white boys (river phoenix)

6

Chapter Six

River had just come back from the food stands, holding a cotton candy for Robin. He didn't get any, considering the fact that he didn't make it himself and he was pretty sure they didn't have vegan cotton candy. Robin realized in that moment how restricted being a vegan would make her feel - not that she didn't feel bad for the animals, but she couldn't even eat ice cream if she were to go vegan. But people like River made her think that there was more to the cruelty of animals than just herself.

"Thank you," Robin thanked River, who handed the cotton candy over to her and sat down in his seat next to her.

Corey Haim was sitting in the row down from them, his arm wrapped securely around Amandla. Feldman was sitting next to them with a girl he'd just met, who was chatting on with him. She was clearly interested in him, Robin could tell by the look she had in her eyes while staring into his.

"The game's about to start," River announced to Robin, straightening himself in his seat.

Robin chuckled mentally about his readiness for the game and listened to the commentators dish abundant details about both teams as the game began.

While the game was going, Robin paid more attention to River's excitement- his little jumps out of his seat when his team would score a point, his "awws" when they'd miss a goal. He didn't seem like the sporty guy, and he'd even said he wasn't before the game started, but he sure was when it came to watching soccer games. When the game ended, with River's favored team winning, he led Robin to the parking lot where the two waited for everyone else to show.

"I think that girl who was talking to Feldman was into him," Robin noted to River as they stood around waiting for everyone.

River smiled, then started chuckling to himself, shaking his head.

"Yeah, I think so too."

"What's so funny about it?" Robin asked.

"Oh, nothing, nothing. It's just that he's never kept a girlfriend for longer than a month. He's not a bad boyfriend, he just always needs change - every month. He feels too 'confined' being hooked to one person."

"Huh, you'd have never thought," Robin said, unsure of what else to say.

Finally, both Coreys and Amandla arrived, Feldman hand in hand with the girl he was talking to. Amandla seemed a bit distanced from Corey - for example, he'd try to put his arm around her waist in what he had assumed was an affectionate manner, but she'd move away, rolling her eyes.

"Look at the two lovebirds," River teased, referring to Feldman and his new girl.

"Hey, watch it, Riv," Feldman warned, stabbing a finger in his face before letting his finger down and snuggling closer to the girl.

"What's your name?" River asked, tilting his chin up.

"Laila," she smiled, twirling her brown hair.

Feldman threw his arm around her and pulled her in towards him.

"Isn't she so cute, huh? You guys go on without us, we'll join you later."

Robin doubted the truth of that statement but smiled and nodded anyway.

The others had returned home to River's house, but Robin separated from them along the way. Her parents were probably back home and she didn't want to get caught hanging out with them. So instead of going back to River's house, she opened the door to her own house, her dogs greeting her as soon as she came in.

"Hi babies!" she cooed, lowering down to stoop to their levels and coddling them as they left her soft kisses.

"Where have you been?" Robin's mother asked nonchalantly.

Robin's mom was in charge of cooking dinner tonight, but Robin's dad was helping her cook the one meal she couldn't mess up - spaghetti.

"Just down at the... library," Robin lied.

She hardly ever lied to her parents, so when she did, a feeling of guilt crept up from her stomach and rose in her throat.

"Oh how lovely. Well, sit down, dinner's almost ready."

After dinner, Robin's parents had gotten ready for bed first, occupying the two showers the house had. This house was definitely a downgrade from the house they had in Georgia, which had four bathrooms and more than enough bedrooms. They were still an upper-middle class family, but Robin's mother wanted an entirely different style from when they lived in Georgia. She didn't want to live around anyone else who was rich, in fear that they'd be exactly like the neighbors back at home, so she bought a house in a middle class neighborhood that was a lot simpler than where they had been living before.

Robin was now reading one of the summer books required for her new school, tucked into her bed and waiting for the bathrooms to clear. The book was "Of Mice and Men", which surprised Robin because she'd read that book first in eighth grade. She knew already that her learning experience would probably contrast hugely from that of her experience in her old school. She wrote little notes as she analyzed the pages selected, a requirement for the summer reading. Her cat, Periwinkle, was spread out across her legs, while Potter was perched on her vanity dresser, unmoving. Her cats did tend to leisure in her room, so they were basically always there.

"Goodnight Robin," Robin's mother chirped, poking her head into Robin's bedroom.

"G'night mom. The bathroom is clear, right?" Robin asked.

"Yes, honey. Go to sleep soon, why don't you?" her mother recommended, moving away from the door and walking into her own room.

Robin stripped of all her clothes and put on a silk robe instead, tying her hair up in a bun. Traveling to the bathroom, she lit her house candles before running the shower water. Once it was warm, she hopped in and began to wash her face and arms. Just as she was rinsing soap off of her leg, she peeked out of the shower curtains, realizing that she had forgotten to bring a clean towel into the bathroom- there was no towel at all.

"Great," she remarked sarcastically.

She rinsed all the soap off of her legs and rinsed off her entire body with water before stepping out of the shower, cold and no towel to dry or warm her and shuffled out of the bathroom.

She grabbed a towel out of her closet once she'd reached her room and wrapped it around her, then searching for pajamas to wear. Once she'd changed into comfortable pajamas, she sat on her bed and curled up into her sheets, sinking back into her book. She had managed to fall asleep not long after that, dreams of River kissing her nose replaying in her head while she snoozed away.