Goodbye Ruby Tuesday by A. L. Michael Page A

truly believe what you’re saying,’ Esme said wisely, pushing her glasses up and refusing to be baited.
    ‘Quite the philosopher.’
    They sat quietly for a moment, watching the soft dusky light from the window bathing the room in a glow. There seemed to be no words, just sharing a quiet, perfect moment in a magical place.
    ‘Just… make something special, darling. Make some art that means something to you. Even if you don’t do the lessons and workshops and exhibitions and all the big dreams that you have for that place. Just use it to make something.’ Evelyn spoke as if they were already in a conversation, as if she’d finally said what she was desperate to say. ‘That’s what Ruby wanted. For you lovely girls to create.’
    ‘I will,’ Evie promised.
    ‘But we’re going to make it an amazing magical space too!’ Esme insisted, ‘For Ruby!’
    ‘For Ruby, and for us,’ Evie nodded.
    They left that afternoon with the promise to make it a weekly occurrence, and Esme had her very own invitation to come and use the library whenever she wished, as long as an adult walked her over to the house. Evie felt all sorts of strange and wonderful emotions as they walked home together. Esme’s head was already in a book, which was a relief, as all Evie had to do was ensure she stopped at the roads and didn’t trip over anything. Ruby had spoken about them over the years, their memories had meant something to her. And she’d been friends with the moody carpenter. Evie couldn’t even imagine what that would have looked like. Could she imagine Ruby curling up with a mug of tea and smiling with a man, being open and friendly? No, it didn’t seem possible.
    She felt drained as they made their way back to the studio, Esme thundering up the stairs with her arms full of books, desperate to put them on her new little bookcase. The door at the bottom of the stairs opened, and Evie thought about the carpenter. She thought that maybe he was mourning their friend too. She needed to be softer, she thought, taking a deep breath and pasting a smile on her face.
    He appeared, sullen and scowling, ‘Could you get the child to try not to thunder up and down the stairs like that?’
    So much for that.
    ‘The
child
is, wait for it…
a child.
They tend to
thunder
places.’
    ‘The funny thing about kids is they do what they’re taught to do by adults.’
    ‘Know a lot about kids, do you?’ she asked pointedly, watching as his face pinched, those beautiful blue eyes turning even colder.
    ‘About as little as you do, I’d say. Try to be quiet.’ He slammed the door in her face, and she was left feeling even more agitated than after their last interaction. Ruby must have destroyed him, like every other poor sucker she’d left broken-hearted in her wake.
    ***
    ‘The Careers woman lost it with me,’ Ruby grinned, throwing herself down on the grass next to them. Evie threw her a packet of crisps. Since Evie had mentioned to her mum that Ruby never seemed to have any lunch, her mother had started packing extra food into her bag each day. No one said anything necessarily, but Ruby always beamed at her with a sort of embarrassed appreciation.
    ‘What did you do now?’ Chelsea asked, lying on her back in the sunshine, arm across her face to shield her eyes.
    ‘She asked me what I wanted to do when I was older and I said “be famous”.’
    Ruby grinned at all of them, crunching crisps between her white teeth.
    ‘And she said…’
    ‘Well, she started out all helpful and understanding, trying to explain I’d actually have to do something to get famous. I said I quite liked that Popstars show and maybe I’d audition for that.’
    ‘Oh boy,’ Mollie shook her head, picking bits of bread out of her jam sandwich where she noticed a couple of mouldy dots. ‘So then what?’
    ‘Eventually I convinced her that I was such a bimbo airhead that I’d decided I wasn’t really going to make a career plan because something would