Disclaimer: I don't own Radio Free Roscoe or any of its characters. I am however the creative genius behind Alexandra (Alex) Strong, not to be confused with Alexandria Hicks, who is nicknamed Alex as well, who belongs to Infinity86. I don't own the Canadian TV show 15/Love either.

Author's Notes: As always, thanks to the readers! Whether you review or not, thanks for taking the time out to read this bad boy. I'll get back to my other fics eventually but this one's my current focus.

MissDelight, thanks for helping me out with the Rolex fight. You're the perfect Robbie to my Alex!

Time To Stand Alone
Chapter 3: The Revelations

The packing was coming along nicely. The little red suitcase was ready and Alex was stuffing her duffel bag with her workout gear and her sneakers. She wasn't about to lose focus again. She glanced at the shoebox on her bed. She had returned all the items in it earlier except for the wristband, which she was wearing, but had left it sitting there while she was packing. She decided to pick it up and put it under her desk next to her laptop carrying case. Then she went back to her packing. Once she was finished with her duffel bag, she placed it next to her suitcase then reached for her bag full of tennis racquets and placed it on the floor between her suitcase and her duffel bag.

An hour after she first began her packing, she was finally done with it. She plopped onto her bed but before she could get comfortable, a knock on her door caused her to have to get and check out its source. She opened the door and saw the last person she expected to see at her bedroom door.

"Robbie?" she said softly, concealing most of her shock, "What are you doing here?"

"I need to talk to you," Robbie replied with a slightly trembling voice.

Without saying a word, Alex let him into her room, where he sat on his desk chair while she sat on her bed.

"So why are you here?" Alex asked with a slight edge to her tone, "I'm in the middle of packing for Nationals. We're leaving early tomorrow."

"I didn't know where to go," Robbie explained in a tiny voice, "You're the only one I can talk to."

Alex scoffed. We've hardly spoken ever since that night you did inventory with Kim. You think you got everyone fooled, huh? Not me. "Me? I'm the one who has hardly spoken to you in last, what, two months? Even Ray would be more helpful!"

"We've both been busy but I still trust you with my secrets. We're best friends."

"Well, whatever it is, it can't be that bad!"

"I was seeing this girl, but she wants us to be more open with each other and everyone at school…and when I said I couldn't, she ran into River Pierce's arms."

After a moment of silence, Alex said with a short laugh, "You better dump her then! Sounds like she's going to ruin your life. You're better off without her."

"You wouldn't know! You've never lost the guy of your dreams! You're just a self-involved little jock!" Robbie snapped as he jumped off his seat, "How could you say that? I thought we were best friends, but I guess I was wrong!"

Alex slid off her bed and stood in front of Robbie. She looked up and glared at him angrily as she snapped back, "How can you say that I'm the only one you can talk to when I've only just heard of this girl of your dreams tonight, after you've potentially screwed things up with her? Is that what you think I'm good for, picking up the pieces of your pathetic little broken heart?"

Robbie stared coldly at Alex. She was giving him such a look of hate, and he knew she was getting one back. "No. That's not what I think you're good for," he spat, crossing his arms tightly. "I just thought I'd come talk to a friend who I figured would understand me. I guess I was wrong."

"How can you expect me to understand anything if you've been so secretive?" The look of hate melted slightly, and in Alex's eyes shone a subtle hint of hurt and sadness. "Do you just expect me to be able to fix everything?"

Robbie looked into her green eyes that were slowly filling with tears. She began shaking her head and he wrung his hands. "Alex, I'm sorry. I didn't mean for it to sound like that..."

"No! I'm sick of it!" Alex yelled out forcefully, "I'm sick of being second place! Always second place to loves of your life...Eve...Judy...Sidney...and Kim." She said the last name quietly, waiting for a reaction.

He froze as she said Kim's name. "How did you know?" He had made sure everything was hidden.

"Did you think I wasn't going to find out? How stupid and blind do you think I am?" Alex said with a hint of disgust, "I was walking home from Cynthia Miller's the night you were doing inventory with her and I saw you kissing through the window. I was in the hall when you kissed her in the Cougar Radio booth. I was at the Spirit Dance and I saw you two dancing but then I left. It's just so blatantly obvious."

Robbie winced, hating that she was the one that found out. He knew she would react so negatively to Kim. "Did you tell anyone?"

Alex shook her head. She didn't say another word. She didn't want to reveal that the reason she didn't say anything was because she felt it meant she would have to admit she was jealous. Her expression remained cold but in her eyes, the anger completely melted away and was replaced with sadness. She turned away from Robbie and stood at the window.

"What did you mean by 'second place'?" That statement she'd made had puzzled him. It's not like she cared about him like that...did she?

