NOTE: After chapter 48, we're going to be taking a week break to recover from writing this section.

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The rest of gym class was pretty uneventful when I left Robbie alone, and it stayed as such all the way to lunch time. What was surprising though was when Robbie was the one to come up to me.

"You're still buying my food," he said.

I took the five out of my pocket and held it up. "I didn't forget."

He went to grab it, but I held it out of reach. "Just give me one chance to talk to you at your lunch table about everything that's happened."

His smile popped up way too quick for what I expected. "I was going to make you sit there anyway."

 

That's a red flag.

That's a very, very big red flag.

 

I know, but I wanted to sit there anyway.

 

+++

If they support you.

+++

 

"Come on then," Robbie said as he walked to the lunch line. I followed close behind him. "And give me the money."

I handed him the five and picked up my own meal. A hamburger, fries, and some milk. There wasn't a word said between us until we paid for our food and he led me to his empty table. He pulled up a chair from one of the other tables and set it next to him.

"Come on then. Sit down right here," he said as he patted the seat of the chair.

 

Okay, now I'm getting weirded out. What the hell does he have planned?

 

I don't know.

I think the best we can do is to just go with it for now.

 

I sat down next to him like he said, took a deep breath and turned to him.

"I wanted to talk to you about-"

"Shut up and wait for everyone to get here," he cut in.

 

Waiting for everyone is probably for the best.

 

I went to pick up my burger, but Robbie grabbed my wrist.

"I said to wait for everyone to get here."

"Uhh…Alright?" Now I had no idea what was going on if I couldn't even eat before everyone got to the table. But soon enough everyone went to sit down. Mark and Vanessa gave me looks, Ben just sorta accepted it, Holly looked like she wanted to crawl into her shell as she sat next to me, and Sophie just stood there.

"Robbie?" Sophie said, "What's going on?"

"I got something I've been wanting to do."

"Right…" Sophie sat down next to Robbie, and that was everyone.

Out of nowhere, Robbie reached over and grabbed my hamburger. "Thanks for the burger."

My legs weren't that sore from my last workout, but I was hungry as hell because of it. "I already got you lunch," I said, glaring at him.

"This isn't for me." He put the hamburger on Sophie's tray. "Here you go. It's the least I can do after you gave me a great weekend."

She gave a half hearted smile as she looked at him, "You don't need to."

Robbie threw an arm around her. "Yes I do, because I can't tell you how happy I am to have you."

I might have been fine with that, but moments later, the asshole grabbed my fries next and tossed them onto Holly's tray. "And thank you for letting us stay at your place for the night."

Sophie was better at hiding it, but Holly was clearly uncomfortable. "Thanks…"

"So you're not going to let me eat? I already bought food for you and I'm hungry."

He didn't say anything, and neither did the rest of the table.

 

If this is all that he'll be doing to us, then it's a lot better than we expected.

 

Rolling my eyes at Esmer, I went to grab my milk, but he again grabbed it before me. I was about to say something about how my tray's fucking empty now, but I stopped when I noticed him staring at the milk. I didn't think I'd ever see someone look at a carton of milk like they wanted to stab it before. But here he was.

"Robbie?" Mark asked, "You doing alright there?"

He didn't respond, but his growing smile was one of the more unsettling things about all of this. He calmly set it down on his tray and looked at me. "Oh wow. You're already done with your food? Here, you can have one of my fries." He stared into my eyes as he grabbed one and stuffed it into his mouth, only to spit it back out moments later. What made it a lot more creepy was that he never once looked away from me during it.

He tried to hand me the fry, but dropped it on the ground, and even when he went to pick it up he still looked at me. The longer it went on, the creepier it got, so I decided to just look away. That's when I saw that even Sophie was eyeing Robbie in a disgusting sorta way.

"Sorry about that," He said, "Let me clean it off for you." He lifted up his shoe and rubbed it across the entire bottom. The table was completely silent throughout this too. Everyone was either staring at their food like Holly, or looking at Robbie like Sophie.

 

He's doing the same thing we did to his fry. 

 

"There. All clean now. But you remember what else you did? I don't want to get up and go to the trash, so I'll use the garbage here."

I was still looking away when something slimy ran up my cheek. I leaned away from it and tried to slap it away, but he pulled his hand back before I hit it. I went back to glaring at him as I used the back of my hand to wipe off my cheek. All while Tarmon broke out laughing.

 

+++

Good to see we're not the only one that knows we're trash.

