I've Known All Along (A Jarcey Story) NO MORE JARCEY

12

BEFORE READING: REMEMBER YOUR LEGAL DOCUMENT

"Hi?" Ruby looked around as she walked into her fully packed house with Livia "What's the occasion?"

"Jack's moving in!" Her mum exclaimed.

Ruby's fake smile dropped instantly "WHAT?!"

*Roll intro* (hehe)

"Honey, I thought you'd be happy?" The curly haired girl's mum looked at her, confused.

Ruby looked at her brother, who was glued to his girlfriend, as he shrugged.

"Nope" Ruby said through gritted teeth "I'm not happy, I'm delighted"

Livia patted the girls back, indicating she was here for moral support.

"Ahh! I'm so excited cyacyacyacya" Ruby's aunt hugged her mum, annoyingly. (She actually makes this noise tho)

Ruby mentally rolled her eyes and sighed. Soon, she'd be driving her and her friend up to Millbrook to go to Cheesy Nachos. (You can drive when you're 17, right? You can now...)

"Do you want a drink?" Her mum offered them Fanta, Coke or 7up.

"7up" both of the girls said at the same time "Please"

"Well, thanks for the dinns" (Dinner in Victoria and Rachel language) Rachel smiled "But we better be going"

Eve made a stupid face to her older cousin "Bye Buby-Poo-Poo!"

"Harry?" Livia whispered into her friend's ear, making her laugh.

Grace smiled at her cousin. The only family member, on her mum's side, she even debated liking. Not like she ever debated on liking anyone, she didn't need to. And she only ever debated liking Grace when she took her sisters side, which was often.

"Bye!" Phil left, closing the door behind him.

"Now, just us six!" Victoria clapped her hands "I'm going to do the dishes now. Do you girls want any food? I made chicken dinner"

"That's what we had in school" Ruby told her mum "I'm just gonna make nachos, I bought some yesterday with my money from my part time job because now I have to buy myself food apparently and we can't let that go to waste"

Livia helped her friend with the nachos as Ruby looked in the fridge "I made Nutella cookies last night, too. There should be a few more"

"Oh yes..." Victoria sighed "Sorry about that, we ate them..."

Ruby tried to contain her anger "Oh... Ok... No bother, not like I made them myself, alone or anything when you left me for about a week"

"Your brother was here! You guys and nearly 18 and 15! You can handle yourself for a night or two now!"

Ruby looked at her brother. He was supposed to be here? He didn't come home... Rebel...

"And don't worry, I'm not leaving you alone again for a while... Now that Jack lives here, we'll be here, not at his house!"

Ruby took a deep breath "Well, Livia and I are going to watch something... Please excuse us"

"Oh" Jack's dull voice started, slowly "Let me join. I promise to not ruin the movie if I've already seen it"

Ruby sighed. She knew he was lying but her mum would kill her if she said anything but yes "Fine, come on"

After a few minutes of scrolling through Netflix, Livia got up to get the nachos as Ruby fought with Jack over who the best Spiderman was.

"Jack! HE CANT ACT!" She shouted at him as Livia sat down with the Nachos on the table between them.

"Yes" Jack started, slower than a turtle "But Tobey Maguire is the original"

"So?" Ruby turned Netflix off, thinking about how her mum should break up with him for this reason and only this reason. Along with many others.

Livia sighed as Ruby looked through Disney+ "You can watch Eternals again, if you want"

Ruby smiled "Really? Thanks!"

Livia nodded while mouthing 'You need it'

The girl rolled her eyes while nodding and mouthing 'I do' back as she turned on the movie.

"No" Jack held his hands over his eyes "Turn it off"

Ruby paused the TV and looked at Livia as she shrugged her shoulders "Why?"

"This movie is making fun of our saviour, God! The big red guy-"

"Arishum" Ruby pointed out.

"-he is pretending to be God and the Enternals-"

"Eternals" Ruby sighed.

"-are Jesus and the disciples who do whatever is told of them. The woman who has my name-"

"Ajak?"

"-is meant to be Jesus! The imposter! The blasphemy!"

Ruby took a deep breath "That's not... Can we just watch it?"

"No! Sinner!"

Ruby looked at him, shocked. "Mum! Can you tell Jack to let us watch Eternals?"

"If he's uncomfortable, watch something else" she shouted back in.

"Fine" Ruby switched over to Modern Family "This good?"

"With a gay couple? No" the man looked disgustingly at the screen.

Ruby switched the TV off "Fine then, Livia let's go I'm done here"

Livia got up and walked out the door.

"Get the nachos bro-"

"Oh yeah..." Livia grabbed the tub and left "So, where are we going?"

Ruby shrugged "Away from him 'Eternals is a sin' ugh. Like what?" As she drove to the coast near her old house "Peace and quiet" she sighed.

They sat in silence, listening to the waves and the crunch of the nachos, thinking to themselves. What she was doing now, reminded her of something that happened last year...

Nearing the end of summer, the year before

"No, Ben and Jerry's ice cream out of a tub is so much better than Mauds" Ruby told her boyfriend "For crying, for watching movies, for this, for everything!"

The girl took another spoonful of ice cream before leaning her head back on the car seat.

Michael nodded "Yes, but Mauds! Sprinkles! More flavours!"

"Uh, why would you need more flavours than Cookies and Cream and Chocolate Brownie?"

"My point still stands..." The boy laughed before they sat, in silence again, listening to the quiet radio in the background and the seagulls at the Marina in Carrick as they ate their ice creams.

After a moment, Ruby sighed and twisted her head to look at her boyfriend "Michael..."

He looked at her "What's up?"

"You're the best thing that's come out of my parents' divorce" she admitted, tears in her eyes "The only good thing, more like"

He leant over and hugged her "It's ok..."

She set her ice cream down and wrapped her arms around him in return "Thanks..."

"You too" they let go from their hug and continued eating their ice cream.

After a moment, Ruby's phone began to ring "It's Dad" she told the boy "Hello?" "I'm at the Marina with Michael" "Yeah, we'll be home in a minute" "See you soon"

Michael set his ice cream down "Time to go then?"

The girl nodded "Unfortunately"

When they arrived at Michael's house, Ruby told him she'd walk back up.

"Ok, give me a kiss though. Only two more weeks until back to school" he smiled before she got out of the car.

The girl laughed and started to lean in before his phone rang beside them. Ruby looked at the device "Is that... Georgia Lilley?"

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