Chapter 4
"Hey, Robyn," I whispered. "Robyn!"
"What?" she hissed back.
"I am going to very inconspicuously tell you something. But not now, because I am being watched by someone. I forgot his name."
"What's he look like?"
"Curly black hair, big eyes, glasses, long eyelashes, dark tan skin, looks kind of nerdy..."
Robyn's head jerked up. Her head spun around, and she saw the guy. I don't know what she did, but it freaked him out so he looked down. She glared at him for another minute, making sure his eyes stayed down. Then she looked at me, glancing at the librarian.
"His name is Alex Funchess. Royalty used to call him Funchi or Funchess, but now he's Alex again I think; but in my opinion he is, like you said, a nerd. And not a good one," she added. I grinned slightly. I learned that her and some of her friends were nerds (people that are just too smart for the comfort of certain assholes, hence the name-calling because the assholes need to feel powerful). "Why he was staring at you, I have no idea, because the guy already has a damn girlfriend, Amanda, who's a part of the Royalty, of course. His dad works at Apple, so naturally he's rich and has millions of electronic crap like the laptop, new flip phone, iPhone, iPod, iPad, all that iShit. What did you want to tell me?"
"Uh...oh yeah, are you going anywhere for Christmas break?" I said, dropping my voice because the librarian started making her rounds around the library to make sure people were doing their work.
"Yeah; my family always gets together for Christmas. What 'bout you, going back to old minister father and angel mother?" she said, grinning. Her grin melted away as she saw my face. "Y-you're not going back home, are you?"
I shook my head. "My dad wants me to get my grades up and to not be distracted by unimportant things." The bell rang and I angrily slammed my book shut. "The moron wants me to grow up to be a nun! As soon as I'm done with studying in college in theology and God, he wants me to join a convent and be a nun!" My voice was rising, and I felt my cheeks burn as Funchessie and everyone else in the library looked at me. I grabbed my things and ran to the door.
Out in the hallway, I felt a hand on my arm. I turned, expecting Robyn, but it was Funchessie. "Hi. I, uh, I was wondering..."
"Wonder later, Funcheesie!" Robyn's strong voice said as she came up from behind him and pushed him away from me with her elbow. He looked at me with a pathetic expression on his face. I looked back with a cold stare. He quickly looked away, retreating to a tall black girl with short curly hair.
"Who's she?" I asked Robyn, looking over at them. They quickly rounded a corner and were out of sight. "Is she his girlfriend?"
"Nope, that's Angela. I don't know what's going on with them; I think we need to ask a resource. Come on, let's go before dinner," she said, and ran up the stairs. She turned so many times I lost track, and then before I knew what was happening, she was opening the door to the boys' dormitory.
"Robyn! No one's going to be in there!" I said, following her. Peter the classical-music listening guard, wasn't there, so Robyn went right through. I was wrong—everyone that was someone was there. In other words, all the Assholes.
"Hey, Crow, what're you doing here?" Herman said. The guys thought it was funny to call her Crow since she had name like a bird. He was one of those guys on the baseball team, and a towering 6 foot 2 of idiot.
"Shut up and let me through," she said, trying to get past him and his buddies. She didn't even reach their shoulders, and they knew she couldn't do anything. "Let me through."
Herman chuckled...no, actually, the idiot giggled. "Shut up and let me through," he mimicked her.
Robyn stopped and looked at him. While her attention was at him, being used to glare at him with a look that could kill, a guy snuck up next to her and used the cover of a book to lift the back of her skirt.
"Robyn!" I said, and grabbed the book from the guy. I held it in both hands over his head, ready to smack him. He was prepared for the blow, his eyes shut, and I slammed the book down. It hit the table next to him with a crack like thunder.
"Come on, Robyn. Let's just go." I said. Robyn followed me to the door.
"That's right, keep walking! I'm a ho, I'm a bitch, I'm a fucking—"
Robyn and I spun around at the same time. The boy that I threatened with the book, Alfred Josephson, was standing on top of the table, singing in a high pitched voice. He was making really perverted movements, and the other boys were laughing.
"Hey, Josephson," Robyn said, her voice low and hard, "shut up or your voice'll stay like that."
The boys started bellowing out, laughing at us. Robyn put her bag down on the floor. She headed for the table, which could seat two on each of the long sides.
