Chapter 16 – I'm Sorry.
It was Monday evening, Robin and Much walked, in complete silence to Much's house. It was just a few blocks away, but Much was already feeling awkward and angry.
"What did you think you were doing?" Much asked suddenly, "Dating Jessica without telling Marian, not keeping in contact. Didn't you care?"
Robin shot him a sharp look, before sighing sadly, "Of course I care. But it wasn't my choice to get expelled, or to move away. My parent told me I would make new friends, and I did, they convinced me to move on. They thought you'd been the reason I was expelled, a bad influence and all that..." Much opened his mouth to complain, "Them, not me! They got me a new phone, chucking my old one out, phone numbers gone, they said they'd post off letters to you, which I guess they never did. And now, Rein, my older sister, the one you used to have a huge crush on." Robin remembered.
Much smiled slightly, blushing.
"Well she got married, and was expecting a baby, she's living nearby with her husband, and Mum really wanted to be close to see her grandchild grow up. So we came back. And Jessie, Dani and Carter moved up here too, it supposed to be one of the best colleges in the country. I was glad for my friends, and I was so shocked to see you here...I panicked..."
Much looked at the floor, "Sorry, you know, for punching you."
Robin nodded, meeting Much's eye, "I'm sorry too."
XXXX
Not much research went on that evening, it was mostly just catch up.
"What happened, after I left?" Robin asked tentatively.
"Well Marian went slightly into 'hermitism' if that's a word," Much attempted to joke, a sad smile on his face, "She took it badly when you didn't answer her calls and texts, we tried to comfort her, tried to track you down in the phone book. It got better, but she seemed withdrawn, slightly fake; her mum even talked to Will and Djaq, the three of them are best friends, apparently she cried herself to sleep. Sarah, you remember Marian's mum? Well, she thought she might be going into some kind of depression." Much paused, analysing Robin's shocked face, "Sorry i'll...
"No," Robin interrupted, "I need to know..."
"Ok," Much took a deep breath, "Well Marian got steadily better, I even...we went...," Much looked down abruptly, murmuring, "I asked her out for an evening, we had a meal, went to the cinema, she looked brighter than she had for weeks, and we kissed."
Robin was nodding as Much looked up, processing this information, "Carry on," He said hoarsely.
Much gulped, "Well the next day she wouldn't talk to me, I asked Will and he said that she kept randomly chanting 'I'm sorry, I'm sorry...', well I asked her about it and she said she felt so guilty for betraying you, I told her it was nothing, we were just friends, a kiss was nothing, especially when you and her shared something so special...I went to the year 11 prom with Eve, she went alone, well sort of in a three with Will and Djaq, they did it to make her feel better, but she left early. And suddenly the next day she was cheerful again, like she had wiped you from her mind...but could swear she still thought about you..."
"I'll tell her I'm sorry tomorrow, properly, I'll tell you all..".
