Robyn arrived at school earlier and went straight to form, so that she wouldn't run into Rick. Or Ray. She needed space to think about everything, about her relationship and her friendship with Rick. It was harder to get out of bed that morning, but Robyn was determined to make her last year of school as close to perfect as she could. That included having perfect attendance. The only downside was that she found it harder than usual to concentrate in her lessons.
It was now lunchtime and she was surprised and glad that she hadn't seen either of the boys yet.
"Maybe he's got something going on at home?" Robyn said, after swallowing a mouthful of her sandwich.
Kate picked at her tuna salad, staring gloomily into it.
"I would know if that was it. I went to his house yesterday and everything was fine," Kate looked up at her, "his mum was complaining about him being closed off, but that's nothing new about Dom. He's always like that with his parents, but not with me."
It was the first time Robyn could recall since Kate and Dom started going out that they weren't hanging out together during lunch. Otherwise, they would never leave each other's side. Kate was now staring off into the distance. They were sitting inside the canteen, the crowd of people around them almost made Robyn claustrophobic. She followed Kate's line of sight.
Dom stood there with Chloe, Trevor and a few other girls who Robyn wasn't very fond of. The trio were standing close together, with a somewhat blank look in their eyes. They were in stark contrast with the lively and animate atmosphere around them.
"What's the matter with them?" Robyn wondered out loud.
"The authorities spoke to him, did I tell you?" Kate said, "apparently, they found those three somewhere in the woods, but for whatever reason they didn't remember how they got there. They're saying that they got lost and could not find their way out, that's why they were missing."
Robyn shifted, unease swirling in her chest. She didn't like the sound of that and wondered if Ray knew anything about it. She would have asked him if it wasn't for their current situation. Her appetite suddenly vanished and she wrapped her sandwich back in it's foil.
"I wonder what he was doing in the woods with those two," Kate stole the words from her mouth.
"Went exploring, maybe," Robyn said with a half-hearted smile. Kate didn't buy it, of course. Neither could she.
"Oh, looks like your Romeo has finally found you," Kate said, packing her lunch away and getting up.
Robyn looked at the entrance and sure enough, Ray was trying to get through the throng off students crowding the canteen. She got up quickly, held Kate by the forearm and led her out the back entrance.
"What are you doing?" Kate shouted, her school bag slinging from her elbow.
"Sorry," Robyn said. She let go of Kate's hand but continued walking straight for the Art block. The teachers would let her and Kate in because they liked her and because she had the lesson next, anyway.
"He won't be able to come in the classroom," Robyn said.
Once they were settled on the stool in the far end of the room, Kate finally asked, "everything okay between you two?"
Robyn looked at her friend for a long second. Then she sighed and said, "I don't know."
She wrung her fingers on her lap, "yesterday... Rick said he liked me."
Kate slammed both her hands on the table, her eyes big as saucers and mouth agape, "see! I told you! What happened? Tell me everything."
Robyn took a deep breath and recalled the events of the previous day to her.
"I didn't say anything to him yet. But his argument is strong, whatever he said about my relationship is right. We don't spend as much time together as we used to. He's got other priorities and clearly... I'm not one of them."
In that moment Robyn looked up, directly into clear, blue eyes. Ray was leaning against a tree outside, arms crossed and staring at her with a grim expression on his face. Her heart skipped a beat. What if he heard her? Perhaps he needs to hear it, she thought.
"I don't feel like I matter to him as much as certain other things and people in his life. Maybe I'm just someone he wants to have by his side because—" Robyn stopped herself. She wished Kate knew the truth about him so that she could share everything openly.
"Because...?"
"I don't know? Because he wants to have a girl by his side?" Robyn attempted lamely, looking back at Ray. He had uncrossed his arms. Whereas before he seemed angry, now his expression was hurtful.
"You know, he can have anyone he likes," Kate said, "and he's still only with you. You need to talk to him, Robyn. Your worries won't just disappear without talking it out with him. There's no point avoiding him like this."
After a long moment of contemplation, Robyn sighed and said, "you're right." She got off her stool and hugged Kate, "thanks for being my friend."
Kate laughed and said, "thanks for putting up with me."
Robyn dreaded going to Biology. She figured if she took her time getting to the class, everyone would have already chosen their seats. And Ray being himself would have no empty seats around him. She could go to the back of the class and survive the hour without talking to him. She trudged down the corridor and paused by the classroom door for a second before mustering the courage to enter.
Immediately, she was swallowed up in the noise and movement of the classroom. No one noticed her slip in and bee line for the back of the room where two seats were empty. Robyn wanted to look around to see how far Ray was from her, but she didn't.
