Vanity

three

Come to me in the night hours, I will wait for you
- Ruelle

The next day Rue tried to feign being sick but her dad saw past her trick and still sent her off to school, not even commenting on the bruises on her neck. She wasn't like some girl on a TV show who owned a scarf that could conveniently cover her neck, nor a turtleneck sweater. So she had to brace herself and walk to school with her neck on show.

Rue didn't sleep at all last night, when she got home her parents still weren't there. They came home at one in the morning, arguing as if it was broad daylight. They never came to speak to her, they never even regarded her. The only time she ever spoke to her parents was when one of them stumbled into her room shouting for her to get up. 

Rue promised herself that the minute she graduated high school she would runaway and never look back at her damned life but the more she thought about the more it seemed impossible to achieve. 

Rue ignored the looks she got from people, keeping her head down as she made her way to her locker. She finally had school books so she didn't bother throwing her bag in, only her coat and lunch before slamming the door shut. She pretended that no one was around her as she made her way to her first lesson; art. 

She didn't even like art anymore, the moment her parents began to act weird she stopped loving the subject and began to hate it. The only thing she could express was sadness and she was fed up of it taking over her life. 

Rue didn't glance up when heavy footsteps came closer to her. "Hey Shelley," she muttered, setting herself up at an art station. She looked at the teen beside her from the corner of her eye, watching as she set up next to her and remained silent. 

The art lesson went smoothly, with only the teacher making an effort to talk to her. She even complimented the art piece that was slowly progressing, at first, she didn't know what she was drawing. She only knew that it was something deep. 

"That looks like my brother," said a computerised voice as the class began to pack up. They were asked to set the paintings against the wall opposite the window to dry and after helping Shelley with hers the two stood together. 

Rue glanced up at Shelley, shock on her face as she looked back at the painting. She recognised the eye shape, the narrow nose, the plump lips, the sharp jaw. She felt herself lose her breath, holding onto Shelley for reassurance. 

"It does, doesn't it?" Rue agreed before taking her eyes away from the drawing. "I'll walk you to next lesson," she offered the big girl, smiling slightly when she nodded eagerly in reply. 

It came so fast, the hand darting our before she felt her back against the lockers, Shelley's grip lost from her as she tried to gain sense of what was happening. She felt a light touch of fingers trail down her neck, over the bruises and looked up to see blue eyes staring back at her. She tried to back up only to whack her head from the lockers. "Ow," she hissed, her hand reaching up to rub her sore head. 

"Who did this?" Roman asked softly, his tone giving away any of his emotions as he stared evenly at her, his fingers still trailing down her neck and to her collarbone. When she didn't answer straight away he asked her again, but more forcefully. 

"Just some guy, I don't know who," she lied, looking down the hallway where she saw several students staring at the two of them. She glanced over at Shelley who held her hands over her mouth in shock at her brothers actions before she looked back up at Roman. "I'm okay, I won't be going near him again," she promised him. She didn't know why she was lying or reassuring Roman, all she knew was that if he'd known who it was, well, Peter wouldn't be walking for some time. 

Even at five years old, Roman was a very volatile child, he would hurt anybody who would try to bully Shelley or his mother. She remember being asked to watch him and Shelley for an hour when Olivia, J.R and her parents had to do something. At first it was weird, he would simply sit and watch TV in silence and by the end of the hour he had completely opened up to her, smiling and laughing as they made Shelley giggle. 

Roman nodded, letting go of her and backing up a few steps. "I hope you don't," he mumbled, tensing his jaw as he scanned her neck once again. 

Rue watched as he turned to Shelley, pressing the pad of his thumb to her cheek for a moment before he walked away, his hands digging in his pockets pulling out a cigarette and lighter. She watched him until he disappeared around the corner. 

"You should come to our house after school," said Shelley at the end of school just as a black jeep pulled up in front of them. Rue agreed and climbed into the passenger seat of the black car, greeting the driver with a polite smile. It was a quick drive to the large mansion that almost rivaled her own, she remembered all the times she slept there in the spare bedroom where a sleep deprived Roman would climb into her bed when he couldn't sleep. 

The first thing she saw when she walked into the house was the large staircase that lead to the upstairs. She remembered sliding down the railings with Roman right behind her, he had fallen off it and cracked his head open yet he hadn't cried, he had just let out a shout of pain and pressed his hand to his head whilst she had been panicking. 

"My, you have grown up to be such a beauty," a familiar voice gasped from her left. Rue glanced over to see a very tall Olivia Godfrey stood in all of her glory, a white knee length dress hugging her body. 

Rue was soon wrapped up in Olivia's arms, hugging the older woman with a smile on her face. She always remembered Olivia to be such a relief, always smiling when the woman was around, she treated Rue as if she were her own daughter. 

"It's good to see you Olivia," she said with a soft smile on her face as she stepped away from the tall woman before she dragged away from her by Shelley who was eager to show Rue her room. 

A few hours later, Shelley and Rue were still in her room, studying of all things. After Shelley had shown Rue her room she had taken her on a tour of the house, pointing out who's room was who's. When the door to the bedroom opened both girls looked up, Rue on the bed and Shelley at her desk. 

Roman looked between the two, confusion in his eyes as he regarded who was actually in his sisters room. His mother had not said they were having a guest which strike this situation odd. "Uh, dinner is ready," he said to Shelley, his eyes flicking between the two before he slowly backed out of the room. 

Rue glanced at Shelley who was typing on her phone. "You can have dinner with us," she said and Rue nodded, following the large girl down the stairs and to the diner where Olivia and Roman sat. 

"Ah, Rue darling, have a seat," said Olivia upon seeing the two enter. She gestured to the seat next to Shelley where a piping hot plate of food sat, knife and fork next to it. 

Rue sheepishly smiled and sat down, glancing at the food on the plate. Pasta. "Don't worry, Olivia. I'm not a vegetarian anymore," she joked picking up her knife and fork once she saw that everyone else was eating. 

The evening was pleasant, it was as if she had never left. Roman had even loosened up around her and his mother, joining in on the conversations as they progressed. Olivia had ended up offering the spare bedroom for the night as well and after texting her parents, Rue agreed.