rhinestones are a girls best friend

ruby doyle. eighteen. irish. trouble.

[alfiesutopia]

the kids from yesterday

[alfiesutopia]

Alfie found himself laughing. You could never waste petrol. Everywhere he could possibly want to go was at a decent walking distance — neither of them used the van unless they had a reason to. But in weather like this, like hell was Alfie about to walk all the way down to the swimmable part of the Canal which was 10 miles past the city centre. “Final schminal.” Alfie retorted, smirking. “S’not gonna be wasted, shut up Rah.” Though he got her point; money was something they didn’t always have a lot of, and it was mainly Alfies fault he had no money of his own — jobs weren’t something he could find himself caring much for. The bar job wasn’t a bad one, to say the least. The real problem was Alfie stopping himself from being rude to the customers who were just as rude to him. He had a choice and he made it. Although always at the back of his mind was the reminder that if he stayed back at home with his family, there would never have been a real problem for him financially. But when you’ve gotta leave, you gotta leave. The two of them however, were not quitters, nor did they let the first hurdle trip them, they would be fine - he knew it.

"You wasn’t. Maybe that was tha’ point." In all the time Ruby had been staying with him - not once had he seen her without at least a little make up on. A part of him was curious, was there a terrible Mike Tyson-esque tattoo across her cheek she was hiding? A gang sign? Who the hell knew. Although he was aware, that maybe she just didn’t want him to see. "Sorry," Alfie mused, "Waste of a face ‘n’ it’s all down to lil’ ol’ me." Honestly, Alfie didn’t mind her with either little or a lot of make up on, make up was the last triviality he was about to kick up a fuss about.

"Okie dokie." Alfie called back in response, heading over to the bathroom. After having that done, he grabbed at his hair powder - a somewhat pricy ‘necessity’ in his book - that simply made his hair a bit more poofy after it dried. Unneccessary for sure, though no one would ever tell him that after someone tried the last time. Shoving everything into a bag, leaving the towel at the top. He found himself thinking about what Ruby would look like in swimwear. He’d jumped the canal with her before — even gone swimming, but she would wear a T-shirt. Shaking his head, he pushed the thoughts away. She was his friend, imagining her half naked when she was soon to be right infront of him was weird. Right?

His eyes laid upon her, and followed after her as she made her way back out into the living space. She looked nice. Nicer than he did, that was for sure. “You ready to go?” Alfie grinned, grabbing at the bag on the counter. The van keys were on the kitchen counter somewhere, but he would’ve much rather kept looking at poor Rah than think about driving.

[ruby-alice-doyle]

In theory, Ruby was aware Alfie was a man - it was just she didn't tend to think of him as such. Love had made her bitter. Her broken heart had left her prejudiced against all guys - she had loved him, and he had torn her apart, and that coupled with hew stepdad's dickhead behaviour meant she had come to the opinion that all guys were twats. Worth a snog every now and again, but not worth any more time then that. Not worth letting in. the risk was too high, the risk of getting hurt - and Ruby hated to be hurt. She would rather live behind walls and barbed comments then open her heart again. 

Except for Alfie. She was close to him. Admittedly, her nature was not the sort that meant she shared her feelings and her secrets, but he knew her better then anyone. It was as though her brain couldn't handle the contradiction and in a fantastic display of cognitive dissonance finding a way to resolve itself, she had apparently decided Alfie didn't count as a boy - as though he were some special assexual third gender. With boys, Ruby was a flirt and a tease and even she knew that was true. It didn't matter about age, status or looks, she would flirt with any guy - there was a slow smile, her eyes lifting gradually and looking from under her lashes, the little laugh, the way she'd turn her body toward them - from fourteen year olds who couldn't believe their luck to men old enough to be her grandfather, she'd turn the charm on at first. It wasn't even about them, it was all about her - the only time Ruby liked herself was when somebody desired her. If they were good looking and the right age, they might be lucky enough to get a kiss, although she didn't go further then that these days. But Alfie wasn't subject to this manipulation, she didn't use him to boost her self esteem - she was real with him. He was special, even if he didn't know it. 

And with him, she was uncharacteristically naive. Any other guy, she would have known what effect she could have on them in a bikini. But she didn't think he'd care. It was like he was her brother, except she didn't really have a brother - she wandered toward him, arms lifted as she wrapped the band around her thick hair, without once wondering if he'd be aroused by her body, if he'd fancy her, if he'd want her.

