For What It's Worth

Ruby's POV-

Pounding echoed. It bounced off all the dark sides and came back to the source in a continuous pattern. BOOM... BOOM... BOOM. Was someone knocking on my head?! Geez, hangovers are absolutely the worst to nurse... Especially is it's yourself.

My my eyes crack open slightly as the little rays of sun that managed to get through the blinds pierce into them burning my pupils. Finally my eyes adjust to the strong sunlight patches and I squint at my surroundings.

I feel a weight over my stomach and I tilt my head down slowly to see a buff arm with a tattoo holding me close. The owner of that arm is my passed out boyfriend. Knowing I have to get up now before the beast awakens I push myself up I not a sitting position being careful to move his arm off without waking the devil lying on the bed.

Moving into the washroom I pass by the mirror and quickly whip my face back around to glance at myself. SHIT! Well what was I expecting?? Wavy gorgeous hair with makeup still in contact like the actresses in the movies? Far from it as my dreadful appearance stares back at me.

The bags are the worst flaw. I look more like late thirties rather than only twenty one with these huge black molds under there. Makeup helps a lot.. Trust me. My hair is splayed all over the place wrapping and standing up in random places while the makeup is smudged on my face from not taking it off last night before falling asleep. Not a comfortable sleep... A mindless empty one. But sleep nonetheless.

Combing my long red hair out I poke my freckles on my face absentmindedly counting them for entertainment. They seem to multiply all the time. Moving on I brush my stinking alcohol smelling breath so my teeth feel clean again and I can talk to someone without making them gag at the smell. Gets pretty bad let me tell you..

I splash my face clean of all makeup and look up and realize something. My eyes are always bright... They may be vacant of light and joy and happiness but they certainly aren't any less blue or bright than they ever were. I shake my head to clear my head of all thoughtless processes and then open my eyes again and walk out quietly of the little dank room.

Glancing to the bed I see the buff man on my bed has his face shoved deep within his pillow... Wouldn't he suffocate like that? Psh obviously not he's still breathing the same. Healthy as a horse that one sadly. I rush downstairs and grab a cup and fill it with cold water and grab the two pills. The Advil and the sleeping pill. They look almost identical he would never be able to actually tell. I know it's wrong but when he shouts it frightens the day lights out of me...

I set it down on the bedside tabke he has next to him and drape the blanket higher on him. He may not be the nicest person to me but I still care about his well being enough to look after him and take care of him like any girlfriend should. 'Sometimes we choose the love we think we deserve' my head whispers. Do I deserve this poor treatment? Maybe so... Maybe this is my punishment. But for what???

Heading to the small dresse I hold my things in I pull out something simple to wear. Just a baggy old sweat shirt and some leggings. I'm not going anywhere with this hangover... I'll be cleaning my wits out of me today. I drag my hands through my now less tangled hair and stick it in a messy bun as I leave the room off to do the daily house work.

God these people are messy!!! How do people really make this big of a mess?! Ugh... This is my life of course though. I grab three huge trash bags loading them up with empty bottles left around and use the dustpan to pick any of the broken ones up. Shortly after I move on to dishes and food vacuuming it up and out of the carpet.

The inside of the house is finished. Now onto the backyard... Which sadly is the hard part. Every time I clean out there I use gloves. I find peoples missing bathing suits, used condoms... Like ew.... And lots of fallen joints and marks on the seats. This is the heavy duty job right here but somehow it only takes me an hour to do and I get the job done as usual.

Walking back into the house I her above me footsteps knowing that Callum just got up and soon would be taking the pills to head back to sleep for a couple more hours. My stomach growls loudly and I grab onto it hoping the sound will go away. I head to the kitchen and go to one of the cabinets. It has a lock on it. Yes I know what you're thinking.. You keep your food locked up?

Well, it's MY FOOD! My desserts not yours... Go get your own. So I lock it up so no one gets to it during parties especially. Opening it up I grab out a box of Coco Puffs and pour a big bowl with milk sitting at the counter and digging in. Staring off into nothing I let my mind wander.

My mind always seems to wander to the deepest darkest places at these times. It used to bother and scare me. Now it's just inevitable. I can feel the process take over my body. As my eye sight stares off into nothing and the silence changes to be actually very loud... Then clearer, to voices, to memories.

- Memory -

Running. I was running endlessly. The pants were short and I was having hard times taking in the air I needed. The scene around me was so familiar. There was the large tall trees with no leaves and quite a bit of snow. The birds flying in the sky and to somewhere new afraid of my loud pounding footsteps treading fast by.

