cross my heart

✧

GAZING STRIAGHT AHEAD , only half-aware of a world outside the claustrophobic comfort of the car, of her dad's hands, stroking the wheel, the almost soundless changing of the gears, the pattern of traffic lights.

Rue Newby, she was losing herself in her thoughts as her green eyes stared off. You're a freak. 'You have a dead mom? Boohoo. You're fucking sick. You're fucking crazy! You should've been the one who died.

Ouch, that last one hurt.

The words cut deep like knives, slicing through her soft skin and making her bleed.

The pain, oh the pain. She didn't want it. She doesn't need it. What does she do with it? Does she deserve it? Does she not? She probably does . . .

Make it go away.

Please, make it go away.

I'm tired. I'm tired of fighting, please.

Her eyes watered, those pretty green eyes that have seen too much.

Rue blinked the tears away, wiping her nose with the sleeve of her mother's old jacket. She let out a shaky sigh, pushing away the thoughts. Rue dug a hole to bury the pain, tucked it away. She didn't want to deal with it, not now, not ever.

She flashed a smile, and it was scary how real it looked, how her smile was bright and lit up a room. She seemed to glow with happiness.

Rue looked over at her dad, who had his attention on the dark road ahead. The sun was long gone, and the moon brightened up the sky with the help of the stars that splattered.

"Is it nice? In Hawkins?" she asked, her voice calm and soft.

Bob Newby smiled warmly, glancing at her for a moment before looking back at the road. "Yeah, It's okay. Nothing like the city but it's nice."

"Okay. . . cool," she nodded, turning back to look out her window from the passenger seat. As soon as her face was away from his view, the fake smile had dropped, and her lips trembled.

'What's a good song?' Rue heard, almost a whisper in the back of her head. It was a whisper that followed her everywhere she went for as long as she could remember. This time, it was her dad's voice. She turned her head, looking at him as his lips were in a thin line as if he was deep in thought. Or maybe it wasn't his voice.

Rue shook her head softly, wiping her nose again.

She watched as her dad leaned forward and turned on the radio and the tones of Time After Time by Cyndi Lauper played. Rue tried to fight back the bubbling laugh growing from the pit of her stomach when her dad began to sing along.

"If you're lost, you can look, and you will find me, time after time . . ."

Bob took a double glance at Rue, who bit her bottom lip to hold back her laugh. "Oh, come on! Don't laugh at me!" He exclaimed, and the giggles had slipped from her lips before she could stop them.

Her laugh disappeared as soon as it came. It was rare to hear Rue Newby laugh lately. That wasn't fair. She was just a kid. She's just a kid, and kids shouldn't go through this shit.

" . . . If you fall, I will catch you, I'll be waiting. Time after time."

"Hey," Bob began, moving one hand from the steering wheel to hold his daughter's hand. Her hand was cold to the touch, which shocked him at first. He held it tighter, trying to pass his warmth to her. "Thing are going to get better, now."

Rue forced a smile on her face again, squeezing his hand. "Promise?"

"'Cross my heart."

"'Cross my heart," she echoed as they locked the promise. Things are going to be better. Better memories. It was Rue's chance to get that fresh start she always wanted. Things couldn't get any worse than they already are.

（ ₊˚. ✰┊📼 ! ）

i love this prologue!

i really wanted to add

more to rue and bob's

relationship and i'm really

happy with how this

lil entry turned out!