1. Trust - The Promise - Jade is Awesome (red queen ebook txt) 📗

can get his job back. It seemed really bad. Okay, I understood all that but how did I end up in hospital. Did Rick do something to me? Did they all make me faint? No, that can't be it.
Mum saw me looking really confused and asked me what was wrong.
'How did I get here?' I said. That question was digging in my head and Mum would know the answer.
'Darling, you fainted from the lack of sleep and food.' Oh. I fainted because I didn't eat much. I didn't eat a big meal since the pancakes. How can I be so stupid. All the puzzle pieces are joined. I felt dizzy sometimes, I was stressed about little things, I was crying for no apparent reason and this all adds up to this. 'Sweetie, How can I be so stupid? I never checked if you were eating or anything. You even missed breakfast a few times. How can I be such an idiot? What kind of a mother am I?' Mum said fiddling with her hands like she was being punished.
I laughed. She was acting like a drama queen. 'Mum, calm down. Nothing serious happened, did it?' I said holding her hands. She smiled and kissed my forehead.
'Ok, darling. I'm just going to go fill some papers in. Ask a nurse if you need anything. Ok?' She said while getting her bag from the bed side. I nodded and she went.
I yawned. Peace at last. There was a knock on the door. Well, peace doesn't last for long.
'Come in.' I said. I finally sat up on my bed and saw get well soon card and baloons.
At the door, I saw 2 boys walk in. The Riches: Matt and Rick.
'Hey, How are you doing?' They all looked at me. Matt had flowers in his hand. He smiled when I noticed the flowers. For once, I saw innocence in him. Surprising. Then Rick was looking around the hospital. Then I remembered. Mr Child! Did he get his job back?
'Did you give Mr Child get his job?' I said to Rick. Rick quickly looked at me and first I thought he didn't hear what I said, but he nodded.
He came forward and put his hands on the baloons that was scattered on my bed. 'Yeah, I gave the job back. You must be wondering why I came here.' He said looking at the balloon with interest. It is a bit weird. I expected Cam, Josh, Mum and some other friends in school to come but I never expected these guys to come. Then I knew it. They cared about me.
'Er.. yeah. Why did you guys come?' I said smiling. I really wish they came for something that I wanted long before.
'We came to apologise.' Yes! They did. They're going to apologise. 'We're.....' They looked at eachother. They felt uncomfortable. Then I knew it, they never apologised to someone like me before. They've made mistakes but never apologised. This was a big thing to them. ' We're only doing this for Conor so don't think that we've changed or something.' Wow, Conor was their biggest brother. Matt and Rick were unidentical twins and were 16 but Conor was 17. Cam told me this. I didn't know how she knew but Cam knows people who know people who know.... well you know what I mean. 'Sorry,' Matt said at last. He said it like I forced it out of it. Like when in movies they're about to kill your loved ones, but you tell them the information they wanted and It just leaves you sad. Thats how it was. I smiled. Then Matt added 'We thought you were going to die, we never seen anyone faint, so dead was the only answer, but Conor picked you up and put you on the sofa and said you had a pulse.' Conor picked me? This made me dizzy inside. Conor actually touched me. Why aren't I feeling disgust because he is a Riches? Why am I feeling a great sensation inside? Why? I pushed this out of my mind. And forced a smile. 'Thanks guys, we're even then?' I said.
'Yeah.' Matt said. 'So are we friends or something?'
I was surprised. Did he just ask me to be their friend? Or is this a sick joke? From their faces, it looked like they meant each word of it.
But being friends isn't so bad. I mean, I can be far friends. You know, smile when I see them in class. But thats it. Theres no need to say no and end this 'no revenge' thing. 'Sure.' I said. They nodded and walked out. Matt came back in because he forgot to give the flowers. He put it near the other bunch and gave a little smile and left. Theres only one question. Where's Conor?
Chapter 7

