Hey All! Sorry for the long wait in between updates. But hey! It's all worth it. Or so I think so, and I hope you think the same. So now here's another chapter for your personal enjoyment
A jolt from his pocket diverts Robbie's attention from the intricacies of the minor pentatonic scale. Eyebrows bunching up, he wonders who exactly would be messaging him during class. Aside from infrequent and mostly nonsensical ramblings from Beck, Robbie's phone mostly sits neglected in his pocket. With the weariness of somebody with a strange friend, Robbie drags his phone free and rests it in the crook of his hip. When Mr Gallen turns to scribble something on the white board behind him, Robbie casts a surreptitious glance at his phone.
"Popcorn 2night? – It's Tori :-{)"
"Sure! You have my number!?"
"Made Beck give it 2 me. Owe him gummy hockey pucks now."
"Haha I will make it up to you."
Confounded, Robbie stares blankly at his phone. The prospect of Tori Vega, all bronzed and gorgeous, asking Beck for his number, it short circuits something in Robbie's brain. He sits in his seat, mostly unmoving for an interminable amount of time after that. To Robbie it feels like an age, to Mr. Gallen it's just too long. The fog that's settled over Robbie's mind is eventually chased away by Mr. Gallen's footsteps, loud as thunder, bearing down on him. Slowing to a halt in front of Robbie's desk and folding his arms, five foot tall Mr. Gallen looks impossibly massive. Robbie swallows nervously, Adam's apple bobbing in his throat. To the expectant look on Mr. Gallen's face, he delicately explains his homework situation.
Perhaps there had been a staff memo that today is his birthday, but the storm of words that Robbie's expecting never quite arrives. Calmly enough, albeit in a clipped tone, Mr. Gallen tells him tomorrow will be fine, just this once. Exhaling with great relief, Robbie watches Mr. Gallen trudge over to another students desk, thunderclap footsteps rolling into the distance.
Tori sends him a few more messages before the end of class, mostly just mindless chatter. Still, Robbie feels his pulse quicken every time his phone goes off. It's stupid, he knows. Today is his first time though, he's never had a real live teenage girl messaging him during class. Though it's mindless chatter, empty data floating between friends, the experience strikes him as the slightest bit intimate. By the time the school bell is rattling to life, screaming at the wall, Robbie's biting back a smile at Tori's latest guess as to his favourite band. Apparently he reminds her of Seth from The OC, so he must love slightly sad indie bands like Deathcab For Cutie. If he ignores the shared Judaism and penchant for stuttering around girls, Robbie guesses it's the shared frizz of their hair that's led Tori to this conclusion.
When Robbie slinks into the hallway, hand still glued to his phone, he spots Beck skulking around their lockers. His hands are shoved deeply into his pockets and he's got his earbuds in. He looks impossibly cool as he lifts his head and waves. Robbie feels a twinge of envy as he crosses the hallway.
"Yes movies, lets go." Tori says, eyebrows arrowing down, a cleft deepening between them. Watching the peculiar expression on her face, Robbie's caught off guard when Tori peels herself away from Jade and launches herself in his direction. Latching onto his arm, Tori leads him into the theatre. Passing through the doorway, Robbie comes out of his daze. Moving delicately, he slips his fingers into his pocket; fishing for the wad of money he's accumulated through a complete lack of a social life.
"What are you doing?" Tori asks, eyes hardening slightly. In his haste to avoid her mistrustful glare, Robbie realizes that oh god, Beck and Jade are several steps behind them. Tori's separated him from the herd; he's all alone with her. Robbie's mind teeters between fear that Tori is some kind of wolf hidden beneath the pelt of a sheep and elation that she's chosen him to lure away.
"I'm uh – money to pay for us?" He answers carefully, eventually deciding that he's willing to take his chances with getting scratched.
"No, no, no." Tori fires back, batting at his arm with one hand and tightening her grip around the crook of his elbow with the other. Blinking, Robbie tries to bring himself back into reality. In his limited experience with girls – mostly extended study sessions – Robbie's paid for everything. The concept of a girl spending time with him and not expecting something in return, it's still almost entirely alien to him. Searching for answers, Robbie peers over his shoulder. The shrug that Beck meets him with isn't at all helpful, so he turns back to Tori, a protest coming to life on his lips.
