Title: [With Friends Like These]
Summary: [Tired of constantly being left out of the group, Robbie resolves to go and create his own friends, ones that will never push him away and will always admire him. And you know what they say, "With friends like these…" ]
Rating: [PG-13]
Warnings: [Features a (slightly?) insane Robbie and angst. Unbeta'ed.]
Notes: [There is a part near the end of the story where Robbie dips into his imagination and pretends he is in Rex's place. So don't be confused when I start using Rex's name instead of Robbie's.
I don't know much about Robbie's parents so they're pretty much what I imagine them to be. Also, I apologize for any OOCness that might be occurring in this story.]
With Friends Like These…
The solitary beep of his chat window closing echoed through his suddenly freezing room. His toes curled up as his blood ran cold. His lounging body became rigid in his chair, gaping at the computer; the screen's blinking lights flickering across his face. The hand holding his finest puppet went lax and Rex slid to the floor in a crumpled heap. Brown eyes flitted around the room, searching desperately for a target to use to release the building anger.
Involuntarily, his fist slammed painfully in to the wall next to the computer, scraping the skin of his knuckles. He glared angrily at the dried blood stains on the wall from previous attempts of concealing his rage and fumed at his futile effort of fitting in.
He had spent ten minutes, although it seemed like hours, frantically thinking on how he could somehow inject himself into the online conversation between his "friends." He knew how idiotic the question he asked was but the rapid way they shut him out tore into his heart. And Tori… she had been the one to do it.
A low growl rumbled in his throat as he thought of the flawless, perky brunette. He had long ago admitted that he hated, no despised, her and wanted nothing but to send her back to her old high school. Another thump sounded as his fist, once again, collided with the wall, tearing his already aching flesh.
"Robbie?" came the soft yet hesitant voice of the woman who gave him life. Robbie could see her now, standing at the other side of the door, wringing her hands nervously."Are you okay?" The concern in her voice gave him a small smile but that soon disappeared when he glanced at his bloodied knuckles.
"I'm… fine," he replied through gritted teeth as he flexed his fingers, pain shooting through his hand. His mother uttered a quiet noise as if to protest his statement but decided against it. Robbie listened contently to her footsteps as she continued down the hall towards her bedroom. He knew she would be conversing with his father about his behavior. It was only a matter of time before they send him back to therapy. He attended sessions before when his parents believed he had an… unhealthy relationship with Rex. He hadn't been in a few months due to the doctor's comments of him "getting better."
Robbie slid down to the floor and flopped onto his side, lying straight across from the fallen Rex. He gazed into the unseeing eyes of the puppet and smiled. Rex often teased him about his strong dislike for Tori but he knew Rex understood his reasons. Tori Vega had suddenly appeared in his life and took what little friends he had. She replaced him as top student on the Tech Theatre exam. She helped humiliate him on film when Beck and André stole his clothes (granted he deserved that one.) She almost killed Rex. There was more but he didn't feel comfortable thinking about how much she wronged him, it only made him angrier.
When she first arrived, he fooled himself into thinking that he actually had feelings for her. He realized later that it was only so he could feel normal. Robbie knew deep down, that no matter how much he got to know her, he could not stop the homicidal thoughts that ran through his mind. He was too stubborn to admit it but overtime that fury evolved into envy. Robbie was jealous of all the things she had, of how easy it was for her to slip into the crowd of Hollywood Arts.
But, unfortunately, his detestation didn't just stop at Tori. He rapidly began to loathe his group of so-called friends, even if he knew some of them since childhood. He found himself nitpicking certain faults, if only to reassure himself that they weren't the ideal image they seemed to project. Yet, their perfections outnumbered their errors and overshadowed his fine qualities. All of them had some amazing talent to help them along the way. The way Jade and Cat could belt out any song, together or solo, will surely get them notice by professionals. André was already well on his way to becoming a song writer and Beck could make any bland book into a superb play (and star in it as well).
But what did he have to show? A ventriloquist act, though he isn't sure if he could label it an act anymore. To him, Rex was as authentic as any living person. To say the least, this puppet is his one and only true friend.
Robbie chided himself on his dark thoughts and pushed himself off the floor, taking Rex with him. His stomach lurched at the notion of eating dinner tonight. He hadn't been eating much lately but passed it off as his newfound restlessness. His mother would be saddened of his absence from family dinner but he couldn't bring himself to care. Robbie slumped forward when his body suddenly felt drowsy then sluggishly climbed into his bed and huddled underneath the warm covers. He set Rex beside him and brushed aside the curls that fell around the doll's head. He smiled thoughtfully to himself. 'Well, there's one idea that just might work…'
The next few weeks found the curly-haired boy regretting why he had even attended school. He hurried home with another defeat of attempting to blend in weighing on his shoulders. And, yet again, he was shut down. Robbie buried his face into his pillow as he stretched out across his bed, hoping to smother himself.