"Robyn."
Suddenly Ray appeared in front of her and took her by the hand. He led her to the back, pulling a chair out for her. Hesitantly, Robyn sat down and Ray followed. A couple students had turned to witness their exchange. Among them was Rick, who was sitting right at the front, at the same spot they shared yesterday. His brows pulled together, then he turned to face the board again.
Something weighed down on Robyn's shoulder. She hadn't spoken to Rick since yesterday, either.
"Why are you avoiding me?"
Robyn turned away from him.
"Look at me," Ray spoke softly, so only she could hear. Robyn didn't listen.
Just then, Chrissy entered the classroom. The noise fell significantly. She watched as Chrissy scanned the room, her eyes lingering longer on Ray. Robyn fought against the urge to roll her eyes. Now that she was a teacher at her school, it was impossible for her to try a move on Ray, surely. Robyn glared at her when their eyes met.
Suddenly, she felt Ray's slender fingers caress her jaw and cheek. He turned her face so she was looking at him. He held her chin between his thumb and forefinger, staring straight into her eyes.
They were so close. She could feel his breath on her skin.
"What's the matter with you?" Ray murmured.
His eyes wandered down to her lips. Gathering all the mental strength she could, Robyn pushed his hand away and turned to face the front. She noticed Chrissy eyeing the pair from behind her computer screen every now and then.
Suddenly, she felt Ray's breath fan her neck and his lips touch the shell of her ear.
"Can we please talk about this after the lesson finishes?" He whispered.
Robyn wrung her fingers in her lap and nodded quickly. She caught Chrissy's eye on them again, and felt satisfied she caught them. Content, Ray moved back and then pried Robyn's hands apart under the table. He slid his fingers between hers, sending waves of current up and down her arm. Robyn couldn't concentrate the rest of the lesson. Especially after Chrissy visited her table to speak to Ray every five minutes. Something about the way she looked at him made Robyn's chest twist in hot anger. Ray, being the charming man he was, held the pointless conversations Chrissy tried to spark between them, some of which completely unrelated to biology. She made a show of throwing her glossy, blonde hair behind her shoulder every now and then.
First it was Jasmine. Now it was Chrissy. Robyn wondered if she would ever get a break from these hyenas jumping on Ray every chance they got. When Chrissy did leave to attend to the rest of the class, Ray helped Robyn with the work. He explained better than Rick, she noticed. Maybe it was his presence or his tone of voice that was extremely calming and Robyn wished they could spend more time like that. Uninterrupted. Just the two of them. She realised in that moment just how much she had missed him.
"Are you listening?" He asked.
It was becoming harder to stay upset with him. Robyn looked away, catching both Rick's and Chrissy's eyes on them. She ignored her teacher, but seeing Rick suddenly flooded her mind with the words he had uttered the previous day. Even if Ray made her feel unexplainable and surreal things, was it enough to sustain their relationship? Was it enough to keep her happy? Robyn didn't want to settle with whatever scrap of time and importance Ray was throwing at her. She wanted to be his first priority in everything.
"Robyn, what's on your mind?" Ray asked, taking her hand in his again.
She tried to pull her hand back but he held on tighter. A look of pain shadowed his features. Before she could say anything the buzzer went off. School had ended and she would probably not see him again until whenever he decided.
When he flinched from the noise of the buzzer, Robyn pulled her hand out of his and packed her things away. Ray hadn't brought anything with him to pack away, so he got up and waited for her.
Robyn straightened, wiping back the loose tendrils of hair from her cheek.
"Can I have a word with you?"
It was Chrissy. Robyn scanned the room quickly, realizing Rick had already left.
"I'll wait for you outside," Ray said, pecking her cheek before he went.
Robyn waited awkwardly for Chrissy to speak. After a few moments of silence, she realised they were waiting for the class to empty. The last student sauntered out and the door clicked shut behind her. Chrissy crossed her arms and pinned Robyn with a cold stare.
"Listen, I will make this short and sweet," her voice was hard and unwavering, "I want Ray."
Robyn frowned, anger bubbling insider her. Really, will she ever see the end of it?
"He's more than just a pretty face. You don't know the first thing about him," Robyn bit out.
Her irritation grew when Chrissy smiled. Then, to Robyn's great surprise, she witnessed two pairs of long, pointy canines protrude from her lips. Her face was contorted into a snarl and her eyes glowed muddy brown.
"I know exactly what he is," Chrissy said, her words muffled by the teeth and threateningly low, "he's a beast. And I want to claim every inch of him."
