AN - Quick one shot that was begging to be written. I don't own anything including the song which I did alter a little bit to make it fit. The song is "Saying Goodbye" by Sugarcult. Please support the official releases.
Robbie's one true talent was being unseen. If he was brave enough or not as polite of a little boy he probably could have snuck into the girl's locker room without being noticed but that wasn't him. Instead he took to people watching, studying the features and the realness of them when they think no one is watching. It was back in fifth grade when he first noticed Jade West and of course she didn't noticed him at all. She was too popular, too busy with school things however because she was a transfer people were interested in her but after a while he bad ass attitude got her in lots of trouble. Standing around he could hear the others talk about her, how she was just a trouble maker, that she wrote on the walls in the bathrooms, how she would give kisses to all the boys. Robbie wanted to know if that was true so he quietly followed her after school once. She led him through the park, past the stores, through the trailer park and into an alley where he lost her. Turning around he was startled to see that she was behind him.
"What do you want?" she sneered at him and he blinked.
"You see me"
"Of course I see you, what are you stupid or something? Do you think you're a ghost?" she teased, the words meant to cause pain and fear however Robbie wasn't wavering, perhaps he was just too astonished to believe that she was the one person who noticed him. "Or did you want a kiss?" That turned him beet red. "I know what the girls say about me behind my back but if that's what you were expecting then you can forget it. I'm not that kind of girl. Doesn't really matter anymore because I'm transferring again."
"I'm sorry."
She stared at him for a moment probably considering what meanness she could spew at him however it struck her that she would probably never see him again so instead she turned to walk away. Releasing the breath he didn't realize that he was holding he started to follow her to go home himself but paused as she lifted a fist and gracefully flipped him off.
It was two years later, due to a bubblegum accidentally with a cute girl at school Robbie had to have his head shaved because it was everywhere. Cat was the only girl, only person who really noticed him and in a way it was nice but at the same time he had enjoyed being invisible. Right before seventh grade he discovered that Cat was taking a year off to travel over seas. She would be taking the classes and enter high school with him but he was going to be alone. Or at least he thought so because once again, a week into school, there was a transfer student and once again he met Jade. She was different again, instead of the brown hair she had in fifth grade it was black with a blonde streak in it. She acted a lot different this time, trying to fit in and once again Robbie began to watch her.
It takes a lot longer before she notices him and it's only because he makes himself known to her. It was her birthday and instead of getting any cards or gifts she received nothing but a locker full of jello. She had run away covered in the orange dessert but Robbie was able to follow the trail of slime. Entering the room unnoticed he saw that she had been crying.
"Screw this place, I'm going to run away and forget about all of this." she says to herself before looking up and seeing Robbie standing there. Opening her mouth to tear him a new one it slowly closes as she wiped the tears from her eyes. "You're that ghost boy."
"Robbie," he squeaked.
"Robbie you tell anyone you saw me crying and I'll make an example out of you."
Robbie shook his head adamantly and she nodded turning away to try to make herself presentable.
"I..." Robbie started, "They...hate you because," but Jade cut him off.
"I know they hate me, but I'll show them. I'll finish up this year but High School will be different because I got into Hollywood Arts. I'll make something of myself and then laugh at all of you for trying to put me down." she said before shoving pass him and leaving. Robbie stammered but finished quietly to himself.
"They hate you because you're beautiful"
The next year went by in a whirl, thanks to Cat and another boy named Andre he lost his ability to be unseen at least when he was around the others. Even then it sometimes felt like no one really saw him. Then their group got bigger by two and he saw the newest version of Jade, she was still beautiful but now her hair was black with different colored streaks every now and then. She had pierced her eyebrow and multiple ones in her ears and was rocking a goth look, this time when people tried to put her down she put them in there place. Aside from being popular and having a no nonsense attitude she was on the arm of the most handsomest guy in the school, Beck. Soon they all became the best friends, even Jade tolerated him but with his new curly hair and glasses she didn't recognize or didn't address the ghost boy out loud.
Freshman year was a blast, the plays, performances, adventures they all had together just drew them closer together. The next year added another person to their group, Tori Vega, and in a way broke the group up a bit. It was chaos as several different events took place, to a concert with Ke$ha, to Robbie himself getting so sick that he was hospitalized and even Jade and Beck breaking up. Worried that she might try to run away again Robbie tried to find her, to let her know how he admired her and her determination to not let anyone get to her, he was going to confess that the more he watched her the more he fell in love with the very person that was Jade. Of course with his luck she and Beck soon got back together thanks to Tori.
All Robbie could do was sit and watch as the gang continued with their schooling and the world marched on. Hiding his feelings for Jade by flirting with and trying to hook up with Trina, Tori's older sister, and Cat all of his attempts were either half hearted or way too much which meant he was trying to fail. It wasn't the loneliness that got to him but the jealousy that Jade showed when Beck did anything with anyone else with ovaries. It was a part of her that he hadn't seen before and he didn't like it. It made the independent, beautiful, talented woman he knew into something else, something different. When Beck and Jade broke up again everyone figured it was for good but Robbie wouldn't let himself go there. Instead he began to write a song just for her and if she got it then he would say something. With the split it was almost as if it broke the group, Tori went with Beck, of course Andre followed her lead and Cat went with Jade. Everyone thought that Robbie went with Cat but he went for Jade and soon the three of them were close friends. Then the fear came back as Beck asked to speak with Jade alone and once again Robbie felt himself wanting to be brave like Jade had been and just run away. At lunch he came up to the whole gang at the table including Jade next to Beck, they announced that they missed the group and decided to remain friends for now so that they could be a family again.
Graduation night came and everyone was allowed to perform songs for their classmates. Of course Tori and Andre rocked out with a song and even Beck, who wasn't there for music, had a song but Robbie was up first. After talking with Andre to play guitar and a few other students to help Robbie got on stage and cleared his throat.
"Hey guys, I'm Robbie as if you didn't know that already and all my life I've been invisible. Like a ghost of sorts always watching and never interacting until I came here and met a few people who are my family now. I knew some of them before coming to Hollywood Arts especially one who inspired this song."
Stepping back he began to play the song as the others joined him. From where she was sitting with Cat Jade sat up at the mention of ghost.
"She kisses everyone good bye
And waves her middle finger high
They're never gonna mess with her again
The drama queen is seventeen
Kissing all the boys for free
She's got a reputation of being mean
Every time they put her down
She makes a fist and the tears roll down
She packs her bags and plans to run away
She's saying Goodbye and leaving tonight
She's wasted all her lonely tear drops now
The hate her when she's beautiful
Even more when she plays the fool
She's saying Goodbye and leaving tonight
She's wasted all her lonely tear drops now"
When they finished the set everyone rose and cheered including Jade who understood that all this time she wasn't really alone. When Robbie came to his seat he was greeted by a wave of good jobs as well as hugs and high fives. Making his way over to where Jade was standing he clutched his guitar and waited for her. There was a small smile on her face as she stared at him, her eyes boring into his soul finally he broke, squeaked and started to say something but she cut him off.
"They hate me because I'm beautiful?"
"Yes, you were...I mean are, they were just jealous."
"Do you like me Robbie Shapiro?"
"I admire you, and I think you're an amazing person." This caught Jade off guard and made her blush a little.
"You didn't answer my question."
"Yes I do," he said softly looking at the ground then back up at her, startled because she was now right in front of him. She was smiling and then they were kissing. Beck began to sing and together they became unseen. They didn't hear anything else, or see anything else instantly they knew what they had to do and with Robbie's hand clasped tightly in her own, they ran.