“Ruby!”
I looked towards the hallway where my name was being called from. I felt like I had been caught doing something bad. I was staring at a book I had in my hand. I had meant to return it to the library the other day and now it was over due. The fact that they had my name on record as issuing the book technically meant I hadn’t stolen it but I sure felt like I was.
“Ruby?!”
Emerald came rushing in to my room. She was only six so she didn’t get the concept of knocking yet.
“What’s wrong, Em?”
“Alex is hogging the bathroom again! If he doesn’t get out soon I’m going to be late for school!”
I smuggled a laugh that threatened to escape from my mouth. Emerald was usually a laid back kid but when it came to school she was quite serious. She had never missed a day in the year she had been there. My parents often joked that she was their favourite because they had no trouble getting her to bed on a school night or getting her up for school in the morning.
“You won’t be late Em. I’ll get him out.”
“Okay!” Emerald grinned and went sprinting out my door and down the hallway towards the bathroom. I heard her banging on the door.
“Alex! Ruby said you have to get out now or else I’ll be late for school!”
I smiled, shaking my head. Alex didn’t care about being late for school or whether Emerald was late for school so her cries weren’t going to make much difference.”
I got up off my bed and placed the over due book in my bag. I felt almost sad that I had to take it back. I had been reading a book by Mitch Albom and at first I had been scepticle about the nature of the book and I had surprised myself by really enjoying it. I made a mental note to look for the book online after school.
“Ruby!”
“Coming Em!”
I knocked on the bathroom door. “Alexandrite! If you don’t get out of the bathroom now I’m leaving without you and you can walk or take the bus to school! I know you don’t care about being late but Emerald does and I refuse to let you make her or me late!”
The bathroom door swung open. “Ew, Ruby, you know I hate that name. Just because Mum and Dad thought it was a good idea to name us all after gemstones does not mean I am on board with it.”