"Hey, what'cha gonna do?" Josephson said. He knew. He knew we were short, that his friends were the toughest boys in the entire school, and he was making her mad on purpose. "Shut up and let me through. Through where?"
Robyn stood there, and then glanced at the door, where I stood. Her eyes were hard, and she moved her chin up a little, her eyes a little wider. I looked behind me and opened the door. Robyn turned back to Josephson. He was being such an asshole, I was amazed Robyn could hold herself from killing him.
Suddenly there was a screech of the table legs sliding across the floor, and then the table collapsed on its side. Josephson fell to the floor with a thud, Robyn let go of the table and jumped over. Landing with her feet on either side of him, she used the momentum of flying over, and thrust her fist out fast and hard. Then she jumped over the table and headed for the door, head high and shoulders back. Josephson was screaming after her, and then he made a big gasp. Then there were a couple squeaks of a sneaker and Robyn quickly went outside and shut the door. We ran down the stairs, and when we reached the bottom, Robyn grabbed my arm and we walked casually past the main office. When we were past, I glanced back and saw no one. Good.
"What'd you do that made him gasp like that?" I said, my heart pounding from the adrenaline.
"Flipped 'im off," Robyn said coolly. I laughed and gave her a high five.
"Oh, wait, didn't we need to go to a resource?" I said, stopping and looking back up the stairs. The boys could be heard yelling around and laughing.
"Forget it," Robyn said, leading me down the last few steps by my arm. "Funcheesie isn't worth us getting detention, right?"
As we were walking to dinner, I noticed there were posters all along the walls in big, round writing, the kind that all of the Royalty had. I stopped in front of one and tried to decipher what it said.
Winter Wonderland Ball!
January 24, Friday
6-11 PM
"A ball?" I said in disbelief.
"Oh, yeah," Robyn said, walking backwards to come next to me. "I forgot about that. Every year they have this big dance that the teachers are supposed to be chaperoning but never do because they're having their own party and pass out from the wine—amateurs," she muttered.
"So...it's like a dance?" I said.
"It is a dance; they just needed it to match winter so they put 'wonderland ball'. Last year it was something like... Frostbite Frenzy." She chuckled. "The teachers actually tried not to pass out as soon, because Kendall's older sister was in charge of organizing it."
"Kendall has an older sister? Jeez, how many are there?" I said.
"Too many." A bell rang. "Come on, let's go eat before we get detention and have to go pray for three hours for being all alone in the boys' side of the school."
I continued the conversation as we headed to the dining room. "So, you go to these?"
"Usually, no." She let out a sigh. "See, the Royalty is in control of the dances, so you know what they'll do—hire DJs and have flashing lights and the crap they call music is up so loud that the whole building shakes. It's boring and you don't do anything but walk around, stuff yourself, and jump up and down, so I don't go."
I nodded. I got that.
"Plus, these kinds of dances—excuse me, balls," she said as we passed a couple of Royalty. She rolled her eyes and made a face at their backs before continuing, "You need a date to get in, otherwise you are marked as a loser and thus an enemy of Royalty—they'll make up whatever shit they need to for you not to go in. But, I mean, I'd rather stay with my bro and Nigel the entire weekend than go to one dance."
But I saw her face when we passed Nathaniel. Hmm.
"I have way too many boys after me."
"You have too many? Excuse me, we go to a school where most of the girls are—
"Completely beautiful!" Aurora exploded.
"—little bitches." Aurora and I looked at Robyn. She shrugged. "I speak the truth."
We were in the dorm, it was Saturday, and it looked like the sky was going through a teenage sulk. Most of the Royalty was in there with us, but we had our little corner and we were seriously trying to get some homework done, but somehow we would always wind up talking.
Suddenly, there was a big boom outside. Some girls cowered together, squealing, "Thunder!" It was a little sad, considering they were around fourteen or fifteen.
"It's a motorcycle!" Robyn bellowed. "God; so pathetic!"
All the girls crowded to the window now that the fear of thunder was gone and there was a 99.99% chance there was a hot guy in a motorcycle come to take them away, like in Love Story or another of Taylor Swift or Hannah Montana's unrealistic songs. There were squeals, but I stayed silent and stared.
