white boys (river phoenix)

39

Ariella squealed immediately,

"Hey girl! I feel like it's been forever."

Robin smiled- forever was right. They hadn't spoken since right before homecoming, when Robin had first informed Ariella of River and their almost exclusivity.

"I know. Me too."

"So, what's the sitch?" Ariella asked nosily.

Robin chuckled,

"I'll tell you, but I only have an hour. I'm about to go to a Halloween party with my friends and my... boyfriend."

Robin did the pause on purpose, because Ariella was notorious for pausing whenever she was telling a story or sharing a secret (whether either belonged to her or someone else.) There was silence on the other end of the line for a minute, and subsequently, screaming and yodelling and howling.

"OH MY GOSH ROBIN INDERA SKYE YOU GOT YOURSELF A BOYFRIEND?!" She screeched loudly into the phone.

Robin shushed her instinctively. There was more than one b-word, and she was more afraid of her parents hearing her say this one,

"Shh! Don't be so loud, the world does not need to know."

Robin could see Ariella rolling her eyes even on the phone,

"Girl, shut up. No one can hear me over the music, plus it's not that bad."

"Uh... here's the thing- yeah, it is."

Another pause filling the line with silence, then slow realization as Ariella's eyes widened and mouth dropped,

"No... way... Robin. I know you did not get yourself un maldito guero."

"I did," Robin frowned, scrunching her eyes shut as if expecting a strike- aware that Ariella was saying "a fucking white boy."

Ariella practically yelped into the phone,

"Oh my god are you serious? I remember you telling me about some white guy but I never thought you would actually go through it. I thought you were just joking! Robin. Oh my god, Robin."

"I know," Robin groaned, biting at her nails and rolling her eyes, desperation clinging onto her voice. "And I don't know what I'm gonna do about my parents."

"Oh my god, and your parents! Robin, girl, if they find out about this you're dead. I feel like they'll ship you off to boarding school," Ariella blabbered.

Robin frowned instantly- she had never thought of it that way. She'd never thought her parents would take this misdemeanor so seriously that they'd send her off to boarding school. It wasn't that serious, was it? Or maybe it was. If this were a play, her family was Capulet and River's family was Montague.

"Great. I didn't think of that," Robin said, and her disdain was obvious.

"I feel like they won't!" Ariella exclaimed suddenly, stampeding over her words. "I mean, I was just exaggerating. You know me, always telling tall tales. Okay, but really Robin, I wouldn't be so worried. I mean, I would, but really, I don't even know what to expect from your parents. You don't do anything that gets you in trouble, so you never get in trouble! So how are we supposed to know how they're gonna handle this?"

Robin sighed,

"I dunno. But I really just called to tell you about it. I just don't know how I'm gonna keep it a secret."

"Well," Robin could hear Ariella shifting. "It is senior year, and, you are going to be eighteen next summer. I guess, then, technically, your parents can't do anything to you. I mean, you're almost an adult! Legally, at least."