Chapter Text
Ruby: "So, who'll you pick, now that your aren't with Maeve?" Ruby's hand almost grasped her mouth. She couldn't believe she just let that slip out. Her cheeks flushed, as she looked at anywhere but Otis.
Otis: "What? What do you mean?" Otis said, as Ruby's eyes finally met his once more. It was too late to get out of this mess she just made.
Ruby: "You know.. L-Like who's gonna be your new... Girlfriend..?" She responded, with a shaky tone. She just wanted to melt into a puddle right then and there.
Otis: "Oh.. That.. I actually don't know.." Otis looked abit sad while saying that. It clearly struck a tiny nerve. Ruby couldn't help but feel a little bad, she knows how it felt to lose someone you loved, albeit him being the one she lost, and the one she didn't really want to see right now.
Ruby: "Going back to your single life, huh?" She groaned to herself in her mind. "You really just couldn't keep that to yourself. He has feelings for God's sake!"... He did hurt her before though.. Ugh, stop it, Ruby! "Sorry, that came out wrong."
Otis: "No, it's okay. And yeah. It's probably for the best too.." Otis said, still looking abit gloomy. Ruby felt a pang of guilt rush through her entire body. She couldn't help but feel like she needed to comfort Otis in a way.. In anyway whatsoever. She wanted to deny it, to lie to herself, but she just couldn't. She was about to reach out , hold his hand, and comfort him. (Chill out broskie, we are NOT in a kdrama). But she stopped herself.
Ruby: "You really loved Maeve, huh?" She said, as a way to get rid of the awkwardness and just get straight to the point. Maybe it was a bit too blunt, she was looking at the road again, not many cars around but she needed a way to shift her focus on something else, but still, she couldn't help but glance at Otis from time to time.
An awkward silence falls upon them again. Neither of them could find a way to break it. On one hand, Otis still felt sad, thinking back to the note. To everything they'd done together, their first time together. (Sexy times😉😏). He started to think about where it all started, their first official therapy session, with Olivia and how it blew up in his face miserably, and how he got their redemption by giving a sample. When he accidentally helped Jackson get with Maeve. How he tried to babysit her little sister and it blowing up in his face again, with her sneaking to the headmasters office and eating some of Mr. Groff's chocolate. Jesus, alot of things blew up infront of him, huh? Maybe it's just natural for him. He misses the old things, when he was still just a smart but still dumb teenager who was afraid to wank it.He remembered that time when he was jealous of that Tyrone guy and him turning out to be gay, and he got jealous all for nothing. Just thinking about it makes him cringe, but he can't help but let out a slight laugh, for all the embarassing stuff he's done, Ruby notices this and glances at him, although Otis doesn't know it, he might've managed to make Ruby crack a slight smile. She turns her focus back to the road. She couldn't get her mind off of that smile, it made her heart flutter for a reason she couldn't quite place... Or maybe a reason she just didn't want to admit... That smile brought her back to all the happy moments in their relationship, she couldn't believe it but she considers when Otis stormed out of her car for keeping their 'casual sex' a secret, a happy moment. Christ, all the things she'd change for this man.. Her mind drifted to when Otis hugged her just half an hour ago, she almost blushed, but she quickly snapped out of it, and somehow stopped herself from it. She thought about when Otis asked if he could come to her house, to help with her dad, she remembered how confused she was, no boy had ever asked to come to her house to actually help with her. He was the first boy to care, to check-in on her, even if it was every 10 seconds. She slightly jolted for getting snapped out of her thoughts by Otis saying something.
Otis: "You know, I actually do hope we can be friends." He said. Ruby wanted to accept, but she knew she wouldn't, she knew she couldn't.
Ruby: "Like I said, OT, I have enough friends now." Ruby answered, no hint of malice, or venom in her voice. Maybe a hesitant tone instead.
Otis: "Well, if you ever lose one, I'm always here." Ruby rolled her eyes at that one, even if she was maybe, slightly blushing.
Ruby: "Seriously, how can you say such cheesy stuff like that while keeping a straight face?" She teased, but she was genuinely curious.
Otis: "Well, I guess-" He answered before being cut off by Ruby's voice.
Ruby: "For example, 'I also want you to know, if you are pregnant and choose to keep the baby, I'll quit school, get a job, and provide for you both." She said, repeating his words from last year.
Otis: "Oh? We're playing that game? 'Your aftershave is so cheap, it turns-."
Ruby: "Never! And I mean, Never!! Bring that up again!" Ruby half-screamed, her face completely flushed. Clearly embarassed about what she said.
Otis looked at her and smiled, she glanced at him from her side and her blush worsened, this was exactly why she didn't want to be friends with him, she'd be like this the entire time. But she just can't help it, maybe she'll never be able to help it. She looked back at him, slowing down the car slightly, she looked at his, pale, unusually long self. She looked at the the person she fell for. She remembered all the pain she suffered because of him. And she still loves him, after all this time. She wanted to bang her head into the steering wheel for how dumb she was acting right now. She looked back at the road and continued driving, she doesn't really know she chose Otis, yes, a part of it was because he was nice, and caring, and another part was that he was decent at sex, and one of the other other parts was that she was sad all the time, but why did she choose to become official in the first place, and yes, everybody already knew, but she could've just cut all contact with him. But she didn't, and really doesn't know why. For some reason, while thinking of all these things, she suddenly remembers the awkward greeting's with his mom whenever she was going to leave, she cringed at that thought, shaking her head to forget about it. She really does miss their relationship, she didn't want to admit it, she was never one for romcom stuff anyways. She focused on the drive to Otis's house, how long had it been? Like 30 minutes? It never took that long to get to Otis's house. Was she actually feeling that time was going slower because she was distracted by Otis? No. Could she? Noooo... Could she..? Ugh, shut up. Finally, his house was in view.
Ruby: "Finally.." She groaned, stretching abit and glancing at Otis while waiting for his response.
Otis: "Yeah, thank you for the ride, Ru-" He said, before getting cut off by a ding from his phone. It was a text from his mom saying that he didn't need to go to the market anymore and that she already got it. "Turns out my mom doesn't need my help anymore. But still, thanks, Ruby."
Ruby: "Oh.. Yeah, no problem.." She looked abit dissapointed..? While saying that? It couldn't possibly because she could have driven him to where he needed to go and spent abit more time with him. No, that's impossible. Yeah, that's impossible. "Hey, Otis-"
Otis: "Wanna stay over at my house. Ruby?" He asked, looking at her. Her cheeks were abit pink, but thanks to the darkness Otis couldn't see it.
Ruby: "Uhm, what, OT?" She looked confused, and flustered, and confused, and flustered. Oh, and did I say flustered?
Otis: "You know, stay over. Since you let me stay over after the campaign thingy." Do you understand what you just said Otis?? You basically just asked for us to sleep together again!! She thought to herself, even more flustered than ever before..