The Darling Boys (Rose Award Winner) (#Wattys2017)

He Gives Creep A Whole New Meaning

"I don't have practice today and the team won't meet without you there, so I'm as free tonight as you are."

He stuck beside me like an annoying, pesky fly as we headed down the sideway and into the parking lot.

"Fine." I honestly didn't really want to walk home, and what harm could come out of getting a ride with someone that lived right next door? And if he were to do something, we all know where he lives.

I climbed into Robbie's old, beat up 2002 black Acura TL. I had walked behind the car so often that I had memorized every little thing about it, which was just another thing that made me what Mom called "unique."

He made a noise somewhere in between a chuckle and a snort when I gasped, pulling my feet on to the seat, seeing the small rodent in a cage on the floor of the car.

"Eli must have dropped him off. This is his pet rat, Belle." I wrapped my arms around my knees and buried my face in them.

"Who has a pet rat?" I whispered, shaking my head in disgust.

"He's really sweet and smart. Kind of like me." I saw the right side of Robbie's mouth curl up into a smile as he started the car. It took a moment for the car to warm up, and considering this thing was on its last legs, I wasn't all that surprised.

"What can I do that'll make you smile?" Robbie asked once we were out of the school parking lot.

"Leaving me alone might give me the courage to." I answered bitterly.

"Come on, Sienna. What's got you so angry and bitter?"

"You." I tried my best to give him an intimidating glare, but I probably looked as scary as a chiuhuah trying to scare off a cat.

"Is it Alan?" He eventually asked the questioned I'd been dreading to hear. I didn't respond right away, but stared out the window and at the suburbs as they passed by in a flash.

"It doesn't have anything to do with-"

"What are you going to do? Tell me you fell down the stairs again? That you ran into a doorknob?" The words shot out of his mouth with bitterness and anger weaving in and out of them, "Are you going to tell me you burnt yourself with your curling iron? That you had to get a cap on your tooth because you bit into a piece of grizzle?" I dropped my head, feeling my lips tighten into a thin line as I listened to every excuse I'd used, that Mom had, when we had gone out in public.

"You can't expect someone to help you out of that life if you don't let them."

"I never said I wanted anyone's help, okay?" I finally snapped through my teeth.

"And I never said that I was going to ask you whether you wanted my help or not. If he comes back, then you aren't allowed in that house." He glanced sideways at me, his cheeks flushing bright red, "Your mom can allow him to keep coming back, can allow him to do whatever he wants. But you shouldn't have to be subject to his abuse and her mistakes." I felt my hand clench into a fist.

"It's none of your business, Robert. Stay out of it." I barked out.

"Your father is a bastard, a creep. No, scratch that. He gives creep a whole new meaning." I couldn't bring myself to deny anything he said.

"Why are you doing this?" I finally choked out, hoping that my voice was steadier than I was.

"Doing what?"

"Being nice to me. You've always kept your distance, all three of you. You never had any intrest in me or my life before. Why now?" I replied.

"Just drop it." Robbie muttered, shifting uncomfortably in his seat.

"No. Why are you doing this now?"

"Because I care, Sienna. I cared back then too. It's just, my brothers and I, we had a pact and-"

"And let me guess. You were secretly in love with me and that little pact about never growing up got in the way." I guessed, sarcasm dripping off every word.

"I wasn't ever in love with you, Sienna. I cared about you, you were my friend. My teammate."

He was tapping his fingers along the steering wheel, his eyes narrowed on the road ahead of us, the wind tousling his chocolate locks so they became even more of a mess on his head.

"Then why didn't you try to help." I croaked, feeling the scar of a burn on my wrist starting to sting at the distant memories that seemed like a lifetime ago.

"Sienna," He put the car in park in front of the house, turning his body so he was facing me. "Who do you think was the one that called the cops that night?"

My throat closed at the response that had been far from what I was expecting. After a second of recollecting myself and pushing all my previous thoughts away, I pulled my seat belt off.

"I'll see you around, Robbie." We both climbed out of the car at the same time, him taking the caged rat in one hand and shutting the car door with the other. I slung my backpack over my shoulder and started to walk up the driveway as slowly as possible.

I paused after a moment and set my backpack on the trunk of my mom's car, jogging back down to where Robbie was locking his Acura.

"Robbie." I grabbed his arm so he'd turn to look at me.

"Hmm?" He shoved his keys into the pocket of his black coat, his eyes falling down on me. I stood on my tippy toes and kissed his cheek, wrapping my arms around him for the first and hopefully last time in my life.

"Thank you." 

***AN***

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~ChasingMadness24