Well check it out, here's a new chapter.
It's a little shorter then the others were, but I think the amount of info and interactions kind of make up for it.
Lots of things coming in this story, two hints: Mini Golf & Assigned Partners
Are they related? Aren't they? Oh, the drama.
[Tori POV]
I've alrady spent way too long getting ready. Considering I can't change my clothes and I'm only going to the movies, it really shouldn't be taking me so long. But I've been in Robbie's bathroom trying different eyeliners and lipsticks for around 40 minutes now. I fumble the latest lipstick nervously, almost sending it clattering to the ground below. Peering a myself through the mirror, I feel satisfied. Like there is enough make up to paper the cracks appearing in my charmed existence.
I exit the bathroom to find Robbie seated at the breakfast counter, magazine in front of him. My breath catches in my throat, he's already changed and cleaned himself. Robbie cleans up better then I could have ever expected. Considering he didn't have a bathroom at his disposal, it's especially impressive. I suddenly feel a little self conscious, painfully aware that I'm dressed in the same clothes as last night.
"Wow...S-shall go?" Robbie asks stammering slightly, looking up from his magazine and springing to his feet, well attempting to. His attempt at being suave quickly goes awry as he stumbles forward, limbs flailing. I suppress the grin threatening to spill onto my face. I nod the affirmative, I can't help but notice some of the similarities in our personalities. We're both constantly switching between a false sense of bravado and crippling self consciousness. The only difference being my ability to hide it most of the time and his complete lack thereof.
We leave Robbie's house, stepping into the orange lighting of dusk. Peering sideways at Robbie, I can't shake the feeling this is a date. Padding down my blouse nervously, I wonder what he's thinking at this moment. I debate whether or not I should broach the subject with him. Shaking my head slightly, I opt against it, I'm probably reading too much into the fact that he's wearing a freshly pressed dress shirt and I spent 40 minutes trying on make up.
The ride to the theatre is uneventful, I fiddle with the Radio while Robbie drives like an old lady. Biting my lip to avoid laughing as he whips his head back and forth, almost manic as he makes sure no cars are going to side swipe us. I wonder whether or not I look like that while I'm driving. In the end, finding a park ends up being the hardest part of our journey. It seems like everybody in Hollywood is attempting to see a movie tonight.
"In there!" I yell, taking hold of Robbie's arm and jerking his limb towards the park I've spotted. Ordinarily I would feel bad about being so forceful, but after a good 15 minutes of looking for a park my blood is boiling.
Robbie jumps at my contact, almost sending us hurtling into a support beam. Luckily we just end up missing it narrowly. I take that as my cue to calm down, sinking back into my seat, I cast a sheepish grin at Robbie once we're parked. He simply twists his body towards me, eyebrows pushing upwards and lips pursed, silently mocking me for my actions. My heart is still thudding in my chest, I really shouldn't be so reckless, but I felt ready to maim anybody that could block the park we're now occupying. Idly I wonder if this is how Jade feels all of the time...
"Are you sure you're not the ventriloquist?" He mocks, reference the way I manipulated him into this park. It's a strange experience being taunted by Robbie, I can probably count on one hand the amount of times it had happened before today. I get the feeling that the more time we spend together, the worse it's going to get. Rolling my eyes, I deftly open my door and exit Robbie's car.
"Now that you mention it, where's Rex?" I ask, Robbie's comment having reminded me of Rex's absence. As Robbie and I walk through the car park, It just feels strange that I haven't seen or heard a peep from Rex since school on friday. At the mention of his best friend, Robbie's limbs seem to seize for a second and he tumbles forward slightly, like his brain just shut down. Without thinking, I extend an arm, catching him before he has a chance to fall.
"Uh...he's recovering from a big night." Robbie answers after a long pause. I don't think even he expects me to buy that. While he was silent, I could practically see the gears turning in his head, like he was trying to construct a plausible story.
"I see..." Spotting the rest of the group up ahead, I see no reason to push the issue, it's obviously not something Robbie feels like talking about. Swinging my arm, I notice it's still attached to Robbie's. Ignoring the fact that I could have let go at any time, I skip ahead, dragging Robbie behind me. It's just because it's convenient being able to drag him along of course.
Before I know it, Robbie and I are seated at a rounded picnic table with a collection of our closest friends. Andre is seated to our far right, posture appropriately relaxed for somebody that almost never seems to be in a bad mood. Naturally, he greets us with an enthusiastic grin. Next to him, Beck sits with Jade lazing languidly on his lap. Beck waves from behind her, looking slightly put out when Jade leaves his lap as we approach, fluidly sliding into place to his side and next to Cat. My eyes linger on Jade, the girl that actively tries to ruin my life, she's evil but so beautiful that even I can see it. Jade appears to be merely bored instead of openly hostile like most of the time.
