I followed Robbie out of the station.

"Dude! What the hell are you thinking?!" I was running to keep up.

"You were in there. You heard what she said." This was so messed up. Robbie usually has the coolest temper out of all of us...and now he just exploded at Lily.

"Yeah. What she said was the truth."

"The truth! Whose side are you on?" He exclaimed.

"I don't even know you anymore, Robbie! How am I supposed to be on your side?"

"What?" He asked, confused. "What I said was true!"

"No...what you said was just marsh!"

"Marsh?" He slowed down, breathing hard and looked back at me. At least he stopped running.

"Mean...and harsh." Finally Robbie cracked a smile. I knew yelling wasn't going to get us anywhere. So I tried a different approach, even though I was still angry. "Lily's been our friend since we were all in diapers." I began, taking Robbie's role of being semi-sentimental. The mushy sweet past stuff always got to him. "She's just been noticing how you were acting. You weren't even talking to us so how were we supposed to know why?" I'm not sure if it made sense, but...whatever.

"Bro...you're right. But still - I'm changing. RFR's about finding ourselves. That's what I'm trying to do. Like how Travis became Miss C or how Lily changed her look for awhile or how you wanted to join the soccer team to fit in." He said, trying to make me understand.

"Yeah but we all went back to our old selves. Lily stopped trying to impress Lee Johns and Travis went back to Smog and I ended up doing what I wanted. Not what my dad wanted."

"Maybe this is what I want." He said. I realized that I didn't know Robbie anymore. This guy standing in front of me didn't seem like the guy that I talked to every day...the guy who gave us cheesy lectures....the guy who always knew what he wanted and what he needed to get there. This Robbie was one I didn't know. And I don't think I wanted to get to know him. Everything was so confusing. I just pushed those thoughts to the back of my head and tried to keep my thinking simple.

"Whatever, bro. I'm going back to the station." Maybe things would work themselves out. I was never good with conflict anyway.

"Hey...I'll talk to you tonight okay?" Robbie called back. Things wouldn't work themselves out. Robbie would work them out. I smirked.

"'Kay." I yelled back. I got to the warehouse and went down the steps but suddenly stopped, looking through one of the windows. It was Travis...and Lily...but they were touching! It took me a minute to figure it out but then I realized that they were hugging each other! Travis' hands were on her back and her head was on her shoulder. I was revolted. I was ready to turn on my best friend for Lily's sake and here she was, hugging Travis! The calm, slightly cool me was done with. I flew down those stairs and opened the door. It slammed loudly against the wall.

"So, Lily...this is what...I left the station for...and you two..." I couldn't find the words to make the right sentences. So much was going on in my head.

"Ray! What are you talking about? Travis and I were just..."

"Just making out! Look, Ray's gone, lets hook up!" I mocked.

"Ray, that's not how it is!" Travis said calmly.

"Oh really? Then how is it?" I yelled. Then I turned to Lily. "I almost got into a fist fight with my best friend because he called you a bitch and this is what you do to me?"

"Ray..." There was a painful note in her voice. "Listen!"

"I don't want to listen to you guys any more. I don't even want to see you." I said as I went out the door, taking special note to slam it extra hard on the way out. I practically ran into my house and up to my room. I dialed Robbie's number. We were in sort of a fight, I knew, but who else was I going to talk to about Lily cheating on my with Travis - my mom?

"Hello?"

"Robbie. It's Ray."

"Uh...hey. I thought you were going back to the station." He was obviously confused.

"I did. Guess what I saw."

"Don't know. Tell me."

"Lily. And Travis-"

"No way!" He said sarcastically, laughing.

"Dude, shut up. This isn't funny!" He immediately stopped laughing.

"Okay. What happened?"

"They were making out!"

"Nuh uh!" He said in disbelief.

"Basically. Yes."

"Whoa. I never thought that Lily liked him like that..." He pondered that for a minute.

"Sorry, bro."

"Hey, you know what...I've been let down by Lily a million times before. So I should be used to it right?" I didn't wait for him to answer. "But this time...I thought it was different. I guess it wasn't." We both didn't talk for awhile, and then Robbie said

"Well I guess I'm not the only one who is changing."

"Yeah." I sighed. "Guess not."

"I have to go pretty soon. Judy and I are going on a date."


"Oh. You know, Robbie," I said, swallowing hard, "I think Lily's mad because Judy is interfering with RFR."

"Yeah. I guess she has taken up alot of my time. Okay. I promise you guys that she won't interfere anymore. And Lily...she doesn't even understand. She's mad about how I'm dressing, too, isn't she?"

"Yeah." I say. Its painful to even talk about her.

"Clothes don't mean anything. If Radio Free Roscoe and Judy don't interfere anymore, she shouldn't care about what I'm wearing either."


"Yeah." I say again.

"I'll talk to you later. Sorry about the Lily thing. I can't believe her lately."

"Me either. Later." I say as I hang up the phone. As cliché as it may sound, it feels like everyone is changing around me. Robbie...Travis...I wince...Lily. I punch the bed. Love really does bite.