Robbie's Secret

The sun isn't even up when Robbie's alarm goes off. He's been awake for an hour already, yawning as he sent a few texts to Tambry. He knows she won't be awake yet, but he figures he should be proactive since he'll be busy all day today. He puts on his best scowl, purposely not looking back at the mess in his room.

He heads downstairs to find that his mom left him some French toast, still warm in the oven. He glances over the loving note she left on the coffee pot, reminding him to make a fresh pot when he's done. He briefly considers leaving the pot empty, but doesn't, because despite how annoying his parents are, he does love them. He can hear someone step into the kitchen after him. "Almost done." He dumps his dirty dishes in the sink and moves along.

He doesn't bother changing out of his pajamas as he grabbed the vacuum out of the closet and runs the ancient sweeper over the old-style carpet pattern in the room that he hates stepping into.

He daydreams and sings under the cover of the noise because it helps not thinking about what will fill this room later. "Cleaning the floor… oh yeah cleaning the floor!" He half-assed wound the vacuum cord around the handle and stashed it in the closet, now that his morning tasks are complete and he can leave the stifling room behind for now.

His mother got to his closet again because he can easily find the black suit, still in the plastic wrapper from the cleaners. He's glad that his friends have been lucky. No one from his class has ever needed his family's services, so he doesn't need to be seen dressed up in front of his friends. He's been tying his own ties since he was old enough to wear a real one and wants that knowledge kept secret from Nate and Lee.

He sneers at the strange clean-cut looking teenager in the mirror and grabs the large case from the corner of the room and hauls it downstairs. Thompson is the only one who knows Robbie still plays the cello, though he's pretty sure that the guy will take that secret to the grave. He has to roll his eyes at that thought, considering where he is as he sets up a chair in the corner beside several flower arrangements and away from casket.

"Sweetie, thank you so much for helping out today. I know you'd rather be with your little friends."

"It's fine, Mom. So uh… I forgot to ask who…" He doesn't want to look over at the third person in the room with them. He doesn't want it confirmed, but he trusts his mother not to lie to him. She might baby him, but death has always been serious.

But now he's starting to think he's missed something. Something important. Because now both his parents are standing over him, shielding him from the unknown corpse. He's been ignoring the presence that's been following him since last night. He's gotten good at ignoring them. This one has been kind enough to keep quiet and just watch. He glances down and to the side and does not react when he sees Nate's younger brother standing there, his eyes dead and his head at an unnatural angle. "Wh-what happened?"

"Robbie, he fell down the stairs. It wasn't anyone's fault." His father's hands press into his shoulders and he clutches the neck of his cello for support. He glances down again at the ghost he knew no one else could see.

"I… I need a minute," he mutters in a rush and hears his mother fumble with the forgotten instrument as he runs out the back door. A minute later, he turns to see his dead companion still behind him. "What happened? Really?"

The boy whose name escaped him, Nick? Looks up despite the damage to his neck. "I was running inside. I tripped on the rug. I-I was supposed to be old enough to stay at home alone!" The little dead boy, who couldn't be any older than the Pines twins, flings himself at Robbie.

This isn't the first time ghosts have touched him. They always want to touch him. To talk. Make contact. But he can't refuse his friend's brother, so he hugs the boy back. "I know this is scary. And I know you think you're not done yet. But you can't stay here. It's… it's not good for you or your family. Do you understand?"

"Robbie?"

"Yeah Nicky?" The boy's name pops in his head and he tries not to look when he sees how the boy falls and lands.

"Where am I supposed to go?" He looks so young. Dammit why did he have to lead them to their destinations? What did he ever do to deserve this?

"We have to wait until after the funeral. Then I'll take you to the right path."

The boy sniffles and nods and Robbie quickly breathes and heads back inside. His parents fuss over him, but he reassures them that he'll be fine. He picks up his instrument and finishes tuning as his father greets Nate's dad.

He tries to lose reality in the classical piece he's been playing in this room since he was seven. Nicky sits at his feet and listens intently.

"Robbie?"

"Nate…" Robbie jumps up and grabs his friend, pulling his arms around the taller man. "It's gonna be okay, alright?" He mutters and can feel Nicky's arms wrap around him. Ghosts can touch him, but they have difficulty touching other people. He's started calling this the 'proxy hug'.

"Robbie I… the… the cello… seriously?" He knows Nate doesn't know what else to say, so he takes the lame insult.

"Yeah well, it has its badass moments. Look, just… this won't take too long." He finishes lamely, knowing that there's nothing he can really say to make his friend feel better. He's relieved when Tambry, Wendy and Lee show up and take care of Nate. He makes another lame excuse to get back to the music and does his best to shut out everyone else.

He knows the ceremony by heart and for once begs off of driving the hearse this time; which used to be the only enjoyable part of any funeral procession. Instead, he finds himself in the back seat of Thompson's mother's car with Tambry and Wendy.

"You were really good, Robbie." Wendy and Tambry ask him questions about his playing and he answers them, trying not to think about the ghost kid sitting in his lap.

"After the church is the graveyard. You guys should stick close to Nate. That's usually the hard part," he mumbles to nodding heads.

The church funeral was long, but by noon they were at the graveyard. Robbie separated himself from his friends and family and gestured for Nicky to follow him behind one of the older mausoleums. "Alright, Nicky. Thanks for being quiet. But we don't have much time. You're going to have to wait by your grave until you get picked up."

"You won't be there with me?" Fear filled the dead child's voice.

"No I… I don't know if I can stay that long," he pokes his head out from behind the stone structure.

"Please Robbie! I don't want to be alone!" Nicky begs, clinging to his jacket.

"Alright! I'll stay, but you have to be quiet until everyone leaves." He leads Nicky by the hand back to the crowd of mourners. He holds onto Nicky's hand tightly as the casket is lowered. No one notices him and for that, he is grateful.

He gives a lame excuse about having more things to do and his friends believe him. They go back to the church hall for a pithy lunch of casseroles and tears. Robbie waits until the hole is filled with fresh earth. He and Nicky are alone now, sitting in the grass in front of the fresh dirt.

"Okay Nicky, your ride will be here soon. Be good because he usually doesn't take any sh-crap." He pulls his wallet out of his pocket and finds two pennies and sets them on top of the polished marble. "Don't touch those, they aren't for you. It's kind of like… cab fare."

Nicky listens and nods.

"I don't know where you go after you get picked up, but… I'm sure you'll be fine." Robbie babbles, not knowing what else to say to the kid. He's been doing this for years, ever since his grandmother passed when he was eight and her ghost taught him what to do.

A bright flash in the air opens a tear hovering into space. Robbie quickly stands up and gestures for Nicky to do the same. A dark figure steps up to Robbie, who quickly points to the pennies on the grave. As the payment is collected, Robbie ruffles Nicky's hair. "Be good for him. He'll take care of you."

"Bye Robbie." Nicky hugs him again and then takes Death's hand.

Robbie drops down into the grass, hating the way that the graveyard feels more like home than the house he grew up in. He hates that he can't talk about this without somehow forgetting and then remembering again when another ghost shows up in his room at night.

His phone vibrates and he sees Tambry's text. "Where R U?"

He smiles as he types a reply. "Finishing up chores. Hang out later?"

Robbie gets up and heads back home, where his mom will ignore the grass and dirt stains on his suit and just get it cleaned for next time. By now he's sure they suspect, but they've never said a word. Whenever he returns from the graveyard, they just smile and hug him and tell him they love him.

For now, at least, it is still Robbie's secret. And he plans on taking it to the grave again and again and again until it's his turn to need a guide.