She snapped the phone closed again with an aggravated yet sad sigh.
That had to have been the twentieth time she'd tried, and there was still no answer. She wondered where he was, what he was doing. She wondered if he was ok. She WORRIED if he was ok. With everything going on, she wouldn't put it past whoever it was to go after him. It was just a matter of time before someone close to her got hurt, after all.
"If you snap that phone closed one more time, I think it might snap in half." Sarah joked. Robby turned towards the other girl but didn't really register anything she was saying. She was too distracted by everything that was going on and what everything meant.
"Sorry." she whispered finally when her eyes had finally focused. "I'm just...out of it."
She didn't think there was a better way to describe.
"Anyway, like I was saying before you had to call him again," Sarah teased, "Caleb says we have to make this trip snappy. He said find a pair of dresses and some shoes and get out again. He said our appearence at the dance has to look real so Chase won't suspect any different. But he doesn't want us gone long enough for him to worry so we can't spend hours and hours looking."
It was weird to think Sarah knew all about their...situation. Every time she heard something about it come out of Sarah's mouth, she felt like she was going to have a heart attack. She guessed it was because of all the training she had put herself through through the years. She had trained herself not to think or talk about the powers of the Covenant when in the company of others. That way, at least when she was younger, she had less of a chance of spilling the beans on accident. It just made life a lot easier when she didn't have to worry about what would happen if she let it slip.
So she hadn't really shaken the habbit and it showed through whenever Sarah mentioned something about Chase.
"Get the dresses." she repeated absentmindedly. "Right."
"Ok. I guess I'll be doing the shopping for the both of us. But you have to at least try on everything I give you." Sarah pointed a finger towards Robby, her eyebrows raised in a serious expression that said 'you better do everything I say' and Robby almost laughed. It was comical to see Sarah, of all people, trying to be serious and commanding.
"Fine." she agreed, a little bit of exasperation showing through. "I have to be back in like two hours though because I promised Aaron I would help him sort out his tux."
"I don't see why you hang around with that guy." Sarah cut her off before she could say anything else. "I mean, he's mean and just down right perverted." Robby was suddenly remined of the reason why she hadn't liked Sarah when she first met her. The girl seemed judgmental on a certain level and it bugged Robby to death.
"He's not that bad, Sarah." she snapped. Her voice was more clipped then she had wanted it to be but she could help that now. "You have to get to know him. He only acts like an ass around his groupies and Kira. Any other time he's an okay person."
"Are you sure he doesn't like you?" Sarah questioned. She was skimming through a rack of dresses now. "I bet he only acts so nice when he's around you and I also bet it's because he likes you."
"You're funny, Sarah." Robby said drily. She didn't bother with getting upset over Sarah's comment. She had heard it from everyone else before. It was nothing new. "He's like my brother and he knows that. The day Aaron makes a pass at me or admits his undieing love for me is the day hell freezes over."
"Hell should freeze over right about now then." Sarah joked as Robby rolled her eyes.
"Let's just find these dresses, shall we?" Robby asked, her eyebrows raised.
She watched as Sarah's expression seemed to fall and then she was turning, her hands gripping at random dresses. She was pulling through them but wasn't seeing them.
Maybe it wasn't Sarah that irritated her. Maybe it was everything that irritated her. Maybe it was the situation that irritated her.
Erich hadn't called her so she couldn't tell him about the dance. Pogue was avoiding her like the plague after his little confession. Reid hadn't stopped by to see her and neither had Tyler. Aaron had been busy lately with Kira and plans for his own night at the dance, and Kate had never really liked her. On her end of the stick it looked like she had been abandoned and she couldn't help but think it was true.
She just kept telling herself it was for the best. She kept telling herself that this way, no one would get hurt if they happened to be near her when something bad happened. Even one of the guys.
But the other side of her also had to wondered why everyone had disappeared when she needed them most. Hadn't it been Erich, a week ago, that had held her in his arms and told her he would always be there? And yet here she was, alone. How did that work out? She wondered. She had just gotten herself convinced she didn't love Pogue anymore and that this new found stranger was her new air supply, and then he disappeared.
"Sarah," Robby called softly, even she could hear the hitch in her voice and she wished it would go away, "I'm sorry." she said finally. "For snapping at you and everything. I guess I'm just so irritated and angry and upset about this whole thing. I didn't meant to take it out on you."
"Don't worry about it." was Sarah's reply from the other side of the rack. Robby could hear the smile in her voice and it made her feel a little better. "I can take a mood swing every once in a while. I'm a girl after all." Robby gave a snort of agreement and laughter before turning her attention back to the dresses again.
