Robbie V didn't generally consider himself easily scared; but at the moment not only was he scared, but he knew that the reason was probably completely unjustified. All he was doing was standing in front of his best friend's house holding a brightly colored gift bag, yet he was sweating like an accused criminal.

For a moment he wasn't sure why he was so nervous. Robbie took a deep breath and took a few steps toward the porch. And of course, just then, he remembered his fear. Interaction with other kids from his school.

No one in his grade other than Tambry so much as talked to Robbie. It didn't help that he was so shy and silent. But he didn't accredit his lack of friends to his introverted nature. He thought no one liked him because he was new to the town and they thought he was weird. In his mind, there were so many things to pick on; his clothes and appearance, for one. Not to mention that he now lived with his grandparents who tried their best to completely spoil him and smother him with affection. How could you seem cool when your grandmother still called you RobbieBear in front of your peers? He wasn't used to all these new people and new things. Robbie felt so out of place around the other kids in this town, who all seemed to know their place. Everyone besides Tambry, anyway.

Tambry herself was the type to flutter around social circles, silently listening to the childish pre-middle school gossip, which she later would spread via social media. She barely ever looked up from her DS for a minute, but one day she happened to look up long enough to see Robbie sitting alone at lunch, and within seconds she was sitting beside him, silently playing Animal Crossing. Her presence had been a bit strange at first, but as it reoccured over a series of days, which became weeks and eventually months, it was comforting and reassuring. Robbie no longer felt quite so out of place. Even though at the time they barely knew each other's names, he felt like he had a friend.

Now the months had gone by and they'd gotten to know each other, down to favorite colors, the faces they made when they heard something they didn't like, who they mained as while playing Smash Bros on Tambry's Wii, and many other general friend facts. Yet, when she'd given him the invitation to her party, Robbie had instantly thought of every excuse not to come.

It wasn't like he was necessarily afraid of the other kids. He was afraid of rejection. Back in his hometown he'd been an outcast, not by choice, but because the kids at home picked on his long curly brown hair and the fact that his clothes were always too small.

Now that he was in Oregon, and not living with his drug addict of a mother, he had a better haircut, any clothes he wanted, and a family that loved him and took good care of him, making sure he wanted for nothing. Yet, something in his mind still made him think he didn't have enough to be friends with people who actually... You know, were cool. Not that he didn't think Tambry was a cool person, but, to be honest, she had a lot of acquaintances and not too many friends.

As Robbie was thinking all this, he heard a car pull up behind him. Nervously, he finally made his way onto the porch, but not before glancing back and seeing a kid he knew from class, and an unfamiliar girl who looked... A bit odd.

"Thanks for the ride!" The girl said with a braces filled grin as she slammed the car door behind herself.

These two kids had no problem making their way to the porch with their presents, and only when they were beside him did Robbie notice he was still standing there staring.

"You gonna go in there or what?" The girl asked, bringing him out of his own little world.

"Uhh..." He stammered, feeling his face heat up with embarrassment.

The girl laughed, but it wasn't cruel or teasingly, it was just... A laugh. Robbie had never heard anything like it before. It was like... They had become friends just by him doing something awkward and now she was just happy because of him? He didn't know for sure.

"You're Robert, right?" The other kid asked. "I don't know if we've met really but hey, I'm Nate. I think we have reading class together."

"And I'm Wendy, nice to meet you Rob." The girl chimed in. Before he could reply, she had already swung open the door and ran inside, her fire red ponytails trailing behind her.

Nate shrugged and followed her inside at a more laid back pace, holding the door open for Robbie on his way in.

"How come I've never seen her before?" Robbie asked.

Nate looked confused for a moment. "Oh, Wendy? Well, she is only in fourth grade...so I guess you've just never run into her before."

"Then how do you know her?"

The other boy smiled. "My friend Lee is in her class. He failed fourth grade last year 'cause he refused to read out loud." He shook his head. "Hey, can I ask you something? Do you like just kinda hanging out in entry ways or are you actually going to come into the house sometime?"

With that, Robbie quickly followed in the direction of the redhead, Wendy, hoping to find Tambry as soon as possible.