Robbie walked through the empty halls of Hollywood Arts that Friday afternoon. It was the last day of junior year and everyone was probably already out celebrating without him. He'd walked past familiar parts of the school trying to find Beck and Andre; even Sinjin! But none of them were in sight...
So here he was, walking around the school and contemplating his experiences of the past year. It wasn't like he was graduating yet and leaving Hollywood Arts forever. He'd be back along with the rest of his friends soon enough as the summer came and went.
Robbie walked past his and his friends' lockers that were decorated to reflect who they truly were. However, his was pretty plain compared to the rest. But, that seemed to depict who he was, perfectly: Plain. Boring...Robbie.
He walked past the auditorium where he'd performed so many times... Usually as a backup person, or doing what everyone liked to call his 'ventriloquist act' (whatever that was...). He'd also done some sound technician work with Sinjin.
Outside the auditorium was a wall that contained about a dozen pictures of some of Hollywood Arts' best performers. He was almost kind of honored to say he was friends with some of the people up there.
Jade, Tori, Cat, Andre and Cat...
Nope, putting Cat's name twice wasn't a mistake. Every time he walked passed this wall of Hollywood Arts' finest, he always had to take a second glance at the redhead's picture. Kind of the same way he took a double take whenever he saw her in person.
He decided to stop stalking her picture and continued walking around the school.
As he passed Sycawitz's class, he reached for his right hand out of habit but stopped when he'd once again realized he'd left Rex at home today. He was just in such a rush this morning; he'd forgotten his sarcastic little friend.
But he was surprisingly feeling fine without him. He hadn't gone a day without Rex for as long as he could remember. And he was beginning to realize maybe he was a bit better without him...
Robbie was walking aimlessly around the school when suddenly the sight of a certain redheaded girl broke his attention away from his thoughts.
"Robbie!" she squealed as she embraced him in a tight hug. He accepted it immediately, hoping she wouldn't notice him blush.
"It's the last day of school! Yay!" she exclaimed excitedly while giggling almost uncontrollably.
"Yeah, it is!" He said smiling, trying to express as much enthusiasm as her.
"Hey, where's Rex?" she inquired, her perfectly shaped eyebrows furrowed together in confusion.
"Oh, um he's home. Takin' the day off"
Cat gasped. "But won't it get put on his permanent record that he cut school?" she asked in a hushed tone, just in case the principal was around or something.
Robbie chuckled to himself. "Nah, I'm sure he won't get in any trouble. It is the last day, after all"
"Oh, wphew", she figuratively wiped her forehead in relief.
She's so cute, he couldn't help thinking to himself.
"So, what are you doing here, Cat? I thought you'd be off celebrating the last day of school with the others"
"Well, I was saying goodbye to all my teachers and giving them goodbye flowers" she explained.
She's a freaking saint, Robbie thought to himself.
Cat continued, "But when I was finished, i went looking for Tori and Jade and everyone but I couldn't find them... But now I've found you!" She exclaimed excitedly. "So it's all okay now!"
Cat pulled him into another hug and smiled at him sweetly. Robbie felt himself blush.
"Yeah, you found me..." He looked at her face intently.
Cat noticed this and looked down at her feet shyly. "What?", she asked innocently.
"Nothing, it's just..." Robbie trailed off.
He took a moment to contemplate this whole situation. He had been crushing on this wonderful girl for as long as he's known her. She was sweet and beautiful, yet he'd never gotten up the courage to tell her how he felt. But today he was feeling pretty confident. He'd survived a whole day without Rex which he was always afraid to death to experience. However, he'd survived it. Maybe he'd be able to survive telling her how he felt and maybe even facing the possible rejection he'd receive from her.
Well, now was his chance. He'd just have to hope for the best.
"Cat, what would you say if i told you there was a guy who really liked you and thought you were amazing, but was too afraid to tell you?"
She took a moment and looked as if she were in deep thought.
"Well, it depends. Do I know the guy? Because if he likes me just from like staring at me or something, that'd be really creepy..." she said in her cute yet creeped out voice.
Robbie chuckled. "No, you know this guy. He's not a stalker"
"Oh, well than I'd say...nothing! Because there's no guy I know that could possibly like me" she said matter-o-factly.
Were his feelings really that hidden? Or was she just that oblivious? Either way she was adorable.
He sighed realizing he'd have to be very blunt. Or maybe just a bit more obvious, to keep on the safe side.
"Well, what if i said this guy had curly hair, wore glasses and...had a friend named Rex...?"
"Ew! Sinjin likes me?" Cat exclaimed in disgust.
Robbie snorted in a short laugh. "No, no. Cat the guy is-..."
Robbie stopped in his tracks. If she'd reacted that way to the thought of Sinjin liking her... Well, what better was he than Sinjin?
"Who?" she pressured.
Robbie looked down in defeat. "No one"
"No, tell me who it is! Who the guy is..." her hands gripped his shoulders, their faces inches apart.
Her dark brown eyes had him captivated, hypnotizing him so that he barely realized it when the word "me" softly escaped his lips.
Her eyes widened slightly almost as if she were kind of expecting that as an answer.