Instead, she grabbed the car keys before leaning over to look at herself in the mirror. No false eyelashes today, and all her mascaras were waterproof - that was just good planning in  her book. Not that she cried, but if you've ever gotten caught in a torrential downpour and had the pain of rainwater and running mascara in your eyes, you'll never want to go through that again. Ideally though, she'd manage to swim without ruining her face or her hair by just keeping her body from the neck up out the water. Probably a good idea anyway, the canal wasn't filthy, but she doubted she wanted the water in her eyes and mouth still.

"Yeah, Oi'm ready to go" she told him, turning it into the Panic! At the Disco song of the same title half way through and singing the latter half of the sentence to him, humming it and doing a little dorky dance - dorky dancing being the only dancing she was capable of, unless you count dirty dancing against a lamppost when pissed - as she slipped her flip flops on, cheap diamanté studded things she had gotten for a pound from Primark. 

[alfiesutopia]

the kids from yesterday

[alfiesutopia]

Everyone had many sides and many faces — even Alfie, in all his introverted glory. Ruby, he found, was one of the few who figured out more than simply one of those sides; or at least, she was slowly getting there. Whether that was a good thing or not, he wasn’t quite sure - but it was nice to find himself trying to let someone in. Once upon a time in school, Alfie wore his heart on his sleeve and gave away too much but as he got slightly older every year that began to cease. Although there was still parts of Ruby that Alfie didn’t know about; never prying when she didn’t want it. The dousing of questions from her part didn’t much bother him — better to ask and find out than get nothing and nowhere. If they wanted to actually leave the boat today, ceasing with the questions was their best bet to doing so.

Ruby had a point — Alfie, was often, the picture perfect example of a broke teen. Since leaving his job for the most silly of reasons only a week ago, he was already feeling it; but the useful sum of money they paid him for the month even with this in mind didn’t leave him too blue for once. “Nah, got my final paycheck this week din’t I?” Alfie winced, it was already speedily depleting - bills, how annoying. “Am sure a lil bit’a petrol wouldn’t be an awful idea.” Although he had bigger and brighter ideas as to how he was gonna spend it, using it to get themselves somewhere was okay. Money had generally always been tight since he left the nest but he never expected it to be quite as bad as it often was for him. Having a little excess, was nice. Just like the prospect of doing something out the ordinary with Ruby. Their days often blended into days of monotony and nights of drunken conversation. Almost routine. 

Jumping into the canal was surprisingly, one of the few things that he hadn’t done on the water. Granted, the water the boat was in looked far from appealing; nor swimmable, if anything, the Grand Canal did sound somewhat more appealing with the current disposition they were in - weather included. Fisting at the hair against his nape, Alfie mirrored Ruby and grinned back. “Got it,” Alfie breathed, already feeling anxious about the definite somewhat-nakedness that would come into play. Although they’d gone swimming before; he always felt he was below par. He hadn’t anything to worry about as to what to wear — grab another pair of underwear and he’d be sorted, really. The words that knitted together from Rubys lips brought a deep laugh to erupt - always so worried about her appearance. Biting on his bottom lip, Alfie tried to stifle the laugh itself. “Hey! Don’t blame me…” Alfie purred, fiddling with the bottom of his top. “We could of made plans before you put your face on and stuff!” Knowing Ruby, Alfie was aware that she’d most likely be some time in the bedroom; which didn’t cause too much problem for Alf himself. Padding across to the pile of dry washing on the sofa-bed, Alfie fumbled around for another pair of boxers to take along with him. Waltzing around with soggy pants was so very far from the top of his agenda.

Making his way back to the kitchen counter, he leant onto the marble surface, his chin resting on the inside of his palm. Glancing over at the bedroom, the door was ajar - catching Ruby with her clothes off wasn’t a sight he hadn’t experienced once or twice since Ruby ‘moved’ into the boat. He found himself glued to the sight for a moment, chin still in his palm, although mouth slightly ajar now, too. Shaking his head fiercely, Alfie shook it off — she was his friend, not some eye candy to greedily leer. “I uh—” Alfie mumbled, “Do you need a towel?” He called out, his eyes back onto the pile of clothing instead.

