Disclaimer: All characters, etc., belong to their owners...yep...just wrote this story here.
Chapter 6: C'est La Vie?
Rob sat on the steps outside of the school. The jacket from his suit was crumpled in his lap. All he wanted to do was crawl into a hole and die. He sat there beating himself up for everything. It had been too good to be true. He should have realized that. No, he had to look at it as a miracle, and that was why he sat alone, broken hearted.
The rest of his friends were still inside dancing. None of them knew what happened yet. He wished it could stay that way. They'd try to make it better, but sometimes that only made it worse because even though they were just trying to be kind, they'd just remind you of that moment by trying to make you feel better about it. The moment when your world comes crashing down.
Why did he even think that Lucy Kramer would be interested in him? He'd seen her at Drake's gigs because her brother played the drums in the band. She was always with Todd. Evidently, nothing could separate them. Not even the fact that Lucy had a different date.
Rob felt like an idiot. She had said it would be one dance with her ex. It would be fine. Well, the dance turned into a kiss, which turned into making out right there on the dance floor. Rob had run from the gym and outside the school. He had no idea where to go or what to do. The rest of his friends would wonder where he was if he left, but he didn't feel like he could stay there.
He buried his head in his arms. The girl he'd had a crush on for years had hurt him. He couldn't stand it. How did anybody do that to another person? He sighed. He'd never been burned this badly by a girl. Maybe because they hadn't been his crushes as long. He didn't know the reason. He just wanted to go home. Suddenly, he felt a hand on his shoulder. He glanced up to see Christine.
"Are you all right?" she asked.
"I don't know," he replied.
"Do you want to go home?"
"Maybe."
"It's your senior year. You can go home now or spend the rest of the night with your friends and have your court dance." Rob had gotten on court that year, just as predicted. He wasn't king, but he didn't care. Actually, he didn't even care that he was on court right now. Nothing really mattered right now.
"It doesn't matter," he said.
"Rob. You don't want to act like that. You still have your court dance. I know you can find a partner."
"What's wrong with me?"
Christine looked startled.
"What do you mean?"
"Is there something about me that turns a girl off? Honestly, I can't seem to catch a break."
"Rob. There's nothing wrong with you. You're a nice guy, and people can take advantage of that when you're not careful."
"Then there's no use in falling in love is there? You and Drake even...I'm sorry."
"Don't worry about it. And that has nothing to do with here and now. I know it hurts to have the person you care about off with another person. Before Drake and I became a couple, I was dating a guy in San Francisco. He dumped me with a text message. I found out he wanted another girl."
"Didn't that hurt? Didn't it tear you apart?"
"Well, it did hurt for a time. I felt like there was something wrong with me, but when Drake and everyone else who cared about me saw that something was wrong, they tried to make me feel better. Then you realize, you have friends. So it's not something that's wrong with you. The person that hurt you just doesn't realize quite what they're going to miss. You have a lot of friends, Rob. You're going to be fine."
"Maybe," Rob replied. "It's just...I can't...ah, she just hurt me so bad."
"The pain won't end that quickly, but in a little while, you'll feel a lot better. And then sometimes you find that love is where you least expect it."
"Maybe I should go find a partner for the court dance," said Rob.
"I think that's a good idea," Christine smiled.
Rob woke up Sunday morning, well, afternoon, slipped out of his sleeping bag, and picked himself up off of Matt's bedroom floor. He'd stayed the night at Matt's house after Homecoming. For some reason, even after talking to Christine, his thoughts hadn't settled. He still hated the feeling in the pit of his stomach. It had been a long night. He had come back into the dance and told his friends what had happened. As he'd suspected, they felt sorry for him. He then had the problem of who he could dance with for the court dance. Caitlyn asked Matt if she could, and Matt said he didn't mind. It worked out all right. Rob just wished things could have gone better with Lucy.
Matt walked into the room to find Rob finally awake.
"Man, you've been sleeping for a long time," Matt said. "Longer than me, and I know I was up longer than you were, but I guess you had the longer night emotionally."
"It's fine," said Rob. "I should probably get home before Drake and Christine wonder where I am."
"Sure," said Matt. Rob gathered the remainder of his things without speaking and headed toward the door. Matt gripped his shoulder. "You know, if you want to talk about it, I'd listen."
