Rules Of Different Games

Chapter 2- Pro 2

Prologue part 2

Chapter

Dru Brown

Leave it to Kelsy to make sure Ruthie missed her Friday night fishing trip at her pond for a sleepover with us girls. I caught Ru's blue eyes looking at me and had to look away. Ruthie was short and petite and perfect. Her blonde hair was as straight and flat as her sisters, but Ruthie's personality was so different from Lou that it was night and day.

"I'll go next." I announced when Kelsy asked who wanted to go another round of truth or dare.

If I didn't say it, she'd make Ru go next, and I didn't want to deal with that drama. I could see Ru's little face calm down the second I volunteered. See, I might be upset she kissed me, but I'm not being a dick about it. I'm not even upset, just damn fucking confused.

Why'd she kiss me?

Was she really gay?

Was she into me?

Was she bi?

Like, why?

Fuck I never thought about kissing anyone. Not a boy or a girl for that matter. I thought about basketball and nothing else. No one else. No one. Like, she shocked me. And I know I asked if she was gay, I get it. But if you'd have seen her face, you'd have questioned her too. It didn't feel real. It felt forced. Goodness. Maybe she had done it simply because she was excited. I didn't know. And I hadn't talked to her since.

I was used to her shocking me, I guess. I mean once when we were littler I said I wanted a pony for my birthday and she convinced her grandma Miranda Finn to actually buy me a fucking pony. So, why was I shocked she kissed me?

"Alright!" Kelsy looked mischievous like she was really thinking hard about this. Lou whispered something into Kelsy's ear then Kelsy looked at me with a bright wicked smile.

"Okay, Dru. I dare you to kiss the girl in the room you find the sexiest." Kelsy grinned, putting her hands around her bent knees to rock back and forth on her bum from her spot on the floor.

"That's not nice. Dru is straight and doesn't like girls." Ruthie announced, jutting her chin out.

"You mean she isn't gay like you are." Mandy, a girl I thought was a close friend up until this moment, proclaimed accusingly.

I felt like a real douche when Ruthie looked at me with hurt in her eyes. "You fucking told her?"

"Of course she told me. I'm her best friend, not you." Mandy yelled. Mandy was a mean vicious cheerleader who had never liked Ruthie. I felt my insides crawl to a halt with guilt. Shit. I shouldn't have told Mandy a damn thing. This really sucked. I'd only talked to her because I needed a friend. Now, I felt like maybe I needed a lobotomy.

"How dare you attack her in your truck like you did, Ru. What'd you think was going to happen? That everything would go back to normal." Mandy yelled, then threw a pillow at Ruthie, who dodged it, still staring at me in disbelief.

"Wow, okay then. Who knew little Ole me could attack a giant. But alright then." Ruthie was right. She was 5'4 and I was 6 feet tall and still growing. I really felt like a bitch.

I had to salvage this problem. These girls would never leave Ruthie alone if I didn't fix what I fucked up. I began to think of how to fix it. Then, I thought of one thing to make it better. Step up and shut up. That's what I had to do for Ruthie.

Lou left the room to go pee, and I thought maybe she was giving Ruthie a reason to bail. Twins are like that. Speaking without words and such. Ruthie stood to leave, and I decided to turn that ball onto my court. I was good at games. If this was the winning or losing moment, I needed to shoot the ball, so to say.

I grabbed Ruthie and pushed her against the wall of Kelsy's house. Ruthie gasped as I wrapped my arms around her waist. "Ru, I'm going to kiss you now." I told her before pressing my lips into hers. I couldn't look her in the eye, so I focused on the wall behind her.

Unlike the first kiss that felt frantic and joyful. This kiss felt soulful. It felt almost like I'd wanted to do it since the first time I thought she was beautiful in the seventh grade. A secret all my own. I stuck my tongue into her mouth and she made a small moan like she was enjoying it. I pulled away from her smiling.

She pushed me away from her with a harsh scowl. Her green eyes were brimming with tears as she stormed off across the living room to leave. She grabbed Lou, who knew nothing about what just happened, and the twins disappeared down the hall.

Shit.

Fuck.

God damn it.

One minute, I'm yelling at her the next. I'm doing what I yelled at her for doing to me. I felt like I was losing my ever lovin' mind. All because a bunch of girls were caddy enough to hurt her. No. No. All because I opened my big mouth and betrayed her.

What was wrong with me?

****

Mandy couldn't wait to tell everyone on the first day of senior year that Ruthie Ann Finn was gay. It was like she thought it was a revelation or something that the Finn name was tarnished. I made a quick text to Miranda Finn, the wonderful great grandma of all lost souls, and by Friday, Mandy's parents had her relocated to a boarding school in another town.

I know, I know. The old people and this town move fast. But when Miranda owns your home and can fuck with your financials you do what she says. And the old bird wasn't going to let anyone fuck with her Grandbabies. That just wasn't allowed. But it didn't matter. The damage had been done. The rumor mill was flying, and my best friend now hated me with good reason.

Friday after school, I decided to drive to the studio she danced at and talk to her. She was dancing to a song I never thought she'd listen to or dance to, but put it out of my mind. When she saw me she cut the music and took a break.

"What do you want, Brown?" She sounded meaner than usual. She was mad at me, so it made sense that she used my last night like it was a curse word. She only ever called me Brown when she was angry.

"I want to talk it out. I know we don't usually talk, but you're my best friend and want to work this out. I should have never told Mandy about your secret."

"That's right, you shouldn't have. You fucking outed me and you're supposed to be my best friend. I need you to leave and let me be alone for a while. Give me some breathing room. We can talk when I'm ready, which isn't going to be any time soon. Now, get out, I'm working."

I gasped at her because that didn't sound like Ruthie. My Ruth, my Ru would have fought with me especially if I was ready to talk. She'd be proud of me that I was even here. Or so I thought.

I walked away from her and went about my life like an empty shell missing their body parts. But what could I do? She was in hate with me.