And here it is! The Rori packed chapter I promised. Please remember to thank MaybeWolf for all the amazing details he adds. When I wrote it, it was blander than watered down mashed potatoes. Thanks to him, it's now a culinary delight. Jonathan 81, thanks for the offer. If I ever need it I'll definitely let you know, but between MaybeWolf and myself, I think we have it under control. And so I present to you, chapter 5.
The night's events seem to fly past, with laughter and bass bouncing from wall to wall throughout the evening. As the party begins to die out, Robbie finds himself watching Tori as she flitters through the room. She's carefully weaving between guests and beginning to collect the debris left over from the night's activities. He peers down at the drink in his hand and takes a final swig, before walking into the kitchen and arming himself with a rubbish bag.
"You know you don't have to stay. I'm just finishing cleaning up." Tori states around an hour later. It's past 1 am and other than herself, Robbie and Rex are the only ones left behind. She's not entirely sure why he's still here, since there's nothing left but the trash that litters her living room. Robbie tosses another bottle into her bag before turning to face her, his thick eyebrows cutting into his nose and catching Tori off guard.
"No way! I can't leave you to clean up this mess by yourself. I mean this was a party for Rex and me, the least we can do is help you clean up." Robbie counters, ignoring the fact that Rex is laying slumped on the couch and watching some random sports show. Tori can't remember seeing Robbie turn on the TV, but shrugs off the troubling thought that he might not have done a thing.
"It was no trouble at all. It's been a while since I've had a good party at my house." Tori states, her shoulders jumping slightly as she shrugs and directs a smile in Robbie's direction. He finds his own lips refusing to comply with his wish to echo her grin. Painful memories drift before his eyes, and Robbie's lips tighten into a thin line instead.
"What's wrong?" Tori asks, as she takes note of the sudden shift in Robbie's mood. His shoulders have tightened, and he carves a solitary figure against the moon's glow. Tori's eyebrows draw together in concern. She's never seen Robbie's mood turn on a dime in this way. It's something she's expect from Cat, but never from him.
"I guess it's just been years since I've been to a party thrown for me, so I'm sad that the night's almost over." Robbie's words spill from his lips and land on the ground like lead. Tori takes a step towards him as reality begins to dawn on her.
"Really? What about your birthday?" Tori phrases it like a question, but really she's just searching for a hole in the sad tale that Robbie's words weave. Robbie's lips quirk for a second, and hope blooms within Tori. She's sure that laughter is about to break through his lips as he tells her about his favorite present from last year.
"Do you still celebrate yours? Aren't we a little old for that?" His barbed words cut through the air, sounding more like something Rex would say. Tori finds herself feeling more than a little deflated at the prospect that Robbie doesn't approve of birthday parties, but it's better than the grim mood that haunted him just now.
"You're never too old to celebrate your birthday." Tori's wounded words swirl around Robbie. Her bottom lip juts out, and threatens to envelop the rest of her mouth as guilt wells up within Robbie. It was his harsh words that extinguished her enthusiasm and he can't hide from that fact.
"Is that really the reason you don't celebrate your birthday anymore?" Tori asks, a moment later, something like optimism shining within her eyes. Robbie heaves a sigh, hating himself for what he's about to say. Telling Tori the tale of his life feels like telling a child there's no Easter Bunny.
"I guess even when I was younger, we didn't really celebrate my birthday. My sister used to tease me that my mother only remembered my birthday because it was such a painful memory for her." Robbie plasters a smile to his lips, hoping that it will dulls the harsh truths that have just left his lips. He's dismayed to find Tori peering into his eyes and directly past the casual front he's trying so desperately to project.
"That's terrible. How could she say that?" Tori finds her throat tightening. She'd always thought that even in saddest of tales, people would have their family to fall back on. Looking upon the boy before her, she realizes that sometimes that's not the case.
"She was just joking, just joking." Robbie mumbles, the ache in his chest returning. The kindness of his friends had managed to dull it, but these painful memories have dragged it to the surface once more.
"I'm so sorry...". Tori finds herself at a loss for words. Tears prick at her eyes, but she steels herself. If Robbie's not crying, the least she can do is hold herself together for his sake. A heavy silence sweeps across the room and suffocates all conversation in its wake. The air hangs heavily between them, and Tori feels more awkward and helpless than she's ever felt before. It's not even Robbie's fault either. Tori just wishes she could say something to make up for all of the painful years he's endured.
Somewhere in the background, a familiar song begins to carve through the silence. Tori's not sure when it started playing, but she's never been happier to hear Forever Baby lilting through the air. Taking a deep breath, Tori realizes that she's got to tell Robbie that they're not going to be doing the play for Rex. She takes a deep breath and hopes that the party was enough for Robbie, and that she's not about to slice another painful memory into his mind.
"Hey Robbie, I've got some bad news. I don't think we're going to be able to do the play as planned." The words skitter from Tori's lips, just barely above a whisper as her eyes fall to the ground. She wishes that she'd never said anything to Robbie about her stupid idea. Feeling a hand on her arm, Tori reluctantly tears her eyes away from the ground. Instead of the frown she'd been expecting. His lips are curled into a tight smile. She peers at the edges of his lips, noticing the cracks lengthening with each passing second.
