Ruby

No Going Back

Ruby rushed up the stairs, his footsteps echoing in the empty stairwell as he finally reached his apartment. He left the bag of food hastily on the kitchen table. Quickly, he turned on the faucet, scrubbing his hands under the cold water, his mind racing.

As soon as he was done, he stumbled back out, barely closing the door behind him, his heart thumbing wildly as he walked down the hallway toward Jett's apartment. In his right hand, he clutched the small pack of drugs he had found, his fingers curling tightly around it. He raised his other hand, knocking repeatedly on Jett's door, the urgency almost frantic. His knuckles rapped faster as the seconds stretched, each passing moment making him feel more impatient and unsure.

It didn't take long before Jett opened the door, his eyebrows shooting up in surprise at the sight of Ruby's frantic expression. "Dude, what's your problem? What's going on?" he asked, his voice a mix of confusion and concern.

Ruby's breath was still unsteady as he glanced nervously down the hall. "Is your mom home?" he asked, his voice a little shaky. He leaned closer to Jett, eyes flickering from the door to the corridor, as if he was half-expecting someone to appear at any moment.

Jett tilted his head, clearly baffled by Ruby's tense behavior. "No, she's out. Why?" he asked, his expression softening as he studied Ruby's face. "What's going on, man? You're freaking me out."

"Because I found this in the dumpster," Ruby said, thrusting the pack of Red Snows into Jett's face, his voice a mix of urgency and anxiety.

Jett's eyes went wide, and he quickly snatched the pack from Ruby's hand, glancing from the baggie to the hallway before pulling Ruby inside. He slammed the door shut and spun around, his expression a mix of frustration and disbelief. "Are you insane?!" he whispered sharply, holding the pack at arm's length as if it could explode at any moment. "What if my mom saw this? Do you have any idea what kind of trouble we'd be in if anyone saw you carrying this around?"

Ruby swallowed hard, his gaze shifting nervously. "I know, but I think this has something to do with Mr. Wilson," he muttered, lowering his voice. He could barely meet Jett's eyes, feeling the weight of how ridiculous it all sounded out loud.

"Mr. Wilson? Again?" Jett's tone was sceptical, eyebrows raised in disbelief as he glanced between Ruby and the bag of Red Snow. "You seriously think this has something to do with him? Why?"

Ruby shot a quick glance at the door, his expression tense, as if the walls themselves might be listening. "Let's just—get into your room first," he said quietly, his voice laced with urgency. "I feel like I'm being watched."

Without waiting for a reply, Ruby stepped into Jett's room, casting another cautious glance over his shoulder. Jett followed, closing the door behind them with a soft click, his face full of questions. Ruby's eyes darted around, as if trying to assure himself of their privacy. He finally let out a shaky breath, clutching the edge of Jett's desk for support.

"It sounds crazy," he admitted, voice barely above a whisper, "but I don't think this is just some random bag of drug. Something about this, about last night, it all feels connected."

"Why do you think that? What happened?" Jett's expression shifted from disbelief to genuine concern as he placed a steadying hand on Ruby's shoulder.

Ruby swallowed, glancing down at the packet of drugs with a grim look. "I saw a man rushing out of Mr. Wilson's apartment," he began, his voice a bit shaky. "I didn't get a good look at him, but I could tell he was trying to hide something. I followed him downstairs, all the way to the dumpsters outside. He must've tossed a bag in there, and when he was gone, I went trough the trash and found this," he said, pointing at the packet of Red Snow Jett was holding.