"It doesn't matter," Alex replied dejectedly, "I'm leaving Roscoe." She wasn't entirely sure she was actually going but she wanted to hurt Robbie somehow, and she thought that the announcement might have the desired effect.

"What?" He waited for this news to sink in before speaking. He walked up behind her and stood there, fists jammed into his jean pockets. "Where are you going, Alex?"

"BC...I'm going to Cascadia, the big shot tennis academy, with the other 'self-involved jocks'." She turned to face Robbie after she finished speaking.

"I didn't mean that," he said angrily then he watched her roll her eyes. "I'm sorry, okay?" She nodded wordlessly and they stood in silence for a moment. Robbie was getting over the shock. "BC? That's a long way from Roscoe, Alex."

"It's something I should have done instead of coming here," Alex stated, letting her guard down slightly as the earlier fight became temporarily forgotten, "I made a promise." She glanced at the red wristband on her left wrist, traced the monogrammed A with her right pointer finger and sighed.

"A promise? To who?" Robbie asked. Alex's eyes filled with tears again and he sighed. "I'm sorry. You don't have to tell me." He struggled to find words. "It's just..."

Alex looked up at Robbie, confused. "What is it?" She managed to blink most of the tears away but a stray one fell down her left cheek and she lazily brushed it off.

He stared at her for a moment before walking closer and enveloping her in a hug. "I just don't want to lose you, Alex," Robbie said quietly. He felt her silently crying against him and hugged her tighter. "You're one of my best friends...Roscoe wouldn't be the same without you."

Not wanting to feel too comfortable in his arms, Alex pulled away and sighed. "Thanks, Robbie…listen, could you do me a favor?"

He smiled at her weakly. "Anything."

"Could you not tell anyone about Cascadia? I want to make the big announcement myself."

He set a hand gently on her shoulder, nodding. "Of course." She smiled at him, her cheeks slightly shiny from the tears. "When are you going to break it to everyone?"

"After I get back from Ottawa sometime at the end of next week...gotta deal with the Nationals right now." An exhausted sigh escaped her lips as she plopped onto her bed. Looking up at Robbie, she added in a tiny yet sincere voice, "I didn't mean it about Kim. I was just hurt you didn't confide in me, that's all. If you really believe she's worth fighting for, then fight. Don't stay on the sidelines like I did."

"What do you mean?" he asked. Stay on the sidelines? "Who would give up a girl like you?"

Alex chuckled lightly. "It's not important. Just don't let a little competition get in your way."

"Right." He smiled at her, completely forgetting what she'd just said. He bent down and hugged her again. "Thanks, Alex!"

A faint sound of a door slamming shut and a soft yell of her name caused Alex to pull away. She glanced at her clock over her desk and muttered, "7:45? I thought the concert wasn't over 'til 9. What's Travis doing here so early? I thought he'd be out with Bridget all night."

Before they knew it, Travis burst into the room and said, "I just made a total fool out of myself, Alex!" He looked around and noticed that his cousin was not alone. He hadn't noticed Robbie's shoes by the entryway and frowned. "Am I interrupting something?" he added, confused.

Robbie let go of Alex and blushed deeply. "No, Trav...you aren't. I was just talking to Alex about..." His eyes travelled to her open luggage. "Ottawa, and the Nationals she's competing in."

"Yeah, he's wishing me good luck and whatnot. I guess after No Man's Land, the concert wasn't that great because he came to visit." Alex chuckled.

Robbie laughed as well, hoping Travis didn't see through their quick cover up.

Travis seemed agitated so Alex added, "Listen, kiddo, Robbie was just leaving. We'll talk more about your foolish behavior, okay?"

"Yeah, I was just leaving," Robbie said, smiling nervously

"All right," Travis replied with a sigh.

Robbie watched the younger of the Strong cousins walk out of the room, seemingly distraught and turned to Alex. "You know my number if you need to talk, A."

"Don't forget what I said about competition, Robb!" she replied mischievously, knowing the story behind the nickname.

He gave her a stern look. "Shut up," Robbie joked, poking her side. She ran into a fit of giggles and he laughed at her.

"I'll walk you to the door, Curly!" she said between fits of giggles.

He laughed at this, jumping in front of her and grinning mischievously at her before tickling her like crazy. "Ha ha!"

"Or not." In self-defense, Alex initiated a full-out pillow fight and squealed in delight as she pounded a bright red pillow onto his head.

"Hey!" he yelled, grabbing a deep purple pillow and hitting her so hard, that she fell over onto the floor. He jumped down and kneeled beside her. "Who's laughing now?"

Travis couldn't help but feel jealous of what was going on above him. Had Robbie and Alex finally hooked up? He never understood why they didn't get together. While he needed his cousin, he wasn't sure she was going to get her wisdom and advice anytime soon. He plopped onto the couch and watched the Gandhi documentary he taped for himself earlier that week.