"Is it because our friends don't want to do it?" He asks nonchalantly, turning away from Tori and returning to cleaning up. He'd never really expected them to go through with it, so the words Tori's so delicately speaking don't hurt as much as he assumes they should.
"You're not surprised?" Tori asks, stepping across the room and looming over Robbie's shoulder. She'd been expecting some kind of reaction, any kind of reaction. She'd be crushed if somebody broke this kind of news to her, but Robbie' is just brushing it off apparently.
"Tori, I've never even had a Birthday party, that my friends would even hold one is enough for me. I don't expect them to put on a full production for me." Robbie's reasons spill from his lips as he turns away from the kitchen counter to face Tori. He tries to keep his lips forced into a smile, but the bitterness slips into his tone. Tori frowns at the slender boy before her, as his voice falls totally out of sync with his smile. Seeing the emotions that Robbie is trying to hide from her makes Tori want to pull him into a big hug.
"Robbie, I care about you. Don't ever think you're alone." Tori states seriously, taking a step toward Robbie and placing her fingers on his shoulder to make sure he doesn't dismiss her words. Never breaking eye contact for even a moment, Tori waited for her words to sink in, only smiling when Robbie's eyes register recognition. As Tori's hands linger on his shoulders, Robbie loses himself in the moment, his false grin fading away.
"That's what makes you special," Before Robbie has a chance to analyze them, he finds the words drifting through his lips and into Tori's ears. The curve in her lips draws a blinding smile to Robbie's lips. Tori marvels at his genuinely brilliant smile, feeling as though Robbie's never looked happier. He's never looked better than right now she muses. Without the stern lines and saddened eyes, she finds her heart kicking within her chest ever so slightly at the sight of Robbie's happiness.
"Awwww, come give Tori a squeeze," Before Robbie can even give his consent, he finds Tori's arms wrapped around the back of his neck. Tentatively, Robbie wraps his arms around Tori and pulls her towards him. The rare moments where he's this close to Tori are ones that hold him together in his darkest moments; she's the glue that holds him together. Tori sinks into the crook of Robbie's neck, forgetting for a moment that friends don't usually hug like this.
"Uhhhh really? C'mon. It's late, I'm tired and I want to go home. Can you please finish up? You'll have plenty of time once I'm gone." Rex's voice cuts through the moment and pulls Tori's mind back into reality. Blinking with a start, Tori straightens her back and slides out of Robbie's grip. As they drift further apart, Tori finds a chill seeping into her bones. Biting down on her bottom lip, she watches as Robbie turns to Rex and gives him a withering stare.
"I guess we should finish cleaning up." Robbie states, his voice coming out scratchy from disuse. He swallows the lump in his throat and turns to begin cleaning again, only to be cut off by Tori's fingers encircling his wrist. Robbie's heart clunks around within his chest as his eyes drift back to Tori. There's a slight blush on her cheeks and she retracts her hand like she's been shocked as Robbie comes to face her again.
"You've done more than enough. Besides, there's not much left at all." She stutters, looking less like herself and more like Robbie. Tori cringes as the words fly past her lips, wondering why her confidence has chosen this moment to abandon her. It's not like she's got anything to worry about. It's just her and Robbie, just her and a good friend. Shaking her head, she tosses troubling thoughts to the back of her mind and takes hold of Robbie again. Gripping his shoulders, she eliminates the source of her nervousness by bustling him towards the door. Robbie's mind seizes as Tori shoves him towards the door, and he just barely takes a hold of Rex as he flies across the room.
"I'll see you Monday." Tori states, closing the door behind herself. Leaning against the door, she heaves a sigh of relief. There's a warmth that lingers within her chest, and she's sure the source of it is currently walking towards his car. She hates that she had to force Robbie to leave, but whatever he's brought about within her is horribly confusing. With this cocktail of baffling emotions, shifting thoughts and teenage hormones coursing through her, Tori's just glad to be alone before she can do anything foolish.
"Was it just me, or did she just kick me out?" Robbie asks Rex, as he straps the wooden boy into his seat. If Tori's thoughts are muddled, then Robbie's are completely in disarray. He could swear that he felt a spark between them, but as soon as it exploded into life, Tori was pushing him towards the door. Rounding the car, Robbie can't bring himself to be disappointed though. When they'd first met, he'd basically had to beg her to touch him, but tonight Tori actually dragged him into a lingering embrace.
"Dude, she definitely kicked you out. Now let's go home." Rex's words kick Robbie out of whatever fantasy he had been lost in, and the boy throws his car into gear. Hurtling towards the empty abyss that's to be his new home, Robbie heaves a sigh. The more things change, the more they stay the same.
There may be a delay in the coming weeks as to how frequently I can update. Diablo 3 is coming out tonight so I wanted to get this out before it completely takes up my time. I'll still try to keep up as much as I can but no promises! Don't forget to drop a review whether you liked it or not. I'm always open to suggestions.