She took an involuntary step back when Chrissy advanced closer. To her relief, Chrissy withdrew the semi transformation and returned to her normal self, but her eyes were dilated and still glowing dangerously, never looking away. When there was two inches of space left between them, Chrissy stopped and said, "so you see, Robyn, I'm better suited for him. Much more than you. I'm one of his kind now, and you're still a weak little human. You can't even begin to handle the kind of strength we have. You'd probably die if you spend a night with hi—"
Chrissy never got to finish her sentence, because suddenly Robyn's anger spread like wildfire inside her. It surged her forward and she pushed Chrissy with both her hands. Chrissy stumbled back, a murderous expression on her face. Without waiting to see her reaction, Robyn bolted out of the classroom.
The corridors were already deserted. A few students strolled in pairs or groups of three, who stopped dead when they saw Robyn burst through the Science block and sprint down the path, across the picnic area and into the student car park. She stopped, and leaned against a wall. She was trembling, her heart hammered wildly. Robyn took deep breaths to calm herself down.
She didn't know how long she stayed there for, catching her breath and recalling what had just happened. Chrissy was one of them. For some reason that was difficult for her to accept. How could she miss it?
"There you are," came a voice from beside her. It was Ray. His hands were buried in his trouser pockets and he didn't look very happy. Behind him, Rick appeared. Robyn panicked. Had he told Ray about his confession? She wasn't ready to talk about it yet. Rick opened his mouth to say something, but decided against it. Without a word, he turned walked to his car. Rick looked back at the pair, meeting Robyn's eye for a second, before slipping inside and driving off.
Suddenly feeling overwhelmed by the turn of events of the last couple of days, anger erupted inside Robyn. Her hands formed fists that shook with rage. Ray watched her for a second, his frown deepening.
"What's the matter?"
"You," Robyn spat out.
His lips set in a straight line. If it wasn't for the anger, Robyn would have been scared by his demeanour.
"What have I done?"
She scoffed, "oh really?"
"Is this about what you said to Kate at lunch?"
"So you were listening."
"You were talking about me, how could I not listen? Robyn, I'm trying. Please believe me when I say I'm trying to give you time. You are a priority for me—"
"Yeah? Well it really doesn't feel like it."
"Why do you think I came back this year? I don't need to be here, you know? But I still am because I want to spend this time with you," he stepped closer, "I know it's not enough but please be patient with me—"
"No," Robyn stepped back, "I've got no patience left. First it was Jasmine and now—" she shook her head, "I'm tired of this. And you," she pinned Ray with a fiery glare, "you just don't get it. You don't care."
"Where is this coming from?" Irritation laced his voice, "and don't bring Jasmine into this. You have no idea how much she's helped us out."
Robyn look at him in disbelief.
"I can't believe you're defending that snake. She was trying to get between us but you're such a moron that you didn't even realise it. No," Robyn held up a hand, "don't you dare say anything to defend her again. You have no idea what her true colours are—"
He scoffed, his stare hard and icy, "I've known her way longer than you have. I know how she is and, Robyn, she's just a good friend. I mean, c'mon, are you going to have a problem with every girl I talk to?"
Robyn felt her face burn, "that's exactly what's wrong with you," she seethed.
"I can say the same about you."
She narrowed her eyes, "if you were around more often then maybe Rick and I wouldn't have been, in your words," she formed quotations marks in the air, "good friends."
Ray breathed out an exasperated sigh, "you just don't understand. Robyn, my life isn't like other high school kids. I'm not an eighteen year old boy debating what subject to study at Uni. I've got greater responsibilities on my shoulders."
"And I'm not one of them."
"Will you just let that go?"
Robyn shook, with anger or sadness, she didn't know. "It matters to me! I want to be part of your world. In fact if there's any girl who deserves it, it's me. Because I'm your mate."
"You don't know what you'll be getting yourself into. I'm trying to protect you..."
"No. You're just keeping me at a distance."
A pained expression crossed his features, "it's important. I have no choice. I have to keep you away from..."
"Enough!" Robyn felt like her head would explode from the pressure and frustration of it all, "I've heard enough of the same nonsense. I'll help you with keeping me away."
"What do you mean?"
"I'm breaking up with you."
Hey! Hope you're well!
Sooo two things... What do you think about Chrissy's secret? And second, do you think Robyn did the right thing by breaking up with Ray? Do you want them to be together? Or do you want her to give Rick a try?
I really hope you enjoyed this chapter! If you did then please remember to vote and comment! And share/recommend this story to your friends if you think they would be interested to share Ray and Robyn's journey with you!
Thank you for sticking around and reading! (however late the story gets updated lol)
I'll see you very soon!
~Mich<3