Grab N' Go [Robin Arellano]

7: A White Person's Hypocrisy

4 months later.

Now that she had her Walkman, Valentina could listen to Vance's mixtape whenever, wherever. And that's just what she's doing.

"I Was Made for Lovin' You" by KISS blasts in her headphones as she goes over her dark brown lip liner while looking into the mirror. She's minding her own business while a girl next to her washes her hands.

The door flings open to reveal Lillian and her usual groupie-looking friend group. Valentina doesn't notice until the poor girl next to her rushes through her hand-washing process and scurries away out the room. Her panicked motions are what get her attention, and she looks up to have a see for herself.

She rolls her eyes at the group.

They had been hassling her non-stop for about a month and a half. Clearly because she's become closer to Robin, something they didn't seem to fancy.

She keeps her headphones on, pretending not to notice them. After her lipliner is to par, she brings out her gloss. Just as she's about to unscrew the wand, Lillian "taps" on her shoulder aggressively. So much so that she can't help but flinch back.

Annoyed, she removes her headphones, and the music can be heard blasting from them.

"Can I help you?" She asks with a forced tone.

The blond crosses her arms over her chest as the other 4 girls begin to surround her.

"Yeah. You can, actually," she practically growls. "Listen, wetback, stay the hell away from Robin Arellano. I let it slide the first week he sat next to you, but me and my girls saw you walking home with him last week."

Valentina gives her a look that reads "really?" as she replies, "how are you gonna insult me for being Mexican when Robin is too? You know that's, like, hypocritical, right? Plus, we've been walking home together for months."

Lillian looks taken a back before frustratedly shaking her head, "whatever, just shut the fuck up and stay away. Or it'll be your ass. And don't go thinking you're special- he probably just picks you because you put out. Slut. It's probably why pinball Vance liked you too. Well, we don't want Robin to go missing."

That makes her blood boil, and her jaw tighten. She fights off angry tears, which doesn't go unnoticed by her antagonizer who smirks down at her.

"Yeah, we know you had something to do with it. Everyone in school thinks so. You were the last one seen with him," she taunts. "Right girls?"

A chorus of agreement follows her statement.

Lillian turns on the sink, washing her hands. Then, she turns and splashes the water in the Hispanic girl's face. She flinches back at the wetness, going to wipe off her face.

"Do yourself a favor and stay away. Ask to switch seats in science," she demands angrily.

Then, her and her groupies exit the bathroom.

That's when Valentina allows herself to burst into tears while gripping the sides of the sink she's stood in front of. She lets herself ugly cry for a few minutes while trying to catch her breath.

Meanwhile her music still blasts from her headphones, only now it's playing "(Don't) Fear the Reaper".

Just as her crying comes to a halt, the bell rings and she quickly rushes to fix her face. After finally getting to put on her gloss, she rushes out of the bathroom and off towards her classroom.

She enters first period tardy.

The teacher stops his lesson to turn to her with a pointed look.

"Don't let it happen again, Sanchez," he commands before turning back to the board and continuing to chalk up his lesson.