"Robbie," his mother's voice flowed through the thin wood of the door. Said boy groaned in half response before mumbling out a muffled "What is it?"
"There's a package for you downstairs." There was a nervous pause. "Are you making another puppet?"
"You opened it?" Annoyance coated his voice as he wrenched open the door. There his mother stood with her eyes wide in astonishment.
"Oh, no" she swiftly protested, waving her arms in front of her. "I noticed the label. It's the same company that Rex's ordered items come from." Robbie frowned at his mother's uncomfortable shifting, a habit that appeared whenever the topic of puppets was dropped into a conversation.
With sudden eagerness, the curly-haired boy pushed past her and flew down the stairs. A quick glance around the living room told him, disappointingly, that the package was not stationed there. A wide grin broke out on Robbie's face as he stepped into the next room and spotted the hefty package settled on the marble kitchen counter. Hauling it into his arms, he began to waddle back up the stairs.
His mouth slightly opened in a silent cry of surprise when he realized his mother had not shifted from the spot he had left her. Her confused gaze was locked onto the carpeted floor and small droplets of tears glistened at the edge of her eyes. The cold feeling of guilt immediately swept through Robbie's body and he hurriedly set the box down near the top of the stairs before sliding it with his foot over to his bedroom door.
With a semi-dramatic sigh, he pulled his mother into his arms and enveloped her in a warm embrace. Robbie's hands trailed up and down his mother's spine and, gradually, he could sense the anxiety departing from her. He let the sign of affection hold on for a few more precious seconds before pulling away and landing a gentle peck on his mother's flushed cheek.
She gave a nod at her son's blatant show of love and scrubbed away at the tears streaking down her face. Robbie leaned into the soft palm that cupped his cheek and couldn't help but feel sad when it left his face. He watched his mother slip past him and into her room, the click of the door's lock echoing through the now lonely corridor.
Robbie rubbed a hand across his forehead in an attempt to ease the throbbing pain that had appeared. His mother would forever be too emotional for Robbie's liking, although he was pleased that he figured out exactly how to act in certain situations like these. Otherwise, it would've resulted in a teary complaint to his father which, in turn, would've led to an extensive lecture.
Remembering the package, Robbie pushed open his door, dragging the heavy package behind him as he slowly entered. After situating it carefully on top of his bed covers, he grabbed Rex from his wooden desk and set him to the right of box. A pair of scissors twirled effortlessly between the fingers of his left hand while his right hand's fingers trailed across the clear scotch tape that sealed the package. Robbie pondered on how to go about this situation. 'Who should be first?' His eyes flicked over to Rex as if he could give him a suggestion. He held the gaze with his favorite puppet and nodded, grinning maniacally.
The pair of scissors abruptly ceased its twirling and plunged straight into the cardboard box. A small giggle slipped past his lips as Robbie shredded the box to bits, only slowing when he broke open the minor, white box stationed inside. A solid grip seized the cover and threw it aside, fervent to peer inside at his purchases.
A grin split across his face as he basked in the bizarre yet calming smell of plastic. Nimble fingers dipped into the box and wrapped around a petite hand. With the utmost care, he lifted his hand and pulled the unresponsive doll out with it.
A gaze of awe trailed over the painstaking structure of the vastly detailed puppet. The minuscule bumps on the chest, slimmed waist, narrow face, and small line trailing downwards in its lower regions were all hints of the puppet's gender. An open-mouthed smile stretched from cheek to cheek, which were slightly reddened giving her an innocent appearance. He admired her softly tinged nut-brown eyes that reminded him of freshly laden soil that extended through the grass in his mother's long forgotten garden.
Robbie hastily lay the puppet down by the box before he lost himself in his memories. He bitterly recalled how wonderfully different his family was before Rex weaseled his way into his life. His mother's smile wasn't as strained and she planted flowers in her spare time. Now all that was left in the garden plot were gnarled weeds and crumpled flower petals. His father occasionally played with him in the backyard while his mother gardened, that is until he received the hint that sports weren't for the lanky boy and decided to only pretend he exists if necessary.
