Hold Me Close

Mist.

Ruby pulled his hood further down his face, concealing the cut on his forehead the best he could as he tried to flee to his room.

"Ruby."

He halted his escape before turning, seeing his father behind him.

"Let me see the wound." Ruby shook his head, not saying a word. "Ruby." He sighed as he went over.

"It's nothing..." His dad moved the hood, revealing the cut.

"What happened?" Ruby stayed quiet as his father tended to the cut.

"Some kids tripped me..." His dad looked at him, almost waiting for the truth. "When I fell, there was some sort of tool... something to do with gardening... that cut me..."

"Really?" Ruby nodded.

"Tool still there. At the corner near Ms. Linda." His dad scanned him as he finished cleaning and wrapped the wound.

"Alright. I'll go take a look. When I get back, dinner will be ready and you will eat something."

"I'm not hungry."

"You can say that now, but you won't be saying that when I get back."

Ruby was quiet as the older man left. He sighed as he went upstairs. This was going to be miserable.

~~~

Ruby was called downstairs after a calm smell filled the air. He sighed softly before entering the kitchen. Seeing a simple meal made him pause.

"Come get some food."

"I'm not hungry."

"Ruby."

The voice was back. He sighed again before going over and taking the food filled plate from the man. They sat at the table, where Ruby kept his head down. Near the end, his father spoke.

"So. How was school?"

"Okay."

"Ruby." He glanced at him. "Nothing bad happened?" Ruby shook his head.

"Other than the A on the presentation, nothing really happened. Ronold wasn't at school." His dad hummed as he cleaned up the table.

"So other than what happened at the corner, nothing bad happened?"

"Yeah." Ruby cleaned up the plates before going upstairs.

"Any homework?"

"Did it at school." His dad stayed quiet as he went upstairs. Then he sighed.

"Gotta get you back on track..."