[ruby-alice-doyle]

"Key ward in dat bein' final. don't want ter waste it" she reminded hi, her tone brusque, almost like scolding a child although she wasn't looking to be rude or mean - it was just her way. Money ddidn't last long, Ruby knew that. But she also knew how to make money when you had to. Sure, she might have spent her teenage years with a middle class family, but she believer still the traveller blood was stronger in her veins and she remember being a child and watching her dad, her grandparents, aunts and uncles and other people around them find ways to make money when you couldn't just go out and get a normal job. No fixed address, none of the right papers usually, and the accent that marked out as clear as day - nobody was going to employ a gypsy. But they still needed cash. So they sold 'scrap' metal, they frequented car boot sales, occasionally there was a five finger discount - Ruby was sure she and Alfie would cope. She'd help. She found her own way to make money after all with a little cash in hand beauty work. They'd cope.

It'd still be easier if he'd kept up with the bar work though, how ever shitty it was. His choice though. And she was too shit at managing her own life to feel right slagging anyone else off. 

"How was oi meant ter knuh ye'd want ter make plans? Yer cud 'av been dead on wi' another lazy day" she pointed out. In which case, she still didn't need to be sat around wearing a full face of make up, but that was just how she was. Her face she was paranoid about. She didn't like her angular jaw, her thin lips, her little eyes - only with a new face painted on like a mask did she feel better. Only when she had her false eyelashes, her mouth, the foundation that made her skin flawless, her hair either straightened into a thick mass or curled into loose ringlets, only then did she feel better. 

Her body, she was far more relaxed about however. While she worried about her face, she never worried about next to actually naked. True, she didn't often wear skimpy clothing, but she didn't feel paranoid when she did - she was skinny and she didn't feel self-concious about her stomach and thighs. So she didn't worry that the door swung back open - besides, this was Alfie. He wasn't going to care either. 

"Oh, just grab the towel from the bathroom" she called back, unsnapping the back of her bra and throwing it into the bag, pulling out the pink polka dot top and shrugging it out, fiddling with the clasp at the back. That done she slid her underwear down and stepped into the high waisted shorts - and god, she'd have killed for a full length mirror. It wasn't a luxury the people who built the canal boat believed was necessary however. 

Dressed as fully as she was going to be she padded into the main part of the boat, leaving her mess on Alfie's bed and tossing her hair back. Her fingers raked through the mass, pulling it up into a tight ponytail, her fingers wrapping around it before she slid a band over the tail - this way she could keep it out the way to swim. 

[ruby-alice-doyle]

[alfiesutopia]

the kids from yesterday

[alfiesutopia]

"Still not strangers though, are we?" Alfie mused in reply, his fingers tapping at the work surface beneath his fingers. Although he was certain that he knew her terribly well, it was plenty possible that more happened to her than he could’ve expected. There were rumours that made their way throughout the school, but Alfie, was always last to hear, and last to listen to the garbage, either. Since coming to live with her on the boat, she and him hadn’t really caught up on what’s good, and such. If anything, it was Ruby who knew less about Alfie; whilst even wearing his heart on his sleeve, he was sure to stop those beyond his circle to get past the walls that he’d built up for himself. It didn’t seem so difficult when it was Ruby learning, though.

Alfie grinned, although she did have a point, they wouldn’t have been able to literally do so anyway. “We couldn’t anyway, Rah.” Alfie mused, “Not enough petrol in the thing for tha’.” Even if they could, it was far from a nightmare situation - having spent far too much time with her already, what was a little more in the confines of four -smaller- walls? The more he thought about it, the less appealing it sounded; for a boy who felt too warm in the boat, the van would of been something else entirely. Undesirable, to say the least. “Na’, it’s fine. If you don’t wanna put up wit’ tha’ heat it’s cool.” Alfie was at a definite advantage, even if they did; it was a little more socially acceptable for him to go topless rather than she. Although he hoped it wouldn’t resort to that. No one needed to see that.

It was too easy for him to get distracted and simply look at her. Whilst he thought she couldn’t notice, or see that his eyes lingered for a little longer than they should’ve. It wasn’t too long this time, for once - his thoughts drifted to the appeal of the cool water against his overly warm body.