+++

 

I'm doing this to make it up to Robbie. I'm doing this to make it up to Robbie. I'm doing this to make it up to Robbie.

 

He tossed it onto my tray and scooted closer to me so he could lean his face in next to mine. "Go on and eat it."

 

He's pissed at us and rightfully so.

After everything we put him through maybe we should.

Make it clear that we're not doing this because of what he'd tell Mom.

I hate that you're right.

 

I looked at Robbie, "I did a lot of messed up stuff to you, so if this will help you feel better, then fine. But I'm not doing this because you're making me. I'm doing it because I want to make it up to you." I stared at the fry as I tried to get the guts to go through with it. When I went to grab it, it was also snatched out from under my hand. By Holly of all people.

"Holly," Robbie said, trying to put on a smile, but I could tell he was fuming inside. "What are you doing? That's for Kendall."

Holly put it next to her tray, and not only that, but she handed me back my fries. "I know you're mad. But don't you think you're being a little mean?"

His smile vanished as he put all his attention on Holly, "She did the exact same thing to me. So give her back her fry, and if you don't want your fries then-" he reached over, took my fries again, but tossed them over to Vanessa instead.

"I know she did," Holly said, "But Kendall's trying to be nice to you now."

His eyes still locked onto Holly, "And you think that makes everything all better? You of all people know Kendall deserves this. So give her back the fry."

"Robbie," Sophie said as she placed a hand on his shoulder, "This is getting kind of…This isn't like you. I think Kendall should just take her food and leave," Sophie said as she grabbed the burger and fries and put them both on my tray. "Go eat somewhere else.:

Robbie turned to Sophie and looked like she just stabbed him in the back. "Why the fuck are you trying to be nice to her? You know how much I've wanted to do something like this."

"Because Holly's right. If she's serious about wanting to leave you alone, then have her leave you alone. You don't need to go this low."

He kept up that look until his mouth hung open. "Hold on. What were you two talking about at gym today?"

"Nothing." She went back to eating her food and avoided eye contact. "I was just telling her to leave you alone."

"...You're lying…"

"Robbie, please stop. Just let Kendall go sit somewhere else."

"No. What were you two talking about?"

"..."

 

Say something.

 

"I went up to talk to her about you," I said, "I'm trying to make it up to you and I was asking Sophie how to do that, but she was confused about why I was acting so nice. She didn't want to tell you just now because you're already freaking out and she didn't want to make things worse for you."

Sophie's and my eyes met for a second, but we both knew what we were saying:

'I got you.'

'Thank you so much.'

He looked at me and without a shred of hesitation, "I don't believe you. You're doing something and I don't know why the fuck everyones trying to treat you nice, but I'm not going to buy this bullshit."

"It's not bullshit," Holly said as she picked at her food.

"And how would you know? I never once saw you talk to her."

"I just know, alright? Can we please drop this…"

It didn't take long for his face to go blank. He looked over at Mark, Vanessa and Ben, before looking back at Holly "...Who was over at your house on Saturday before we got there?"

Holly perked up and instantly became more alert. "Why does that matter?"

 

She's bad at reacting.

 

"Because the only people I ever see you talk to are the people at this table, and you're being really friendly to Kendall. So I want to know who was over at your house."

"She doesn't need to tell you if she doesn't want to," I said as I leaned forward to cut off Robbie looking at her, "She's trying to help and you're jumping on her for no reason."

"I'm not jumping on her. And don't make me out to be a bad guy. Nobody's buying it."

Ben spoke up, "No one's saying you're a bad guy, but you don't need to be so hard on Holly."

"I'm not," Robbie said as he turned on Ben. "I'm just asking if Kendall was at her house."

"I don't even know where she lives," I said.

"I wasn't asking you." He stood up and leaned forward to look at Holly, who was trying to hide behind me. "Tell me who was at your house."

"Stop it," Sophie said, "I'm trying to be on your side but it's hard when you try to pressure Holly like that for doing nothing."

Robbie turned to his girlfriend, "Getting friendly with Kendall isn't nothing." 

Ben chimed in. "Even if Kendall was over there, it's Holly's choice who she hangs out with."

"Can we please talk about something else?" Holly asked as she looked down at her lap.

"No we can't," Robbie's voice was getting more agitated. "I know you guys are keeping something from me and I know it has to do with Kendall, so why the fuck aren't you guys telling me?"

"Because it has nothing to do with you," I muttered.

