stars || Joe Sugg

8.) neon signs

joe

How are things at home

I stare at the text from Caspar for a long time. I mean, a lot has happened since he last checked in a few days ago. Last night, I took Ruby out to restaurant close to Brighton. It had been the first time she has ever rode on a train, and she almost had a small panic attack when she first got on it, but she was okay for the most part. I answer Caspar in the simplest way I can.

It's all good.

It's been about two days since I kissed Ruby. I can't remember anything actually going through my mind before I decided to do that. All I know is when I was sitting across from her, staring into her eyes, I realized that if I didn't do it then, there was a possibility that I was never going to do it. I used up the twenty seconds of courage on a kiss that she ran away from, but it all worked out in the end.

I wait to see if Caspar is going to reply, but I jump when I hear a loud scream. I stand from my bed and rush over into Ruby's room. "Love?" I say, shaking her shoulder lightly. Her eyes blink open, and she searches my entire face while trying to slow her breathing. Her bright green eyes are wide and terrified.

"Sorry." She smiles. "I'm trying to stop this." I hate how she thinks it's her fault. She always seems to blame herself for her nightmares, and I don't know why she would ever think she has control over it.

"I know it's not your fault." I tell her. "You woke up rather fast this time, though. Compared to the other times, at least." She nods, agreeing with me.

"Yeah, I think that was one of the worst I've ever had." She says, sitting up. "That's probably why I woke up so fast." I want to ask her so bad what her dream was about, but I know I can't. I'm trying not to push boundaries with Ruby. She likes having some things private, and I have to respect that. I have some things I don't necessarily want her knowing right now, but maybe later on, we'll be able to talk about them with each other.

She swears before standing up from the bed. She stretches her arms and back out. "Put on shoes." I tell her as she reaches a hand over to place it on my cheek.

"Put on a shirt." She retorts sarcastically.

"No. I'm serious." I say laughing. plucking her hand from my cheek to squeeze in my own. "I'm taking you out."

"Sugg, it's three in the morning." She complains.

"Please?" I say, pouting my bottom lip slightly. She shuffles to the cupboard in front of her bed and reaches inside.

"I hate you." She smiles, slipping on a pair of old trainers that I've never seen before. "I'll go wait by the door." Ruby says, pushing past me and out her bedroom door.

I walk back over into my room and grab my hoodie that's laying at the bottom of my bed. I slip it over my head before turning the light off. I jog up the stairs where Ruby is leaning against the door. "So, where are we going?" She asks as she sees me approach her.

"You like ice cream, right?" I ask her. I still don't exactly know that much about her. She's very introverted, quite different from Caspar, Regina and I, who are all extremely extroverted. I grab my keys and wallet from the kitchen, and Ruby leads the way out of the flat.

"Your plans would probably be useless if I didn't." She laughs. "But, yeah. I do."

All the way outside is really quiet. It's not a weird quiet, and it's actually quite comfortable. When we begin walking down the sidewalk, Ruby stares up at the sky. I watch her as she rolls up the sleeves of her sweatshirt. "I've never been walked to a date before." She says, turning away from the sky to look at me.