Bridgeport Academy » COMPLETE

17

Robyn sat in biology class and felt eyes on her that were definitely not welcome. Not the vacant stares of the emaciated dead frogs that lay on the metal dissection trays at their lab stations either. Aubrey Graham wouldn't stop staring at her.

It had been almost a year since they'd broken up. She'd gone to a party at the library, not intending to break up at all. But the party had been classically romantic—they'd turned the lights down and soft R&B music played lightly through the speakers. Chris had been there. She'd known Chris, of course (the popular circle of Bridgeport's elite was small) but not well. She'd always found him sexy and mysterious in a sensitive-artist way, and she'd caught him checking her out a couple of times at chapel. When Aubrey went off to get them some drinks, she made eye contact, thinking she'd innocently flirt with Chris from across the room. But then he'd walked up to her. And it had been like those nature shows on PBS, with a lion striking a gazelle. It had happened so fast, she hadn't even known what hit her. 

She would've pleaded that Chris had slipped something into her glass, but she hadn't even had a drink yet. Only a few seconds later, they sneaked off into the ancient-books room. Sinking into one of the worn leather chairs, they'd kissed for hours, communicating by telepathy as their tongues twisted together. The next day, Aubrey knew, everybody knew, and Robyn and Aubrey were broken up by lunch.

"By the end of the semester, you will have examined the frog's various bodily systems and identified every organ." Their teacher, Mr. Shea paced the room. "In December you will be given a final oral exam during which you must correctly identify all of the organs."

From the back of the room, Dave snickered at the words oral exam. Mr. Shea switched on the overhead projector and started to point at a line-drawn diagram of a frog. Robyn peeked at Aubrey again. His eyes remained fixed on her, and she quickly jerked her head away. She doodled, Stop staring at me, perv, in elaborate cursive on a fresh piece of notebook paper. As soon as she finished the letters, she scribbled over them in broad black strokes.

Suddenly her cell phone vibrated in her back pocket. She slowly took it out, and discreetly slid it onto her lap so that it was obscured by the tabletop. It was a text message from Teyana, who was sitting only three rows over.

U think about the cheer yet?

No, Robyn texted back. 

Every year on Black Saturday, the upperclassmen of the varsity girls' field hockey team performed a cheer. First the whole team would do a really standard and boring cheer. Then it was tradition for the older girls to pick one new younger varsity girl to do another, crazier, sort of embarrassing cheer, having led her to believe that all the girls were doing it together, not just her. Understandably, the girl became completely mortified when she found herself doing the cheer all on her own. Sometimes she wouldn't talk to the other players for weeks. But as the season went on, she eventually laughed about it later, glad to have bonded with the cool older girls. It was a hazing ritual that had started in the fifties, and as co-captain this year, Robyn was responsible for it.

Her phone buzzed again. I think we should make yr new roomie do it, Teyana texted. 

Robyn froze, her heart leaping in to her throat. No way. Hazing Kae might make her mad, and Robyn had to keep Kae happy. I don't think so, she wrote back. Is she even varsity?

Teyana buzzed back quickly. Yup, the list was posted today. Have u seen her play yet? She's kind of all over the place but good.

Not her, Robyn quickly replied.

Robyn watched as Teyana furiously typed into her phone. But aren't u mad at her b/c of Breezy? We can totally embarrass her.

Robyn sat back. The whole school was talking about Kae and Chris and whispering about Robyn as they passed her on the stone pathways around campus. She hadn't told anyone the truth about Chris and Kae; it was too risky. Embarrassing Kae was the last thing Robyn needed. I don't know, she texted back.

Zendaya and Keke and I all think she's the one to do it. What does Alex think?

As if she and Alex had discussed it. Or anything for that matter. Robyn sighed and dropped her phone into her yellow designer bag, indicating that the conversation was over.

The bell finally rang and Robyn jumped up to her feet and grabbed her notebook. She felt a hand on her shoulder and turned. It was Aubrey. "Hey," she greeted him.

"So, easy come, easy go, huh?" Aubrey's eyes looked cold.

"Excuse me?" she asked cautiously.

"How does it feel to have someone steal the one you love out from under you?"

Robyn stared at him for a moment and smirked inside. Good boy, Chris! He must have already started flirting in public with Kae. Even before she'd had a chance to tell Kae about it.

"Well?" Aubrey coaxed.

"Yeah, it sucks," Robyn swallowed hard, trying to look heartbroken.

"You won't believe me," Aubrey shrugged. "But I know something you don't know," he singsonged.

"What are we, second graders?" she scoffed, suddenly hating how perfectly plucked Aubrey's eyebrows were. "I have to go."

Shoving past a gaggle of extremely young-looking freshman girls, Robyn stopped on the second floor landing. Students streamed past her as she pressed herself up against the brick stairwell wall. Was Aubrey still hoping to get back together with her? Fat chance. That was about as likely as Chris actually falling for little Karrueche Tran. As if that would ever happen.

3:02 PM

BrysonTiller: So, you hear anything on where the Black Saturday party's gonna be? I heard Jasmine's throwing it...

TeyanaTaylor: Really? I heard she was having a secret love getaway in Hawaii with that guy from Empire.

BrysonTiller: God, I hope not. I'd die for that girl, she's so fine.

TeyanaTaylor: You and every other boy at this school.

BrysonTiller: Try planet.