Well, temporarily anyway, I notice her gaze drift to where my hand is still interlocked with Robbie's. A scowl appears on Jade's face and she quickly pulls out her phone, ignoring us. That's probably not a good sign. If there's one thing that worries me more than a yelling Jade, it's a silent Jade, which is probably a plotting Jade. Casting my gaze to the right, I notice Cat's eyes settle on Robbie and I. An expression that seems completely foreign to her usual look of unrestrained happiness, It's almost an expression of bitterness. It must be more tired then I thought I was. That can't be it.
"Why are you holding hands?" She squeaks, small hands clasping in front of her chest, a more familiar expression gracing her face. I'm never entirely sure how to react to Cat, I opt for tearing my hand away from Robbie's, trying to ignore the hollow feeling that creeps into me. Cat's never said anything to me about liking Robbie, but she gets pretty possessive over him sometimes, so this has to be the best route, right?
"Tori was making sure I didn't..." Robbie begins to explain delicately, almost treating Cat like a child. While I feel badly that we treat her that way, there's not really any other way to deal with Cat. Robbie never get the chance to finish his explanation though, Jade's no longer glaring at her phone, she's leaning forward, ignoring Beck's attempts at placating her. Jade's glaring daggers at both Robbie and I now, I silently wish she'd go back to her phone.
"So what, you're like dating now?" She demands, glare coming to rest on me, naturally. Eying the girl in front of me, I wonder just how beautiful she could be if there wasn't a scowl plastered to her face almost all of the time. Pulling my gaze from the electric blue highlights in her hair, I glance nervously at Robbie, wondering what we could say to get out of this awkward situation.
"Jade, calm down." Beck drawls, no sense of urgency in his tone. To my relief though, Jade glances at him, before glancing back at me and shrugging her shoulders. I exhale loudly in relief as Jade leans back into Beck. Watching as Beck's arm comes to rest over Jade's shoulder, I wonder just how he manages to calm her. His instructions had all the force of a kitten batting some yarn, yet he's managed to settle the raging bull known as Jade.
"So, what are we seeing?" Andre asks, sounding just as eager to move away from the subject of Robbie and I dating as I feel. I can't help but feel thankful Andre is here. He's always played the part of peacemaker to perfection. It's nice to know that at least he doesn't seem to have a major problem with a simple gesture between Robbie and I.
"The Scissoring II: Final Cut." Comes the pained response from Beck and Cat. I get the feeling they had objected to seeing that film before Andre had arrived. Jade's head swings between them, as if daring them to challenge her again. I stifle a giggle. Jade might be mean, but on the rare occasions that it's not towards me, I find her act amusing.
"Sounds...fun." I reply, my eyes finding their way to the ground, I'm unsure of what to say so I opt for a short answer. I hate horror movies, but I also hate being yelled at by Jade. I guess cowering in my chair for 2 hours won't be too bad. Maybe Robbie will make up his own plot again, I remember being seated next to him one time when we all went to the movies. Halfway through the film, he got bored and started making up his own story. It was one of the first times we spent an extended period of time talking.
"Sure does." Andre echoes, not sounding entirely convinced. Glancing around the circle, I wish just one of us had a backbone. Jade's smug grin only reminds me that I should really look into developing one of my own. Allowing my arms to rest on the table in front of me, I break eye contact with Jade, suddenly finding an extremely interesting piece of graffiti on the table.
"Robbie, will you sit next to me? Mr. Longneck couldn't come, so I need somebody to protect me." Cat's pleading tone wrenches my attention from the table and towards the red headed girl next to Robbie. Cat's hand brushes against Robbie's, which had been laying on the table. I could lie and say I found it cute, but honestly, I feel a surge of annoyance rush through me.
"Uh, sure Cat." He answers, eyes flickering between Cat and I. I find myself sympathizing with Jade for once, I guess it's easier then I thought to feel possessive over somebody. Robbie and I are just friends and I feel like shoving Cat off her seat, Jade and Beck have been together for years. It's an insight into why Jade's so manic all of the time, we're only human I guess.
"As long as I don't separated from Beck or get seated next to puppet...er geek boy, I don't care what any of you do." Jade interjects once again, faltering slightly when she notices Rex isn't around. Jade might be human, but she sure can be a gank sometimes. I roll my eyes, feeling exasperated by the green eyed monster in across from me.
"How about this, Andre you sit at one end, Beck you sit next to him, Jade you sit next to Beck, I'll sit between Jade and Robbie and Cat is at the other end?" I'm out of breath by the time I finish, but upon seeing the nodding heads around the table, it's worth it. Even Jade seems to be in agreement.
"Jade Lets go! I wanna get caaandy!" Cat screeches, sending my hands scrambling for my ears. I love that girl, but she's got a voice that can shatter glass sometimes. Peering around the table, I see similar responses from Andre and Beck and Robbie. Oddly, Jade is simply sitting as she was, an amused expression crossing her features. I can only guess that she's built some sort of tolerance to Cat's voice. Either that or the fact that it's causing me pain overrides anything else for Jade.
"Sure Cat, lets go. Save our seats, we'll meet you in there." Jade instructs, tone not wavering once. She rises to her feet in one fluid moment allows Cat to pull her toward the snack bar. I notice Jade's movements around Cat are almost motherly. It gives me hope Jade won't eat her young in the future.
