“I’m so sorry!”

‘Then why did you do it!?” I screamed, sobbing my eyes dry. “Why Austin!? Why did you do this to me!?”

“I didn’t mean for this to happen!” Austin yelled in response.

“You mean you didn’t mean to get caught!” I screeched.

“I love you!”

“Liar!” I dashed away with my face as red as a strawberry and my heart snapped in half. I stomped into my car, hit the gas, and drove away leaving his house in the dust.

He cheated me, Me! How could he!? We'd been together three months, got a second kiss, had seven dates, and been announced Cutest Couple at Fresh Seniors High School. We even had a certificate signed by the President and Vice-President of The State! And now he wants to cheat on me even with the certificate!?

He’s a little… a little…

All sorts of words flashed through my head as I swooped down the freeway barely staying within the speed limit. I thought of curses for him, nicknames, and murderous thoughts even, but none of them expressed the true synonym for him except for one: cheater.

C for cheater

H for hater

E for emotionless

A for awesomeless

T for truthless

E for exterminator and

R for Ruthless because now, he is without me, Ruth, so he’s Ruthless!!

I burst out sobbing and parked the car in front of Hope’s house. I swung open the door and dashed into her room, colliding into her crying my eyes out, stammering with words lost under the tears. She was shocked at first, but then became compassionate and held me close, stroking my hair as if I were an innocent child, lost in a great city or locked in a cell waiting for death to come.

“It’s okay,” she said. “You’re going to be fine. Just fine.”

You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

She held me in front of her. “Look at me in the eyes, Ruth. You are going to get through this, calm down. Tell me what happened.”

I stammered some more, “It’s Austin and I… you see, he cheated on me with that spoiled rich new girl Vivian and her fancy Scottish accent and her little leather purse.”

Jealousy rang through my voice as we talked. “He only loved me because I was the pretty girl and I was nice to talk to with my ‘little cute l-l-lips.’”

I started to uncontrollably sob.

“Oh, Ruth, dear Ruth. I’m so sorry," Hope said as she held me. "Sometimes people are that way, arrogant and only looking at themselves and outside beauty, but what matters is the beauty inside. That’s what I love about you Ruth, you love good looking guys, but in your heart you look for what’s inside. Because you know that the present in the box is so much more than the wrapping paper on the outside. You’re funny and great with maps plus…"

She smiled, “You’re the only person I know who’s favorite subject in school is Mathematics and don’t you deny it girl, you’re great at it.”

I smiled, “I am pretty good at Math.”

She looked at me astonished, “‘Good with Math! Good with Math! Ruth, you’re great at Math.”

“Austin thought that too.”

“Oh don’t think about Austin!” Hope said, seating me down on her silver mattress bed.

“Think about something else like… that time you guys went to Italy and Switzerland! Remember how Kristy got you into that mess in the first place! That was cha-o-tic. You guys ended up getting kidnapped by the number one most wanted crook in Europe. Remember how Violet and I had to come and get you and how Felix got saved by that medallion he got in the gift shop of the place you went. The one with the naked people. The bullet went straight into it to only knock him out cold. It looked like he was dead. While this was happening, I dug through to the storage room and got you.”

“And while we were hiding above the enemy, I fell onto our kidnapper!” I laughed with a grin.

“We ended up running for our lives and drove the car into a ditch-” Hope interrupted.

“-Where the car blew up and we were blown off our feet just like in the movies-"

“-the cops saw the explosion, took it to safety, and had Christopher put in jail for-”

“-a really long time.” I finished saying as we grinned ear to ear.

There was silence for a while as we recalled the times of peril that had fallen among us. I remembered when Felix and Hope got lost in San Francisco. There was that time when we went into the mirror maze and I stayed in there for thirty minutes making myself irresistible to any guy, especially those British ones that we met near the theater.

Ow wow, hot stuff! Even hotter with me in their contacts. Their training routine was mine.

"Don't worry," Hope said, holding her phone. "We have their numbers ready."

"I'll call," I promised. "Now, I can get us one stud closer to England."

"Bring them some red?" Hope teased as her hand combed through her now even more perfect scarlet locks.

"What?" I asked. "Hope was a hottie before, but now Ms. Umper is in her life, no man can dare to rest admiring such endless beauty. I knew she needed me.

I finally got up and headed towards the door. I looked back at Hope, smiled, turned the door handle, and left the room.