"Yes it does! Everything you do is to screw with me. And somehow you pulled my friends into it!"

Holly leaned forward to look at Robbie. "Can we please stop fighting…"

"I haven't done one mean thing to you the entire day," I said to Robbie.

"So what!? You're probably just waiting until the end of the day. You've already done something like that!"

"Guys…" Holly said, trying to get attention.

"No I'm not. I'm taking the bus today and leaving you alone."

"You probably think I'm stupid enough to believe that. Fucking bitch." 

"Stop it!" Holly raising her voice got the attention of the entire table, and probably the tables around us as well. Everyone stopped and looked at Holly. "Yes I invited Kendall over. She got Malisa to stop bullying me and I'm thankful to her for that."

Robbie stared at her. His intense look turned into a smile, and shortly after he broke out into a laugh. "Thankful?" His laugh and smile disappeared as quickly as it appeared as he glared at Holly, which made her sink down in her seat. "You thought I was still in the hospital, and you still invited the person who put me there to your house to play games? I actually thought you gave a shit about me."

Sophie grabbed Robbie's shoulder and pulled him close. "I don't know what's going on with them, but that's taking it way too far. Don't make Holly feel guilty about having more friends."

He looked at Sophie. "Are you seriously not going to be on my side with this…?"

She scrunched up her forehead at him and let go of his shoulder. "I've been on your side this entire time, but I'm not going to let you bully Holly."

"Bully!? That's not bullying." He pointed at me. "What she did was bullying. I'm not doing anything like her."

"That's what I thought when I was bullying you as well." I got the attention of everyone, especially Holly and Robbie. "I didn't realize it until sometime after I heard you were in the hospital. Just because it's not as bad as what people do to you doesn't mean it's not bullying."

He reached over and grabbed my shirt collar to pull me towards him. He didn't get very far. "If you ever say I'm a bully again I'll make you regret it."

I stared at him with a blank face. "Then ask everyone else here if you're being a bully or not."

 

That was such a bad thing to say.

 

+++

I knew it was only a matter of time before you fucked up.

+++

  

He let go and sat in his seat as he looked between Ben, Mark and Vanessa. Each of which looked away from Robbie when he made eye contact.

"..."

"I think we just need to calm down for a bit," Sophie said, "Kendall. Go sit at your own table."

I stood up without a word, but before I even picked up my tray-

"This is what you wanted…" Robbie said as he looked at me. His anger was still there, but it was mixed with something else that made him look like the picture of someone that was defeated. "You already took everything else from me. Why wouldn't you try to take my friends as well?" His voice alone was enough to get across that he was hurting. He slumped down in his seat and looked at Sophie. "You said I didn't have to worry about her anymore. Are you friends with her too? Is that why I don't have to worry about her? Because you like her now and think she's done?"

"Of course not. And she's not taking anyone from you. We're all still your friends."

"Yeah right. That's why you guys are getting close to the person who put me through hell for years." He picked up his tray full of food, walked over to the garbage and dumped it all out and walked off to the computer lab that was on the other side of the big open room.

All of us sat there picking at our food.

"I'm sorry for everything. You all know I'm not trying to steal you away from him or anything, right? I'll leave you guys alone if you want. I just thought it'd help to get it through to Robbie that I was trying to be nice…"

"I'll go talk to him," Sophie said, "And you really need to go sit at your old table from now on."

"That's fine. And again I'm sorry." I picked up my food and went back to my old table. Not a word was said between me and the others there.

Not long after I sat down, Holly walked up to me. "I'm sorry. That's what I was afraid of, but I hope we can still be friends…"

"Yeah, of course." I said, trying to get a bit of excitement out, but I was dead tired after all of that.

"Thanks." She walked off towards the computer lab with Sophie.

 

Everything that could go wrong, did go wrong.

 

+++

All three of us knew it was going to turn to shit.

You're going to put him back in the hospital again with this.

Or worse.

+++

 

I planted my head in my hands.

 

I don't know what to do anymore…

 

Tarmon.

 

+++

I'll only do this because you don't have arms, and because you're actually trying in your own terrible way.

+++

 

At Esmer's word, Tarmon wrapped his arms around me.

 

I can't hug you, so I'll hug you through Tarmon.

It's going to be alright. 

 

With that giant arm of tar around me, I felt some kind of safety. It wasn't nearly big enough to make me not feel like shit after all that, but it was a sense of safety that I was going to hold onto for dear life.