"Aye, tha’ it is." Alfie beamed back, growing slightly eager to go for a swim. A pool of some sort sounded appealing - the chlorine there for a reason, although it would leave him with eyes slightly stung, not ideal, his contacts would not appreciate that one bit. "Canal it is, then. Screamin’ kids are a no." He found himself smiling. Little children were far from Alfies thing, yet he wasn’t one to judge those that chose to surround themselves with the monsters. Each to their own, after all. The canal wasn’t a top notch choice but it was better than no swimming at all.

The nearest canal he knew of was the one directly through Dublin, the centre of which was not too far away from them. The river the boat laid rest in was far from swimmable, leaving the canal all the more appealing to the blonde. “Better go get ya’ swimmin’ stuff then, Rah?” He asked, sure as hell she wasn’t about to jump in the canal in what she was wearing - one cared about the clothes on her back more than he.

[ruby-alice-doyle]

Shrugging she looked away, not about to continue with the line of questioning any further. They weren't strangers, but nobody needed to know everything there was to know about anyone. In truth, Ruby was pretty sure that anyone who did learn everything about her, if somebody really knew all her secrets and worries and every crevices of her heart, they'd leave anyway because they'd be so disgusted with how bad a person she actually was. Better Alfie didn't know everything...that way he'd let her stay. Telling him that would be stupid and pointless, not to mention it would make her look like a compliment seeking little bitch. Ruby might like attention, but she didn't need to drag it from people by forcing polite sympathy from them.

It was better to talk about now, to plan for the afternoon, to focus on the present.

"An' I'm guessin' you're rioght skint an' therefore more petrol is not an opshun?" she checked with him, sliding one hand into the pcket of her jeans as she spoke, her fingers tugging at a few crumpled notes unceremoniously shoved into there. She had gone round yesterday and done three girls nails before they went out for a hen party, so she actually had cash for once, even after having bought cigarettes. She had figured they'd spend it on food and alcohol, but if Alfie had wanted to go day-tripping, Ruby would have been ok with that. Whenever she had money she'd share it with him, after she'd bought her beauty essentials and smokes, she wasn't stingy - what she had she shared with her friend, even if it wasn't a lot. But petrol did not seem like the most fun way to spend the cash and so she was glad he was leaning more forward the plan of jumping in the canal. 

As the two of them had agreed on this plan she straightened up, raking her fingers through her long hair as he spoke and grinning. "Yeah, yeah, gie me loike, 10 minutes" Ruby said, her brain already mentally thinking through her stuff. She did own a couple of bikinis, but the issue was more what she'd do for her hair and make up that she was thinking - she had no wish to jump in and emerge seconds later looking like Alice Cooper with mascara all down her face. "An' jest for future reference, aye, lets come up wi' plans loike dis before oi spent donkey's years straightenin' me 'air al' nice, yeah?" Ruby teased before grabbing one of her bags and padding into his room. When he slept she got changed out here, or in the bathroom, but she was hardly about to strip naked in front of Alfie. She didn't think he'd care, he was like a brother really, which was why when her attempt to slam the door just made it bounce and swing open a few inches she didn't stress over it. Instead she yanked her t-shirt off over her head and peeled her jeans down, standing in her underwear as she dug through her bag of clothes to find a swimsuit. 

[alfiesutopia]

the kids from yesterday

[alfiesutopia]

Alfie had never claimed, nor tried, to be a genius when it came to planning, well, anything. It was far from his thing, often far too comfortable with doing little to nothing, for as long he could. That was the problem, you see. Whilst his Uni friends wanted to run around like headless chickens, partying, making plans to sight see wherever the hell they wanted (or just, do, whatever the hell they wanted), Alfie was the one to shoot the ideas down. Much rather than egg them on. But there was only so many times Alfie could witness Ruby read that damned book, over and over again, before even he got sick of the four walls they lived in. The weather was rarely this nice, the whole of their summer was filled with sunshine compared to the usual, unwelcomed, bouts of rain. Not only that, but it was impossible to deny leaving the boat whilst Ruby had a full face of make up, for all he knew, girls only wore make up when they were going out, or.. whatever.

The wi-fi connection on the boat left far too much to the imagination, there was a high possibility he’d get better connection anywhere but at home. Driving no where in particular was a bad idea, even Alfie knew that, but what else was there to do? Neither of them ever piped up with what they wanted to do, how they wanted to spend their time. Well, apart from the make up thing, but Alfie was far from okay with being Ruby’s beauty guinea pig just yet (he might be feminine, but that was something else). Far from sporty, Alfie was known for his terrible aim. At least they didn’t hit her in the face, right?

