Corey sits in his room, thinking about Sarah Ruth. She has never yelled it him before, or ordered him to leave. Of course she has playfully, not truly meaning it, but this time she meant it. Sarah Ruth is a girl Corey has never been able to figure out, she's a mystery. One moment she's happy that a character in her book is finally with the right girl or guy, then another she's crying because it's raining outside. Sarah Ruth is never, ever, completely happy. And Corey doesn't know how to fix something like that, especially since she's a girl.
He wants to go back over there, hug her and tell her how sorry he is. But Corey knows he can't do that, it will only make things worse. Sarah Ruth started crying after he pushed her, so he thought that's where the crying started. But, the more he thinks about it, the more he saw how the tears were forming as she yelled at him about Missy Clayton. He knows that Sarah Ruth thinks he deserves so much better, but how much better can it get than Missy?
Corey has no idea that Sarah Ruth is picked on by Missy, he's never seen it happen. And Sarah Ruth never brings it up, she keeps her mouth shut.
It's killing Corey knowing that Sarah Ruth is probably crying her eyes out while her face is stuffed in her silk pillows while he sits here. Not being able to go over there, but he's thinking about risking it. Corey knows how Sarah Ruth hates being around everyone except him. He has never known why, and he probably never will. Corey ignores the voice in the back of his head telling him to stay sitting on his bed, instead he gets up and opens his window. Sarah Ruth's window is shut, and the curtains are still pulled together.
Corey slides down the small amount of roof leading to a branch. He jumps through the branches, holding onto some and walking on others. It takes about ten seconds at the most to get across, nothing major. Corey hesitates right before his knuckle is about to make contact with her window. And he almost falls backwards when her curtains swing open, revealing and very sad looking Sarah Ruth. Her eyes are red and puffy, and strings of tears are still coming out of them. Sarah Ruth's bottom lip is bleeding, not a lot, but it is. Believe it or not but that's normal for her. She tends to bite her lip hard while crying, trying to muffle the sobbing noises.
He stares into her eyes, silently begging for her to open the window. Sarah Ruth knows he wants in, but she doesn't know if she wants him in. She sighs and opens the window, then in comes Corey. He immediately grabs her by the waist and hugs her, "I'm sorry I hurt you." She thought he meant it by being in love with Missy, but she realizes that it was because he pushed her. Corey doesn't know how much Sarah Ruth loves him, and never will.
"It's okay," she says. It's a lie, it's not okay. Nothing is okay. Corey's smile makes her sour mood come up a bit, and she smiles back, "Let's watch a movie." Sarah Ruth nods at his words and they both scurry down stairs to pick a movie out of the hallway closet. "How about Singin' in the rain?" He grabs it from my hands and nods before racing back up the stairs. "You run slow," Corey teases. Sarah Ruth pushes him and he falls on his back onto the bed. They both laugh while Sarah Ruth puts in the movie.
Half way through Sarah Ruth has already dosed off, her propped up by her arm as she lays on her stomach. Corey looks at her and laughs, wishing he could take a picture, but he doesn't have his camera. There's a faint knock on the door, but Sarah Ruth stays asleep. It open and Sarah Ruth's Mother stands there with a smile. "What are you two watching?" She asks in a whisper. "Singin' in the rain," Corey whispers back. "Are you staying for dinner tonight? I didn't see your Fathers car in the drive way," Corey answers her by nodding, then Sarah Ruth's Mother, who's name is Racheal by the way, exits the room. Quietly shutting the door behind her.
He has lost interest in the movie, and since Sarah Ruth is asleep he's guessing she did too. He shuts off the movie and sits up, then stretches. Sarah Ruth's slowly moves her arms away from holding her head, then she completely lays her head down on her bed. Her long eyelashes are still kinda stuck together from crying, and Corey frowns. Corey grabs her Beach Boys blanket and throws it over her. He lays down beside her before closing his eyes also.
Corey wakes up to Sarah Ruth's mother yelling, "Its ready!" From downstairs. He sits up and stretches again, but Sarah Ruth stays asleep, softly breathing. "Sarah Ruth, wake up," she groans as his hands hold onto her back rocking her back and forth. "Corey, stop. I'm getting up," Corey laughs as she sits up with an annoyed look on her face. "Dinner is ready," he says and Sarah Ruth's eye light up. He laughs again, and they both hurry downstairs.
"Why hello Corey," Sarah Ruth's Father, Albert, says as Corey sits down at the table in his normal spot next to Sarah Ruth. "Hiya Mr. Johnson!" Albert smiles at Corey and pats him on the back before sitting in his own seat. "Sarah Ruth, what on earth happened to your knees?" Rachel stares at Sarah Ruth as she enters the kitchen. Corey looks down and smiles, dirty thoughts coming into his mind about injured knees. What a perv.
"Mr. Moore held be after class again, and I was rushing to get home not watching where I was going. Story short I feel and it hurt like shit," Sarah's Mom just nods while laughing under her breath. "Were you crying again?" Albert asks Sarah Ruth, since her bottom lip was more swollen than usual. "Yeah, after I fell I had a crying fit." Sarah Ruth's Dad shakes his head, not liking how much of a baby his daughter can be.
"When will Luke be home?" Sarah Ruth asks with a smile. Like is her brother, and he's in the army. It's been nearly three years since she's seen him. And her birthday is coming up, and when people ask her what she wants, all she says is I want to see my brother. Her parents both look at each other, probably asking their selves the same question. They don't know when he's going to be home next, they wish they knew just as much as Sarah Ruth does.
"I'm sure it'll be soon," Racheal says with a unsure tone. Sarah huffs before twirling his fork in the spaghetti.
The night goes on and there's no further questions asked about Luke.
"It's late, I'll get going," Corey says, standing up from the table. Everyone had finished there food and were chatting about random things. "Okay, I'll walk with you," Sarah Ruth says with a smile. They walk out the front door, and head the very short way to Corey's house. "Bye Corey, see you tomorrow." He says bye and enters his home.
Sarah Ruth stands there, watching as the boy she loves so much goes inside without a clue.
