Ruby swirled the straw in the crystal clear glass, filled with half-melted ice and Fanta. She could feel a wet spot on her back from her wet hair, as she took a bath before leaving the house.
Baths made her feel like she drowning, and lately, she took a lot of baths.
"Hey kid," the bartender spoke, making her look up. "Wanna eat something?" she looked at him with a quizzical glance, her eyes wandering for a moment towards the kitchen that was behind the bar. "You've been sitting here for quite a while," he shrugged. "Thought I'd offer. Best food in the whole town, I swear."
She smiled lightly at him, and he smiled back. "I guess, what's on the menu?"
The bartender smiled wider, taking two steps to the left, and taking a menu, offering it to her.
"How's the burger?" she wondered.
"Great, tell ya the truth, this burger's the reason I'm working here." Ruby smiled.
"Then a burger and some fries," she decided.
"A'right," he nodded, taking the menu back and walking to the kitchen.
"Can I get burger and fries?"
"Didn't you have your lunch an hour ago?" one of the workers in the kitchen called back to him.
"For a costumer, dude."
"Then print it!"
The bartender walked back to the bar, pressing some buttons on a computer and after a moment a beep was heard.
Ruby caught a sight of a note that said GENERAL coming out a small black printer.
"Hey, how old are you?" the bartender asked after few moments of cleaning a glass.
"17 and something," Ruby replied, "why?"
"You've got a job?" Ruby shook her head. "Want a job?"
"Sure, why?"
"See the stand at the entrance?" Making Ruby nod, "it sells Carlsberg and juices and ice- creams and stuff. Workers are needed there."
"Sounds good," Ruby said after considering it for a moment.
"Great," he grinned, looking for something. "Hold on," he stated, walking towards a tanned man with graying hair. He seemed to be around 50, but he looked good for his age. They spoke for few moments before the bartender walked back. "Well, uh, he's kind of the owners. Along with his son. His son's gonna be here soon, so we'll just talk to him."
"Okay," Ruby replied. The bartender seemed really friendly, and she already started liking him.
"Hey," a voice breathed out, and a man that seemed around the same age of the bartender entered the bar, his nose sticking strangely, in a way that made it obvious he's broke it before.
"Hi Craig," he grinned. "Guess what?"
"I'm closing alone," Craig replied bitterly, "am I closing the stand as well?"
"Probably," the bartender said after a moment of thought. "Unless Michael called someone for later, but who knows."
"Well, whatever," Craig shrugged. "Hi, can I get you something?" Craig turned to Ruby.
"It's okay," the bartender dismissed Craig's attempt. "She ordered a burger and fries, which are on their way," he smiled, directing the second part mostly to Ruby, who nodded.
"Alright," Craig said, settling to silence.
•••
Ruby ran a hand through her hair, trying to figure out how she should do it the next day. It was already odd enough that she has to change schools barely two months before Junior year ends, she needed to look as normal- and as good- as she could.
Eventually, she decided to give it a little twirl and just leave it down, and once that was settled she rushed to her room, picking a white tank top with a random drawing on it with a pair of light washed jeans, which a red converse, to break the boredom.
She knew it might still be chilly, so she pulled out a black leather jacket she's had for almost two years, and decided to leave the accessories decision for the morning, before going downstairs, and turning on the television, waiting for the basketball match to begin, a scarf that matched the pajamas and the Golden State Warrior's colors.
"RUBY!" Effy called, "turn it down! It's too damn loud!"
"A'right!" she called back, not making a move to turn the volume down. After a while of her staring at the television, the players chasing the ball back and forth, winning so far, a knock interrupted.
"Effy! Someone's knocking!" she announced, waiting for her aunt to open the door and stop the knocking. After a moment of nothing, she listened carefully, hearing the sound of running water.
She was showering.
"Alright, hold up!" Ruby called, walking to the door.
"Ruby?" the person in the door asked, making her look to his face. "Ruby!" he exclaimed, picking her up in a hug.
"Troy!" she replied, squeezing back. "What are you doing here?"
"Well, my mom sends me here every once in a while, you know, check up on Effy since..." he fell quiet, only then realizing. "Yeah, so... Wow! What are you doing here?"
"I moved here now," she shrugged. "Gonna finish high school here then, hopefully, get some good art scholarship, and you know... leave to live my life."
"Oh, cool," he nodded. "I'm counting on the football, since I'm barely scratching a D on most subjects."
"You and me both, my friend," Ruby grinned at Troy.
"So I'll see you at school tomorrow, or...?" Ruby nodded.
"Yeah, see ya at school."
He smiled at her, nodding and walking off. God, he smacked his forehead once he was out of her view, was he stupid.
YOU ARE READING
Soundtrack {{Teacher-Student}}
Romance"They say the world was built for two, only worth living if somebody's loving you." ♠ She liked keeping to herself. The problem was, that she kept her smile to herself as well. And he couldn't help but to get curious.