'You're getting off track,' Rex's voiced echoed in his head and Robbie nodded determinedly in response. He dug back into the package, drawing out more puppets, one by one, and inspecting them before laying them lovingly on the mattress. The five marionettes settled alongside each other, arms jutted straight out against their sides and legs clamped together. They all stared up at Robbie with their rainbow of expressions.
Aside from the toothy grin, there was a small smile, another stretched grin (this one was closed mouth), a tiny frown, and a sexy smirk from all five (making three females and two males.) As a special customer, he reserved the option to select certain custom-made expressions to be etched on his dolls' faces. Robbie leaned over them and hooked his finger into one of the puppet's mouth, bringing it open. He peered at the pristine white rows of teeth and light pink tongue, complete with tiny dark brown dots to represent taste buds. A low whistle of amazement sounded as Robbie admired the features.
"They must've really updated on their quality because Rex certainly doesn't have all this." He laughed at the indignant huff he heard from the puppet.
"Isn't this exciting, Rex? New friends to hang out with!" Robbie then murmured "Much better than the old ones…"
Not waiting for a response, he dropped down to his hands and knees leveling with the bottom of the bed. His hand groped around the empty space under his mattress until his fingers snagged on a plastic bag. He hid it well from his mother who had the habit of cleaning his room when he was off at the insane, learning institution people call school. He tugged it out from the darkness and into the dim light of his room before tearing into it giddily.
"So," he sang as he turned to the lined up puppets, "Who should go first?" The repeated question was met with unsurprising silence. A silent decision was made and Robbie clapped his hands in conclusion. He selected the first puppet he had taken out of the package and wrapped both hands around her slim waist. Her artificial skin was a bit darker than one of the other female marionettes yet lighter than the third.
He settled down on the floor, crossed-legged, the doll nestled in his lap. Her naked legs dangled over his knees and her plastic back pressed into his chest. He beamed eagerly down at her, clutching the marionette firmly. Reaching into the bulging bag, he drew out a bottle of hair glue, studying it to make sure it was tightly concealed, a silver pair of scissors, and flaming red hairpiece. The puppet's bald scalp was stroked tenderly before the wig fell neatly on top to cover it. After a few minutes of cautious gluing and snipping, the scarlet locks were perfectly arranged. The hair stopped a few inches past her shoulders and the front had a parting to the right.
When he was sure that the glue was dry, he clipped a matching flower accessory onto the side. He sat her beside his legs, letting her rest against the post of his bed. He moved on to another puppet, this one having a chocolate shade of skin.
For him, Robbie assigned a dark ebony wig and makes quick work of it then comes to a dilemma. He was barely familiar with one way to fashion hair into braids. After some deliberating, he settled on making do with what he could offer and parted some of the hair. He grumbled at how the braids wouldn't be neat without a comb as his fingers got to work.
A mental note was made to thank his childhood babysitter, Nanje, for teaching him how to plait when he requested it.
After finishing up the first braid, he observed it, resolving that it was thick enough and continued on. In a short while, six fat cornrows sat messily on the puppet's head. Not wanting to dwell on the failure of his work, he continued with the rest of the marionettes. The pale female was paired with lengthy, silky pitch black hair that had cerulean tinged ends. The other female with tan skin was awarded a soft, straight chestnut-brown wig.
And last but never least, the second male marionette was seated in his lap. This time he pulled out a short black hairpiece, he had this one pre-styled to make it as close to the real thing as possible. The wig was wavy and the front swept to the right. Robbie made a conscious effort to preserve it the best he could. He sighed wearily when all the dolls were lined up once more, glancing at the time.
Robbie hauled himself off the floor and dug back into the box settled on his bed, this time pulling out a quite bulky black bag. He opened the bag only to see an assortment of blouses and trousers. He had bought two outfits for each doll in case he felt like spicing it up a bit or if one had gotten dirty.
It took some time, due to the numerous buttons on certain shirts and unnecessary laces on a pair of boots, but all five puppets were sporting an outfit to match their assigned personalities. Fortunately, it had been fairly easy applying makeup to the female marionettes, their lip gloss colors ranging from hot pink to deep crimson. He only had a bit of trouble when applying the blush, not sure if he was adding an excessive amount or not.
Robbie's fingers itched and trembled with anticipation after all the dolls were primped and nestled onto his bed sheets in a circle around a sloppy, makeshift table. He placed them all within arm length in order to make the switches easier. After making sure that each puppet was in position, Robbie allowed himself to sink back into his imagination, back into his safety world, and into a pristine panorama.
