Ruby

The piece of chicken flesh which Abby had earlier tucked into her mouth while she listened to me talk soon fell onto the floor.

Without bothering to mask her true reaction, Abby asked, "Your boyfriend is Mr. Klaus?"

I nodded.

"His name is Adonis Klaus?" she asked.

"Yes..." I replied, not sure what his name had to do with anything.

"That's a hot name." Her brows lifted suggestively. Whenever she does that, it means she's cooking up thoughts in her head.

"Yes, it is." I got off my bed and planted my buttocks on the floor, my legs crossed comfortably. "What has that got to with anything though? I expect that you'd start saying stuff like ′He is way older than you' or 'What are you thinking Ruby? He is way older than you! ' "

"What are you talking about?" Abby asked calmly.

"Huh?"

"You like this man, don't you?"

"Yes, I do. But-"

She cut me short. "I am certain he likes you too, I have seen him looking at you with care in his eyes. So, what's the problem?"

I sighed. To me, there were a lot of issues that I have successfully ignored. But the issues are still there and will always be there no matter how much I dismiss them.

"There is the issue of being caught. You know what will happen if our relationship is discovered. He can lose his job and he might be seen as some kind of pervert in the long run. "

" Yes, that can happen. So, all you have to do is simple; Just don't get caught. "

I frowned at Abby and she shrugged, a grin planted on her face after.

"Anyway..." I continued. "My parents can never find out I am in a relationship with a man that old."

"Especially your Dad..." Abby whispered in agreement.

"Especially my Dad." I felt a small rush of fear in my system as I briefly imagined my father's reaction if at all he catches Adonis and me in a compromising position. "Dad will be very disappointed in me and I don't want him to be. "

" Will you break things off with Mr. Klaus if that happens? " Abby asked.

I grabbed the bottle of water that was just by Abby's feet. As I picked on the cap of the plastic, I ruminated on my friend's question for a while.

"I don't think I can."

I locked eyes with her. "I like him so much. Whenever I am with him, I find myself smiling ridiculously. And I keep acting shy. He is so caring, Abby and that's so unexpected since he is a-"

"What?"

Telling Abby about Adonis's gangster situation was something I was not ready to say, so I quickly changed the route of my words. After a quick shrug, I said, "You know, it is unexpected because he is grown up and very experienced."

" Wait... " Abby dumped the drumstick in her hand into the small container that was holding the untouched chicken. " You guys have done it? "

" No." Her brows arched. "We haven't. I think he is taking it slow."

"That's the best way!" Abby squeaked.

"Why? It feels like he is teasing me."

"Okay... Have you guys gone to second base?"

"Uh... sort of," I recalled how his lips captured my nipples through the hospital gown. The way I felt back then was still fresh in my soul.

"Third base?"

I breathed hard as the pulsing feeling I had between my legs earlier seemed to be back. Adonis's touch had certainly knocked on a door that leads to somewhere I'll have no choice but to go.

"Not fully. As I said, he is teasing me."

"Exactly! So that you'll come back for more. You should be thankful he is not like the boys around that just want to enter your temple with their unholy dicks. "

I chuckled at her last statement. "My body is a temple though."

"Amen, sister. And our lovely Mr. Klaus is trying to get there the right way. I am sure he withdraws from going further whenever you guys are together."

"H- He does."

"You have a good man right there, keep him and forget the whole age gap thing. Just make yourself happy, okay?"

I nodded, my eyes watching her as she reached for the drumstick she had earlier put down. As her teeth bit into the flesh of the meat, I said, "Jake had a crazier reaction to Adonis and me being together. "

" Of course, he would have had a crazier reaction, he likes you. "

" Huh?" I did not hide my shock and Abby's eyes widened as it occurred to her that she had said something surprising. "You knew? " I asked.

" Uh... " As her eyes darted elsewhere, I knew the answer to my question. "Knew what?"

"Cut the bullshit, Abby. You know what I'm talking about."

" I don't," she sharply responded and her eyes dug further into the ground.

" Why didn't you tell me? "

With great intensity, her shoulders dropped, a sigh escaped her and she said, " It would have put a strain on our friendship. Things would have become awkward if I had told you who he likes."

" But-"

" But what, Ruby? Should I have told you anyway? Would you have been able to take that information as calmly as possible?"

I needed no seer to tell me that Abby was getting quite irritated and that was understandable. The guy she likes likes her best friend.

"If you had told me..." I reached for her left hand and gave it a tight squeeze. "... I would have bothered more about how you feel than the feelings Jake might have towards me. I could tell that you liked him a lot."

