Clopwyck River - revised version

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Twelve
Ruby and I have holed ourselves up in the most hidden corner of the library, surrounded by squishy bean bags and the sound proofing properties of well read books. I've just finished telling her what happened with the horse, and I'm relieved to see that she's as freaked as I was, and that she believed me.
​"So, it honestly just ran at the tree? You guys didn't, like, spook it or something?" Ruby's eyes are sparkling with curiosity and grief for the horse, and her complexion is just starting to go back to normal after her cheeks drained when I told her what the horse did.
​"Yes, I'm telling you, it just ran into the tree over and over." I frown, remembering the scene vividly. "I don't think it was us. Surely it would have run away from us, or at us if we'd spooked it?"
​"What did Leo think?"
​"Honestly?" I look around the deserted library, then fix my eyes back on Ruby. "I think it really upset him. I'm pretty sure he had tears."
​"Really?!"
​"Jeez, Ruby, keep your voice down! I don't think Leo would appreciate it if he knew I was going round telling people that he got teary over a dead horse."
​"Sorry, I just, I wouldn't have thought someone like him would get upset over an animal like that."
​"You weren't there." I fall back on the bean bags, and look at the ceiling. I shudder and suppress a smile as I remember Leo taking my hand in his as the horse started to go mad. "It was pretty harrowing."
​"Then why are you smiling?"
​I turn to look at her. She has a huge grin on her own face. "What? I'm not smiling."
​"Oh my God, you are such a loser. You like Leo. You are well and truly smitten."
​"What? No I'm not, I mean, no, I was just...I mean, I was just glad he was there too."
"It's ok Demi, he likes you too."
   ​"What do you mean? He doesn't. Does he? He doesn't. How do you know that?"
   ​"Because I heard him telling one of his mates."
   ​"What? No. Did he? I just, well he....oh shut up." She laughs at me as I fall over my words. "Does he really? Where did you hear him say that?"
​"At Chancellor's. It's amazing what people say in front of you when you're a waitress." She glances up at me, a twinkle in her eye. "Unless....."
​I sit up, almost head butting her. "Unless what?"
​"Unless he said it in front of me on purpose. Maybe he wanted me to tell you what he said."
​I think for a minute, then fall back onto the bean bags, which are getting a real pounding today. My lungs deflate and I shake my head.
"No. He can't do. Maybe he just feels like he likes me because of what happened with Ben? Maybe he feels like he owes me something because I saved his brother."
​Ruby's eyes widen. "Oh great, speaking of his brother, here comes Victoria."
​I look in the same direction as Ruby but can't see who she's talking about.
"Victoria?"
​"Yeah, you know, from Twilight? James' pyscho bitch girlfriend."
​I spot who she's talking about and roll my eyes. Ciara has just strutted through the doors into the library, looking like she's the star of some MTV drama as she glides shimmery lip gloss onto her lips without the aid of a reflective surface.​
​"She looks like she's-" I turn back to Ruby but she's completely disappeared. I look around our corner, but there's no sign of her. "Ruby? Where'd you go?"
​"I'm under here."
I hear a faint voice from the side of me, muffled by the purple corduroy of the bean bags. I pull one of them back to find Ruby hidden underneath it like a cute little Dracula.
"Ruby, what the hell?! Get out from there! What on earth are you doing?"
​"I can't deal with Ciara! Please, put my bean bag back and cover me up!"
​"Is she really that bad?" I hiss.
​"Talking to yourself, freak? Guess you have to when you don't have any friends."
​Ruby gives me a look that says see, so I roll my eyes and plant the bean bag back on top of her so she's completely hidden. I sit up to face Ciara, slapping on my best smile.
​"Hi, Ciara. What can I do for you?"
​"Don't play innocent with me, I know you went to see Ben."
​"Yeah." I shrug my shoulders. "And?"
​"And I told you to stay away from him! You've already done enough damage. I don't want you snooping around him."
​"Snooping? What do you mean by snooping?"
​Ciara's bravado cracks a little. "Nothing. Nothing, I just mean keep away from him."
​"What's going on with him, Ciara? What would I find out if I was snooping?"
​"Nothing! There's nothing going on with him, and you wouldn't find anything!"
Her normal bitch mask is slowly sliding from her face, revealing the dark shadows of a girlfriend who is losing sleep worrying about her boyfriend. I stand up, making sure to tread where one of Ruby's limbs are as I walk across the bean bags, and walk over to Ciara. She's practically crumbling in on herself.
"Ciara, do you know what Ben said to me before he jumped off that bridge?"
She blinks at me, a film of tears threatening to ruin her false eyelashes. "He said something to you?"
I nod. "He said I've done something terrible." I take a step closer to her. "What did he do, Ciara? Did he do something to hurt you?"
The bitch mask is back on in a second. "Hurt me? Ben would never hurt me."
"Okay, but what-"
Ciara puts her hand up in front of my face. I have to bob my head back to make sure she doesn't catch my nose with one of her pink finger nails.
"Ben is not your business, and the sooner you realise that, the sooner your life in Clopwyck River will be more bearable." She lowers her hand, then looks down her nose at me. "Keep away from him. I mean it."
She spins from me and struts straight to the doors, letting them shut with a thud once she's made her exit. The adrenaline from our confrontation drains from my shoulders as I slump down and address the pile of bean bags.
"She's gone, you complete wuss. You can come out now."
The bean bags pulsate for a second before a very pink and sweaty looking Ruby sits up from beneath them. She wipes her forehead, and blows her hair out of her face.
"I thought she was never going to leave. Bet that little conversation has got you even more determined to find out what's going on with Ben, huh?"
I grab Ruby's hands and pull her up, smiling at her as she dusts the floor of the library off of her clothes.
"Definitely."
"So what's the plan?"
"I don't know. Ciara's not telling us anything, and I don't think Leo will either. Is it worth talking to his Dad do you think?"
"Maybe." Ruby looks as lost as I do.
"Help me out, Ruby, I don't know who else I could talk to."
"Me neither; I'm new as well, remember? Ruby the Newbie?"
I shake my head. "Silly of me to forget. What about Chancellor's? You might hear some of Ben's mates talking about him? Have a good listen next time you're working."
"I'll try. What are you going to do?"
I grab my bag and sling in over my shoulder, hardly able to believe the words that are about to come out of my mouth.
"I think I'm going to church."