Rex's smile stretched across his face in a wide grin, the beginning of a laugh slipping through his teeth due to an amusing story narrated by André. His resistance shattered and he doubled over as his body was wracked with giggles, clutching tightly at his trembling sides. The others began laughing along with him, mimicking their friend's enthusiasm. Rex ran his fingers through his frayed curls as his sniggers died down. He slumped back into his chair and regulated his breathing before glancing around the filled table.
"Ha, what should we do next?"
"Ooh! I know! Pick me!" Warm smiles from all were sent towards the scarlet haired girl.
"Yes, Cat?"
"I found this adorable song about kittens and mittens." Caterina clapped her hands in childlike excitement with a small squeal.
Rex, however, visibly paled and felt his heartbeat rapidly increasing, dread swirling steadily through his body. It couldn't be over already, they had just started. They had yet to even reach the best part.
Then, to his relief, Jade's voice popped up.
"No one wants to hear your stupid song," she spat nastily, taking joy in the forlorn way Cat deflated.
"Come on, Jade," Rex tsked, "Don't be so nasty to Cat." An unexpected small blush dusted Jade's pale cheeks and a mumbled apology made its way to his ears. Rex felt hope bubbling down in his stomach. It hadn't ended yet so they could still maintain the image, his precious image.
"Does that mean you want to hear my song, Rex?" Cat asked, instantly returning to her normal state. "We can put on a show or-"
"No, that fine," Rex replied, aiming to cut in before she could implant the proposal in the others' minds. However, he was too hesitant and the situation promptly exploded in his face.
"Hey, that would be an awesome idea!" Tori eagerly interrupted, "Cat can sing lead while Jade and I back her up and…" Milky brown eyes slid smoothly over to André and Beck. "And André could play piano; maybe we could gather an entire band!" Rex quivered as Tori became more excited and determined. Numerous ideas flew out of her mouth like sparks.
"And Beck! He could figure out some dance moves to it, like, be a choreographer." The murmurs of agreement around the table struck Rex's heart like bullets. Things were suddenly spiraling out of control. He tilted his head back slightly to gaze up at the sky as if asking it what to do now. Nothing was going the way he planned, all that careful preparation was now a waste… Unless… Unless he was somehow able to force a hold on this situation before-
"Sin-Jin can help do lighting and we can even invite our parents." Rex was no longer paying attention to the suggestions that were now bouncing back and forth, pushing him further into the unsolicited background once again. To the others, he was no longer there, wasn't even worthy of being included into the hurried planning. He was sick of it! Sick of it all!
A reverberating slam echoed angrily inducing a shocked and eerie silence. Rex's palm faintly throbbed from its facedown position on the table. Nervous and wide-eyed looks bounced around as the others anxiously waited for their reprimand, hardly aware of their falling out of line.
"No one will be singing," he instructed, voice practically dripping with malice. "We don't want to leave out those who can't sing. Let's stick to chatting." Rex's fists clenched repeatedly as his eyes roamed over his friends, daring one of them to try to oppose him. It wouldn't suffice for his world to conclude so hastily. Fortunately, their responses were vacant smiles, save for Jade who granted him the typical scowl.
"My man, Rex! Always thinking of the little guys," André boasted, slapping his friend on the back while Beck nudged his shoulder playfully, neither realizing that it was Rex himself that would be overlooked if they continued.
Rex brightened at the compliments showering down on him from his mates, relieved that things were back to their ordinary, desired ways. They completely adored him, obeyed him and gave him respect, as they were supposed to. As if they even had a choice.
"Ooh, I've got a joke," Rex piped up, leaning forward to gather the attention of everyone. "With friends like these," he said snidely, spreading his arms out to gesture to the people seated around him, "Who needs human beings?"
Robbie laughed noisily at his own jokes, hearing his friends laugh in his mind along with him. "It's true," he gasped out between chuckles, "Who needs humans? I have all I need, all I want!" Robbie's giddy laughter escalated until his ears rang with it. So loudly that he paid no notice to the creaking of his opening door, was deaf to the sound of his mother's surprised gasp, ignorant to the sight of his clean, folded laundry spilling across his carpet, and oblivious to the quick footsteps stumbling down the hall. Robbie was trapped in his own world, in his own life, with his own friends, and frankly, he had no desire of being freed ever.
Kaida- There you go! This has been stewing in my brain for awhile now and I had to get it out. This was originally going to be a Beck/Robbie story but it somehow didn't fit in.
Please tell me your thoughts in a review! I really want to know how I did on this one and if the concept was interesting enough. Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed it!