Ruby Unscripted Read Online Free

pastor’s sermon. I could laugh at the memory, except that now Tony is dead.
    â€œI guess he’s been doing a lot of drugs and drinking a lot.”
    And there is talk about it for a while, and discussion of how sad it all is, but then everyone moves on after the arrival of the Chinese food and the search for a few more sleeping bags. But I can’t stop thinking of little Tony Arnold. It’s like he lingers on the borders of everything we do and say.

    Kate texts me awhile later when we’re all in our sleeping bags. Mac is playing his Nintendo DS under his covers. I’m texting friends.
    KATE: Hey.
    ME: This Md I knew died.
    KATE: Who?
    ME: I don't think you know him. He went to my church. little Tony we called him.
    KATE: Well, that's a name to haunt a guy. HOW'd he die?
    ME: That's the crazy part. Drugs. He was this sweet little kid. I saw him last Christmas. He was still really short and cute.
    KATE: Short and cute? Named Little Tony, and he's in high school?
    ME: Yeah, which would be painful.
    KATE: Guess that explains the drugs.
    ME: Yeah. Maybe.
    And I can’t stop thinking of him. Every memory I can resurrect, I find and go over, searching for some hint of the shortness of his life. Little weird things like a funny story he told on a youth trip to Marine World, or how when we watched the movie Simon Birch , the main character reminded us of Little Tony. Things like that.
    And I don’t want to forget him, which is strange. How often have I ever thought of him except when I’d see him? Now I can’t stop thinking about him. Because now he’s dead. Little Tony is dead, and isn’t it important to remember him now, to give some kind of meaning to his life?
    It’s midnight, and I’m texting from inside my sleeping bag with the phone charger plugged into the wall.
    KATE: Nick asked me what you said.
    ME: What I said?
    KATE: About him liking you. I told him the movie started
so I didn't get a reply.
    ME: What is this, seventh grade? He can't ask me these
things himself?
    This Nick drama is annoying me, probably because I’m moody and antsy and want Carson to get here. He should hear about Little Tony, who was a grade in between us. Carson will
remember the time Little Tony did a perfect rendition of an Oompa-Loompa from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
    KATE: Well, it is Nkk. He? either has a girl calling and chasing him, or he doesn't really know what to do
    I like this guy, I remind myself. In between the other guys I’ve liked, Nick has been on the top five list for maybe two years, moving into the number one slot in the past months. We danced once at a freshman orientation dance—one of our friends forced us together—and for a split second I thought he might kiss me. Then someone bumped into us, and the magic was gone. Our friends said we’d make the best couple; we even look alike in a way. We both have dark hair and blue eyes, complexions that tan easily, and he’s enough inches taller that I wouldn’t tower over him in heels.
    Uncle Jimmy keeps snoring off and on.
    Aunt Jenna hits him and whispers, “You’re snoring again. Roll over.” There’s some scuffling around, and then he rolls over.
    KATE: You still awake?
    ME: Of course
    KATE: Allen wants me to play Xbox.
    ME: Let me guess. His friends are gone so he's begging little sister.
    KATE: You know it. He really needs to go back to college. My parents are bout to go crazy. Bui why so little talk bout Nick? I'm starting to think you don't like him.
    ME: I do. Just being down here now, knowing if s for real, and then hearing about that kid dying... everything's weird. I should just force myself to sleep.
    KATE: Wish you were here eh?
    ME: Yeah
    I want to write, But this is my chance, the change I’ve wanted for years.
    Near the city I can explore art and culture. It’s sort of been my dream, if I really knew what my dreams were. I’ve just known that I wanted