In the basement of Les's dad's house,
Ruby found herself Saturday evening, with the lights dimmed, music
flowing in the background, and the swirling familiarity of her camp
friends about her. She inhaled from the pipe that was passed around
and listened to the idle chatter. Les sat beside Jess, although he
paid little attention to her, Ruby noticed. This wasn't due to any
lack of interest on his part but more to his overall laid back
attitude and lack of interest in public displays of affection. For
her part, Jess played that she was okay with that but secretly wished
he would display more affection, at least in front of the other girls
present in order to solidify her connection to him. Especially that
of Ruby. She wouldn't outwardly admit to it, but inwardly she felt
that twinge of jealousy when Ruby was around, for she saw a deep
connection between the two of them that perhaps they didn't even
recognize. Or perhaps it was just the pot, who knew? After it all
it was her friend, Mickey, who had provided the stash and proudly he
sat in the circle gazing hazily, eyes slanted, around at those
grouped about him. She hoped that not only would this help bond him
to some more positive friends but by seeing her with Les it might
dissuade him from any future undertakings of pursuing her.
“So, what now?” Geoff asked around,
breaking through the stony hazed minds like the smoke that encircled
them. Slanted eyes turned their gaze over to Les as if seeking his
answer to the question.
“I got a movie,” he began. “And
a pizza, if anyone's hungry?”
“Dude,” Mickey said, licking his
chapped lips. “Pizza!”
“What movie?” Ruby managed to speak
loudly enough over the music.
“Clerks,” Les said looking straight
at her and into her eyes. “Ever see it?”
She shook her head and Geoff piped up
with, “That's such a good movie!”
The music was switched off, the pizza
brought down along with several bottles of coke. With paper plates
and plastic cups strewed about, the Crowshaven bunch (with Mickey
too) gathered about on the beat up old hide-a-bed sofa in front of
the TV to watch the Kevin Smith film. Jess sat on the couch with Les
between her legs on the floor, beside him sat Ruby, trying to hide
her awareness of him next to her. Les sat awkwardly taking in her
nearness, thinking of that kiss last summer so far away ago now it
seemed. At times when he kissed Jess, he imagined, remembered that
time he kissed Ruby and would pull away half expecting to see Ruby,
instead of Jess, before him. He was not sure what that meant or even
if it, that kiss, would ever amount to anything. He did want it too,
he would admit only to himself, and maybe if drunk enough to Geoff,
although he tried his best to remain faithful to Jess. But, monogamy
was difficult for him, he was after all a teenage male growing up in
the nineties. For her part, Ruby too wondered about that kiss with
Les beside her, she wondered if he ever thought about it. Some times
at night, she'd lay in bed remembering the press of his soft lips
against hers, the taste of his tongue in her mouth, the sound of the
fire crackling amidst the voices behind hers, the scent of the fresh
air of nature wafting about her, and wished that he would come to
her...
Would he ever? Was all her hopes in
vain? Was this why no other relationship seemed to go anywhere? Was
Les really the man she hoped for, her sempre amore, her truest love,
her soul-mate? In her heart of hearts, she hoped against all hope
that he was.
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