"Hey! Stop running why don't ya! How are we supposed to get to you if you keep on running of ya baby!" And there was that horrid voice. HER voice. Michelle Krimbley's voice, Michy for short. Her friends and her were my bullies when I was younger. I could still remember the terrible things they tried to do... Tried meaning they didn't really succeed all that well. Their voices still ringing clear in my head.

"We just want to give you a little make over... To your UGLY face!" That was Terri her little minion... She had two like any other. Terri Marks and Masen Woodworth, they were the group of there best friends that just couldn't leave me alone no matter how hard I tried.

I could fele feel my legs burning along with my lungs and I knew I would give out soon. I was going to get beaten up out here in the snow all alone and be left out here by those three bitchy girls and I couldn't stop it from eventually happening.

Just then I felt my feet give from under me slipping on snow and I face planted it to the ground. Scrambling up right I came face to face with her.. All three of them surrounding me. Evil smirks glinting on all their faces. "Why?" I whispered out close to tears.

"Why what sweet Ruby? Why mess with you? Cause you're pathetic and worthless and not supposed to be alive! That's why you were left in that orphanage! Your 'mum' took pity on you. No one actually loves you." I cried harder at her words trying to block them out but I couldn't. Maybe they were right. I was worthless and no one actually loved me. How did I know my mum wasn't lying when she called my her gift from heaven??

I fell to my knees crying with my hair around me waiting for the beating to come and get it over with. "That's a lie!" A voice growled out. My head sprung up at the familiarity. There stood Eddie from a distance with a glare and his fists clenched... He looked absolutely pissed.

"I love my sister with everything I got in me and wouldn't be who I was without her! She's beautiful and worth every penny I spend on her... Every hour, every second. And my mum knows she's a gift from heaven! So stop diluting my poor sisters head and get the fuck away from her!"

I was was crying now but tears of joy and love for my strong brave older brother who would do anything for me. I knew he loved me with a fierce passion and everyone else in town could see it too. The three girls backed away. Michy said quietly, "W-we were just messing with her. We didn't mean it. Isn't that right girls?"

It it was quiet and she turned to see the other had fled and she followed in shock because she had been left behind to fight her own battle. Eddie walked over to me picking me up in his arms and holding me tight to him as he carried me home. Iayed my head on his chest and closed my eyes letting the tears fall.

I felt a kiss put on the top of my head. "Rubes that was bullshit and you know it. You are such a brave and amazing girl and I love you little sis. I'll always be here to protect you from the bad...."

- End of memory -

Then where was he now? I felt the tears falling from my eyes and then I jumped at the sound of a loud knock on the front door. At least I think someone knocked... I sat in silence for a moment and then there it was again. A heavy handed knock on the door.

No one ever came over this early in the day. I mean it was 2 in the afternoon. But no one me or Callum knew was awake at this time let alone ready to walk out of their homes and over to our crappy one. So who could this mystery person be at my door?

The knock got louder and longer and I knew I had to answer it unless I wanted Callum to wake up too early and start yelling. Wiping my eyes I pushed my self away from the counter getting up to walk over to our scratched up door. Had taken a lot of punches and hits over the years form drunk ones over the year. Poor door...

Grabbing the handle I swung open the door all the way and looked at the visitor. NO! NO NO NO NO! MY EYES WERE PLAYING TRICKS ON ME! WHY WOULD MY MIND PULL SUCH AN EVIL ACT ON ME!?

I stepped per back cautiously away from the front door coverin my mouth with my hand as the tears started to pour all over again. Shaking my head back and forth I put more distance away from the person and myself. This image... This dream- NO nightmare I wanted to wake up from. NOW!

The person took a step forward but I moved my hand and choked out the word, "don't!" They inched backwards and just stood there staring at me. It was HIM! But how? When? Why? I was so confused and scared.

After all all this time my wish in all my dreams stood in front of me. But it didn't come out like the other dreams... This time I was afraid not happy or overjoyed. I was scared of what lay beyond that door. And then it spoke... That soft so familiar voice in all my memorired I tried to block out, I heard it for the first time in what seemed like forever.

"Rubes?" That name. Not the name. Oh no. I hadn't heard that used in forever. "It's me! Please don't shut me out! Say something! Anything!" They sounded so close to tears and broke my already torn heart even more if it was possible.

I held my throat with one hand and held back the tats and mustered up the power to mumble on word. One word that I hadn't said in three years. One name I wished could've left my lips every day.

"Eddie?"

Notes

Hey guys! New chapter! Need help trying to input outfits... Thought I knew how to. Guess I don't.

I mi think the memories are important so you know how much their relationship controlled them as people and who they used to be. It gives you some insight.

Ok so COMMENT RATE VOTE SUBSCRIBE! Thanks and I love you all. UPDATING SOON! QUESTIONS ANYONE???