The next three days passed by uneventfully. 

Ruth had successfully managed to avoid Raffo and the woman who attached to him like a second skin. Instead of going to the coffee shop or sitting at her favorite table, she walked around campus a little longer, brought her own tea from home, and sat in her car to work on things. Her cousins had noticed the shift in her standoffish demeanor, but whenever they asked about how she was doing, she told them that she was fine, just busy.

And it was true. Ruth turned all of her focus on writing up her story and finishing the next few chapters. She was maybe almost halfway done with the manuscript anyway, so it wasn't too hard to focus on that, especially when she was going to start meeting up with Emily the following week for midterm study.

Her writer's block hadn't kicked in yet, and she wanted to get it all done before it did.

So, she came home earlier than usual to do just that.

But then when she came into the apartment, ready to get to work on her laptop, she spotted her cousin lounging on the couch, completely forgetting about her being off for the day.

"You're home early," Jana noted, flipping off the TV.

"Didn't feel like sticking around today."

"Hmm. That's what you said yesterday too," she eyed her suspiciously.

Ruth swallowed thickly, her lashes brushing her cheeks as she looked down at her shoes. "I mean, it is Friday."

"Hmm."

"What do you mean 'hmm'?" she questioned, dropping her backpack by the front door.

Jana didn't waste a minute to take advantage of the opportunity to bombard her with questions. She even went as far as standing up from the couch and forgetting all about the bowl of chips at her side, adding to the drama of it all.

"What's going on with you?" Jana demanded, her hands tight on her hips. "You've been acting mopey the last few days."

"I haven't been acting mopey," Ruth defended, crossing her arms over her chest. Her cousin snorted loudly.

"Yes you have, you just don't see yourself. Obviously there's something going on in that damn brain of yours and I want to know what it is."

"Jana."

"Ruth."

"There's nothing going on with me-"

Jana glared at her, cutting off another lie. "You act like I'm going to judge you for whatever it is. I'm your cousin, bitch. Just grow a pair of lips and tell me what Raffo's done to make you all fucked up."

There was a long pause. A blink or two, a smile of triumph, and a ball of sweat glistening beneath a hairline.

Ruth finally stuttered, "W-what do you mean?"

"How stupid do you think I am?" she grinned wickedly now, her eyes wild. "You don't think I know that my cousin likes one of the five hottest boys in Oklahoma?"

"I don't like him."

Even Ruth could hear the waver of a lie in her voice.

"That's a damn lie."

Ruth bit her tongue, her shoulders drooping. She was a terrible liar and she knew she had to stop lying to herself and Jana. She didn't want to think about any possible feelings for someone who had no draw to get out of Oklahoma when that was all she could dream about. Don't get her wrong, she loved everything about the state. From the native community she got to be a part of, to the slower-paced life she got to breathe in and enjoy. There was something homey about the land of her people.

And while she loved it, she wanted to try living her life somewhere else for awhile after getting her associates degree.

But if she admitted to having feelings for Raffo, that would mean admitting to having to leave him behind if she continued to get too close, and that would mean spending her first few months wherever in heartbreak.

She was getting ahead of herself. There was a very big possibility that he wasn't even into her the way that she was into him. Mirana and him are glued to each others sides, so there had to be an underlying meaning for that. Did he like Mirana just as much as she obviously liked him? Was that why he didn't like pushing her away?

"Alright, alright," Ruth groaned, shoving her face into her hands. "I like him."

"Honey, don't be embarrassed. I've been known that shit, you're my kin," Jana chuckled, relieved that she finally admitted it out loud. "But why have you been so off about it?"

"Because," Ruth hesitated now. Mirana was Jana and Terry's best friend, and even though they're cousins, she didn't want to seem disrespectful to her. She still liked Mirana, it was just a little strained between the two. "Because I don't think he's into me. I think he's into someone else or at least with someone else."

"Someone else? Like who?"

"I don't know. Mirana maybe? They're together all the time lately."

"That doesn't mean they're together, or that he likes her like that," Jana frowned. "They've been best friends since we were kids, Ruthie. It's normal that they're around each other all the time."

That time, it was Ruth's turn to give her a look. "Jana, you and I both know how much she obviously likes him. I wouldn't even be surprised if she was in love with him."

Jana didn't deny it. She glanced away almost guiltily, knowing it was true. "Like I said, it doesn't mean he likes her in that way. If he did, then they would have started dating a long time ago."

"That could be true. But how do I even know if he likes me back? I don't want to ruin whatever friendship we built just because of a few complicated feelings."

Her eyes swiveled back to Ruth. Though she was still looking guilty over Mirana, there was something certain in her gaze now, something she knew to be true. "He likes you, Ruth. I don't know how deeply, but the man definitely likes you. I saw it at the bonfire."

