Rules Of Different Games

Chapter 1- Pro

Prologue

****

Chapter

Ruth Finn

Summer of junior year

Time stopped for the moment as the hot wind blew away the remnants of the festering smell. Fire. Fire was always the last ditch effort around here. I watched the flickering flames eat away the last of the locust covered rice fields and hoped this carnage helped with next year's crop.

"Alright, little lady. Looking good." My Uncle Tommy chattered, handing me a handful of money.

I didn't count it. I just stuffed it away into my pocket and moved along with the rest of the day. Next, there was the feed store to get to. After unloading two trailers full of hay and moving a gazillion pallets of dog food that my Uncle Dillan handed me some more cash. Again, I just stuffed it away.

The next art form of mine was to go fishing. Something I did every Friday night and tonight was no exception. Although I was invited to a sleepover at my friend Kelsy's house. And Dru was going to be there. I'd do anything to see Dru, but I was sort of avoiding her at the moment.

Last week, I may have kissed her. I blanched just thinking about it as I drove my newly bought Ford Red truck. I loved this thing, and it took me a year of convincing my Uncle Tommy to sell it to me, but he finally said yes. It was older than molasses, but it was a good ride and anything that broke. I could pay to get fixed. Hence, all the odd jobs.

Anyway, last week, Monday to be exact, the day I bought my truck, I was so excited that when I picked Dru up from her house, I grabbed her face and kissed her in excitement. She'd pushed away from me, looking at me like I committed a sin.

"Hey, I'm not gay." Dru yelled at me as she shook her head vehemently like I'd said she was.

I backed away and covered my face up in horror that she reacted that way. Or maybe it was just because I'd done it. I never once thought she'd push me away. We'd been best friends all of our lives, and I was just super excited. I didn't mean anything by it. I probably would have kissed a family member had they been there because I was so excited. I mean, I hope not, but who is to say for sure.

"Oh, Dru. I don't think you are. I hope I didn't scare you. I was just excited." I tried not to feel hurt, but the glare she gave me most definitely did hurt.

"Are you gay?" She asked me pointedly as if I was a leper.

"Yes, I am. Not that it matters. That's not why I -"

"Don't ever kiss anyone when you're excited again. It's rude to do to us straight girls. Not everyone is gay like you are." She complained to me, she got out of the truck and went inside.

Wow. That hurt me. That hurt a lot. I felt like a horrible person. I was just excited. But Dru, she always left me when she was mad. There was no talking it out with Dru. She just wasn't wired that way. Not really. When she got mad, she'd walk away, drive away, or run away. There was no talking to her. She'd been like that since we were five years old, and I didn't see any chance of her changing anytime soon.

Her parents had her when they were in their early 50s, so she was different. Her parents lived in an old folks home now adays, and sometimes her mom came out to visit her, but not all the time. She was alone a lot at her big mansion, or she was with me. And on Monday nights we usually went to eat pizza.

We didn't that night, and now I was confused about what to do. I showed up at my fishing hole and realized I didn't have any gear with me or a chair. One day, I was buying chairs and building a shed at this old pond. I liked to fish alone to think. Just to sit by myself and ponder the world.

I grabbed my phone and called Kelsy, but she didn't answer. I decided just to drive over to her house and say hello. If it was too awkward, I'd just leave. No harm. No foul. I parked in Kelsy's driveway, registering that Dru's camry was here. I tried to tamper the nerves in my stomach but was having a hard time.

"You made it!" Kelsy yelled, holding open the front door like I was a celebrity.

I blushed, making a pouty face. "I called you, and you didn't answer."

"I was playing truth or dare with your sister, Dru, and a few of the other girls." Which meant Mandy and April and probably a few other cheerleaders.

My twin, Lou, was a cheerleader just like almost all the girls at the party, and she brought in all the riff raff with her. It was highly annoying. I was thinking about dying my hair soon because I hated looking identical to her. Right down to our moles. The only person who could really tell us apart was Dru Brown. My best friend and wannabe lover.

I wish she liked me back.

I scanned the room and found her eyeing me from the couch. Mandy, of course, was sitting next to her scowling at me. Mandy had never liked me, not even enough to fake it for the others' sake. She was just sort of evil in her own way.

My eyes locked with Dru's green ones, and I could feel myself melting away at the core. Anger starts to release. Until Kelsy clapped her hands together. "Who's going next?"

Oh, God. Of course, it's going to be me. I did just get here after all. Fuck.