"Oh, there you two are!" Tori exclaimed when she noticed the two. "I've been looking for you guys everywhere"
Cat broke her gaze with Robbie to see Tori smiling at her success in finding them.
Cat removed her hands from Robbie's shoulders slowly. "Oh hi, Tori", she said not sounding as enthusiastic as usual to Tori's surprise. In fact she seemed kind of confused and unsure.
Tori noticed the awkward vibe she was receiving from the two. "Is everything okay?"
Cat glanced over at Robbie as she answered hesitantly. "Y-yeah, everything's fine"
"Okay", Tori ignored her doubt of that statement. "Well, c'mon guys! Everyone's outside in Beck's car. We're going to that new Japanese karaoke place"
"Kaykay..." Cat said very unenthusiastically compared to her usual peppiness. She didn't know exactly how to feel at the moment. She followed Tori as she led the way toward the front entrance of the school. She looked back at Robbie who stood alone in the hall looking crestfallen.
"Tori, me and Robbie were kind of talking about something before you came"
"Oh, but Robbie's coming too! Aren't you, Robbie?" Tori called after him.
He just felt like saying no and running off home to Rex and his pillow. But he could never say no to the hopeful look in Cat's eyes; especially after seeing the way she smiled when he finally said "yes" to coming with them.
"Yay!", she exclaimed, followed by a fit of gleeful giggling.
~Cabbie~Cabbie~Cabbie~Cabbie
The place was amazing. The lights were dim, there were teenagers laughing and dancing all around. The sushi was the best in California. It seemed everyone there was happy;
Except Robbie. He'd finally told Cat how he felt, and had received absolutely no response from her. Sure, she'd encouraged him to come along with them to celebrate the last day of Junior year. But that was just Cat. It was probably out of pity, too... She probably didn't feel the slightest same way about him. So she was just being nice to make up for it.
Robbie sat at a table that held everyone's belongings and unfinished food while they partied it up out on the dance floor. All except for Robbie. He just sat there by his lonesome, drinking his unsweetened iced tea.
Suddenly, an interesting sight caught his attention. From a distance he could see Cat dancing happily with a group of girls he recognized from Hollywood Arts. Suddenly, the lights went a bit dimmer and colorful Asian-looking lanterns that hung everywhere where lit automatically.
Robbie noticed Jade take a seat on the piano bench next to Andre as he played a slow, melodic tune. Beautiful words to a familiar love song flowed from Jade's lips and into the mic.
Group dancers broke apart as they all scurried away to find their significant others to slow dance with. Sinjin approached Cat, holding his hand out to her, probably asking her to dance. Robbie shook his head with pity for Sinjin as it seemed Cat had rejected him. She walked away from the crestfallen boy with a look of disgust as if Sinjin had asked her to dissect a worm with him or something. Although, that wouldn't be much of a surprise coming from Sinjin. But it was pretty obvious he had simply asked Cat to dance and she'd rejected him.
Robbie raised his eyebrow with curiosity as Cat appeared to be approaching him. But then he realized she was probably just going to retrieve something from her purse that sat on the chair next to him...
Wrong.
"Hi, Robbie" Cat smiled at him sweetly.
"Hey, Cat. Are you having a good time?"
"Yeah, I guess... "She replied looking as if there was holding back on saying or asking something.
"Everything okay?" he asked.
"Yeah... It's just..."
"What is it?" He began bracing himself, sure that her next set of words would probably be the rejection he'd been expecting.
"I just..." She stumbled over her words looking unsure of herself. But suddenly her expression was replaced with one of confidence. "I was just wondering if you wanted to dance...with me" She smiled, and then looked away shyly and then back up, awaiting his answer.
That definitely wasn't what he'd been expecting her to say.
"U-um, sure. Of course, I'd love to dance with you"
She smiled confidently and he smiled back, exhaling with a sigh of relief. He got up as he accepted the hand she now offered. They made their way onto the dance floor. Cat folded her hands comfortably behind his neck as he hesitantly placed his hands on her hips. They shifted their feet back and forth, swaying together slightly as the music Andre and Jade produced filled the room. Cat smiled innocently at him before resting her head against his shoulder. Robbie blushed slightly, analyzing the situation.
"Cat, I don't get it"
She lifted her head from his shoulder to look up at him. "What do you mean?"
"I mean... Why are you dancing with me right now? I saw Sinjin ask you to before. What's the difference between me and him?"
"Sinjin's a creep" she answered simply.
Robbie chuckled. "A bigger creep than me? I mean, I carry around a puppet and everything"
"A puppet? What do you mean?", she asked looking confused.
Once Robbie realized she was completely serious and wasn't joking about not knowing Rex was a puppet, he let out a short laugh. "Nothing", he said pulling her closer to him. She soon forgot about her confusion of his words and wrapped her arms around him. She smiled innocently as she hid her face in his shoulder.
Robbie smiled at how this whole day had turned out. Never had he expected to be holding the girl of his dreams in his arms at this time. But here he was, slow dancing with Cat.
He could get used to this.
I know this may seem more like oneshot material, but I'm definitely continuing it ;) so add to your alerts if you want more
Reviews would be awesome :')