Ruby Ring

Chapter 3: SPECIAL GIFT

JUSTIN

Present day...

"Hey, Bridget!" Justin cheerfully waved at his blonde girlfriend. He was waiting by an ice cream stand.

"Hi, Justin!" Bridget gave Justin a bear hug. "Happy anniversary!"

"Happy anniversary to you too. I got you a very special gift,"

"Ooh, really?"

"Yeah. Here you go," Justin handed Bridget the box with the ring in it.

"Can I open it?"

"Yeah, sure," Justin grinned as he watched Bridget eagerly open the box.

"What a pretty ring!" she exclaimed as she put it on her ring finger. All of a sudden, she froze in place.

"Bridget...are you okay?" Justin queried. He was used to seeing Bridget jumpy and excited, so seeing her like this was quite unusual to him. He stared at the ring, which had a red aura surrounding the ruby. Bridget's hand was shaking uncontrollably.

"I saw something..." Bridget announced, breaking the silence.

"What did you see?"

"I saw...a man with slicked back white hair...he looked kinda scary and he had fangs,"

"You sure you're okay? If you're having hallucinations, you might wanna get checked out,"

"It's not that...I don't think I have schizophrenia or anything like that. I'm probably just tired. I didn't sleep too well last night," Bridget shrugged. Justin didn't blame her. She was on the swim team and she practiced rigorously every single day. Every time she practiced on her own, Bridget would do at least forty laps. And not to mention the fact that Bridget would hang out with her friends almost every night.

Justin understood how she felt. He himself had been a part of his school's lacrosse team ever since freshman year, and practices were tiring. As if that wasn't enough, Justin would come home and do homework until one in the morning.

"So you're not feeling well?" Justin stroked Bridget's back.

"No, no, it's fine. I've been doing this since middle school. I'll be okay," Bridget shook her head.

"If you say so. Now, what do you wanna do?"

"You wanna help with my blog?"

"Sure. What are you gonna do with it?" Justin asked. Bridget started a blog last summer where she would talk about whatever was on her mind. Apparently, her friend did a blog on a wheelchair kid named Dean Andrews who played basketball. Bridget always said that was what inspired her to start a blog.

"My friend Mikaela Watterson is very artistic. She suggested that I hold an art contest on my blog," Bridget said as the two of them crossed the street. Justin had never met Mikaela, but he knew of her through Bridget---of course---and his friend Hunter, who was currently dating her. He didn't talk to Hunter much, but when they did, Hunter always seemed happy. It seemed like Mikaela was a good girl and that he would like her.

"Why not recruit her in this? She could be a big asset," Justin suggested.

"She's all the way in Texas with her parents,"

"Oh,"

"Excuse me," a voice behind them snapped. A girl with rose-colored hair stood on the sidewalk, hands on her hips.

"What do you want, Camilla? You're interrupting our date," Justin glared at the newcomer.

"Back off, SpongeBob! I had Justin first!" Camilla shoved Bridget aside.