Maybe he would call. Maybe he wouldn't. But she had to focus on the now, right?
"You're buying that one. I don't care what you say." Sarah said an hour later.
Robby turned up a lip and scrunched her nose, an obvious look of distaste.
"Sarah," she started to say in a pleading voice but was cut off.
"I don't care." Sarah snapped playfully as she ran her hand down the red material.
"It ruffles too much in the middle." Robby protested, her own hand skimming down it to try and prove her point.
"No it doesn't." was Sarah's quick reply. The smile on the blonde's face was wide and it made Robby huff with annoyance.
"I don't see how you think I can do this, Sarah." Robby went on, turning her back on the mirror and her own bruised and battered reflection. "Have you seen my arms? It looks like I've taken a very intense beating, which I have, but that's not the point. Do you think people want to see my disgusting bruises at a dance that's supposed to be magical? I bet I'll scare away all the tiny little freshman."
Robby was wondering if she was even getting her arguement across to the other girl. Sarah still looked way too happy and over eager at the fact Robby was in a dress.
"You look fine. No one will care about the bruises. The fact that you show up is all that's going to matter." Sarah tried to convince her. "Is that your phone or mine?" she said a few seconds later, her brow knitted together as she tried to listen to the ring tone blaring from one of their pockets.
I'm forever blowing bubbles pretty bubles in the air they fly so high they reach the sky and like my dreams they fade and die
"Mine." Robby whispered as she looked towards the dressing room. Her dark wash jeans were laid carelessly on a stool and her phone was in her pocket, but she made no move to get it.
"You think it's Erich?" Sarah asked as she moved towards it, her dress rustling with the movement.
"I don't know." Robby said hurriedly. "You check." she held her breath though, as soon as the words escaped, and watched as Sarah ruffled around in her jeans.
"No." Sarah said sadly, shaking her head. "It's a text from Tyler." Sarah moved back out of the dressing room, her arm outstretched to give Robby her phone.
Robby's heart gave a few painful thuds in her chest before slowly dieing back down into a normal beat. She could feel her blush of embarassment and disappointment as she flipped the phone open.
Meeting tonight at 7.
Be there.
We have to go over the plans some more.
She exited the message to look at her phone's clock and gave another sigh, this one full of annoyance.
"I have to go meet the guys. We're going over plans again." she told Sarah. She knew she didn't have to say anymore as she moved into the dressing room and closed the door.
"Ok. Well, leave the dress with me and I'll go ahead and buy it with your cash, okay?" Sarah said through the door. Robby was at least hoping to get out of having to wear the dress but it looked like Sarah had other plans and smart ones too.
"Fine." she said back, her tone as emotionless as she could make it but somehow she knew Sarah was still smiling on the other side of the door.
"So can we just get this over with?" Robby snapped as she made her way down the stairs of the colony house thirty minutes later.
"What's your problem?" Tyler questioned back from his stone seat next to Reid. Robby hoped the glare she sent him was enough to answer his question.
"You. You're all my problem." she muttered darkly as she slumped into her chair and crossed her legs.
"Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed." Reid snapped back, his blue eyes cold.
"Oh, you mean my bed at Aaron's? No, actually, I quite like it there. No Bitches of Ipswich, no aruging, no Using, no problems." she snapped back. Aaron had made up that name specifically for the Sons and Robby figured it was a perfect time to use it.
"You're getting bitter on us right NOW?" Caleb asked, his voice incredulous.
"No. No one's bitter. Let's just get on with us, okay? That way tomorrow comes faster and we can actually figure out which one of us is going to die."
The room fell silent as four pairs of eyes snapped to Robby. She could feel them all drilling into her as she stared into the fire. She knew she shouldn't have said it but for some reason she didn't feel guilty. She felt like it had to be said, that someone had so say it. And since none of them had, that only left her to do the job.
"No one's going to die." Caleb said firmly. "Not if we stick to the plan."
"Which we should go over right now." Pogue said sternly. They were his first words all night and they made a difference. Everyone seemed to snap to attention and finally get with program.
"Right. So, I'm supposed to be meeting Chase at the Putnam Barn at eleven. Right before I ascend."
"Wait. Back up for just a second." Robby interupted. "How do you know that? No one's actually told me." she glared around at the group again before turning to Caleb for an answer.
"He had Sarah under a spell a week ago when you were in the hospital. He tricked me and then threatened me with your lives." was Caleb's curt answer. He said it so casually, as if it was an every day happening.
