False Promises

chapter one

emma

I twirled the ends of my light brown hair- a nervous habit as I stood outside Sophies house. Why was I nervous you may ask? First day of school jitters. Not just first day of school jitters- but meeting people jitters. Me and Soph- we had already been through so much. I couldn't think that any of us would ever trust people again-

The memories came flooding back as I had to brace myself and clutch my head to avoid myself from falling down.

-flashback-

"No please, Ruby, no," Sophie whispered.
"I'm- I" she spat out blood and coughed. I shuddered as she coughed out more blood.
"Ruby.."I tried shoving painkillers in her mouth. "We can still take you to the hospital.. you can survive this Rubes," I sobbed.
"No. Nothing can," Ruby broke out into a coughing fit. Spat out big gobs of flesh and blood.
Sophie was trying not to cry for Ruby's sake. I knew she wanted to break down.
So did I.
I had never seen Ruby like this. But then again, none of us had. Ruby was the confident, sassy, fashionable girl, but she never had bad intentions. She was the best friend we could ask for. Athletic. Energetic. Engaging us in all sorts of games, either outdoors or indoors on her huge, expensive house. Always there for us. Her parents were huge businessmen but she had never let the fame get to her head. She shared all that she had with us.
"Nothing," Ruby's dry, cracked rasping broke me out of my thoughts.
"Nothing can escape God's will." More blood was dripping down from her mouth.
"Claudia, that b-"Sophie started.
Ruby shook her head and put a finger on her lips. And like that she lay, until me and Sophie realised that she was really and truly gone.
Sophie and I were crying, crying and screaming until our throats went dry. Sobbing until no more tears could be produced. It could have been minutes, hours, days, no idea.

We heard police sirens, wailing and coming towards the house for final investigations. Claudia and her idiot of an aunt who had shoved poison in her food had been arrested, at least, but the police still had to interview all of us.

As I sat in line waiting for the interview, I couldn't help thinking why Claudia had done this. Her aunt had promised that their intention was to make Ruby unconscious, take her to a hideout, and demand loads of ransom from her parents. They would get the money, then come back and no one would even suspect them. But Claudia brought the wrong drugs, and that little mistake cost Ruby her life.

What had Ruby ever done? I remember this once Ruby had patiently spent hours braiding Claudia's entire hair into a 100 braids and when she had opened all the braids, Claudia had looked like a mermaid. Ruby had missed the exam of her favourite sport, swimming, to be there with Claudia when she had her first tooth pulled. When Ruby had got a beautiful new dress for her birthday, she had given it to Claudia to wear to Ruby's birthday party because Claudia's crush Aster was coming, and Ruby had worn an old dress. Ruby's house was open to Claudia 24/7, and she could come for projects, events, she was free to visit at any time, even organise parties and events there. Ruby would buy things for Claudia endlessly, like when she saw Claudia eyeing a dress in the store that was relatively expensive. Ruby was already sharing everything she had with Claudia, she literally treated her like a sister. If Claudia really wanted anything, she could have just mentioned it once to Ruby. And how could someone be so selfish, valuing money and wealth over something as priceless as friendship? A friend like Ruby that too.

I remembered when we were younger, our first Friendship Day of the gang together. We were around 4 years old. It was at Ruby's house, and on the tree where we had our treehouse it was carved into the bark-

I'm as happy as can be
With my best friends three
We're as happy as can be
Ruby, Claudia, Emma, and Sophie!!

Ruby had then distributed friendship bracelets and had made us all take a vow.

Her red hair flipped around in the breeze and her jet black eyes gleamed as she said, "Now, everybody put your hand on your bracelet and say, Best Friends Forever. I promise."

"Best Fwends Forever," stuttered Sophie, beaming and her laughter echoing even though she had prounounced it wrong. That was Sophie for you.

"Best Friends. Forever," I remembered exactly how my voice sounded, clear and thrillling like a stars light.

"Best Friends FOREVER," Claudia had exclaimed. "I promise."

She promised.
She promised.

-flashback over-