"Hey you" Jude said catching up to Rue's friends. The two beautiful girls simply giggled. "What, do I have something on my shirt" Jude asked looking down.
"Nothing, Elise just said you'd come running if she called your name guess she was right" the grinning girl said looking at her friend. "Ouch just messing with me huh" Jude asked somewhat offended.
"No" Elise replied. "Willow and I just needed to get you away from Kosi" she continued. "Wait why?" Jude asked confused. "Well..Rue needs him alone if you know what I mean" Willow said. "Wait alone like we did last.." "What no!" Elise interrupted him avoiding eye contact with Willow.
Giving both a sideways glance Willow rolled her eyes "I don't even want to know" she said dismissing their awkward exchange. "She's telling Kosi she's in love with him" she continued plainly.
"No way" Jude said perking up. "He was probably gonna tell her he's in love with her when you guys caught up to us" he chuckled. "Aww that's really cute" Elise replied. "Of course he's in love with her too she's adorable" Willow said now beaming.
"Wait a second you're gonna make me miss this" Jude said turning to leave. "Not so fast you!" Elise yanked him back. "Relax we're just gonna circle around to where she's meeting him give her a little time she's got a whole speech prepared" Willow said with a chuckle.
6 Years Earlier
A young and nervous Rue sat in her dining room eating breakfast while her parents were in the middle of a heated back and forth in the other room.
"Jane, you can't get me to be okay with this, she's my little girl alright everything to do with her makes me anxious" Rue's father said with large black rings under his eyes.
"David we both agreed to let her go to school now, she's 8 and there's only one other kid down here thats her age she has to go now" her mother replied also clearly very tired.
Minutes later the pair sit still unable to come to an understanding. "Oh God she has to deal with Clinton's brat son. That little pig, I'm sorry I know all kids are precious and the future or whatever but I don't care for him one bit" David said disgruntled.
"Ugh he's apparently a nightmare what was his name again, Wendell?" Jane asked. "Wardell" David replied. "Ugh" they said in unison. The absurdity cutting through the tension as they both let out a chuckle.
"Love you're a teacher you shouldn't talk about kids like this" David said jokingly. "You brought it up Mr deputy mayor, oh this kid can't be the future" Jane replied in a mocking voice. "Hey!" David exclaimed.
"Finished!" A sweet voice exclaimed from another room as Rue pitter patted her way to her parents. Small for her age she ran towards the sink and got on her tippy toes to put her bowl in the sink.
"Am I interrupting" she asked shakily watching her parents look at her. "No of course not sweetie" her father said perking up. "What do you want to.." "You ready for your first day of school sweetie?" her mother said interrupting her father who simply glanced over at his wife.
"Mhm I think so" Rue replied lying. "Alright go get ready sweetheart, you're going to go with mommy alright" her mother replied with an oblivious smile.
Rue skipped off to get ready for her first day of school. "See.. not an issue" Jane said to her now tense husband. "Alright... before you go, who's the other kid you said was her age?". "Oh two of the diggers have a kid her age, Kosi or something sweet boy" she replied. "Oh, maybe pair them up in class or something" David replied.
He was shocked to see her sharply turn to his direction. "You don't know anything I don't teach them..." this sparked the second fight that morning.
At school Rue was as overwhelmed as her father feared she would be. Loud children roaming around, passers by eyeballing her maybe looking at her large glasses maybe knowing she was the deputy mayor's daughter. Whatever it may have been she could barely hold back wanting to scream.
Barely able to think she was near tears when a soft "hey" would bring the beacon of light to clear the dark clouds which had long loomed over her. "Uh yeah hey you ok?" a young chubby faced Kosi said eating a chocolate bar.
"I'm uh umh" she stammered over her words tears welling up in her eyes. Unsure what to do Kosi thrust his juice box into her hands. "Here!" he shouted panicked.
Her confusion obstructed the looming emotional meltdown. She took the juice box and drank it looking at the still nervous kind stranger
6 years later
"After you clumsily gave me that juice box you and your goofy happy clumsy uncool antics became my happiness. I can't tell my parents when something gets difficult I just grin and bare it or their madness will start up again" Rue said with tears forming as she read her letter to Kosi.
Looking up at him smiling at her with tears forming in his eyes like the crowd around them she took a breath and continued. "You deserve a better friend than someone who hasn't done anything for you but I...can't be that right now I'm a mess I act smart and play it cool but I'm that same overwhelmed kid you met then. The only difference is I have you..and I'm in love with you" she concluded shaking with nerves. Hushed tones bubbled from the crowd.
Ignoring the spectators Kosi stood before her and pulled her in for a kiss. Awkward as it may have been at first it eased both their nerves as they let themselves enjoy a moment together before settling into a warm embrace to the sound of their hooting and hollering classmates.
Emotionally drained they walked off hand in hand but not before being met with the blindingly bright beaming smiles of their best friends. "Oh God can I take it back" Rue joked seeing Elise, Jude and Willow failing to contain their excitement.
"I think we're gonna have to stay together forever, you know for their sake" Kosi replied smiling at her. "Yeah for their sake" Rue replied squeezing his hand.