"How did I not know tha’ already?" He grumbled, having known her for some time; wasn’t this sort of thing general chit chat? Learning to drive should of probably been higher up on his list of priorities, but Uni life, and keeping the boat indefinitely -in- the water, seemed more important at the time. He grimaced, the unpleasant picture of the van stuck firmly in a ditch, flashed through him. Shaking it off, he shrugged. Warnings from Ruby were far and few between, but even then, it was hard to take her seriously. More than a foot or so height difference between them, it was laughable, really. "No moaning, got it." Alfie laughed, a crooked smile on his face. He’d never seen her license, but if she could drive, she must of had one; it was fine.

"Out the city.. Into the centre, I dunno.." He mused, it was a silly idea from the start. The closer she got, Alfie examined her make up of the day; scrunching his nose up as he followed up to her eyes. Eyeliner was weird. He didn’t understand the point. "Din’t think of tha’.." His eyebrows knitted together. The van seats were leather, no one liked the feeling of being stuck to the seating. "We don’t have to if you’re not keen.." Peering back out the window he’d looked in earlier, it was too nice a day to ignore, but the van didn’t sound ideal now she’d said so. "What do you, wanna do? Could.. go swimmin’, or just to the part or somethin’ like tha’.. I don’t know."

[ruby-alice-doyle]

"Thar's still lashings yer don't knuh about me" Ruby told him with a slightly mischievous grin. Alfie knew her...very well, she'd admit that. If she was being completely honest, she'd admit probably better then she'd like. It had never been intentional to let anyone this close, Ruby might be brash and act like she said exactly what she thought but there was still a lot hidden in her guarded heart. She preferred it that way, in truth. Life had taught Ruby people you let close will still leave and all you opening up to them does is give them more ammunition to hurt you. The brunette would have rather liked it if she only had to deal with acquaintances she sometimes thought, all of the fun and company, none of the risk - but Alfie was an exception. Somewhere along the way he'd gotten to know more about her then anyone and to see even her hidden sides. But that didn't mean she didn't still have a few surprises, a few things he didn't know. 

"Best yer peck in or oyt an' stick wi' it, I'm not drivin' roun' an' roun' in circles in Dublin while yer 'um an' 'aw an' canny make up yer mind" Ruby told him, but the slight smile tugging at the corner of her mouth was surprisingly indulgent. After all, it was a good day. Sun was shining and everything, and that had put her in a relatively good mood. "I never said I weren't keen on de idea, jist pointin' it oyt" she added, a little defensive now. "If yer wanna drive, we can go for a drive, jist dress for de oven". 

Her words had merely been spoken out loud as the thought occurred to her, that if she was going to climb into the van, she might want to change out her jeans and into shorts or dress...but looking at the blazing sun his next idea certainly did appeal and she grinned slightly.  

"Well,'tis gran' weather for swimmin'. Do yer mean in de canal, loike, or yer wanna head for ter de pool?" she asked him, and then answered before he could. A bad habit, she also finished off people's sentences when they hesitated, her lack of patience showing through even in conversations. "Ii vote canal. Pool 'ill be full av chlorine an' pissin' kids an' full ter de brim ter boot" she pointed out, wrinkling her nose slightly. Ruby wasn't all that great with children. Whether this was all little humans, and she'd be a terrible mother, or whether it was just the ones that belonged to other people she didn't know and supposed only time might tell, but she really didn't like going places that were full of other people's ankle biters. She could vividly imagine any leisure centre on a sunny day like this as well. Hardly room to move for kids and their parents, half of them those helicopter mum and dads who won't move more then a foot away, the other half ignoring their kids as though they almost hoped they'd drown and they could get a good nights sleep again. And all of them firmly convinced their kids could do no wrong and how dare you be in the child's way - just ugh. 

The cool, deep water of the canal appeared far more appealing in her eyes. Not quite as clean, perhaps, but it wasn't like they poured sweage into the river or anything. It was kept clean by the city, as part of it being a tourist attraction. 

