The Ineffable Ruth Rhodes

01 perfect plan

vincent

Vincent rocked back and forth on his heels, his posture relaxed despite how tense the air was as he looked into the eyes of someone he loved. He blew air out of his lips as his eyes wandered the hall full of students gaping and whispering, no doubt about them.

Vincent and Charlotte, the It couple who had the nasty breakup last summer.

"I miss you so much," Charlotte told him, and her eyes wet. "God, you don't understand and I want to explain but— it's just—"

"Well, I don't miss you," he told her. Every time she was around him, he felt his confidence drop, almost replaced with a feeling of anxiety and uncomfortability. The feeling that someone who used to be your house was no longer your home— the feeling of sheer angst. He was never a fiddler, or one to pick at his nails, but around her, he was a nail biter. He started playing with the ends of his shirt already. "So please, Char, leave me alone."

Vincent did, sort of, miss her. He missed having someone, anyone, who understood him, and would stay up with him when he had work to do so he wouldn't fall asleep. Maybe a part of him loved her, or maybe he just loved the idea of having someone to love.

Charlotte took a deep, shaky breath.

"What can I do to fix this?" she whispered to him, and he looked into the bright blue eyes he'd once dreamt about, and the deep reddish auburn hair he'd run his hands through, and told her, "Nothing," and walked away.

He hated that it hurt him to walk away from her. He hated the feeling of dread he felt when she looked at him. She was just a reminder of his pain. He hated that he wanted to turn around and run to her even though he knew this. He wanted her to hold him as she always did, so he'd be able to cry into her, and then they could go back in time to before his father left him.

Maybe in another life he would've told her he still loved her, and forgave her, but this was reality, and he wanted nothing to do with her at all. He wanted to wash his mind of her completely.

Relax, Vince. He took deep breaths. Relax.

—-

"Hey, Vincent," an acquaintance of Vincent's caught his attention. He turned to him, eyes settling on warm brown eyes and light brown hair. Vincent raised a brow in response. "I was just wonderin' what's goin' on with you and Charlotte."

Vincent stared at him flatly. "What?"

"Like, uh," the guy smiled sheepishly, "If everything is, you know... okay with you two. If you've both moved on."

"Yeah." Liar.

"So she's on the table," he said, laughing in surprise to himself. Vincent didn't find it very funny. "Anyone caught your eye lately?"

"A few people here and there." His lip twitched.

And then she walked in.

The teacher stood at the head of the class, silencing the hustling voices of students as she gestured for the girl at the door to come in further.

"Alright alright," she said, her voice a shrill and high pitched nuisance. "Stop your conversations. We have a returning student today, everyone say a warm hi to Liora Rhodes. Liora, introduce yourself."

Vincent stared on boredly and murmured 'hello' along with the rest of the class, seeing nothing out of the ordinary as the new girl shuffled to the front of the class awkwardly.

And that, is how it would've went.

Vincent would not have taken even the smallest interest in Ruth Rhodes if not for the reaction the class had towards her. If not for her expression of almost concealed mortification as she faced the class and smiled shakily.

A couple laughs and heightened whispers were heard from the back of the room as she introduced herself; it got to the point where Vincent had to lean over to a friend of his and ask what exactly was up with it.

"She took a year off after an ugly public rejection almost two years back," Lukas whispered.

"She was rejected in front of people?"

"No," Lukas shook his head. "She rejected him."

Vincent nodded and leaned back into his seat, brows knitting together as he chewed the inside of his cheek. He thought he heard a similar story before maybe, but he didn't really have interest in much gossip and so it'd naturally left his mind. The name Liora didn't ring a bell, he thought, as he studied her. But her face certainly did, like a bunch of drawn out puzzle pieces he couldn't quite put together.

She had big eyes that were pools of brown, Vincent knew that when she smiled they'd twinkle and brighten. Her black braids were pulled back loosely, showcasing her golden brown skin, and full but firm cheeks right below long eyelashes. He could've sworn he'd seen her somewhere before.

"You can take the free seat beside Vincent," his teacher said, adjusting her thick owl rimmed glasses and gesturing to him. "Vincent, please raise your hand."

His gaze found Liora's, and he realized he'd missed her whole introduction. He was sort of disappointed.

Vincent raised his hand and smiled easily. Liora's eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly before she headed over, and she didn't so much as glance at him for the rest of the class.

He peered over at her, staring very obviously to try catch her eye, even whispering a 'hey', but she didn't even spare him a look or a 'hello' back. He wondered what he did for her to dislike him so much. He didn't recall screwing with her. He didn't screw with anyone.

He silently ran through ideas in his head, before deciding she was overly focused and simply didn't see him.

It was only when he stayed back with her after class, sitting right beside her and she packed her stuff, almost sprinting out of the class, that he noticed she was definitely ignoring him.

Vincent stared after her. To Vincent then, Liora Rhodes was the perfect girl for the perfect plan.

But she was also the girl who'd break his heart, the same girl whose name was Ruth Rhodes.

—-

It took Vincent months to construct the perfect plan. Months of heartbreak, and months of asking and asking himself exactly how he'd ended up where he was, with the person he thought loved him, ending things with him the second she found out his father left her.

Charlotte was perfect, with bright blue eyes and wild, curly auburn hair like his mother. She was so warm, so kind and intelligent. Without her, he wouldn't have gotten half of his grades above a 95. He remembered her helping him after school, promising he'd get a kiss if he got the answer right (it motivated him beyond description). However the same memories once regarded with love and fondness made him sick to think about.

Charlotte was his first love.

He thought he'd end up with her, he'd imagined their lives after high school, maybe in some alternate reality where first loves always ended up together and it was a happy ending with balloons and flowers. But like the fragments of snow after winter has come to an end, their relationship was like little puzzle pieces littered on the ground and it was too late to pick them up— Not that Vincent would be willing to pick them up after what she'd done.

He wasn't still in love with her per se. But he wasn't over her or their relationship just yet.

She should've been glad Vincent wasn't one to use people, he thought, with the way she'd used him to worm her way into his life and leave when she saw fit.

Indeed, he was never one to use people. But then Ruth Rhodes walked into his school.

It was perfect.

They'd both get something they wanted out of the relationship; they'd both use each other—

That was, if she said yes.