It's then that Jade speaks. "I would recommend not doing that, Robot." She cooly informs him, somehow parsing Robbie's body language, discerning his intentions without even really being able to see his face. Stricken, Robbie pauses, eyebrows knitting together.
"It's your birthday, Robbie. Your birthday. I don't have a present for you so I will buy our tickets tonight." Tori says, like it makes any kind of sense. Staring at her profile, wishing he were as adept at reading people as Jade, Robbie's still baffled by it all. Tori's determinedly marching them forward and trying to look authoritarian, but just looking cute. Robbie thinks it's the softness in her eyes that is ruining the effect.
It's only when they're in the lobby that Tori slowly uncoils her arm from Robbie's. Jabbing a finger in his direction one last time, Tori spins on her heel, this time sweeping Jade up in her haste. Robbie just watches them cross them room, a little bit amazed that Jade isn't struggling against Tori. Running his fingers over the spots where Tori's fingers had touched his skin, Robbie swears he can feel electricity crackling. Chewing on the inside of his lip, Robbie ponders whether Tori had realized whether is was entirely necessary to coral him as she had. Gnawing at his lip a little harder, Robbie abandons the thought as best he can. If he doesn't analyse it too closely, he can just go on thinking Tori likes his skeletal frame.
"Aren't you going to get a ticket?" Robbie asks, nerves still shot. Beck, who to that point had been glaring at the pimply faced boy serving Tori and Jade turns to Robbie. Expression softening, he pulls his shoulders into a shrug.
"Nah, Tori owes me. Really wanted your number I guess." Beck replies, languidly going about dropping an atom bomb into the atmosphere. As Beck's eyes pull away again, Robbie just takes a deep breath, trying to slow his heart.
Unsure of what to do next, Robbie does what he always does. He copies Beck. He casts his gaze across the room, finding Tori just as she's rummaging around in her bag. Her head is bowed, eyebrows clenched together in concentration. When she finally fishes out a small purse and cries in triumph, Robbie swallows. He wonders if he's just convinced himself she'd been sticking close to him, hooking her arm through his. The longer he watches her, the less likely it seems. He wonders if he's delusional, living in a void that's not quite reality and not quite fantasy.
It's almost a relief that something has gone wrong with Jade's payment and that her angry shriek rips through the air. It's loud and piercing, an easy distraction from his thoughts. The respite is brief though, lasting only until Tori's eyes flick away from Jade, landing on Robbie. He shifts from foot to foot, eventually yanking his arm into a clunky gesture that's reminiscent of a wave. Tori bites back a laugh, eyes eventually finding their way back to the rapidly escalating scene in front of her. Robbie slinks back into his head, thoughts even more jumbled than before.
Tori's expression flicks between guilt and amusement as she and Jade turn away from the ticket booth. Robbie watches with interest, wondering what exactly it had been that Jade had said to the now trembling man behind the booth. He imagines there was some kind of threat buried amongst her words, or maybe resting proudly atop them. That's generally the way Jade's conversations play out. Robbie sometimes wonders what it is that Beck sees in her. He imagines falling in love with Jade would be a lot like playing with fire. Not that he's actually mentioned this to anyone or -
"We need snacks." Jade crabs out, folding her fingers and inspecting her nails. It's a soft gesture at odds with the demanding tone in her voice. When Jade looks up again, it's not at Robbie. He's not sure whether to feel grateful or offended that Jade only shoots a warning glare at Beck, like he's the only one capable of mutiny.
"C'mon Rob," Tori says, taking a step forward. "We'll go and get snacks for the Grumpasaurus." She tells him, a soft crease in her lips accompanying the teasing tone in her voice.
Robbie feels momentarily thrilled, all the way up until Jade's eyes widen. Her eyebrows swoop down in disapproval and her lips press more tightly together. Robbie senses extremely disapproval in the expression, and from the way Tori's shoulders hunch, he thinks she does too.
"Nuh uh, Vega." Jade intones, unexpectedly placid. "You are not ditching me and leaving me with Bender." She adds, the slightest bit of venom creeping into her tone. Beck opens his mouth to protest, but Jade's already smirking, threading her arm though Tori's, and dragging the distressed looking girl away.