My words seemed to do some magic as the tension that had descended evaporated without fuss. Her mouth moving slightly as she continued her chewing, Abby turned a little so that she was now facing me.

"Jake didn't return my feelings, true. And it hurt a bit when he mentioned that he likes you. But it hurt more when it occurred to me that if I told you that part of the story, we might not stay friends for a while because of the crazy emotions I would keep feeling. So, I decided to keep it from you. "

" Did keeping it from me truly help you deal with the truth? " I asked while I tucked my hand behind my ear, my elbow gaining support from a portion of the bed frame.

"It helped me keep Jake out of my head for a while. That plus ignoring him and ensuring we didn't cross paths for a while."

"That explains why we haven't had a movie night in a while," I commented.

"I don't think I am ready to face him yet. I want to be strong enough so I can flip my hair in his face and smack his arm like old times. That was a period when things weren't awkward between us."

"Do you really think things can go back to how they were? "

" I know right? " She groaned as her hands covered her face. "It is just wishful thinking. Such things don't even happen in movies, there's always that existing awkwardness no matter how cool everyone tries to be. "

" You know you can't keep ignoring this situation."

" Of course, I know that! Are you trying to complicate things for me? Stop stating the obvious."

" Sorry. " My eyes narrowed in apology.

"Let's talk about something else, please. Oh, I know! Bryan Lockwood and that Clara girl. Let's leave the Jake issue and talk about them."

Watching her act so fidgety about the whole issue got me curious and I wondered for a second if it would be reasonable to talk to Jake.

But what would I say to him?

I certainly can't ask him to like her back, that's crueler than telling him that I like someone else.

So, what can I do to ensure my friends feel lesser pain?

"I always suspected that Clara girl, I knew something was off with her. Have you found out why she fabricated those images?"

Abby's words dragged me out of the battlefield which my mind was becoming.

"Uh... She either did it for fun or she did it because she finds me attractive. It's one of the two."

"You are joking, right?" Abby asked.

"Clara told me herself that she did it because she finds me attractive and she wants me all to herself. But I call bullshit."

Her right hand in the air briefly, Abby said, "Same here. What kind of psycho is that?"

"The kind that steals someone else's identity."

"What? She is not a student of our school?"

I shook my head. " She is twenty-five years old and she successfully stole the identity of one Carla Ross who died of cancer."

"What?" Abby asked again out of absolute shock. "That means... The Carla we always noticed once in a while when we started schooling here is dead and Psycho Carla assumed her identity without raising suspicions?"

My brows quirked when her question came to an end. "That's how it is. It is crazy right?"

" What is wrong with our school? Do you think she is under a curse?" I scoffed. "I am serious. With Bryan being a murderer and Carla stealing people's identity and male teachers hitting on-"

" Hitting on what?" I asked.

" Nothing. That school is messed up and it needs prayers or exorcism. Either one is fine."

" Don't be so extra. Drama always happens where teenagers are found."

" Even murder-related drama?" Abby's disagreement with my sentence was all over her face.

" Even that," I replied firmly and she nodded, perhaps to end the topic but certainly not because she agreed with me.

Seconds later, after a quick look at her phone, she said, " I think I'll be sleeping here. My Mom just texted me. My Dad is drunk again and it might get crazy in the house."

" You can stay here for as long as you want, Abby," I ensured to pass the message of assurance through my words. I might not have a family like hers but I read her pain sometimes and it hurts me that she has to go through so much.

A small moan came from her as she got off the floor. Once upright, she took a quick look at my room and asked, "My PJs are still here right?"

I nodded.

"Good. This night will be interesting. I want to know all about being Mr. Klaus's love interest."

"How's your project coming along?"

"It is fine and don't attempt to change the topic. Whether you like it or not, you are going to answer all my questions."

"Whatever. I'm going to bathe."

" You mean you are going to think about your man." As her knees hit the softness of the mattress, she sent me a huge grin.

" Please, fuck off."

" You know I am right, Ruby. So, stop acting as if I'm speaking nonsense."

" Whatever, Abby."

" Admit it."

" No." I moved closer to the bathroom entrance.

" Admit it, Ruby Powers, you are going in there to think about your man."

The door replied to her as I shut it with impact. But once I began to scan the four walls of my bathroom, I found myself giving a truthful response to Abby's words.

And as I got into the tub after, I did more than think about Adonis.

I tried to do a part of my assignment and I did that while thinking about Adonis whose touch and kiss and electrifying words crazily tortured me.

And, soon, I unlocked the door Adonis had earlier knocked on.