"Oh, right. And no one ever thought to tell me about this fucking incident?" Robby asked calmly. She was actually angry now, not just irritated.
"We didn't want to worry you." Tyler put in with a shrug of his shoulders.
"Oh, I see. You didn't want to worry me even though I'm as much a part of this Covenant as any of your are. I bet Sarah knows more about it then me right now!" she leaned forward to rest her elbows on her knees like the rest of them so she could focus on the fire in front of her again.
"Now's not the time." Caleb snapped.
"Sure, sure. Now's not the time. I get it Caleb." her tone was icy as she leaned back again to take in the whole group. "I mean, I'm sure we'll all live through tomorrow so we can talk about it some other time."
"We WILL all live through it." Caleb tried to sound stern but to Robby it sounded like he was trying to convince himself more then anyone else.
Even he's not sure about it, she thought darkly.
"As I was saying," Caleb went on again as he glared at Robby, "I'm supposed to meet Chase at the Barn at eleven. So I'm going to leave before you guys. But you guys need to hang out there for a little while longer so he doesn't get suspicious. Then when the four of you get there we can take him down. I'm thinking we should come at him from all different sides and hit him with as much power as we can."
"And Sarah?" Reid asked, his hands folded in front of him.
"She'll stay at the dance with Kate. At least they'll be a little safer together and in public." Caleb answered before he let out a sigh. The other four members of the Covenant could tell he was worried but none of them offered any comforting words because there were none.
Anything was possible when it came to the magic, that had been proved, which meant there wasn't really any knowing what was going to happen. There was only hope that things would go the way they wanted them to so they could end.
Robby slowly rose from her chair, her dark eyes focused on the concrete floor as she moved towards the stairs.
"Where are you going?" Tyler called out.
"Away from you guys." she muttered quietly before turning to answer him properly. "We're done here aren't we?" she asked. "I'm going to Aaron's. I promised him I'd help him with his tux. And unlike you guys, he's actually been here for me when I needed him the most. He didn't just run off and hide."
She hoped they didn't see the tears stinging at her eyes or the betrayal that was hidden under them. She hoped they didn't catch on to just how hurt she was that they had abandoned her.
"That's not fair, Robby." Reid said sternly. He looked as if he wanted to say something else but nothing else came.
"Oh, it's not? No, you know what's not fair? I'm the one with the stiches in her stomach. I'm the one with the battered arms and the black eye. What have you guys got? I never once complained about it either. I was fine with taking the brunt of Chase's anger. All I asked of you guys was to be there for me and where are you? With your girlfriends?" she shot a brief glare in Pogue and Caleb's direction before turning to Reid and Tyler. "Playing pool?"
Tyler made a move to get up and his mouth started to move but Robby turned. "No. It's ok. I'm just going to leave. Maybe this time I won't get the shit beat out of me."
She drug her feet the rest of the way to the stairs before getting a tight grip on the banister and pulling herself up, hot tears still stinging at her eyes.
Erich blinked and blinked again, the image that had been in front of his eyes seconds ago disappearing to reveal is grubby hotel room.
It was finally happening. He finally had her right where he wanted her, broken, abandoned, and completely hopeless. It was panning out quite nicely, actually. He had to at least admit that he was doing a good job. He figured he could do with a little self praise anyway.
He had been doing more then his share of meddling during the past week. Ever since the hospital he had put one of the final stages of his plan in motion. His goal was to isolate her, make her feel hopeless and vulnerable. And unexpecting. She was so concentrated on her issues with the Sons and Pogue's admission of love for her that she was hardly remebering the real threat anymore. She wasn't paying attention.
He had given all four of the Sons his own little dose of bad luck. Broken cars and bikes, dead cell phones, jammed doors. Anything to keep all four of them from visiting with her. Pogue's little visit had been a complete slip up on his part but it didn't seem to be making a difference. Everything seemed to be on schedule still.
He almost felt like a villian in one of the Batman movies. Should he be cackling? He wondered with amusment.
Now all that was left was for the Sons and Daughter to get to the Barn and focus all their attention on stopping Chase (which he would help out with a little) so he could set up his trap. He was finally going to get his hands on Robby and really get down to business.
It wouldn't be long now before he got at least one of the Sons' powers.
Not long now at all.
Author's Note: So Erich's really getting nasty isn't he? Screwing with Robby's relationships with the Sons and everything. Wonder how it's going to work out...Of course I know, but you guys don't yet. So look for the next chapter.