father. The idea that she could get pulled into a negative spiral of despair and anger that would never end, just like her mother had with her father, kept nagging at the back of her mind.
“Ruby, stop,” Tiffany said, firmly holding her hand up. “You’re doing your usual over-thinking everything. Just let it take its course. Whatever happens will happen.”
Yet again, her friend was right. Over-thinking was her middle name. Life would be so much easier if she could be more like Tiffany and not let everything affect her so much. She pushed herself off of the tree and nudged Tiff with her elbow. “And Drew accused me of swallowing a self-help book. He clearly hasn’t had anything to do with you recently.”
“I don’t know what you mean.” Tiffany placed both hands on her hips, her expression one of exaggerated innocence.
“Of course you don’t.” Ruby flicked her gaze upward, toward the sky. She then rested her arm around Tiffany’s shoulder and gently pulled her forward. “Come on, I don’t want to be late.”
They turned and headed toward the school entrance, tucking behind a trail of students heading in the same direction. After entering the school, they went to their lockers and then Ruby headed to the library where the group had planned to meet.
By the time she arrived, everyone was already there. She glanced at her watch. The bell for school hadn’t even rung.
“Didn’t you get my email?” Brad asked as she reached them.
Ruby glanced at the others in the group, including Drew, who had his head down. She shook her head. “What email?”
“To meet here at eight-thirty this morning, so we can have as much time as possible to work on the project.”
He had to be kidding. He really was taking his science dictatorship to a whole new level. She couldn’t wait to tell Tiffany about it. She’d crack up. “No. Sorry, I don’t think—”
Crap. She remembered seeing Brad’s name on an email that she’d made a point of ignoring earlier this morning, since she’d had more important things to be doing, which involved lip gloss and her flat-iron. Then again, that was his fault because he’d sent so many messages already on the project. How was she to know that that particular email was actually important?
“Never mind.” Brad waved his hand dismissively. “Sit down, and let’s get started. I’ve already worked out everyone’s tasks, so now we—”
“Why don’t we work at Echoes, rather than being stuck here all morning?” Ruby interrupted as she pulled out a chair and sat down. “It’s a café. They serve coffee. A perfect reason to go, if you ask me.”
And nothing to do with the fact that it had suddenly struck Ruby that in a less formal setting, Drew might relax and be more comfortable with her. He might even talk a bit. Open up.
“Not a good idea,” Brad said, a pompous expression crossing his face.
“Why not?” Ruby asked. She turned to the others. “Who’s for working at Echoes?”
“Yeah,” Ricky said.
“Cool,” Jess added.
Ruby stared at Drew, arching a brow.
“Sure,” Drew said after a few seconds.
“Right. It looks like going to the café wins,” Ruby said. Brad’s eyebrows furrowed as though he couldn’t believe the group had gone against his master plan.
For the second time. Ha.
“Okay,” Brad said, giving a loud, clearly frustrated sigh. “We’ll go for a couple of hours. Some of us can’t afford to buy enough coffee to stay for longer.”
Ruby didn’t say anything as she figured she’d done enough already. She might have changed their location, but she didn’t want to upset Brad, since there had to be some level of cooperation for all of them to get a good grade on this assignment.
They all got up to leave, and she wondered about asking Drew for a ride to the café, but he strode off ahead of everyone before she had the chance.
D rew parked his car outside the café and sat there drumming his fingers on the steering wheel, waiting
“Ruby, stop,” Tiffany said, firmly holding her hand up. “You’re doing your usual over-thinking everything. Just let it take its course. Whatever happens will happen.”
Yet again, her friend was right. Over-thinking was her middle name. Life would be so much easier if she could be more like Tiffany and not let everything affect her so much. She pushed herself off of the tree and nudged Tiff with her elbow. “And Drew accused me of swallowing a self-help book. He clearly hasn’t had anything to do with you recently.”
“I don’t know what you mean.” Tiffany placed both hands on her hips, her expression one of exaggerated innocence.
“Of course you don’t.” Ruby flicked her gaze upward, toward the sky. She then rested her arm around Tiffany’s shoulder and gently pulled her forward. “Come on, I don’t want to be late.”
They turned and headed toward the school entrance, tucking behind a trail of students heading in the same direction. After entering the school, they went to their lockers and then Ruby headed to the library where the group had planned to meet.
By the time she arrived, everyone was already there. She glanced at her watch. The bell for school hadn’t even rung.
“Didn’t you get my email?” Brad asked as she reached them.
Ruby glanced at the others in the group, including Drew, who had his head down. She shook her head. “What email?”
“To meet here at eight-thirty this morning, so we can have as much time as possible to work on the project.”
He had to be kidding. He really was taking his science dictatorship to a whole new level. She couldn’t wait to tell Tiffany about it. She’d crack up. “No. Sorry, I don’t think—”
Crap. She remembered seeing Brad’s name on an email that she’d made a point of ignoring earlier this morning, since she’d had more important things to be doing, which involved lip gloss and her flat-iron. Then again, that was his fault because he’d sent so many messages already on the project. How was she to know that that particular email was actually important?
“Never mind.” Brad waved his hand dismissively. “Sit down, and let’s get started. I’ve already worked out everyone’s tasks, so now we—”
“Why don’t we work at Echoes, rather than being stuck here all morning?” Ruby interrupted as she pulled out a chair and sat down. “It’s a café. They serve coffee. A perfect reason to go, if you ask me.”
And nothing to do with the fact that it had suddenly struck Ruby that in a less formal setting, Drew might relax and be more comfortable with her. He might even talk a bit. Open up.
“Not a good idea,” Brad said, a pompous expression crossing his face.
“Why not?” Ruby asked. She turned to the others. “Who’s for working at Echoes?”
“Yeah,” Ricky said.
“Cool,” Jess added.
Ruby stared at Drew, arching a brow.
“Sure,” Drew said after a few seconds.
“Right. It looks like going to the café wins,” Ruby said. Brad’s eyebrows furrowed as though he couldn’t believe the group had gone against his master plan.
For the second time. Ha.
“Okay,” Brad said, giving a loud, clearly frustrated sigh. “We’ll go for a couple of hours. Some of us can’t afford to buy enough coffee to stay for longer.”
Ruby didn’t say anything as she figured she’d done enough already. She might have changed their location, but she didn’t want to upset Brad, since there had to be some level of cooperation for all of them to get a good grade on this assignment.
They all got up to leave, and she wondered about asking Drew for a ride to the café, but he strode off ahead of everyone before she had the chance.
D rew parked his car outside the café and sat there drumming his fingers on the steering wheel, waiting
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