[amyidek]

[alfiesutopia]

the kids from yesterday

[alfiesutopia]

It was still so positively.. strange, having another body inhabiting the boat. It’s size was far from ideal for himself, adding to the equation only made it tighter. More of a struggle. But even so, Alfie enjoyed the company. It had been just him.. for so long. His life back home was far from ideal, it was normal of course, but never quite right. Even whilst raised in a large family, Alfie had always felt alone - and since leaving, he was more alone than ever, and it took two years living alone, in that damned boat, for him to realise it. A lonely life to lead, for sure - and boy did he know it now. The sun shone through the alcoves in the boat, the light a little blinding when you looked at it for too long, bringing Alfie to squint as he looked out the small windows. Maybe a house, or at least, a flat would be a better idea. More space for Ruby, and all her stuff. It practically engulfed Alfie’s room now, for a lack of elsewhere to store it.

Even with the company, which was great of course, it had never taken him long to grow easily bored. Fidgiting where he stood, Alfie yearned for adventure today. It wasn’t any different to his usual day, filled with the same feeling, but never doing anything about it. His eyes fell to the cigarette pack between Rubys fingers - such a dirty habit (although he was one to talk, known for having one here and there after a drink or two), but he wasn’t to say anything about it, only frowning quickly before looking back at Ruby instead.

"Well.. no, I don’t know", he frowned, pursing his lips in the process. For a man who liked to think he had all the answers at one point or another, he was a far cry from that, today. Alfie’s accent, although distinct, was slowly beginning to fade, maybe due to his lack of real social interaction; but Ruby’s always brought a smile to his face. So strong, so special. "Just.. out would be nice." Leaning on the worksurface beside him, he looked out the window and towards the van parked a way down. Letting his bottom lip fall between his teeth, they grazed for a moment. "Mmm, didn’t you say you could drive? The van’s outside if you fancy it." Grabbing for the keys across from him he flung them in Ruby’s direction. Hell, even if she couldn’t drive legally - she was probably better than he was anyway.

[ruby-alice-doyle]

Not having any plans of her own, Ruby was happy to go along with what Alfie wanted right now. It wasn't that she was known for her easy going accommodating nature, just that if he had a better idea for how to spend the day, she was up for it. After all, she had read Twilight half a dozen times (some people might insult the books but classic novels were never going to be her thing, she'd stick with chick flick and teen fiction when she wanted a bit of escapism thanks) so there was no reason they shouldn't go outside. Plus she had gotten her eyeliner so perfect today, it would be a shame if Alfie was the only person who got to see that especially because he didn't care. 

Today though she didn't have any ideas of her own, so when he frowned and admitted lacking in inspiration, Ruby didn't offer anything of her own. Her brain did begin to turn slowly, trying to think. With the weather this nice it would be nice to be outside, but where? 

Glancing down she inspected her nails almost automatically, as she continued to think, holding her little hands out with her fingers splayed as she studied the shiny ruby red surface, checking for chips. It was only when he spoke she lifted her gaze - just in time to lift a hand and awkwardly deflect the keys before they hit her, the metal bunch landing in her lap instead. 

"Ah can drive" she confirmed, her tone casual as though it ought to be obvious, expected even. "Ain't never driven a van before though, warning yer" she added. "So don't go 'avin' a go if I feck it up" Ruby warned him, getting to her feet and putting a jokingly warning finger at him. Her ex had taught her, so her lessons had never been formal - he'd started teaching her in car parks, before letting her on the road. Liam had done it because he wanted to drink, and even he wasn't stupid enough to get caught by the police - he needed his license for work. So he'd taught Ruby so on nights out he could go on the lash and she'd drive him home. They'd never bothered to get her a license though but till now her luck had always held. Best they hope she didn't lose it today. 

"Where you wanna go den? Out the city?" she checked, standing up and moving to stand close to him, leaning forward at the waist to rest her folded arms on the worktop he was slouching against, peering out the window beside him. "Yer knuh 'tis gonna be hot as balls in the van, yeh? Sat oyt there in the sun like...I might git changed" she reflected. Right now she was comfortable, but climbing into a metal tin can that had been sat in the blazing sun? "Thar's a call they tell yer not to leave kids an' dawgs in dem things"

[alfiesutopia]

the kids from yesterday

He flipped the station; wondering, per usual, when music stopped being music. It was of his time, but he felt more at home when the older stars buzzed through the radio speakers. Not that it was up to him what was played, anymore. Ruby had been there for a while now; and she liked everything he didn’t. The food he picked was never right; probably because it was food for those with no taste, a weird boy was Alfie. And the music, hell, she’d gone as far as confiscating it and storing it in one of her bags until he promised to never play Radio 4 again.