There was a teen that had on a black jacket, jeans, and black boots. His black hair was whipped around his face and black sunglasses. And he rode the motorcycle, (a 2009 Black GSX R 600), with utter coolness, like ice.
"He's so hot!" Kendall said. All the other girls agreed, and then they started arguing over him. For the one time in my life, I agreed with Kendall. "Isn't he, like, so hot?" she repeated.
"Uh, yeah, sure," Robyn said as she grabbed her bag, and then ran for the door.
"Where're you going?" Olivia yelled.
"I'm goin' with him," she said with a nod towards the stairs. "Come on, Rusty."
I grinned and kept quiet as I followed her. By the time we reached the door, Kendall and about half the Royalty was following her, trying to get Robyn to remember all the times they were friends, which must've been on another planet, or maybe even another universe.
Robyn's buddy was surrounded by all the girls, them sounding like seagulls and talking all at once. Kendall shut them all up and said, "I'm Kendall," in her most charming way. She looked like all those girls in movies; you know, the typical teenage girl. She had straight hair that wasn't messed up, skinny jeans, a white jacket, a white and grey plaid scarf, and flat shoes, all delicate. I suddenly felt like I should shrink and crawl away. Robyn's buddy talked to the other girls and I slowly backed away.
Then Robyn's buddy had to turn away to professionally kill the engine, and Robyn came up behind me, muttering about the bitches and assholes and that we were supposed to be gone already.
"Rudy!" She said, stopping in the middle of the circle. I shrank behind Kendall.
"Hey Gorgeous," he said.
Kendall giggled and smirked and said, "Hey Handsome."
"Hey, Bitch, leave my brother alone," Robyn said, shoving Kendall with her forearm. Robyn was very violent and physical, I just noticed that. "Rudy, please say that you left your car at the bottom of the hill."
Rudy suddenly wasn't so smooth and cool. He took off his sunglasses hesitantly. "Um...why?" he winced.
"Because for one thing, I only ride my own motorcycle—" I gasped mockingly as all the other girls did at the danger of riding a motorcycle, "—and secondly, I called mom and dad and they said it was fine if I brought a friend home for Christmas break. Didn't they tell you?"
Rudy ran a hand nervously through his hair. "Uh..."
"Don't feel bad, Rudy," Kendall said his name slowly, talking in a tone like she was speaking to a baby instead of a teenage boy. "You can stay here while—"
"Hey, while nothing. Get out of here. This is a private matter, got it? Go chase Danny and the other imbecilic creatures you call boys." The girls dispersed, but not before Kendall smiled dazzlingly at Rudy. She left smirking, walking in a dainty way. "Ay," Robyn sighed, rolling her eyes. "Okay, Rudy, just tell mom and dad that we'll take the ferry."
"Sis, that's expensive, and you're still gonna have to walk about a mile or something to get home," Rudy said.
"It's okay, we'll get—" Robyn stopped when she saw Rudy was looking up over our heads. We turned around and saw that all the girls were pressed against the window, making kissy faces and things like that to Rudy.
"Where's Sister Wendy when you need her?" Robyn said, spinning around. No one was in the courtyard. Robyn made motions that meant if they didn't get the hell away from the window, she'd glue them there. That didn't really work, so Rudy waved at them.
"Don't encourage them!" Robyn said. Rudy had moved away from the motorcycle, so she grabbed his keys and started the motorcycle.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold up! Sis!" Rudy ran to get in front of the motorcycle and grab the handlebars and take the keys out. "Okay. What were you saying?"
"Me and Rusty'll get some money from Nigel." Robyn said.
"You're still seeing Nigel?" Rudy said, his face questionable. Robyn crossed her arms. "No, it's not that, it's just...didn't he move?"
Robyn made a face. "His parents moved. He's living with his brother right now."
"Oh. Right. So, I'll see you guys later?" Rudy said, climbing onto his motorcycle.
"Sure. Hey, can you get some movies on the way home?" Robyn said, shouldering her gym bag. For an answer Rudy grinned and put on his sunglasses. He looked like a young version of Enrique Iglesias. No wonder all the girls were in love with him...myself included. He revved his motorcycle and zoomed down the hill.
"So...I'm guessing you're the older one between you two, right?" I said as we climbed down the hill. How in the world did Aurora make it down this hill in heels? I could barely make it down in flat sneakers.