Ruth paused, her eyebrows furrowed. "What do you mean? We didn't say one thing to each other."

"You may have ignored him. But that doesn't mean he ignored you," Jana pointed out, smiling.

Though Ruth was still doubtful that that was true, she couldn't help the flurry of emotions that bullied her confusion to sit in the dark depths of her mind. There was a hope that she didn't want to feel blossoming in her chest, her mind preoccupied with images of Raffo and all the moments they had together.

Basketball, the bench at school, more basketball, playing the guitar, him checking up on her at the bonfire . . . damn it. Why wouldn't she get her hopes up just a little bit?

"You don't have to figure out everything right now," Jana interrupted her, blocking off anymore of her complicated feelings. "You still have some time to think about it. But right now we should get some food at Uncle Rickeys with Terry. You down?"

Ruth perked up at the mention of her favorite uncle. "Okay. But I'm driving."

"Ruth," Jana fake gasped. "Are you saying you don't trust me?"

"You drive like Cruella de Vil and that's on a good day."

"Fuck you," she laughed, but ultimately agreed. "Alright Ruthie, let's go get food pregnant! I'm not leaving that table until I'm looking eight months."

Ruth shook her head, laughing. "You're so weird."

"You love me," Jana winked, wrapping an arm through Ruth's and dragging her outside.

*****

Ruth, Terry, and Jana stayed at Uncle Rickey's longer than they had anticipated. By the time they finished laughing and joking around, it was nearing 7 o'clock and they had no intentions of going anywhere just yet. Uncle Rickey was too busy telling them about the time he and her Amafo snuck in a baby racoon into Great Grandma Nona's house without her noticing for a week, ignoring the time on the wall.

Cozily, Ruth leaned her head on Terry's shoulder, the ghost of a smile touching her lips. She always loved watching Uncle Rickey tell stories the way an elder voices life lessons. Sometimes she imagined it was her Amafo telling the story. She pictured his southern drawl wrapping around the stories, his warm, brown eyes staring out at her, and his wide smile grinning at her. Ruth ached at the thought. She loved her Uncle Rickey to pieces, but that didn't mean she didn't wish for her grandfather to be beside him all the same.

"Since y'all are staying so late, should I order some pizza?" Uncle Rickey asked, raising a curious brow.

The girls cheered and he smiled widely, taking that as his cue to get up and order some food before the family comes home. Jana moved backwards on the couch cushion beside Ruth, her legs falling over her lap leisurely. Terry flicked her toe, resulting in Jana's harsh yelp.

"Bitch," Jana muttered, glaring at her.

Terry stuck her tongue out childishly. Ruth chuckled under her breath and then paused when she felt her phone vibrate in her pocket. Furrowing her eyebrows, she curiously dug it out of the front of her pants and swiped a finger across the screen. She faltered at the sight.

Sasquatch: You busy?

Ruth bit her lip, unsure of herself after the conversation she had with Jana earlier. Her neck warmed beneath her shirt and her heart pounded much too loudly in her ears. Was it smart to be around him so soon after finally admitting her feelings towards him? Could she act normal while still trying to get a handle on them?

She took a deep breath, her fingers typing quickly over the keys.

Ruth: Just at my uncles. Y what's up?

Sasquatch: Think you can meet me at the courts? I know you're busy but I just need 5 minutes with you.

"Say yes," Jana practically squealed in Ruth's ear, making the unsuspecting girl jump five feet in the ear.

"Fucking hell, Jana," she breathed. Her hard glare didn't deter Jana one bit. If anything, it just made her smile wider.

"Stop being dumb and say yes!"

Terry frowned at the two of them. "Say yes to what?"

"Who do you think?" she scoffed. "Raffo of course!"

"Raffo? What the hell did I miss?" Terry shot daggers of accusation at Ruth. But before Ruth could defend herself, Jana was already plucking the phone from her fingers.

"HEY-"

"We don't have time for stupid questions, Terry. And Ruth, you're gonna go see lover-boy whether you want to or not so deal with it."

Before Ruth could comprehend what the hell was happening, she watched Jana type furiously into the cell phone. She tried to snatch the phone back from her greedy little fingers, but she wasn't successful until Terry had already sent the message telling him she would be there in five.

FIVE MINUTES?

"Why did you send that?" Ruth groaned, wishing she could delete the message.

"Because I can. You better get going sis, you don't have very much time," Jana grinned, winking confidently. "Don't want to keep the future hubby waiting."

Ruth didn't have time to argue with her. She also didn't have time to explain to Terry all of the shit that had been piling up for the last few weeks, so she thought she'd leave that to Jana to explain. She was part of the reason why she was in this mess anyway.

Before Ruth could think about what the hell it was that she was doing, she grabbed her hoodie and car keys, promised to be back soon, and then ran out the house like a bat out of hell.

*****