The Notorious R(uth) B(arakat) G(rimaldi)

Chapter 12: Shall We Dance?

"I heard that someone's going to ask you to the dance," Pepsi said, spinning around in front of Ruthie as she walked to her locker before the morning bell. Linda followed close behind, watching closely to see Ruthie's response.

"Ruthie? Did you hear me?" Pepsi asked, brown eyes huge. "I said that someone's going to ask you to the dance, even though Brett pretty much said that he'd kill anyone who did--"

"God, Pepsi, you exaggerate so much," Linda said, shaking her head in disgust. "All Brett said was that no one else was supposed to ask you to the dance, that's all." She gave Pepsi a withering glare. "Kill anyone who did," she muttered, rolling her eyes.

"But Ruthie, someone's gonna ask you anyway, that's what I heard," Pepsi repeated. "Ruthie! Ruthie!"

Ruthie shut her locker and turned around to face her friends. "What?"

"Oh my god, have you not heard a single word I said?" Her tall friend gave her shoulder a vigorous shake.

Ruthie looked from Pepsi to Linda. "No, I'm sorry, what did you say?" She smiled beatifically at them.

"I'm sorry," Linda spoke slowly, enunciating carefully. "Are you high, Ms. Barakat-Grimaldi?"

Ruthie blinked at Linda, looking like herself for the first time. "Of course I'm not high, you guys," she huffed. "Anyway, someone's going to invite me to the dance? Really?" She smiled again.

Pepsi slapped her briskly on the head. "You can't get happy, Ruthie, Brett said no one's allowed to, remember?"

Ruthie made a face and shook her head. "That's idiotic. Warren High's not some kind of fiefdom, and Brett's not a King or liege-lord or anything. Anyone can ask me to the dance if he or she wants to." She took a few steps toward her class, but turned around when Linda and Pepsi just stared at her and didn't follow. "But that doesn't mean I'm going to say yes or anything, you know." She nodded her head in the direction of their classes, and the other two finally got moving.

The whole school was buzzing with talk of Ruthie's mystery suitor. After first period people she barely knew were coming up to her to inquire if anyone had asked her to the dance.

Ruthie was distracted from all of this, however, because of the appearance in her second period French class by Elliott. He had walked in with a schedule change, had Madame Schwartz sign it, and looked around for a vacant seat. His hazel glance glided smoothly over her, though she felt herself get warm when their eyes met, and she heard Madame direct him to go sit over by Joanna Barnes.

Joanna lit up like the slutty Halloween Jack-O-Lantern she was, smiling and fluttering her false eyelashes at Elliott as he took a seat next to her.

"Are you good at French, Elliott?" Ruthie heard Joanna ask with a flirty laugh as she recrossed her legs in her microscopically short cheerleader outfit.

"No, as a matter of fact I'm rubbish at it," he responded cheerfully. "I'm going to need lots of help."

"Oh, of course, it'll be my pleasure," Joanna responded, moving her desk a little closer to Elliott's, and Ruthie, who happened to know that Elliott spoke excellent French, almost better than Ruthie herself, wanted to get up and rip Joanna's huge red bow out of her disgustingly hair-sprayed hair.

When the bell rang, Ruthie waited for Elliott, knowing he would want to talk to her, even though Joanna was waiting to walk out with him.

"Are you coming?" Joanna called to him from the door.

"Oh, I'm going to chat with Ruthie for a bit, so I'll see you later," Elliott said to her with a little salute.

Ruthie put a hand on Elliott's arm and waved to Joanna with the other one. She saw Joanna stay and watch long enough to see Elliott lean in to kiss her, and couldn't help the tiny smile of triumph that curved her lips.