His eyes trailed off to the open window beside him; the breeze flew through, but it wasn’t quite the same as it felt when sitting on the edge of the boat. The trees blew, and passers by laughed at the flag he’d attached topside. All too used to the view from the inside, Alfie was growing claustraphobic. He was, after all, a good five inches too tall for the damned boat. Although he couldn’t say he didn’t appreciate the company - Alfie couldn’t help but wonder, what was Ruby going to do? She couldn’t sleep on his sofa for the rest of her life; and he, well hell, he couldn’t live in the stupid boat forever. One day, he”ll end up with a hunched back if he doesn’t do something about it.

The world was full of what ifs, the one thing Alfie was too scared to follow through. But really, Alfie was too scared to do anything he hadn’t now grown used, or accustomed to. And that included spending so much time with Ruby in such a small space. Not that he didn’t like her, or the company that came with her. She used him as a human canvas and he got the interaction that he constantly yearned for. Cecil was only useful for a short while at a time - the damned cat didn’t like Alfie, after all.

Shaking his head, his eyes fell from the window, back to the harsh reality that he was, well and truly, not doing anything with his life. You couldn’t call what he did, living. Surviving, the bare minimum to get by if anything. Her vibrant eyes, topped with the usual pretty colour she insisted on wearing with so much eyeliner (or at least, Alfie thought it was too much), glued to the pages between her fingers. “Hey Ruby,” he piped up, “Wanna go out today?” It was barely past midday, the sun was bright and looked too appealing to turn down. It surprised even himself, that he asked - favouring staying in most of the time. “It’s sunny, and the boats so hot I’m gonna die.” He grumbled, scratching at his fringe.

[ruby-alice-doyle]

Sometimes Ruby wondered if she had been born cold-blooded. When other people were boiling hot, she was merely comfortable. In the blazing summer sun shine, she could wear skinny jeans and a full face of make up without sweating while other girls fanned themselves and wore skimpy dresses to keep cool - not that she was adverse to wearing little clothing, just that her reasoning was to show off rather then the temperature. And in winter, she would be bundled up and freezing, wrapping herself in a cocoon of blankets to keep warm - how that was going to work in the boat, she wasn't sure...if she was still here. Not that she had any other plans.

There had been plans before. Nearly ten when her Mam showed up and whisked her out of the community that was her life, till then she expected a life like any other traveller girl. A marriage before the age of 19 to avoid being left on the shelf and a life spend having children and cleaning a caravan - it might not seem like much, but it was a life that suited plenty of girls and it might have suited Ruby too. Then she'd been brought back to Ireland and been expected to follow somebody's plan, one which involved her buckling down in school and heading for university. Her own plan? Well, for a little while, there had been a boy and a beautician course and a plan...now it had all fell through she wasn't thinking any further ahead then the next few days.

If you don't have dreams, you can't watch them shatter. 

Alfie's sofa would do till he told her to move on and then she'd figure out something else...what didn't bear thinking or worrying about right now. Lacking in drive, ambition and motivation, spending the day curled up on his sofa reading Twilight suited her just fine. Her version of a lazy day, although whereas other girls wore sweats and kept their faces bare, her dark hair had been ironed straight and she wore more make up then some women applied for a night out - partially from boredom, this look took time and killed an hour, and partially because she hadn't the idea of catching a glimpse of her reflection without their armour. 

But while she might be content doing nothing, Alfie apparently was bored. She looked up as he spoke, her creasing her brow which had been burrowed with conversation and looked to him and then the little window as he spoke. For a moment she considered, before shrugging, a movement which might seem non-committal in both but which constituted agreement in Ruby. Tossing the dog-eared book aside she straightened up, reaching for her cigarette pack and tapping her nails against the lid as she spoke.

"Yer got a plan?" she asked him in her thick accent, the distinctive brogue that set her apart as an Irish traveller even when everyone around was also from the Shamrock Isle. "Let's 'ear it then - or do yer jist want out?"