Page 2 of Spark

The only things I know for sure about Ruby and her musicianship are the few tidbits she’s mentioned during natural conversation. She was assigned as my lab partner in chemistry after I started at St. Francis Academy on a football scholarship a month ago. Since then, she’s mentioned she’s been playing piano since grade school and that she performed a song she wrote in our school talent show last year. That’s it. That’s all I know. But since I was looking for any excuse to spend time with her outside of school, and I’m way too shy to actually ask her out, I leaped at the chance to kill two birds with one stone: getting my best friend the new musician he keeps asking for, while also creating the perfect environment for my crush to get to know me beyond the sadly too-brief interactions we have in class on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Ruby sits with her band of cool, edgy misfits at lunch, unfortunately. The goths. The theater kids. The weirdos. The insanely smart kids furiously working on homework at all times. It’s an interesting blend. And I sit with my teammates, clear on the other side of the cafeteria, covertly peeking at her and trying to figure out a way to get her to notice me. At my old school, girls were always falling all over me. And, actually, I guess that’s true at this one, too. But not the right girls. Or girl, rather. Not Ruby.And I can’t figure out how to change that.

A sharp knock makes all three of us look toward the door of the basement. I lurch up from the couch, butterflies ravaging my belly. But Kai is already walking over there.

“I’ll get it!” I call out. “Hang on, Kai!”

I’m too late.

By the time I’ve reached my brother, he’s already opened the door and discovered Ruby standing in the doorframe next to someone totally unexpected: my new teammate. Alinebacker. Titus. Aw, fuck. Is Ruby dating a football player? Before now, I’d convinced myself she never looks at me twice because football players and athletes aren’t weird and/or cool enough to be her thing. But if she’s dating Titus, so much for that theory. Also, if she’s got a boyfriend at all, whoever he is, so much for me dating her. Fuck my life.

“Hey, Rufus,” Kai says warmly, his greeting directed at Titus. “Thanks for coming, man.”

Titus places his large palm on his chest. “Titus. I hope it’s okay I tagged along. I didn’t want my sister coming all the way out here by herself.”

Sister.

Connolly.

Holy shit. TitusConnolly. I can’t believe I didn’t put two and two together over the past month. In my defense, however, it’s not too unusual a last name at a school filled with Irish Catholics. Also, Ruby and Titus are in the same grade, and they look nothing alike—Titus is a big, scruffy football player and Ruby’s a cute little pixie with purple hair—so the possibility of them being siblings never even crossed my mind.

I nudge Kai out of my way and say, a bit too loudly, “I’d have done the same thing, if I had a sister. Come on in, guys. Thanks for making the trip from Evanston, especially on a school night.”

“No worries, I finished all my chem homework on the train,” Ruby chirps brightly as she and her brother enter the basement.

“Shit. That’s due tomorrow?”

Ruby chuckles, and her cute little freckled nose scrunches up. “No, on Friday. I was working ahead.”

“Of course you were,” Titus says playfully.

“You might want to try it sometime,” Ruby quips. “You know, in case football doesn’t work out as a career.”

Man, she’s so freaking cute. Besides her freckled, button nose, she’s got huge, dark eyes framed by dark lashes, plush lips that pull my attention like a goddamned magnet every time she’s within ten feet of me, and a personality that instantly draws me in. And it’s not just me. Everyone loves Ruby. I figured that out on day one at my new school.

Ruby’s not my usual type, based on the kinds of girls I’ve been kissing since sixth grade. I mean, yes, personality-wise, she’s everything I always go for: smart, sweet, funny, confident. But I guess with me playing football all these years, I’ve always gravitated toward … well, cheerleader types, for lack of a better description. No one edgy and cool like Ruby. Not girls who don’t give a flying fuck that I’m good at football. But I guess that’s what makes my crush on Ruby stick, even when she doesn’t seem interested: the fact that I’m feeling all these crazy butterflies for someone who’s a first for me. A total departure.

Kai’s not talking. Rather, he’s glaring at me as I lead Ruby and Titus into the room. So, I quickly fill the awkward silence as best I can.

“Savage, this is Ruby Connolly and, apparently, her big brother, Titus.”

“We’re twins, actually,” Ruby says.

“I’m still her big brother, though.”

“Shut up, T.”

Titus snickers. “I was born three minutes before her.”

“And he thinks that entitles him to boss me around for the rest of our lives.” Ruby adds an eye roll for emphasis.

“Titus and I play football together.”

“And we’re lab partners in chem,” Ruby adds, motioning between herself and me.

Savage welcomes our guests with enthusiasm, while Kai continues to hang back, not even trying to hide his disdain.

“Savage lives down the hall from Kai and me,” I explain to the Connolly twins. “Kai’s my big brother.”

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