The Notorious R(uth) B(arakat) G(rimaldi)

Chapter 37: Gordo Has a Cow

Of course, the police had been called, though Brett was long gone. The other two boys began complaining immediately that they were the wronged parties, so Officer Briggs had told them that they should pursue Mr. Banks in a civil proceeding if they felt they had grounds, but he saw nothing to indicate that Mr. Banks should be taken into custody at that time.

The one they really wanted was nowhere in sight, though. Officer Briggs assured Mr. Sisco, Ruthie, her father, and Elliott that someone had already been dispatched to his family's ranch to search it for his truck, or the culprit himself.

Just when things at the parking lot were calming down a little, Elliott's grandmother arrived, crying and asking if she could call their reverend. Elliott and Ruthie finally convinced her that doing so wouldn't help anyone, though she kept asking Mark and Leroy, for some reason, if it wouldn't help them.

"All three boys have refused medical assistance, so we'll be taking Dumb and Dumber over there to the station to book them on assault," Officer Briggs told Ruthie and her Pop.

"No way, Elliott was punched and kicked in the belly and abdomen," Ruthie complained, her voice loud enough to reach the paramedics who were treating all of the boys.

"I checked him over, Ruthie," Shirley, the paramedic working on him called over. "Like last time, he'll have some contusions, but no internal injuries."

Ruthie nodded, though she was reluctant. She couldn't get the image of how his inert body was lifted when Brett kicked him out of her mind.

Mrs. Nicholson insisted on taking Elliott straight home, and Ruthie couldn't help overhear her words as they walked away.

"I told you that girl was trouble."

Her Pop heard the words as well, and he was speeding up to go challenge Mrs. Nicholson, so Ruthie put. hand out to stop him.

"No, don't bother. You won't change her mind."

"You surprise me," Pop responded. "I thought you'd be the first to go correct her."

Ruthie shook her head. "Like I said, you won't change her opinion of me." She smiled. "She won't change Elliott's, though, you know?"

This time her Pop only looked surprised; he didn't say anything.

Ruthie shrugged. "Maybe I'm growing up, realizing people's limitations," she answered by way of explanation.

"Right. I don't know if that's a good thing, a mature thing, or just a sad thing," her Pop said, putting an arm around his daughter.

Ruthie braved the cold that night and went out to her special perch on the roof. She'd gone there less, partially because it was winter, but also because she felt less need to be solitary. There were dead leaves blown into the corner, so she wrapped the blanket around herself and snuggled into them as she looked toward Elliott's house, just to see if he was around.

She found that if she craned her neck she could just make him out, all tucked up on the couch as his grandparents waited on him.

"I'm stalking you," she sent on her phone.

"Oh yeah? Aren't you going to get cold?"

"I won't be out here long, don't worry."

Elliott looked up at the dining room window and gave her the bird as he stuck his tongue out.

Ruthie laughed.

"How rude!"

"Isn't watching someone through a window at least equally rude? Not to mention creepy lol."