Grab N' Go [Robin Arellano]

12: Did You Know She Can Dance?

"You look fine," Robin reassures for what feels like the millionth time. "Does my bandanna look ok?"

She twists around to look at him, standing in front of the bathroom mirror while he's behind her in the hall. He now sports the bandanna as he normally would. She previously removed it and began to fix her lip liner and gloss.

"Of course it does. It always looks good," she reassures. "The necklace really pulls it together, too."

She reaches over and grabs his cross, feeling the pendent between her fingers. As flustered as this makes him, he never stops her or moves away. When she lets go, she moves to walk around him and back into the living room.

He follows after her hurriedly.

In the living room, Finney is sat nervously bouncing his leg. He looks up to her with an awkward smile.

"You alright, Finney?" She gently asks, giving him a reassuring look.

He swallows hard before nodding lightly, "yeah, it's just...I've never been to a barbecue before except for on the Fourth of July. Are you sure I'm allowed to be there?"

"Why wouldn't you be?" She questions.

He shrugs, feeling guilty that it may have sounded offensive.

"Remember, Finn. If anyone ever fucks with you, I fuck with them," Robin repeats his same words of encouragement from the beginning of the school year. "And anyway, no one will. Swear on my life."

Valentina moves to take a seat beside him, placing a gentle hand over his own, causing him to look up to her eyes. She's wearing the same gentle smile she was on the first day they met.

Finney sits tucked into a locker, knees pulled uncomfortably tight to his chest, arms wrapped around them, and tears streaming down his cheeks as he lets out quiet sobs.

He had let up on calling for help an hour ago, when the hallways seemed to clear out. After being stuck in here for the past hour and a half, he was beginning to feel claustrophobic. He hated his bullies. Why did the insistent on torturing him? Was it simply because they could?

Whatever the reason, he'll never know but continuously find himself suffering the consequences. He resorts to crying loudly.

Then, the locker is pulled open, and he stops his crying to look up in bewilderment.

In front of him stands a young girl. Her hair is long, dark and wavy. Her eyes are the same shade as chocolate, her eyelashes and nose slightly upturned at the end, and lips full. She's pretty, and extremely concerned.

Without saying a word, she helps to pull the boy out of the locker and onto his feet.

"Are you alright? How'd you get in there?" She frantically asks, holding the boy's arms tightly.

He just stares at her with relief, tears rolling down his cheeks, "thank you. Thank you."

In a frantic, be wraps her into a hug and cries into her. She only just hugs him back until he calms down. Then, when he finally pulls away, she offers him a gentle, comforting smile.

"I'm Valentina Sanchez."

He wipes his tears, "Finney Blake."

Hand in hand, the two 2nd graders walk to lunch together, and spend every lunch together for years to come.

He shakes his head, coming out of his brief memory with a reassured smile and genuine happiness. Robin wants to roll his eyes at their closeness but finds himself vibrating in his place instead.