was the first to stick his hand out.
"I'm sorry if I offended you today" he apologized looking as if that big grin was the way every one said sorry. Ruby stared for a moment before she took his hand, and instantly let go of it again.
"Ow! You electric shocked me" she moaned, rubbing her palm. Braiden laughed but it wasn't so carefree this time.
"Sorry"
"I'm sorry too, that I threatened to stab you...and that I called you geek features" she said slowly. Lauryn raised her eyebrows.

Romeo laughed and took a bite of his pizza slice.
"Ridiculous" Ruby heard him murmur. As usual after he finished eating he went off to call Kim. It pissed Ruby off that she hadn't gotten so far as to make him forget her completely.

"Wow" Braiden said.
"What?" she snapped, twirling her thumb ring round in circles. Lauryn had left already because she had band practice so now it was just her and him.

"You literally throw yourself at him" he said quietly. Ruby froze, then turned to glare at him.
"What?", her voice was acidic now, but it did not warn Braiden.
"Well, when he sat down you shifted closer to him, and when he's talking you stare right at his face without even blinking. When he was eating you looked bored but then when he spoke to you your expression went all...pouty. And then you looked like thunder when he went off to call...i assume his girlfriend? So I can only guess that you want him...but you can't have him" he finished.

Ruby stared now more than glared. What the fuck? How did he get all that so quickly she thought.

"I'm right aren't I? I love it when that works" he smiled to himself.
"How did you get all that?" she asked.
"I'm horribly perceptive"
"Yeah? Well then I think you're also 'horribly deranged' because it was all wrong" she huffed . He laughed.

"Okay...whatever helps you sleep at night" he muttered and started chewing on his bread roll.
Once again Ruby was pissed off at him. She stood up.
"When Romeo comes back tell him I'm at our tree" she hissed and stomped outside where she leaned back against the bark. It was kind of risky calling it their tree, but then everything she did nowadays was risky. A few minutes passed and still Romeo hadn't come. Surprised she went back in the hall and saw him sitting beside Braiden.

"Oh hi Ruby" Romeo smiled.
"Why didn't you meet me at the tree?" she demanded. His smile faded and all a sudden she knew he was angry.
"Look, Ruby. I'm not your boyfriend, I don't belong to you, I don't even fancy you. I have a girlfriend and nobody's gonna change that. Not even you. I like you, you're an okay girl to talk to but that is it! So whatever reputation you have in your head about us...erase them" he said calmly and then turned back to Braiden.

Ruby was shaking. It was Braiden's fault. It must be! Everything was fine until he came along. She grabbed his arm and dragged him outside. He rubbed his arm and stared right back at her, not flinching even when she lifted her hand to slap him. She didn't though. Instead she took a deep breath, trying to calm down.

"What did you do?"
"Nothing. I just told him the truth"
"Why?!" she hissed.
"Because you're throwing yourself at him, like a prostitute. It was so clear that he didn't think of in that way, and you still kept at it. I pride myself on being a decent guy, so I did what was best for you and for him. I don't like watching people suffer, or make idiots out of themselves, even if I don't know them. You're too beautiful to do something like that Ruby" he said with so much feeling, Ruby knew he meant no harm.

"You don't understand" she replied stiffly and looked down.
"I do. You may think I don't, but I really do"
"I need this, okay! I'm the popular girl, the one everyone wants to know, wants to be, wants to get with. My image is not complete without Romeo. In the least clichéd way possible, I am nothing without him. So stop trying to help me, you're only making it worse" she pleaded.

"I'm not gonna do that. I think you're just acting superficial. Underneath all that lip gloss and bust is someone who you need to be more than ever. Otherwise you're gonna end up with nothing...and no-one".

Ruby stared at him. He spoke with so much passion, so much emotion. He truly believed in what he was saying. It was almost enough to sway Ruby.
"Thanks, but I'm gonna do this my way" she smiled. She stepped forward and hugged him.
"Even though I don't appreciate what you're doing, I like you." she grinned and patting his hand she went back into the canteen to apologize to Romeo for giving out the wrong vibes.

Still outside Braiden sighed and shrugged.
"She doesn't want help" he muttered to himself. He walked the long way round to reception, where he had left his guitar. He had a burning desire to play it and calm his anxious nerves. And also, he had a new idea for a song.