Hoodwinked | Calum Hood AU

36

It's been three days since the party. Three days since I walked out of Joss's house to find Michael sitting in the gutter, his face in his hands and a mess of tears between them. Also, three days of me making pancakes for breakfast, now that Alfie and I are on our two week break from school.

I'll tell you one thing, it was truly heartbreaking, watching this big, always-happy, red-haired boy crying like that. Joss is fucking heartless. I have no idea how she could do that to him.

I suppose she didn't do it to him, just like she didn't do it to me. She did it because she wasn't thinking about anyone else except herself and her feelings for Luke. I start scrubbing the fry pan a little harder, her feelings for Luke. It still sounds weird, and I mean weird and completely unlikely to happen. Like a supernatural being or some paranormal event. Joss and Luke, the most unlikely pair.

"I finally got Pepper to shake hands," Alfie walks in through the backdoor, Pepper by his feet. "Can Luke come over to see?"

"Um," I'm still scrubbing the pan, pretending to be frustrated with a piece of stubborn pancake batter, "I think he's busy today. Maybe another day."

"He hasn't been here for ages."

You better get used to it, kid. "Why don't you go and get dressed? We can go to the dog park today. You can invite Madison."

We pick Madison up on the way to the dog park. As I talk to her Mum and let her know that I'll drop her back home by 2pm, I can see the pity in her eyes. Seventeen year olds shouldn't be organising play dates for their younger siblings, she's thinking.

I don't need her pity, honestly. What else would I be doing if I didn't have Alfie? Sitting in my room crying over Luke being secretly in love with my best friend? No thanks. 

While Alfie and Madison play with Pepper, I lay on the grass with a fresh copy of Paper Towns on my lap. I picked it up at the bookstore yesterday, figuring if there was ever a time to start reading, it's now. I'm going to have a lot of time to kill now that I'm down a best friend and a fake boyfriend, and the less time I spend online and on social media the better.

In fact, I think as I open up Instagram on my phone, it's better to have a clean break. I unfollow them both on Instagram, unfriend them on Facebook and delete every group text that includes the three of us.

It's a special talent of mine, I think. Cutting people off. The truth is, it hurts. What Luke and Joss did hurts, but they have made their choice. Luke has made his choice. Why would I make the pain last longer by indulging in my own self pity?

When Mum left, I reasoned that I wasn't upset because I didn't want her around if she didn't want to be around. It's exactly the time now. I'm not going to be the girl who cries into her pillow over a boy while he's getting another girl into his bed.

I shudder, the thought of Luke and Joss having sex right next door is a bit too much. Maybe they'll have enough courtesy to keep all sexual activities to Joss's house only.

Alfie and Madison are still playing with Pepper, now joined by two boys of a similar age and their chocolate lab. I make it through the first chapter of Paper Towns. I'm already obsessed with the idea of Margo Roth Spiegelman. Maybe I should forget uni next year and join the circus or tour with a band or something.

Before we take Madison home, I take the kids for ice-cream. Alfie gets some on his cheek and Madison wipes it off, making my brother's face turn as rosy as my strawberry ice-cream. I can't help but giggle. Actually, the three of us all laugh. It's been a good day.

Things change when Alfie and I arrive home. Luke's sitting on the front porch with this elbows to his knees. He stands up when we get out of the car, losing his balance slightly. It's 2:10 in the afternoon, and he's obviously drunk.

"Go home, Luke," I sigh, not meeting his gaze as I unlock the front door. I usher Alfie inside first, worried about what Luke might say in front of him. My little brother still has no knowledge of our fake relationship or the mess that's unfolded since and I plan to keep it that way.

"Ruby," he slurs, "I need to talk to you."

"No, you don't. You need to go home, take a shower and sober up." I'm still staring at the door when he pokes my cheek. I glare at him as hard as I can. Not only does he have the nerve to show up here to speak to me, he's waited three days to do it and he couldn't even face me sober. He's a coward.

"You're so cute when you're angry," he smiles, his head tilting to the side. Once I might have found his behaviour cute but not anymore. I don't see the boy I loved in front of me. I see someone else, a stranger.

"Goodbye Luke," I walk inside and lock the door, just incase. It would have been easy for be to stand out there and hear him spill his drunken truths but what would be the point? I don't want to forgive Luke. This isn't a story can end once all is forgiven. 

I still have to live my life. He's my neighbour unfortunately, and if this were a movie it would end now so that it didn't have to show awkward scenes of us leaving the house at the same time or us trying to avoid one another at school. Or, you know, in fictional land my Dad would get a sudden transfer to a different station and I'd move away, turning into the girl Luke always remembered as the one who got away.

Except, this isn't fiction and so we are stuck being neighbours. We're stuck going to the same school and I'm stuck with all of the memories we've created together. But I won't let nostalgia fool me into thinking what Luke and I had was more than a fake relationship. 

When I get to my room, I make sure my window is closed and locked just incase he hasn't gone home. I read another chapter of Paper Towns and tidy my room. Then I make a hair appointment for the following day after checking Dad's roster.

The next morning, I walk out of the hairdressers with short hair that sits right above my shoulder and then take myself out to coffee with Quentin and Margo to keep me company. On the drive home, I'm smiling as I consider what Margo would do to Luke if she were in my position.

I try calling Michael again once I'm home, but it goes unanswered. Again. I haven't heard from him since Joss's party. Not surprisingly, I haven't heard from Joss either. 

I send Michael a few texts after that, encouraging him to get out and see other people and all of the cliche stuff that you're probably not supposed to say. He eventually ends up replying: leave me alone ruby. I guess some people need more than a new hobby and a haircut to get over a broken heart.