I came home from the hospital and the first think I did is lay on my comfy bed. The doctors said I should eat more and he gave me a look to say 'you better eat more.' I bet he thinks I am not eating because I am trying to lose weight and trying to become more skinnier like them girls I've seen in school. I don't give a damn. I know that people have a choice of being overweight or skinny. I'm okay with it unless it interferes with their health.
I yawned. I was so tired. I heard the door bell downstairs. I really wasn't in the mood. I crawled into my duvet and put my cushion up so that I was sitting comfortable on the bed. The door opened.
'Ruby!! How are you?' It was Cam. She came in hugging me to death. Then Josh came in and sat on the end of my bed.
'Heyy guys, where were you? I was looking for you in the hospital.' I said feeling abit angry. Cam looked better now. She had make up on and she looked like nothing happened to her. But there was still sadness in her eyes.
'Ruby I'm sorry, You fainted and I wasn't even there with you.' She said looking down at her hands. I laughed 'Cammie, I can't always be with you and Its my fault.' But she still looked sad. I looked at Josh for help. He shrugged and said 'Shes been acting like this all day. She didn't even let me come to see you in hospital because she was too ashamed for some random reason.' I nodded. Cam really felt bad.
'Look, I was scared about everything in my life, but you helped me throught it.' I said to her.
She smiled and hit me on my arm. 'Ouch! what was that for?' I touched my arm. The bruise that the bodyguards held me from start hurting again.
'I can't believe you weren't eating or sleeping. Your mum told me. Are you really trying to lose weight or lose your sense of knowledge?' She said poking my brain.
'I just had so much things on my mind.' Cam wanted to say something but I cut her off. 'Anyways the past is the past.' I said while making space for Cam to sit with me on the bed. Then I looked at Josh. He was really quiet. I nudged him with my feet under the duvet. 'Whats up with you?'
He looked at me and smiled. 'Did the Riches hurt you?' I looked at him like he was an alien. 'Of course not Joshie, how can you think that? I just told them to give Mr Child's back and before they could answer, I fainted.' I explained to him. I didn't want to tell him about the guards and Conor because he'll just worry for no reason. I turned to Cam. She was plaiting my hair. 'Cam, did they give your dads job back?' She was too busy focusing on my hair that I had to repeat the question. 'Huh? Oh, yeah. He didn't just get a job, He got a higher position!!' She squealed. I smiled. Maybe these guys are not as bad as I thought.


'Mum, drop me here.' I said. Mum was taking to school eventhough I live 5 minutes away. She feels really bad about the fainting thing and this is how she trys to pay me? 'Mum, Please!!' I said trying to get her attention.
'Okay, darling. Have fun in school and today I'm coming early from work so I'll be waiting foryou.' She stopped and I went out the car.
'Thanks Mum.' I said. She smiled and waved.
I went into school. 'Hey Ruby, how you doing?' Says a guy from my french class. He has a long name but I know It started with a F.
'Im Okay.' He smiled and walked away. And he was just one of them. So many people kept on saying hi to me. They might have heard about my fainting incident. I went to my locker and took out my maths book. We had Maths first and I was doing the homework for an hour yesterday night.
The bell rang. I looked around. Where was Josh and Cam? Are they late? I understand why Cam is late but Josh? Hes never late. The corridor was crowded with people. If the crowd went right, and you wanted to go left, you wont even get near to left because they'll be pushing you along. Thats college. I waited for crowd to go. I had Maths and Mr Goldrick is always late so whats the point of going to class early. When the class went, I ran to class. While I was running, I thought I heard someone behind me. I bumped into someone while looking back. I turned around to see who it was. Conor. 'Hey! watch where your-' He didn't know it was me and when he did finally see me, he stopped talking and looked at me. We were very close. He looked incedible. His eyes were blue and literally had sparks in them. His lips stayed still. His hair was blacker than before. He looked magical. I then realised that I was staring. 'Oh, sorry Conor.' I said while looking down blushing.
'Whatever.' He said, not caring whatever is happening. I quickly walked past.
'Ruby!' He shouted. I stopped running. When Conor said my name, It looked like it belonged there. I loved how he said it.
I looked back. He was looking at me with his eyes fixed on my eyes. 'How are you feeling?' He said. Why does he care? He didn't care to visit me in hospital. Not like I wanted him to come or something. He didn't care when his brothers were telling me to beg to him. But in his eyes he cared. Before when he came into the basement and saw me, he was scared. And now hes here, worried that I might not be fine.
'I'm fine.' I said. I quickly rushed to class. I don't know why but I feel really mad when he didn't come to meet me in hospital. Maybe because he didn't say sorry or maybe because I wanted him there.