Them and Us

2 - Getting to know Kerrie

Ruby:
Ker. Mum just got sick. Taking her to docs. U Can't come round

'Poppy,'
'Mmm,'
'Ruby's mum is sick. Ruby's taken her to the doctors so we won't be able to go over,'
'Oh,' her shoulders sag 'Well tell Ruby that we hope her mum gets better,'  and with that Poppy starts humming a tune while skipping back home. Sometimes I wish I had her bubbly personality.

Me:
Ok. C u tom

She doesn't text back.

*Back at my house*

'We have to work out what we are going to wear to camp!' Poppy says excitedly
'I thought we were going to do that with Rube,'

'Oh yeah,' she looks at the wall 'Then do you want to watch a movie?'
'As long as you don't choose any horror movies,' I point my finger at her.
'What if I do?'
'Then your life will become a horror story,'

Her eyes widen 'Fine. Let's watch... HARRY POTTER!'
Damn it. She knows I like Harry Potter. But so does Ruby
'Ruby will get angry if we watch Harry Potter with out her,'

'Oh yeah... What about Twilight?'
'YES!' I love Twilight and this is a perfect time to watch it because Ruby absolutely hates it.

Just another thing we don't have in common.

Poppy and I head downstairs and sit on the ground in her lounge room. 'I'll find the movie and you get the popcorn,' I say getting on my knees
'Hey! You have to call me Popcorn now!' She giggles. I roll my eyes.

'Ok! I'll get the Popcorn ready!' She walks into the kitchen.
I rifle through her millions of dvd's and eventually find the first Twilight movie.

BANG!!

'Oops!'
'Poppy!'
'Kerrie! You might want to come in!' I get up and fast walk to the kitchen.

There's popcorn everywhere some in the sink and some in the open bin. And the microwave door is covered in sticky stuff.

'Poppy!' I look at her, my mouth hanging open. She has popcorn in her blonde hair and butter all over her hands 'Oh Poppy,'

I shake my head and start to clean up. 'I'm really sorry Ker! If your mum saw this would she be mad?'
'Yes,'
'Why?'
'Because this is my mothers pride and joy! She lives in the kitchen and almost loves it more than dad!'

'Ohhhh. I'll help,' she says and gets on the ground and starts cleaning up.

'Yes. That would be a great help Poppy,'
'I know. I'm a genius,'
The sad thing is she actually said it without sarcasm.

                                   *

'Look! There's Ruby!' Poppy jumps up and down and runs over to Ruby.
Ruby laughs and pulls out something from and bag and starts sucking on it. A cigarette.

Ruby is beautiful. An amazing girl. She has the average grades and is extremely fit. But the most obvious flaw is her smoking habit. I love Ruby. She's practically my sister along with Poppy and I can't bear to watch her kill herself with those horrible things.

Poppy doesn't seem to notice but then again she doesn't usually notice anything except for things that make her excited.

I walk over 'Hey Rubes,'
She smiled at me and throws her arm around me 'How did you two live without me?'

'Well... I don't know. I died and then I heard that you were at school so I came back alive,' I say smiling.
'Really?' Poppy asks her eyes wide and in that moment I couldn't believe how stupid she was. She was like my sister but she was dumb sometimes.

'Bubbles. Use that brain of yours. Have you ever heard of someone coming back to life?'
'Edward Cullen,'
Ruby rubs her head as if trying to get rid of a head ache 'He's not real, Bubbles,'
'Oh,'
'And besides the author doesn't know when to stop! Kind of like you Bubbles,'
'Thanks Rubes!' Poppy says and smiles.

I snort. Ruby stamps on the cigarette and in that moment I couldn't help but resent Ashley for giving her her first cigarette.

                                  *

I sit down next to Ashley. 'You've killed her,'
He looks at me 'Excuse me?'
'You've killed my best friend with your stupid cigarettes,'
He rolls his eyes and I feel like punching him.

'Well of course you would say that you're the goody-two-shoes of the group, Miss Perfect Grades, the 'amazing Christian' I haven't killed her because she's still alive,'
I grit my teeth 'And you know who you are?' I don't let him answer. 'The clingy stalker boy of the school,'

I get up and go sit next to Poppy who, fortunately, is on the other side of the classroom.

I wish I wasn't so quick tempered or to smart.

I wish I wasn't me because me gets called names like that and me is sick of it.

Why couldn't I be Ruby? Why couldn't I be beautiful and average for my grades?

Why?

Then I look over at Ashley and I realise why.

Because Ruby has to have someone stand next to her just so she knows she won't be alone.

Me? I could sit in the library all day because I'm me. And me isn't Ruby.

                                  *

I sit down outside on the grass with Ruby and wait for Poppy to wake up and realise class has finished.

'How you doing Kid?' Ruby said not looking up from her phone.
That was my nickname. Kid.

Kerrie. Imogen. Dovovan or Kid.

'Kid is doing fine. What about you Rah?' I ask pulling an apple out of my lunch box.

That was Ruby's nickname. Rah.

Ruby. Agatha. Hicking.

And Poppy is Pop.

Poppy. Olivia. Parker.

'I'm good. Ashley was following me again this morning. I'm telling mum,' she says and looks at me with an eyebrow raised. When she gives me that look she's asking me what I think.

'Why? Because she's Mayor and she'll be able tell him off?' I ask cleaning my apple with my shirt.
'Well, yeah. You don't think I should?' she says.
'Well. It is up to you, but really? No,' I say and take a bite of my apple.

'Ok. What should I do then, counsellor?' she smirks and I roll my eyes. I finish chewing on my bite of apple and answer.

'Talk to his mum,'
'What?!'
'If you talk to his mum she'll be sure to do something about it... won't she?'

Ruby snorts 'No. I don't think you know Clarissa Brogan,'
'Ok... what about another motherly figure?'
'You mean his godmother?' She says pulling her phone out. She's getting bored. 'Yeah. Do you know her?'

'Do I know her? Hell yeah! She's my fricken 4 aunt!' Ruby snorts.
'You have quite a lot of connections in this town,' I say, bewildered.
'Yeah. Some good some bad,' She mutters.
'Yeah. Alright. I'll talk to aunt Cassy. Thanks Kerrie,'

'Yeah. Whatever,' I say waving at her but smiling. I love it when Ruby appreciates me.