"Shall we head in?" Beck questions, extending a thumb towards the ticket booth. Each of us offer our consent, soon we're moving as a group towards the ticket booth. Since Cat and Jade are off buying snacks, the rest of us split the cost of their tickets. I really hope they come back with food that's edible to the rest of us. One time they came back with chocolate syrup covered popcorn and butter soaked ice cream cones. That was unpleasant.
Filing into an isle, we each take our seats, I notice Robbie is quick to take his seat next to me, not only that, he seems to lean towards me as we sit. Stretching out, I allow myself the luxury of leaning slightly onto his shoulder. It's an act that attracts a similar movement from Jade, who makes a big production of leaning on Beck. I have no idea what her problem is. If I didn't know better, I'd think she's jealous or something.
"Heeeey!" Cat calls, arriving several minutes after Jade. I silently wonder why Jade didn't help Cat, but honestly it's not worth the headache since I'm having a hard enough time figuring out how Cat managed to carry enough snacks for all of us. Her tiny frame weaves down the isle towards us, depositing various treats between us when she arrives, most of which are completely edible. I think I'll stay away from the Milkshake, Soda and chick smoothie Cat bought me though. It's a decidedly suspect shade of blue. I have no idea how she convinces the people in the lobby to create these things for her.
"Hey C-" I begin, before a sharp jab to my side silences me. Twisting my body away from Robbie, I see Jade glaring at me and pointing to the movie screen. Returning to my original spot, my rib aching, I don't bother finishing my sentence. I never would have taken Jade as such a huge fan of the let's all go to the lobby song. I guess she's just a fan of silencing me.
"I already went!" Call states loudly, between giggles and mouthfuls of candy. Bitterly, I notice Cat doesn't get jabbed or silenced. Sliding my glance away from the bouncing red head, I notice Robbie's hand which is closest to me is draped over the armrest between us. In contrast, his other arm is carefully tucked away, like he's hiding it from Cat. I'm probably over analyzing it though, it's probably just a comfort thing.
The Scissoring begins.
"Oh god!" I yell, eyes nearly popping out of my head. Screwing my eyes shut, I mentally curse Jade for making us watch a movie where somebody gets chopped in half by a giant pair of blunt scissors. It's not until the screaming dies down that I notice my arm has shot out and my knuckles are turning white from squeezing Robbie's hand. Sheepishly, I loosen my grip, turning away from the movie, I can see the pain written in his face. Feeling guilty, I gently stroke his hand, hoping I haven't crushed the bones in his hand somehow.
"You have quite a grip." He comments through gritted teeth. Poking my tongue out, I can't help but smile upon realizing he's not annoyed. He rolls his eyes but returns my smile anyway. I feel my heart flutter, which is odd,considering we're in the middle of somebody bleeding to death on screen, while off screen I may have crushed Robbie's hand. Glancing at him again, I find the term friends drifting further away from my mind. Friends don't usually send your heart racing during horror movies with a simple smile.
We watch the rest of the movie in a Jade enforced silence, the only sounds being my occasional yelps from myself and Robbie as we try to hide behind one another during the most gruesome scenes. It's somewhat of a traumatic experience, but I find myself actually enjoying it for the most part. Well, other then the fact the every few minutes I get the unshakeable feeling that Jade is glaring at me. If that's not enough, between that, Cat seems to be glaring at me. It's awkward to say the least.
Finally, the end credits begin to roll, Jade stands and tearfully calls it the greatest thing she's seen since the original. It might be the most emotional I've seen her, peering over at Beck, he's still as relaxed as ever, watching his crazed girlfriend applauding with a smile on his face. They're a strange pair, but somehow they work. Careful not to bump Jade, I rise out of my seat, hoping to avoid any nasty surprises during the credits. It's then that I notice I'm still holding onto Robbie from the horrifying ending of the film. Cheeks flushing, I offer an apologetic smile and release my grip. Robbie just grins, not exactly looking displeased that I had been holding onto him again. Taking that as a good sign, my hand acts on it's own, clasping Robbie's once more.
We begin to make our way out of the theatre, only Cat chooses the very moment Robbie is passing her to stand up, knock him forward breaking our grip. I expect to see an apologetic look cross her face, but her chocolate colored eyes shine with defiance instead. My eyes widen slightly and I feel my mouth open and close like a goldfish as Cat reaches out, clasps Robbie's hand and drags him out of the theatre.
I stand frozen to the spot, not knowing what to do. On one hand, I could chase after them and reclaim Robbie, but then we're just friends. Friends who have been holding hands all day and fell asleep together last night, but friends nonetheless. I can't just go chasing after them, I'll look crazy. Hopefully Andre will stand up and want to leave soon, then I'll be able to casually walk out and see what they're doing without looking like a creeper. Taking my seat once more, I feel my heart thudding against my chest, everything seems to be moving in slow motion. The suspense is killing me.
Oh, Cat. What are you doing with Robbie?
Nothing, I hope.
Thanks for reading.
If you liked it then feel free to drop a review, if not feel free to flame it too.