LOVE HEARTS- max mayfield

Chapter 2- The Lift

"What do you mean you can't take me home?" Ruby asked her brother in annoyance as she stood by his car at the end of the school day.

"Basketball game Ruby, I have to stay here," Jason rolled his eyes. "You'd know about this if you actually listened to anything.

"So how am I meant to get home then?" Ruby scoffed as she gestured wildly with her hands.

"I dunno, walk," Jason shrugged. "If you're lucky you'll make it home alive," he laughed jokingly to his friends that stood leant over the car beside him.

"Asshole," Ruby muttered under her breath.

"What did you call me?" Jason heaved a breath and sharpened his voice. A chorus of whistles and ooos flickered across his friends and one laughed before being silently quietened.

"Nothing," Ruby sighed and turned to walk away.

Jason grabbed his sister roughly by the arm, pulling her back so she couldn't walk away. His grip was firm, firmer that it could be and from the look on his face, he was enjoying this exchange.

"I said. What. Did. You. Call me," Jason tilted his head and uttered out each syllable of his words.

"You know what, it was really shitty of you to use our dead dad for a basketball analogy. If he was alive he wouldn't be celebrating your pointless wins because you'd be busy at home getting your ass beaten like he did every single fucking day. So yeah, you're an asshole and-" Ruby was cut off by Jason pushing her backwards into the parked car next to his own. Her head slammed against the door and blood began to pool in her mouth.

The blonde boy stood over his sister and leant down to whisper in her ear. "Talk about him again in front of my friends, I'll kill you. I'm serious," he snarled. "Don't ever fucking call me that again ok."

"Oh I'm sorry, next time I'll hide it from your friends that you're a goddamn pussy," Ruby snarled back, as she shoved her brother away from her and stood up, pushing away the niggling headache she felt forming. She felt a sudden hand clasp her by the back of her neck and tug her backwards. "I will break your neck if I have to," Jason whispered tauntingly in her ear as Ruby tried to struggle from his grasp.

"Hey Jason knock it off man let's go," she heard a voice above the ruckus of the car park.

"Whatever you wish Patrick," Jason grinned wickedly before pushing his sister face first into the car, wiping his hands and sauntering off as his friends laughed and high fived him.

Ruby groaned in pain and annoyance. She lifted a hand to her nose to stop the scarlet oozing from it and then wiped her cheek clean of the blood that had dropped from above her eyebrow. She heaved herself upwards to view a familiar face in the passenger seat of the car she had been slammed into and turned away with wide and embarrassed eyes.

"Hey, do you need a ride?" Max Mayfield called as she emerged from the car.

"Oh it's fine I'll probably just hang out here until the game is over," Ruby answered, still facing away from the Mayfield's car.

"But that's like five hours away. Seriously Ruby, come back with us," Max urged as she walked gently over to the girl and walking around her so they were facing each other.

"Could I stay at yours tonight if that's not too much to ask?" Ruby asked softly.

"I don't have much of a house. It's just a shitty little trailer that only fits me and my mom, honestly you'd hate it," Max flushed red with embarrassment.

"It's fine, I can sleep on the floor or something," Ruby encouraged. "Wherever you live will be better than living with Jason tonight," she laughed through the pain of her bleeding face.