The Darkest Hour

Strangers, Acquaintances and Maybe Friends

'I'm not at all comfortable with this,' Dad growled, as he pulled the front door shut.

Ruby saw the guy glance back at him anxiously, and felt her stomach flip. This whole situation was so weird. She hadn't actually thought that her Dad would listen to her when she'd pleaded with him to let Z- no, Zeb- into the house to tend to his bleeding nose and let him shelter from the awful weather outside, but after she'd finally been able to calm him down, he'd reluctantly agreed. It didn't seem to have quite registered with him yet that she had been walking home alone, and she wanted to keep it that way.

Dad gestured for Zeb to sit down and he obeyed, almost collapsing into the chair, coughing violently. Ruby saw her Mum cringing into the corner of the room, still clutching her phone. Dad loomed over the guy, his arms crossed threateningly, his whole body tense, as if he expected Zeb to jump up and attack him any second. That was ridiculous, considering the way Zeb was shivering pathetically in his damp clothes and frantically dabbing with his grubby sleeve at the blood that now covered his chin.

'So,' Dad began, his voice gruff, 'how exactly did you say you know my daughter?'

Ruby tried desperately to make eye contact with Zeb, so that she could somehow stop him from letting her parents know she didn't, in fact, work at the all hours train station cafe they thought she did, but he still had his head bowed.

'I-I met her where she works-'

He broke off, coughing so hard that he was doubled over, and Ruby seized her opportunity.

'I've met Z-uh-Zeb a few times, he's a customer at the coffee shop, ' she interjected, quickly, hoping that Zeb had caught her remark and that he'd play along.

'So you're friends? '

Dad sounded incredulous, and Ruby winced at the implication- that a friendship between them should be impossible. She glanced nervously at Zeb, who was still shaking with suppressed coughs, unsure how she should respond. Her stomach lurched as she realised how easily he could drop her in it at any moment.

'Uh- I wouldn't say that we-'

'More like acquaintances,' Zeb interrupted, suddenly, his cough now seemingly under control.

Ruby nodded gratefully.

'That's right,' she agreed.

Dad still looked skeptical.

'So, Zeb frequents 'Café Paris', does he?'

The sneer in his voice was so obvious, and Ruby could tell that Zeb had understood his meaning perfectly. His eyebrows had shot up and a flash of anger had crossed his face before he'd managed to stop it. Now he folded his arms and leaned back in the chair, holding Dad's gaze.

'Ruby makes a mean cup of water,' he remarked, casually, 'and even I can afford that.'

She felt her face flush, although she couldn't have explained why.

'Paul, leave the poor boy alone,' Mum cut in, softly, and Ruby saw Zeb's nose wrinkle in distaste at her words.

'I'm just trying to find out something about the stranger that turned up at my door unannounced,' Dad protested, crossly.

'Well, Ruby says she knows him, so that's good enough for me. Although, I would like to know what you were doing walking home alone, young lady.'

Oh no.

She should have known she wasn't going to get away with it. Everyone turned to look at her expectantly, and she tried to sound nonchalant as she replied.