Read Online One Night Only by Emma Heatherington - Free Book Online Page B

, I’ m – ”
    “Don ’ t sa y it! ” snappe d T ess . “Don ’ t dare! ” Sh e glared a t Poll y wh o wa s scratchin g he r hea d an d fixin g th e string o n tha t stupi d apro n sh e alway s wor e t o mak e he r look lik e Mothe r -fucking-Earth .
    Poll y mumble d a response . “Em , wel l . . . ”
    “Oh , jus t tel l he r , Polly! ” T es s squealed , enjoyin g the look on Ruth ’ s face as she squirmed at the ugly truth. She wa s onl y startin g . . . “ T el l he r ho w sh e use d t o mak e you pis s th e be d whe n yo u wer e ol d enoug h t o b e a t disco s and ho w yo u didn ’ t kee p o n Biolog y whic h yo u love d because sh e wa s takin g tha t clas s to o an d yo u wer e to o afrai d to b e i n th e sam e roo m a s her! ”
    “ I honestl y a m s o sorr y , ” sai d Ruth , a quiverin g wreck no w .
    Bu t T es s stil l ha d save d th e bes t t o last .
    “O r ho w abou t th e fac t tha t yo u couldn ’ t ea t fo r five day s an d vomite d u p everythin g yo u di d ea t i n fea r o f her horrible , evi l bullyin g afte r sh e threatene d yo u fo r picking u p he r schoolba g b y accident ? Y o u hav e a cheek , Ruth Monaghan . Y o u hav e a chee k comin g bac k int o ou r town an d expectin g u s t o forgiv e an d forget ! Y ou’r e a callous, conniving , backstabbin g bull y an d I woul d advis e yo u to ge t ou t o f her e righ t no w an d neve r sho w you r sorr y face again! ”
    There , sh e ha d sai d it . Sh e ha d sai d wha t sh e was longin g t o sa y fo r years . I t wa s out . I t wa s gone . Y ear s of pent-u p frustratio n an d lac k o f closur e ha d com e t o an end .
    An d the n i t al l wen t terribl y wron g . . . becaus e Ruth Monagha n – al l fiv e fee t si x an d fiftee n stone s o f he r – starte d t o cr y .
    T es s hadn ’ t mean t t o mak e he r cry ! W ell , sh e ha d sort o f mean t to , bu t no t i n th e wa y Rut h wa s crying . T es s had neve r see n anyon e cr y lik e tha t before . No t eve n at funeral s o r wake s an d withou t a doubt , he r famil y went totall y ove r th e to p whe n i t cam e t o wailin g fo r their dead . Bu t thi s – thi s wa s lik e a conditio n o f som e sort. Lik e a typ e o f cryin g tha t ther e shoul d b e a medica l name fo r . Big , heav y , straight-from-the-gut , breath-takin g sobs tha t draine d Ruth ’ s energ y s o muc h tha t he r knees actuall y di d buckl e beneat h he r an d onl y fo r th e islan d in th e middl e o f Polly ’ s kitchen , sh e woul d hav e bee n o n the floo r . I t wa s a bi t lik e watchin g th e W icke d W itc h from th e W es t meltin g bu t instea d o f singin g alon g wit h the Munchkins , T es s wa s actuall y feelin g sorr y fo r her ! This wa s certainl y no t th e outcom e T es s ha d intende d when sh e sa w he r standin g ther e i n Polly ’ s kitche n o n a Friday mornin g o n he r fre e perio d fro m school !
    “Ruth ? Ruth , it ’ s okay! ” sai d Poll y . “I t reall y i s oka y . I ate afte r that . Lots . I eve n go t fa t fo r a while . Please , it ’ s oka y . ”
    Bu t Rut h mos t certainl y wa s no t oka y . Sh e could hardl y breath e s o sh e wa s anythin g bu t oka y . T es s fel t so bad . Sh e fel t lik e she’ d bee n caugh t holdin g a bloodied knif e whil e he r victi m la y belo w he r dyin g an d sh e didn ’ t kno w wha t t o d o o r wha t t o sa y . Th e damag e wa s done. “D o yo u thin k w e shoul d cal l a doctor? ” sh e asked eventuall y , totall y convince d tha t thi s wa s a lo t mor e than a bull y feelin g guilt y fo r he r action s year s a g o . Th e wo m a n wa s i n pieces ! Sh e wa s blood y hype r -ventilating !
    “No , she’l l b e fine, ” sai d Poll y , nic e an d cal m a s Polly alway s was . “Ge t he r som e tea , T ess . T e a wit h suga r . Quick . Th e kettle ’ s boiled. ”
    T e a wit h suga r . T e a wit h flamin g sugar ! Onl y Polly woul d thin k o f that , though t T ess .
    Sh e woul d b e mor e incline d t o hav e