The next day the centre was shut for repairs and Robbyn was watching
television with her kangaroo when Joe arrived.
"Do you ever go the work?" he asked, picking up the kangaroo along his way.
"I'm always in work. Unlike you. Do you even have a job?"
He ignored he and examined the toy. "A present from your boyfriend?"
"Zach isn't my boyfriend."
"Like you keep saying. What's it's name? Skippy?"
"No."
"Come on Rob, what sort of self respecting Australian Kangaroo isn't called Skippy?"
"Where else do Kangaroo's come from?"
Joe shrugged and threw her the toy back. "So,what's up? why are you moping around the house and not out partying."
"It's two in the afternoon. Where am I going to party?"
"I don't know. Mom said something's been bothering you."
Robbyn stretched her arms out then sat back again. "Mom always thinks there's something wrong."
"Well I think there is too. So are you going to tell me?"
She shook her head.
"Is it girl stuff? should I get Mom? are you pregnant?"
Robbyn gave Joe the dirtiest look she could muster. "Do I look pregnant to you?"
"Will you hit me if I say yes?"
"Shut up Joe."
"I'm only trying to help."
They lapsed into silence. Joe became interested in the adverts and Robbyn pretended she was. Then after five minutes she turned to Joe and said:
"What do you do if you really like someone, but you can't tell them ?"
"Why can't you tell them?" he asked in reply, trying to sound uninterested.
"Because you don't think they like you. You think there's someone else who can be more to them."
Joe thought for a second. "Find someone else, if they like someone else don't waste your time."
"Oh, right."
It hadn't been what she had wanted to hear and she wasn't sure if it was true.
"This is about Zach isn't it?"
"I don't know what to do Joe."
"Who's the other women he likes?" "Stephanie McMahon." Robbyn said with venom. "She thinks there's something going on and I didn't believe her, I don't, but Zach is just.....he's kissed me, once, he act's like...I don't know."
"What can she give him you can't?"
"Everything."
"Everything?" Joe repeated. "Maybe you should talk to Zach."
"And say what? I'm just going to leave it and..."
"And be miserable?" Joe cut in.
Robbyn stood up. "I'm going to call him."
She played with the phone in her hands, staring at it, turning it over then looking at the buttons. Her fingers itched to dial, but her mind was telling her not to. It was only when Joe shouted up that he was going that Robbyn realised how long she'd been holding it. Finally she took a deep breath and dialled Zach's cellphone. It rang three times before she heard a click.
"Zach?"
"No."
"Stephanie? What are you doing with Zach's phone?"
"Well he asked me to mind his bag while he went down to reception and tried to get the rooms sorted out. There's been a ....mix up."
"What sort of mix up?"
"Well it seems some of the rooms have been double booked, including mine and Zach's." Stephanie said, Robbyn could hear the glee in her voice.
"Doesn't sound like much of a mix up to me?"
"It's not really, but will he believe you if you tell him? After one night with me he'll forget all about you."
"You've got lots of money right?" Robbyn asked.
"Yes."
"Why don't you use it to get therapy!"
She laughed. "Don't be so bitter. You knew you didn't have a chance. You shouldn't even have tried."
"He's not interested in you."
"Really? You don't sound so sure. Let's face it Robbyn, you're just a girl. Why would Zach want you when he could have a women like me? Give up,you gave it your best shot but it's over. He doesn't want you. Isn't it obvious?"
Before she could say anything else Robbyn hung up and hurled the phone across the wall. She picked up her kangaroo and threw it at the door before curling up on her bed and fighting the urge to cry.
"Do you ever go the work?" he asked, picking up the kangaroo along his way.
"I'm always in work. Unlike you. Do you even have a job?"
He ignored he and examined the toy. "A present from your boyfriend?"
"Zach isn't my boyfriend."
"Like you keep saying. What's it's name? Skippy?"
"No."
"Come on Rob, what sort of self respecting Australian Kangaroo isn't called Skippy?"
"Where else do Kangaroo's come from?"
Joe shrugged and threw her the toy back. "So,what's up? why are you moping around the house and not out partying."
"It's two in the afternoon. Where am I going to party?"
"I don't know. Mom said something's been bothering you."
Robbyn stretched her arms out then sat back again. "Mom always thinks there's something wrong."
"Well I think there is too. So are you going to tell me?"
She shook her head.
"Is it girl stuff? should I get Mom? are you pregnant?"
Robbyn gave Joe the dirtiest look she could muster. "Do I look pregnant to you?"
"Will you hit me if I say yes?"
"Shut up Joe."
"I'm only trying to help."
They lapsed into silence. Joe became interested in the adverts and Robbyn pretended she was. Then after five minutes she turned to Joe and said:
"What do you do if you really like someone, but you can't tell them ?"
"Why can't you tell them?" he asked in reply, trying to sound uninterested.
"Because you don't think they like you. You think there's someone else who can be more to them."
Joe thought for a second. "Find someone else, if they like someone else don't waste your time."
"Oh, right."
It hadn't been what she had wanted to hear and she wasn't sure if it was true.
"This is about Zach isn't it?"
"I don't know what to do Joe."
"Who's the other women he likes?" "Stephanie McMahon." Robbyn said with venom. "She thinks there's something going on and I didn't believe her, I don't, but Zach is just.....he's kissed me, once, he act's like...I don't know."
"What can she give him you can't?"
"Everything."
"Everything?" Joe repeated. "Maybe you should talk to Zach."
"And say what? I'm just going to leave it and..."
"And be miserable?" Joe cut in.
Robbyn stood up. "I'm going to call him."
She played with the phone in her hands, staring at it, turning it over then looking at the buttons. Her fingers itched to dial, but her mind was telling her not to. It was only when Joe shouted up that he was going that Robbyn realised how long she'd been holding it. Finally she took a deep breath and dialled Zach's cellphone. It rang three times before she heard a click.
"Zach?"
"No."
"Stephanie? What are you doing with Zach's phone?"
"Well he asked me to mind his bag while he went down to reception and tried to get the rooms sorted out. There's been a ....mix up."
"What sort of mix up?"
"Well it seems some of the rooms have been double booked, including mine and Zach's." Stephanie said, Robbyn could hear the glee in her voice.
"Doesn't sound like much of a mix up to me?"
"It's not really, but will he believe you if you tell him? After one night with me he'll forget all about you."
"You've got lots of money right?" Robbyn asked.
"Yes."
"Why don't you use it to get therapy!"
She laughed. "Don't be so bitter. You knew you didn't have a chance. You shouldn't even have tried."
"He's not interested in you."
"Really? You don't sound so sure. Let's face it Robbyn, you're just a girl. Why would Zach want you when he could have a women like me? Give up,you gave it your best shot but it's over. He doesn't want you. Isn't it obvious?"
Before she could say anything else Robbyn hung up and hurled the phone across the wall. She picked up her kangaroo and threw it at the door before curling up on her bed and fighting the urge to cry.