"Thanks," Rob replied. "But I don't want to worry too much about it right now."
"Okay," said Matt as he watched Rob head out to his car. He had a feeling there was more to this than Rob was letting on but Matt knew this wasn't a time to argue, so he didn't push it.
Rob slammed the door when he came home. He didn't care either. He'd just had his heart ripped out. He wasn't going to be careful of the little things yet.
"Jeez," said Drake as Rob walked into the kitchen. "Watch you don't break the door. I highly doubt I'd be able to fix it, and it's a Sunday. I won't be able to get anyone to fix it until tomorrow...of course, I could call Josh...hmm..."
"Is the damn door all you care about?" Rob asked.
"That's not what I said," Drake responded, taken a back. "And what is the matter with you?"
"Do you really not know? Or am I not supposed to feel this way? Is that it? I'm supposed to run to the next thing in a skirt?"
"Rob, what are you talking about?"
"How do you not know?"
"Not know what?"
"Where's Christine?" Rob sighed.
"In the living room. Why?"
Rob headed into the living room where Christine was sitting on the sofa with Angela. Angela had her coloring book open and was telling Christine which color she wanted each flower to be, and Angela would color the sky while Christine did that.
"Uh, did you happen to mention what happened last night to Drake?" Rob asked.
"No," Christine replied.
"Why not?"
"Because I didn't know that you wanted him to know. You don't talk about girls much."
"Oh," said Rob. "Did you know about her before?"
"Yes," Christine responded. "I didn't say anything because I knew you didn't want Drake or I to know for some reason."
"Oh," Rob said again. "Uh, thanks...I guess."
"Mommy," said Angela. "You still have to make this one pink."
Rob turned and headed up to his room. He slammed his door and picked up his pillow and threw it at the wall. He stared at the picture of the track team hanging in his room. When he looked at Lucy he no longer saw the beautiful young woman he used to see. Now he saw a girl who just wanted to use who she could to get back with her boyfriend. He picked the picture off his wall. He felt like shattering the glass like his heart had been shattered. But he didn't get that chance because Drake walked into the room.
"Don't you knock?" Rob asked, irritated.
"Don't you know how to close a door properly?" Drake questioned, clearly not in a good mood. "Do you mind telling me what that outburst was in the kitchen?"
"I just...I...I got my heart broken last night, happy?"
"How?"
"Lucy ended up with her old boyfriend and decided not to tell me."
"Oh," said Drake. "I'm sorry."
"I don't want sympathy. I just want the pain to go away."
"It will."
"That's what Christine said, but I'm sorry, she had you."
"As a friend. I was her friend then. We weren't in a romantic relationship at that point."
"That's not what Dad said."
"Rob..." Drake was trying not to lose his patience with the argument and at the mention of his father. "Well, no matter what I personally might have felt then, she knew it was friendship. And that's what will get you through this. Or someone else will come along who does care about you."
"And how do you know that?" Rob asked. "How do you know there's someone else for me? How could you have ever had your heart broken like this to not have someone waiting for you? Christine has always been there for you to go back to."
"No, she hasn't," Drake said. "The first time I was going to tell her how I felt about her, she introduced me to her boyfriend. If anything hurts just as much as what happened to you tonight, it's that."
"And I'm supposed to be just like you, right?"
"Excuse me?"
"Do you know how many people think of me as your brother? I can't just be Rob. I have to be Drake's younger brother. They all expect me to be like you."
"Does everyone else expect that or do you expect that?"
"I...no...I just...I can't be just like you...it just doesn't...ah, I need to be alone."
"Fine," said Drake. "But slamming the door will solve nothing. Hanging out with your friends and family will make you forget about her. Besides, no one expects you to be me. If anything, I'd rather you weren't like me in high school. I'm actually worried about you. You haven't mentioned college in months. I have no idea where you want to go. If you want to go anymore. Rob, think about yourself for a while. Don't give in to what others are saying."
Rob watched Drake walk out of the bedroom. Rob knew it wasn't just himself who thought he was supposed to be like Drake. How many people at school liked him because he was Drake's brother? He had to be his own person. He couldn't be just like Drake. But who was he really?