Robyn scoffed. "Yeah. Well, sort of. Rudy was born five minutes after me."
I stopped. "You're twins?"
"Not the kind of twins that dress up with the same shirt, same expression, same everything; we're not Siamese twins, we're just the twins that were born at the same time. But yeah, we are. Hard to believe, right?"
"Yeah. I thought you were the shorter, older sister. 'Cause he was all...intimidated and everything with you."
"Oh, that wasn't me. That was you. He wouldn't like me to say this—in fact, we'll have a wrestling match at home, probably—but he likes you."
My cheeks burned as I grinned. "Really?"
"Yeah. Who do you think he was talking to when he said Hey Gorgeous? Kendall?" Robyn scoffed. "My brother is not the guy to fall for hoochies; he just gets a little side-tracked, because there are no men, there are only boys, right?" I scoffed and smiled, thinking about my dad. That was one serious boy. "Ookay, now we've got to go to Pier 39 after we've got money from Nigel." Her shoulders slumped. "That means we'll have to—"
"Isn't that Nigel over there?" I said. She turned around and looked where I was pointing. A tall, gangly boy was walking, but some guys were saying things and pushing him.
"Oh, no," Robyn broke into a run, surprisingly fast for her height. She reached Nigel before me, and was saying something to the boys—probably telling them off, the bastards. They left, glaring at Robyn occasionally as she stood protectively in front of Nigel, her shoulders straight and her expression solid like a rock.
"You okay, Nigel?" I said as I reached them. "Guess I missed all the action, huh?"
Nigel smiled, the usual sarcasm and happiness missing. "Sorry, yeah. What're you doing here? I thought you were supposed to be in school."
"Nigel, it's Saturday. Come on, man, you drunk?" Robyn said, playfully giving his shoulder a rough nudge. Nigel grinned a little like he used to. He seemed down. "Nigel, we're going home for the Christmas break. We need some money for the ferry, since my imbecilic brother forgot that Rusty was coming too and brought his motorcycle. Can you spare a few bucks?"
"Sure," he handed the money to Robyn. "When're you coming back?"
"Hmm...in a week. I'll be here on Christmas Eve with my family to go to the church at the school. Are you okay?"
"Yeah. I think I just need some ice cream or some serious fudge; totally fudge. I'll see you later. I'll poke you on Facebook!" he grinned and walked off to the pier.
Robyn grinned, and then her smile faded. "Facebook...shit!"
"What?" I said. Was someone like Kendall bothering her on Facebook?
"Funcheesie's been begging me to ask you if you want to go to the ball with him. The guy is such a wimp!"
"He can't ask me himself? God, I had Zack come up to me on the way to math and ask me if I wanted to go out with Funchess! And then later on I had CC going on how it was so cold and cruel how I'd just said no, without any we can still be friends crap...everything has to be like it's on a TV show, doesn't it?"
Robyn nodded as she sighed. "Sadly, yeah, that's how things are. Everyone wants to be like Miranda Cosgrove or whatever the hell her name is..." Robyn angrily shook her head as she looked off at the people passing by. "So, anyway, we've got ferry money. Let's go. But hey, you get seasick?"
"No. Why?"
"I need to bring a bottle of water or something, because I do." She checked her bag and we went to the ferry dock. When we were actually on the ferry, we were allowed to walk around, so Robyn didn't look as queasy as I would've thought. But she still was kind of quiet, staring at the horizon the whole time. The ferry didn't take long, fortunately, and we got off at a small little thing that wasn't even a dock. It was just a walkway up to a sandy path that went next to the water. Rocks were along the path and went down to where the water was. There was a parking lot on the right and a little grassy field on the left.
"Welcome to Bay Farm Island, Alameda!" Robyn said.
"Kind of windy, huh?" I said as my hair was whipped around my face.
"Well, duh! This is the water! We come here sometimes and play soccer or something. We live a few blocks over there," she said, waving her hand to the road in front of us. "It's not that far, really. Come on, let's go."
Apparently, to super-athletic Robyn, not that far was considered around oh, only ten to fifteen blocks the long way. And the intersection we had to cross was pure chaos; people seemed to have the desire to run us over and keep on trying until they succeeded.