Watching the door to the auditorium swing shut behind Tori and Jade, Robbie isn't sure what to think. Sure, there's disappointment roiling in his gut, tendrils jabbing at the lining of his stomach. There's also an unfamiliar sense of optimism battling against it, armed with the knowledge Tori had been willing to ditch Jade with Bender.
"So, uh. What are we going to buy?" Robbie wonders aloud, as Beck and himself set off toward the concession stand. His heart pads anxiously in his chest, not really because of Tori's preferences, but Jade's. If there is to be a scene in relation to what they come back with, Robbie imagines it will emanate from her.
"Jade dragged Tori away before she could buy my candy." Is all Beck replies, tone mournful. "She owes me." He adds, eyes pointed as they cut to Robbie.
"I'll buy them for you." Robbie says, thrusting his hand into his pocket, fishing around for his allowance. It's not long for this world, but he can't bring himself to really care.
A grin crawls across Beck's lips and he's fondly clapping Robbie on the shoulder. That's not entirely why Robbie's so happy to part with his money though. Sure, it's nice having a friend, maybe a best friend, but there is also somebody else. A bronzed girl with a pretty smile that Robbie thinks he might miraculously have a connection with. It's unlikely sure, borderline delusional maybe, but Robbie thinks he can impress her a little bit with the right array of snacks.
Huffing slightly under the weight of an entire concession stand, Robbie battles his way through the door Beck is holding ajar. His eyes take a moment to adjust to the reduced light, but Tori and Jade stick out amongst the empty seats. Cradling the box of snacks against his abdomen, Robbie edges his way forward.
Jade's the first to spot him, a vague look of interest crossing her face as she watches Robbie approach, Beck on his flank. "Jesus. Did you two mug them and take the entire concession stand?" She calls across the room, eyebrow cocked.
"What can I say? We're outlaws." Beck says, effortlessly charming as he comes to stand beside Robbie. Dropping the box of snacks into the lone seat between Jade and the aisle, Robbie turns his eyes to Beck. His eyebrows, one arced artfully, a cinematic smirk hanging from his lips. Surveying his companions, Robbie feels out of place, like maybe he's been cast in the wrong movie. If by some cast he's in the right film, there's no doubt Beck is the lead, Jade is his love interest and Tori is the beautiful best friend. Robbie is the gormless sidekick, the one with minimal screen time and no chance of getting the girl. Glumly, Robbie steps past Jade and Tori, slumping into his seat, ignoring the glare Jade sends his way. One of these days, he's going to give himself whiplash with these mood swings.
"Tori, do I look like an outlaw?" Robbie asks after a while, noticing that Tori Is uncharacteristically quiet and Beck has reeled Jade into a conversation. With the question, Tori perks, eyes sliding to Robbie.
"I think you could be an outlaw, Robbie Shapiro." She says, lips splitting into a dazzling smile. Robbie thinks the way his mood veers from depression to elation actually does give him whiplash. Tori's eyes linger on him; flecks of gold in her iris apparent even in the dimly lit theatre.
It's then that a sharp stab of music crackles through the air. Tori's eyes fill with wonder as the Universal Studios logo fades into black and a David Bowie quote is splayed across the screen. Once she's read the words, Robbie catches Tori's eyes resting on him for the briefest of stolen moments before her gaze returns to the screen.
For the next ninety minutes or so, that's mostly where Tori's dark eyes linger. Robbie's seen The Breakfast Club maybe fifty times before, during his darkest moods. There's something comforting about seeing all of the main cast fall apart in one way or another, like it's all just a bump in the road to growing up. It's for that reason Robbie finds his eyes constantly wandering to Tori during the films biggest scenes, curious as to what her reaction will be. She's predictably adorable, lost in the plot and gripped by each characters plight. Once, during the casts dance number, Tori actually throws a glance over her shoulder at him as well! Their eyes meet for maybe a second, and then Tori's eyes are back on the screen, a pink tinge rising on her cheeks. Robbie thinks this thing with Tori, the way the heart flutters when she's around; he thinks it might be more than a crush. He thinks he actually has feelings for her.
Dammit.
Well all, I told you it would all be worth it now didn't I? So, ya'll should leave a review and give this story some love. Cause that makes Maybewolf and I feel happy and stuff.